D-Mode slightly underwhelms the Universe

First impression Review
Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe C+

I can't help but think that Sounds of the Universe sounds a little complacent compared to their last album, 2005's Playing the Angel. That album had a sense of urgency and tracks that stood out immediately. Songs like "hole to feed" and "peace" from Universe sound watered down and would be more at home as B-side tracks.

Hopefully it will grow on me with more listens. So far my favorite tracks are: "wrong", "fragile tension", "miles away/the truth is", and "corrupt".

Obsessed - Movie Review

Obsessed (PG-13) 101 minutes C+
Beyonce strikes back

Starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O'Connell, and Christine Lahti

Critics generally hated this film but it's not as bad as they would have you believe. Yes, it's more or less a rehashed version of Fatal Attraction, but it's entertaining and mindless fun.

Ali Larter is the femme fatale and Beyonce is the jealous wife (her husband is not allowed to have a female secretary). I figured the film might be terrible but at least there would be plenty to stare at... Yet the film wasn't half bad even though critic Melissa Anderson claims that the break up of Destiny's Child was probably more dramatic than this film (that's pretty funny).

For mainstream moviegoers and fans of Beyonce.

The Black Ballon - Movie Review

The Black Balloon (Unrated) 97 minutes C
A 15 year old boy learns about love and acceptance.

Starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, and Gemma Ward

The Black Balloon is an unflinching look at autism and a coming-of-age film rolled into one. The Mollison family has just moved to a Sydney (Australia) suburb. Mom (Toni Collette) is pregnant and in need of bed rest (doctor's orders), Dad (Erik Thomson) keeps a busy schedule (he's an Army officer), which leave 15 year old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) to care for his autistic younger brother Charlie (Luke Ford), while also trying to fit in at a new school and falling in love for the first time.

This is an excellent look at how growing up with an autistic sibling can take an emotional toll on a teenager. Director and co-writer Elissa Down undoubtedly drew from her experiences growing up with two autistic brothers.

The film is loud, sometimes annoying and often sad. The family, especially Thomas, is riding an emotional rollercoaster. The sentimental parts of the film may tug on the heart strings of most but I felt nothing. The film is enjoyable but it never elevated itself to more than average and none of these characters really touched me. Not a bad film, but nothing to write home about... rent it on DVD.

Curtis's Sexiest Movies of All Time

In November of 2008 Entertainment Weekly published their "50 Sexiest Movies Ever". That list inspired me to create my own, so after much deliberation here it is...

(* denotes that the film is also on EW's list)

25. Fatal Attraction (1987)*

24. I think I Love My Wife (2007)

23. Wild Things (1998)*

22. Secretary (2002)* & Happy Endings (2005)
Maggie Gyllenhaal stars in both films.

21. Kissed (1996) & Center of the World (2001)
Two odd but intriguing films, both starring Molly Parker.

20. The Reader (2008)

19. White Palace (1990)
I was 18, I thought James Spader was very cool.

18. Sliver (1993)
I also have the book but haven't read it yet.

17. The Last Seduction (1994)*
I watched this movie so many times I got sick of it.

16. Sex Lies and Videotape (1989)*

15. In Her Shoes (2005) & Bridget Jones' Dairy (2001)
Chick-lit that translated very well to the big screen.

14. Shortbus (2006)
Perhaps more sex than sexy, but wow... you won't forget this one.

13. Mulholland Drive (2001)*

12. Swimming Pool (2003)*

11. Bitter Moon (1994)
Directed by Roman Polanski starring Hugh Grant & Emmanuelle Seigner.

10. Body Heat (1981)*

9. Bound (1996)*

8.Unfaithful (2002)*

7.Match Point (2005)
Scarlett Johansson's sexiest role directed by Woody Allen.

6.Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Best film of 2007! Marisa Tomei, need I say more...

5. Crash (1996)
Crash is unique, alluring, and unlike anything I've ever seen - "auto eroticism".

4. Purple Rain (1984)

3. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
One of my all time favs, I own the novel and the screenplay.

2. Little Children (2006)*
Kate Winslet is one of the best actresses of all time!

1. High Art (1998)
I haven't seen this film in a long time but I've always loved it. I watched the trailer moments ago and Ally Sheedy is so raw, real and sexy. It's time for me to dust this one off, pop some popcorn, get an icy beverage and enjoy.

