Music Review: My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Can My Chemical Romance stop making concept albums? Probably, but there is no need to. They know how to do them well, and why change a good thing? After the smash success of 2006's The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance has crafted an album about a group of bandits named The Killjoys who live in the California desert in the year 2019. Sound confusing? I agree. But it's also outrageously different than anything they've done before. However, it's also one of their strongest albums.

From what I've gathered from numerous sources, song material and interviews, The Killjoys are fighting against an evil corporation named Better Living Corporation and it's leader Korse. Furthermore, they are being guided by a radio DJ named Dr. Death Defying. The rest of the story concerns a member of the Killjoys being captured and the rest of the gangs attempt to get her back, and the trials and tribulations they face. But I'm almost positive the majority of people aren't into the story. They care about the music. And the music is just as ambitious as the story.

The biggest difference with this album is how optimistic it is compared with earlier material, especially pre-Black Parade era. Songs such as "Bulletproof Heart" talk about running away to find a better life. "Planetary (GO)" and "Sing" are more bombastic numbers than we're used to from Gerard Way and company, and that's far from a bad thing. The former sounds like it would be playing during a car chase, and "Sing" is a stadium ready anthem about just singing out loud. It's different for My Chemical Romance, and unexpected.

However, the highlights of the album all arrive in the middle. Tracks 8 through 12 are some of the 5 best tracks that My Chemical Romance have constructed. "Party Poison" features Japanese radio broadcasts and is an explosive number and features some of Frank Iero's best guitar work. "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back" and "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W" are also outstanding songs, easy to sing along to with powerful vocals. Gerard Way hasn't been better, and his singing is one of the album's highlights. Finally, my favorite track "Summertime" sums up the album's optimism and powerful feel. It's a sing a long number that would have captured Modern Rock radio if it was released in June as a summer single. Easily one of their best songs. The final 3 songs contain 1 interlude, and the album ends on a satirical number about band breakup, perhaps an ode to critics of the band's constantly shifting styles.

Band's are expected to change and grow. My Chemical Romance is one of the few bands who has found success with every style they form, not relying on the sound that made a previous album successful. It's a trait that is easily admirable, even if you're not a fan of the band. They have been able to make a great sound in every album they've released, and each has been different. Danger Days is no exception. It's ambitious, optimistic, and catchy. It's also one of their most consistent efforts. Gerard Way and company are back after a long 4 years with one of the best albums. Welcome back Killjoys, it's nice to meet you.
Final Grade: 8.5/10 (Get this album)

Music Review: Rihanna - Loud

After the lackluster reviews for her 2009 album Rated R, Barbados bad girl Rihanna headed into the studio with hitmakers Tricky Stewart, Polow da Don and The Runners to craft the most consistent album of her career. Everyone knows the story of Rihanna and Chris Brown, so it's easy to excuse her for sacrificing hit songs for dark subject matter on Rated R. However, many wondered if she would be able to return to her 2007 form of making songs like "Pon de Replay" and "Umbrella".

And she has. Hell, some of these songs are better than anything she has done before. Songs such as "Cheers (Drink to That)" and "What's My Name?" featuring Canadian upstart Drake are intoxicatingly catchy. Only Rihanna has the ability to make the simple repetition of the words "Oh na na oh what's my name?" make every pre-teen sing along with adoration. She finally plays to the strengths that made her successful - an ear for pop and the ability to craft a memorable single. "Cheers" samples Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You" and uses it effectively, turning a song about young love into a alcoholic anthem. It's ambitious, daring, and works. On "Only Girl (In the World)", the first single from the album, Rihanna is able to reach back into her influences and make a song in the same vein that made Good Girl Gone Bad so successful. She is able to sound confident, down to earth, and extremely lustful all at once. It's a talent that can't be taught, and Rihanna uses her ability well.

Another standout is "Raining Men" which features up and comer Nicki Minaj, who delivers a rap that is one of the albums highlights. Easily one of the best songs on the album, due to the beat and the perfect mesh of styles Nicki and Rihanna bring to the table. Finally, the album ends on "Love the Way you Lie, Part 2". While the original was a smash single, this version does not live up to the hype. It's slowed down to feature more Rihanna singing, the beat is changed and Eminem's verse is effective yet underwhelming.

