Dinosaur Jr Goes Farming

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm A-

I own a total of 8 Dinosaur Jr/J Mascis albums and this one is my new favorite. Farm is a pleasant surprise even though it shouldn't be. Their last album, 2007's Beyond was good but it didn't leave me eagerly anticipating a new album. Yet this one grabbed me from the first song of the first listen. It has more hooks than a Bass Pro Shop, and J's lazy vocal delivery coupled with his signature slacker lyrics are unmatched.

The Hangover - Movie Review

The Hangover (R) 100 minutes B
Four dudes blackout in Vegas...

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, and Jeffrey Tambor

I have to give props to The Hangover because even though the trailer looked funny, I couldn't imagine how they were going to put a new twist on an old formula. Essentially I thought this would turn out to be nothing more than the sequel to Very Bad Things (a 1998 film starring Jon Favreau, Christian Slater and Jeremy Piven).

But after numerous people told me how good this film was I had to see for myself. It's not as good as some of the previous (summer) comedy blockbusters (aka- Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, and The 40 Year Old Virgin) but it is a funny and entertaining film about four dues who blackout in Vegas and can't remember what happened the night before. It's a wild ride and worth seeing on the big screen.

Fragments Found Inside Me (A Book Review)

Some Ether by Nick Flynn A

Some Ether is Nick Flynn's debut collection of poetry, winner of the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award (1999), and an astounding work of beauty wrapped in a ball of pain.

Flynn takes us on a journey through his childhood- divorce parents, a troubled mother, strange men, and his mother's suicide. Pretty dark stuff, but written with a sense of enlightenment. The way he recalls these memories is so poetic and honest, it's what I hope to achieve every time I write but I'm nowhere near as graceful.

After I read the first poem in this collection, Bag of Mice, I was hooked. Check it out...

I dreamt your suicide note
was scrawled in pencil on a brown paperbag,
& in the bag were six baby mice. The bag
opened into darkness,
smoldering
from the top down. The mice,
huddled at the bottom, scurried the bag
across a shorn field. I stood over it
& as the burning reached each carbon letter
of what you'd written
your voice released into the night
like a song, & the mice
grew wilder.

Tyson - Movie Review

Tyson (R) 90 minutes B
The Rise and Fall of Iron Mike

Once upon a time Mike Tyson was the most dominant boxer I had ever seen, he possessed the talent and the tools to be the greatest of all time. But unfortunately he couldn't keep his demons at bay and soon the most celebrated fighter in the world became the most disgraced athlete in sports.

Tyson, a new documentary by James Toback follows the once coveted fighter from his childhood on the mean streets of Brooklyn, to a broken adult desperately searching for peace and tranquility. This polarizing film documents his rise to the top, scandals, vulnerabilities and humility. It's an inspiring, funny, and sad journey through the life of a troubled man and a prime example of why it's so important to stay humble; fame and fortune doesn't always last forever (especially when your greatest weaknesses are sex, drugs and living like a king).

There is no doubt that Iron Mike has learned a lot of hard lessons, it's just unfortunate that he had to learn them the hard way.

The Girlfriend Experience - Movie Review

The Girlfriend Experience (R) 78 minutes A
Sex and the Human Condition

Starring Sasha Grey, Chris Santos, Glenn Kenney, and Peter Zizzo

The Girlfriend Experience is the most intriguing film I’ve seen in 2009 so far. It’s directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by the same two guys who wrote Oceans Thirteen (which is amazing because the two films are polar opposites).

I saw The Girlfriend Experience several days ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The film follows Chelsea (Sasha Grey), an upscale Manhattan escort who provides the ultimate "girlfriend experience (gfe)" to her clients. Simply put, time spent with Chelsea is like time spent with a girlfriend, albeit, one who has no sexual inhibitions and will cost you a cool $2000.00 a night.

Chelsea caters to successful businessmen in varies fields, she goes on dates to the museum, the movies, expensive dinners, but mostly listens to the men complain about politics, their jobs and the economy. Sex isn't always on the agenda, sometimes her clients just want to feel adored and listened to.

The film is set in New York City shortly before the 2008 Presidential election. This adds an interesting element to the film because there's a sense of panic over the economy and in stressful times there's no better escape than the solace of sex, beauty, passion and companionship- it's human nature and Chelsea delivers.

The other masterstroke of genius in this film is Soderbergh's casting of Sasha Grey, a real life porn star who has acted in over 100 porn films. She is absolutely brilliant in this role giving it authenticity, her character is very believable as she projects sex as strictly business. I'm not sure if she could act in a more traditional film but here she is completely captivating.

The Girlfriend Experience is definitely not for everyone, perhaps it's more of a niche film. But I loved it and would pay money to see it again; there's not a lot of films I can say that about these days.