You can find EW's list at http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20241620,00.html

Duplicity - Movie Review

Duplicity (PG-13) 125 minutes C+
Whose Zoomin' Who?

Starring Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, and Rick Worthy

Duplicity is stylish, full of twists, turns and intensity. But the film is also poorly structured, confusing and exhausting. It's comparable to many slick, star-laden, Hollywood films of the genre but ultimately it's empty entertainment that relies heavily on the star power of its cast. Wait for this one to arrive on DVD or see it at your local discount/second run movie theater.

Valentine Brings Sonic Fiery to Denver

My Bloody Valentine April 24, 2009 @ Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO. B

After the My Bloody Valentine show, Bill (a random dude Diddle and I met at the show) said it best when he stated, "If you aren't familiar with the band and/or their music this was nothing more than a wall of noise." But for me and hundreds of others we knew that we were experiencing some exhilarating and rare.

The legendary shoegazers invaded Denver on Friday night and anyone who didn't take advantage of the free earplugs was a damn fool. I didn't hear a single lyric all night but I felt several notes. You don't just hear MBV you feel them! The blistering melodic guitars, laser lights, and the trembling floor underneath my feet created a sonic haze like nothing I've ever seen/heard before.

Adventureland - Movie Review

Adventureland (R) 107 minutes A-
Young and the Restless in 1987

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Paige Howard, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Margarita Levieva

Life (and love) happens when you least expect it and that is never more true than when you're young. I recall the 1980's when I was callow, confident and life was brimming with possibilities. Adventureland hearkens that same nostalgia, it follows James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), a recent college grad who is looking forward to a summer in Europe, followed by graduate school in the fall at the university of Columbia.

But when his parents run into a financial pitfall and can no longer finance his European vacation (graduation gift). He is left reeling and forced to find a summer job to help pay for graduate school. Finding a job, let alone a well paying one is no easy task in this sleepy Pittsburgh town. So Jesse settles for an unglamorous job at a rundown amusement park.

To his surprise he forms solid friendships and an even better relationship with Emily, a cute but brooding young temptress. The film features the usual twist and turns as far as plot and romance but writer-director Greg Mottola ("Superbad", "Daytrippers") does a wonderful job of keeping things grounded and very realistic. The film isn't as funny as the trailer might have you believe, yet there are several laugh out loud moments and a good dose of seriousness to elevate Adventureland above your average coming-of-age genre flick.

Highly recommended!
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Bonus DVD Reviews

Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) 101 minutes F
Don't bother renting

DVD Release date - June 17, 2008
Starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz, Arjay Smith, Paul Dinello, and Marcus Carl Franklin

Wow! This movie was surprisingly bad. Jack Black (who I normally think is a funny guy) was terribly unfunny, Mos Def was stiff and awful, and Mia Farrow seemed completely out of her element.

Film critic Mark Bell wrote "everyone in this film dumbs-down their performances", and I couldn't agree more. The movie reenactments were stupid, the Fats Waller thing was totally contrived, and the over premise was silly.

A major disappointment!

Crazy Love (PG-13) 92 minutes B
Sometimes the crazy guy wins

DVD Release date October 16, 2007
Starring Burt Pugach, and Linda Pugach

In 2007 this documentary earned the Best Documentary Award from the Boston Society of Film Critics and the San Diego Film Critics Society. In 2008 it won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.

This is an intriguing piece about obsession as well as love. It's really quite sad when I think about, but it further supports my theory about how some women can make a man lose his mind. Conventional wisdom goes out the door and something deep within takes over. It derives from a good place in the heart but when it's not reciprocated it can quickly turn to the opposite side of love.

This one is worth renting!

Burn Hollywood (Records) Burn, Indigo Girls Deliver Impressive New Album

First Impression Review

Indigo Girls - Poseidon And The Bitter Bug B+

I've always liked the Indigo Girls, they are one of the most consistent and underrated acts in music history. You always know what you're going to get with the IGs but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For twenty plus years Amy and Emily have been at it, yet they still write some of the most emotionally stunning and relevant lyrics in music. Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is a very pleasant album that builds with each track. Here's my album play by play:

Track 1 - Digging For Your Dream

Nice opening track- a toe tapper. I like this song more every time I listen to it.

Track 2 - Sugar Tongue

At first listen I thought this was the album's biggest misstep. But it has grown on me with each listen... Now I kind of like it.

Track 3 - Love of our Lives

I didn't like the title of this track so much. But here you'll find that signature IG harmony.