The last song sums up the album. While most songs are great, there are many forgettable moments. Rihanna is at her best when she plays to what a male listener wants to hear - a girl sing about lust, love and a need for passion. Rihanna knows how to make a hit, and she has done it consistently. Often she is unable to stay focused in this style and tries to expand. It's like Joaquin Phoenix trying to rap. It's not the worst thing you've ever heard, but it's disappointing to hear when you know there is something they're much better at. I want to close the review by highlighting one different success of the album. Rihanna constructs her best ballad of her short career on this album called "California King Bed". It's a moving number that makes Rihanna seem sadder than even her lowest moment on Rated R. If she can make ballads like this from now on with a good music of outstanding pop songs then Rihanna will become one of the biggest artists in showbiz. Loud is an album you should check out as it has many great songs, but drags in places and lacks consistency.
Final Score: 7.9/10 (Worth a listen)

Music Review - Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

I'm living in that 21st century, doing something mean to it, doing better than anybody you ever seen do it, screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it, I guess every superhero need his theme music...

By now, you and just about every single person you know have heard those lyrics (other than maybe your grandparents, but there's probably still a chance they've heard it too). In case you're trying to recognize it, it's the cocky, in-your-face, explosive opening line of "Power" by Kanye West, the first single and third track on his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The major star figure dropped off the face of the earth about a year and a half ago after the famous incident at the MTV Video Music Awards. In May, he struck back with this song, and from then on it was a collision course; except while we usually think of a collision course as a bad thing, this was a full speed ride towards an album so good it's almost hard to believe.

The Breakdown

1. Dark Fantasy
The album begins with the odd swirls of holy opera underlying Nicki Minaj's powerfully odd voice, not rapping but introducing the story. "Twisted fiction / sick addiction / well gather round children / zip it / listen!" she declares, her voice growing increasingly forceful, as suddenly a slow build of female choir sings the hook. It builds and builds until finally collapsing into the main stretch of the song, Kanye rapping over an irresistible beat. Right off the bat he's lamenting about his night-time demons, and yet makes it sound undeniably cool - this sets up the whole album. It's one of the best tracks on the album, and an incredible way to start it off.
Best Line: "The plan was to drink until the pain over / But what's worse / The pain or the hangover?"

2. Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwan)
After the choral finish of Dark Fantasy we're suddenly thrust into the dark swirl of distorted electric guitar and Kid Cudi singing the hook. Both Kanye and Raekwon take turns at rapping, with Kanye tearing up the first three verses and then Raekwan coming in at a sudden beat change that will never get old to listen to.
Best Line: "We make em say 'oh!' cause the game's so pimpish / Choke a South Park writer with a fish stick."

3. Power (feat. Dwele)
Here's the single you all know - Kanye's loud, declaration of, well, power, that was released to start up the hype for his album. What an incredible job it did back in May - and the "power" of Power has not died one bit. In fact, within the context of the album, it almost feels like it has more "power" than before. People loved the track for a reason - it's incredible - and whether you've heard it or not, it still is.
Best Line: "They said I was the Obama(abomi)nation of Obama's nation / Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation."

4. All of the Lights (Interlude)
The instrumental interlude is a nice change of pace, and allows a singeling out of the beautiful instrumentals of the masterpiece that's soon to come.

5. All of the Lights (feat. Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend, The-Dream, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Williams, Elly Jackson, & Elton John)
Whew, take a breath. That's a lot of people to be featured on a 5-minute song. Is it too much? Does Kanye get overshadowed? Is this the one bump on an otherwise incredible album? The answer to all three of those questions is no, and, in fact, the opposite. It's not too much - the mix just adds to the lively, electric feeling of the whole piece. Kanye does not get overshadowed - this is still 100% a Kanye West song. These features are not your typical guest appearances; other than Fergie, who has a very short 4-bar declaration, Kanye is the only one who actually has any verses. Everyone else adds a little something to the song - Rihanna leads the gorgeous and sparkly hook; the girls provide spiraling backup vocals; Cudi's dark voice is perfect for his small mini-hook; Elton John coasts through with bits of piano and then croaking out some minor lyrics at the end; all these features just add depth. And finally, the song is not the one bump in an otherwise incredible album - it's the best song of the year.
Best Line: "Restraining order / Can't see my daughter / Her mother brother grandmother hate me in that order."


6. Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver)
Here's another song many people have heard, the popular G.O.O.D. Friday track "Monster", a dark, hard-beat contemplation on how much you can kick ass and completely suck at the same time. These artists are outwardly declaring just how much of monsters they are - but they're refreshingly proud of it. The real star here is Minaj who steals the show with her violent, explosive declaration of self.
Best Line: The ridiculously raunchy "Have you ever had sex with a pharaoh? / Ahhhhh put the p**** in a sarcophagus."


7. So Appalled (feat. Jay-Z, Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce, Swizz Beatz & The RZA)
Next is another G.O.O.D. Friday track, the apocalyptic "So Appalled", where the men involved lament on the downsides of fame. It feels much more epic and relevant on the album than it ever did as a stand-alone track, with the dark background highlighting the "appalling" terror that the artists describe.
Best Line: "I went from the favorite / To the most hated / Would you rather be underpaid or overrated?"


8. Devil In A New Dress (feat. Rick Ross)
This is the final G.O.O.D. Friday track on the album, but it's not really the G.O.O.D. Friday track we actually heard. The first 2 and a half minutes is - and an excellent 2 and a half minutes at that - but then the song suddenly cuts into a swirl of delicate and sparkly piano and strings, accompanied by a guitar solo. Then comes in Rick Ross, who I normally am not a fan of, but I feel it's important to mention that he really stands out here - his verse adds a great sense of messy unbalance to the track.
Best Line: I'm a sucker for the hook, "Throw your hands to the constellations / The way you look should be a sin / You my sensation / I know I beat you to the congregation / We love Jesus but you done learned a lot from Satan."


9. Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
The smash hit from the VMAs is now a 9-minute long epic meditation on the assholes and the douchebags of the world. It's Kanye's great acceptance of who he is, and sincerely apologizing for it. Pusha T adds a good verse, but at the end of the day, this is strictly Kanye's song, where he shows off his soft side. The original 5-minute anthem is now accompanied by a 3-minute finale of strings and swirling auto-tune that really just sounds like synth because of how inaudible the words are, and this provides a very unique and interesting effect - Kanye is shouting his thoughts and feelings, but nobody can hear him, leaving him in isolation.
Best Line: "And I just blame everything on you / At least you know that's what I'm good at."


After the star-studded collection of songs that consumes the majority of the album (minus Dark Fantasy), the rest of the album is pretty much left up to Kanye. While there are features from here on out, they provide merely backing vocals, or in the case of Best Birthday, an outro that's really just spoken word and not musical effort. This is important to note because as the album reaches its climax and finale, it leaves Kanye on his own, and truly brings home just how good of an artist he is.


10. Hell of a Life
The final act of the album cuts straight in with edgy synth as Kanye declares "I think I just fell in love with a porn star / Turn the camera on she a born star." "Hell of a Life" is a violently urgent, anxious trip into the darkest places of Kanye's mind. It's a sprawling nightmare of a song, never shying away from the darkest of thoughts and yet never seeming uninviting. It's direct and open in its darkness, and it makes it easier to approach. This is the beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
Best Line: "Runaway slays all in the chain gang / Bang...bang...bang...bang...bang..."


11. Blame Game / The Best Birthday (feat. John Legend and Chris Rock)
Don't let the two names in this song fool you - this may be Kanye's most solo and personal song on the whole album. Legend sings the hook for the first part of Blame Game, but the rapping is all Kanye, and what intense and emotional rapping it is. Our star digresses on the topic of a nasty breakup, and while the entire album is full of Kanye's honest confessions, it is here that we truly see his pain shine through. Mixing his own voice up with different effects, it sounds almost as if there are 4 different people rapping the second verse, but it's all him. After a distant, lonely reprise of the chorus by Kanye plays through, we enter the "Best Birthday" part of the song, which continues the sample-worth-mentioning "Avril 14th" by Aphex Twin, but the actual verses are essentially over; in comes Chris Rock with comic relief, playing "the other guy", and while he's hysterical, the comedy in the final third of the song enhances the heartbreak - it makes it seem as if Kanye is being mocked, and we feel his pain.
Best Line: Kanye achingly sings, all alone, "I can't love you this much / No I can't love you this much..."


