by Ian Ebright
Here’s a quick look back at the first half of 2008 and the best in movies, music and television:
MUSIC:
The Autumns- Fake Noise From a Box of Toys
The Autumns show no signs of slowing down (or repeating themselves) on their fourth full-length album. Keeping with the spirit of the band’s never-ending quest for undiscovered musical terrain, ‘Fake Noise’ makes the most out of a very fresh and unique sound. I call it lullaby metal/rock. This recording is populated by things that you’d expect to hear during dreams shared with Little Nemo. The album is memorable, ambitious and unflinchingly original. It also happens to be filled with songs that you’ll want to hear again. How many bands can that be said about? Check them out.
Kyte- Self-Titled EP
I’ve been following these guys from the U.K. for years now after they captured me within ten seconds of hearing their first song. This is ethereal pop brilliance that puts the similar landscapes of Sigur Ros to shame. Kyte is what U2 have tried (and failed) to become. Check them out.
Elbow- The Seldom Seen Kid
Think of Elbow as Coldplay from the other side of the tracks. Elbow is another British act, and their latest offering (the fourth full-length) is a beautiful although uneven mix of melodies and lyrical sincerity. Lead singer Guy Garvey is a kind and tired soul, which is unmistakable if you’re lucky enough to catch their live act. When Garvey raises a glass of booze and toasts the audience, you know he means it. On the opening song Starlings, he sings: “at the top you’re stopping by your place of work and acting like i haven’t dreamed of you and I and marriage in an orange grove. You are the only thing in any room you’re ever in. I’m stubborn, selfish, and too old.” Love songs are rarely this earnest. Elbow have released better albums, but this is still far ahead of the usual pop-rock drivel. There are moments of greatness in this mix. Check them out.
TELEVISION:
The Wire- Season 5
I’m not gonna lie- this was the best achievable finale to what became my favorite piece of entertainment ever. This show had everything. It was Shakespeare, Dickens, hope and tragedy. The Wire will endure as perfection, and will serve as a historical snapshot of the corrupt and divided times that we live in. I hope that doesn’t make it sound dry- you’ve never seen characters and story arcs like this before.
Generation Kill
There should be no surprise here considering that The Wire’s writing team of David Simon and Ed Burns are back at the helm. Their work is once again finely tuned; you’ll be especially impressed to see the way they capture the voice of young Marines if you’re used to the complex adult characters of The Wire. This show shatters the cliches about machismo and war. The young cast is outstanding, but it’s relative newcomer Alex Skarsgard who steals the spotlight. That shouldn’t come as a surprise- his dad is the very talented veteran actor Stellan Skarsgard. No relation to Peter Sarsgaard obviously.
MOVIES:
The Dark Knight
I’m going to see this again tomorrow night and will probably have a more accurate take on it afterwards (Chris Nolan’s movies are intended for repeat viewings it seems). But The Dark Knight got it right. It’s an improvement on the fantastic Batman Begins, and we finally got to see the relationship between The Joker and Batman handled correctly. Multiple origins for Ledger’s Oscar-worthy portrayal of a psychopath? That was lifted straight out of the famous and pivotal Batman graphic novel The Killing Joke. Can you blame us Bat-geeks for smiling with glee? I thought the first two hours were pitch-perfect, and I’ll be watching closely to see if my initial problems about the final half-hour are relieved (having to do with character choices and anti-climactic outcomes).
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I might love this movie more than I should. Funny, but in a more subtle way (aside from the prolonged shot of the protagonist’s penis) and written with skill that usually isn’t found in romantic comedies (at least not since John Hughes’ hay day). Great characters and chemistry between the leads.
Question: what have you liked so far in 2008? Tell me what I missed.
Ian, for The Broken Telegraph
Brian, for The Broken Telegraph
4 Comments
Sunday, August 3, 2008 at
Hmm….these things always get my juices churning because once I start, I don’t wanna stop. (Especially since I have been in training hell and have all this stuff backed up in my head!)
So, music:
*Erykah Badu - “New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)”. Funky and beautiful along with IDEAS about our current surroundings. Like one of those awesome Stevie Wonder albums from the ’70s. A bit of Parliament thrown in for good measure to help the bitter sweeter.
*Vampire Weekend - “Vampire Weekend”. Yeah, overhyped, but I still like the Soweto Sound funneled through the prism of Talking Heads and Paul Simon. Fun music with surprising flavor — despite the hype.
*Rufus Wainwright - “Release the Stars”. I do go for his odd majestic music styles. Bombastic yet personal, folkie yet cosompolitan. Great live show too!
*The Ting Tings - “We Started Nothing”. Fun, basic, almost 80’s style pop. Some of the songs fall flat for me towards the end, but mostly its just too much fun to hate.
As for TV –
I have nothing but praise for BOTH shows you mention. Lately, since The Wire ended, I just haven’t found much else to get excited about until “Generation Kill”. I will do some catch up on that this week.
Movies –
“Dark Knight” is the one to beat thus far this year. Brilliant not only for a “comic book” movie, but for ANY genre today. The vision is just not to be denied.
“Redbelt” is good Mamet, but mostly because of the lead performance of Ejiofor who brings a real world reality to Mamet’s fantastic dramatic conceit — he’s really the first I have seen build that bridge to the audience in one of Mamet’s movies (maybe other than Lemmon in “Glengarry”.)
“The Vistor” mostly for Richard Jenkin’s performance more so than for the movie. But, the movie isnt all that bad either. I hope Jenkins sees some recognition for his work on this.
“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” because I just really enjoy well done period screwball comedies, and they are rarely done well these days. Though it really doesnt come together in the end result, I appreciated a light movie with a serious undercurrent that remains just that and doesnt get in the way of the fun.
“Reprise” is one of those movies that quietly sticks with you days later. I found it well made and solid, but was initially underwhelmed. Until I found myself thinking about a couple of scenes from the movie a week later and how right they seemed.
“Tell No One” was a French movie based on an American novel, with a healthy dash of Hitchcock thrown in. If someone can appropriate Hitchcock and NOT embarrass themselves, I will be there to watch every time.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at
nice list, bri and thanks for the post. i will be netflixing most of your film recommendations. i’m particularly excited about ‘reprise.’
ps- we missed last week’s episode of generation kill because E is with us for the week; i’ll have to catch up on on demand. Lauren and I talk about the show in code with her around- it’s now known as ‘Generation Hug.’
Saturday, September 20, 2008 at
I didn’t like “Dark Knight”. I went to see it with my 15-yr-old son. It was too dark. Depressing. Evil.
All his friends had seen it and said it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not so for either of us.
Sunday, September 21, 2008 at
Hi Paul- welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time to check it out.
The Dark Knight was definitely dark. Really something intended for adults only, even though it managed a PG-13 rating. You are not the only one who was turned off by the tone and subject matter.
In defense of the film, that was a very accurate representation of the villains. They are both extremely violent creatures throughout their comic history.
-ian
Leave a Reply