Track 4 - Driver Education

This is one of those tracks that is sure to be a crowd favorite on tour. The opening lyrics are great "I fell for guys who tried to commit suicide/With soft rock hair and blood shot eyes"

Track 5 - I'll Change

The first track on the album to make my heart feel something. "One day I'll change, you'll be the first one I call"

Track 6 - Second Time Around

I really love this song. It has the best and most memorable lyrics of all the tracks. My current favorite.

Track 7 - What Are You Like

A bouncy, catchy track

Track 8 - Ghost of the Gang

Amy Ray has grit. This is the second track in which Amy Ray opens with the theme of dudes & a death.

Track 9 - Fleet of Hope

Emily delivers the pretty songs... This is one of them. I'm holding up my lighter as I type this.

Track 10 - True Romantic

Possibly my least favorite track on the album... but it's not horrible.

Note - The Indigo Girls were dropped from their record label in 2007- Hollywood Records. The subject title of this post is a clever/sarcastic play on words recalling Public Enemy's popular song Burn Hollywood Burn and the famous last words of that song "F*ck Hollywood!" I believe that in many ways PE and the IGs are kindred spirits.

You're Not As Dead As You Seem (a music review)

First Impression Music Review

Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust A-

Have you ever wondered what Nine inch Nails would sound like if Trent Reznor was black? Well wonder no longer.

Produced by Trent Reznor, Niggy Tardust is vital and brimming with urgency. I found it immediately likable, innovative, and raw. Williams holds nothing back, "Killer, blood spiller Bitch, steal a mac truck/Bad luck fuckin' with this black buck/Bigger Thomas, I promise/Leave a corpse in the furnace" (The Ritual).

While Tr(N)igger is sure to play repeatedly on my ipod, this Public Enemy sampled track gets my blood pumping and juices flowing (a great song for the gym). Furthermore, I read that many of these yrics are from his 2006 poetry book, The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop.

This is an ambitious effort by Williams, and with one or two fewer tracks (there's 20 including the bonus tracks) this would probably be a classic. But as it stands it's pretty damn good!

"Freakshow hear him speak so properly cuz every word is/Measured against meaning probably scheming to unlearn us/Don't you call him by his name, white people call him Curtis" (Niggy Tardust).

I Love You, Man - Movie review

I Love You, Man (R) 100 minutes B
The (nonsexual) man crush

Starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samber, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin, Jon Favreau, and Jaime Pressly

It's getting harder and harder to make an original comedy these days because it's all been done before. But even though I Love You, Man is often predictable, this "bromance" (or "bromantic comedy") is thoroughly entertaining.

As we get older and more consumed by work and relationships it's sometimes hard to make new friends. This film is a refreshing look at male friendship without the macho bullsh*t. The performances as a whole are outstanding and there's a nice comedic balance between physical comedy and subtle humor. Recommended.

Bonus DVD Review -----------------------------------------------------------

Elegy (R) 113 minutes C+
I'd rather be with an animal

DVD Release Date - March 2009
Starring Patricia Clarkson, Penélope Cruz, Deborah Harry, Dennis Hopper, Ben Kingsley, and Peter Sarsgaard

Elegy is directed by Isabel Coixet and based on the Philip Roth novella, The Dying Animal. I read The Dying Animal four months ago and was eager to see the film. It's not often that I read the book before seeing the film so I was anxious to see how Roth's poetic lust translated to the big screen (or the small screen in this case - DVD).

The film followed the book very closely, so much so that I felt I'd already seen the film as I was watching it. My expectations were high because this adaptation starred three of my favorites- Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley and Peter Sarsgaard. However, Elegy was not as good as I'd hoped.

The film conveyed a certain sadness that I didn't necessarily get from the book. The book and the film had the same ending, but by the end of the book I was still reeling from the most intriguing, sexually carnivorous, and desirable woman Roth has ever written about- Consuela.

In the film Consuela is played by Penelope Cruz, not the voluptuous goddess I'd imagined. Yet Cruz was sensational and totally believable as a young woman in love with a man twice her age.
As was Patricia Clarkson who played Carolyn. A character, who in the book I longed to know more about. The men- Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper and Peter Sarsgaard all turned in constipated performances that left me underwhelmed.

Elegy is an interesting film... a little slow at times. But if you read the book and liked it, or if you're a big fan of Penelope Cruz (naked) this is the film for you.