I See Dead People (A Book Review)

You've Been Warned by James Patterson & Howard Roughan - C

Last month I reviewed The Quickie by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge, It was my first foray into the prolific world of James Patterson and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed that book. But I remained leery, yet curious about Patterson's mass market appeal. Was Patterson that good or was it novelty?

You've Been Warned starts off flat and somewhat similar to The Quickie. Our main character, Kristin Burns, is a nanny and aspiring photographer. She's having an affair with Michael, a successful businessman, and is repeatedly warned that she is heading down a dangerous path; Kristin sees and talks to the dead, gets long distance phone calls from herself, and has cockroaches underneath her skin. But none of this can stop her from pursuing what she desires most, Michael.

This book reads like a bad Sharon Stone movie, but there's enough of a hook to keep you (morbidly) curious and guessing.

Tracyanne, Denver's Ready To Be Heartbroken (A Concert Review)

Camera Obscura at the Bluebird Theater June 1, 2009 B

This was my first time seeing Camera Obscura and I was impressed with how well their music translated live, especially the material from their latest album, My Maudlin Career.

After observing that no one in the audience was struck by lightening on their way to the show (it was stormy outside), Tracyanne Campbell opened their set with the title track from their aforementioned album. Campbell, who seems simultaneously pensive and charming has a humble stage presence that's immediately endearing. Wearing a vintage velvet dress, she and band mate Carey Landers are almost doll-like as they sang pretty songs about love gone wrong.

French Navy, Honey in the Sun and Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken were among my favorites last night, and the only gripe I had was that some (not all) of the slower songs really killed the momentum of the show from time to time. But overall, I enjoyed the show immensely and look forward to their next visit to the Mile High City.

People Got A Lotta Nerve (A Concert Review)

Neko Case at the Ogden Theatre, May 30th 2009 C+

The boys and I attended the sold out Neko Case show last night at the Ogden Theatre. In classic rock star fashion we arrived late (missing the opening act) but just in time for Neko's set. However, our lateness relegated us to the back of the theatre (near the bar) where all night we heard the sweet sounds of Neko in one ear and drunken bar banter in the other.

Neko sang like an alt-country angel and the band played beautifully, yet the show still managed to fall short of expectation. Something was definitely missing, perhaps we were forewarned when Neko took the stage and said some about "soft rocking" our balls off. I mean, I wasn't expecting her to make my ears bleed but all night I kept waiting for that one song that would really ignite my fire or conjure up my infinite sadness. The closest I came to this sort of emotion was I Wish I Was the Moon from Blacklisted.

Naturally I expected a heavy dose of Middle Cyclone, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the lack of Furnace Room Lullaby songs. Nevertheless, I had a great time at the show and I attribute some of the fault to us getting there late, being less than 6 feet tall, and generally having a poor view/earshot of the stage.

I'm certain that Neko would have sang "Twist the Knife" or "Mood to Burn Bridges" had she been able to see Mike, Jason, John or myself from the stage. Next time we'll indulge in less pre-show Coronas and more in overpriced Miller Lites at the venue.

Writing Down the Birds (A Book Review)

Anne Lamont - Bird By Bird B+

Perhaps my favorite thing about Bird by Bird is Lamott's honesty about writing and the writing life. Especially since it's easy to romanticize being a writer when the reality is a constant struggle to put the right words on paper.

This book was first recommended to me by Dan Elish, the author of one of my favorite novels, Nine Wives. Since then it has been recommended time and time again with good reason. I think this book separates the pretenders from the contenders in the writing process. It reveals the true satisfaction and artistic nature of writing whether you're published or not.

State of Play - Movie Review

State of Play (PG-13) A-
Journalism at its best

Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren

After watching the movie Twister in 1996, a friend told me that she was inspired to become a "Storm Chaser". After seeing State of Play a few days ago I found myself daydreaming about being a reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper. Then I remembered that no one reads the paper and print journalism is a dying breed... but still, this film does for journalism what ER (the television show) did for the medical profession– provides the illusion of nonstop excitement, drama and intrigue.

I read that State of Play is loosely based on a BBC television series of the same name and was originally cast with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Those two actors backed out but the star laden cast of Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Robin Wright Penn, Jeff Daniels, Jason Bateman, and (cameo by) Viola Davis provided more than enough star power for this savvy and well-scripted film.

This political thriller explores the question of ethical, honest and factual journalism, as well as the indispensable importance of print newspapers in our society. State of Play has plenty of twist, turns, and headlines that rival modern day political scandals- sex, corruption, murder, etc... and there's even a fair share of well executed clichés: the seasoned, burnt-out reporter type with friends in all the right places, hesitantly matched with an eager and fresh-faced newbie. The angry and demanding editor, the pesky police, and the young politician that’s as sleazy as he is good looking.

But it all comes together brillantly. I liked this film and who would have thought that Ben Affleck would star in two of my favorite films of 2009 so far... Perhaps now I can forget about Armageddon.