12. Lost In the World (feat. Bon Iver) -AND- 13. Who Will Survive In America?
A while back, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon spoke to Pitchfork about working with Kanye West, and all the accomplishments the men had come to with each other. He is briefly featured on "Monster", but after an album full of ambition, after declarations of power, after astonishment and wonder at a sky filled with lights, after a monster brawl, after lamenting on the downsides of stardom and the poor shape of the world, after toasting to the assholes and douchebags, and after feeling completely alone, the major combination of West and Vernon comes to life for the grandest finale in recent music history. We end with a vibrant re-imagining of Bon Iver's "Woods", with Kanye not on top of the world, not in control of it - but lost in it. This fades into the final track, which is really still Track 12, it's just split because of the transfer from West and Vernon to spoken word by Gil Scott Heron, an artist from the 70s.


It is here that the story comes full circle; after tales of twisted fiction and sick addiction, the children have sit and listened and are awaiting the moral of the story. But Kanye, seemingly for the first time, doesn't have all the answers, and the moral, instead of proclaiming something, instead asks a question:


Who will survive in America?


And with the fast repetition of this question by Heron, the song finishes, and some mild claps ensue; although a standing ovation would probably be more appropriate. Kanye may be lost in the world, but his music benefits greatly - it's his most honest and real effort to date. This is a true portrayal of stardom in America today: the beauty, the darkness, and all the twisted fantasies.


10.0 /10.0 (A Masterpiece)

The Top 10 Movies of 2010 (So Far)

As we're getting closer and closer to the end of the year, it's only a matter of time before the major Oscar contenders bust out into the world. Before they have a chance to steal the show, here are the 10 best movies of the year thus far (minus "127 Hours", which I still have yet to see).


10. THE GHOST WRITER
Roman Polanski's chilling story about a ghost writer uncovering the mysteries of the corrupt leader he's writing for may not stay on the top ten list too much longer, but it deserves recognition as an excellent, quiet, and suspenseful thriller. Oh, and that ending...

9. SHUTTER ISLAND

You're always in good hands with Martin Scorsese in the director's chair, and Shutter Island is no excuse. It's a terrifying psychological nightmare that will haunt you for days. 

8. THE TOWN

Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama may be conventional, but it's conventional done right. You don't need too many twists and turns when you have an outstanding cast and a fantastic director who has really come into his own.

7. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1

Some will find the first half of the biggest series conclusion of this generation too slow or too unfulfilling, but I thought the experience was right on. It has its flaws for sure, but its darkness and deep character development provides for the most haunting, moving, and emotionally satisfying episode of the series.

6. HEREAFTER

Hereafter definitely wasn't for everybody - many found it too slow or too and some too hokey. But I found Clint Eastwood's meditative drama on death and the afterlife profoundly moving and quietly riveting.

 5. WINTER'S BONE
One of the most criminally unseen movies of the year is also one of the best - the horrifying drama Winter's Bone, a dark and eerie story about a girl trying to find her missing father in order to save her family.

 4. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Edgar Wright delivered comic gold with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and his newest feature, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World makes him 3 for 3. It's the most fun, heartwarming, bizarre and clever creation of the year, one that can be described as nothing other than the awesomest awesome you can imagine.

3. TOY STORY 3

Over a decade of precedents set by Pixar and the original Toy Story comes to a close with the grand finale to childhood: Toy Story 3, a real tearjerker, is the most touching movie of the year.

2. INCEPTION
Christopher Nolan's mind-bending thriller is the most talked about movie of the year, and deservedly. One of only two movies this year to earn a perfect 10 from me, Inception is a suspenseful, exciting, riveting, and emotionally powerful action adventure that will screw with your thoughts and haunt your mind.

1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
David Fincher's The Social Network is the other movie this year to earn a perfect 10 - it's a modern American classic. It's incredibly funny, achingly intelligent, and ultimately tragic. It defines our generation and shows the pain of being alone in the world - no matter how many "friends" you have.

Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1

"These are dark times, there is no denying..."


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, is a setup film. It is not much of a stand-alone story; everything that happens serves the main purpose of setting the stage for the real finale this summer. Hence the term setup film. But the seventh installment in the big screen adaptation series is also an extraordinarily beautiful film.

I have been a Harry Potter fan for most of my life, but I always treat things subjectively. As a fanboy, obviously this movie is a dream. But as a film critic, I still have a dear love for the movie, for several reasons.

First, let's get the bad stuff out of the way. While it is, as I said before, a beautiful film, it has many flaws. One of the flaws of a setup film is that it IS a setup film. It has very much a transitional purpose to it, which takes away from the overall magical, Harry Potter experience. This is not the ordinary Hogwarts adventure we're used to. In fact, Hogwarts is nowhere to be found in Deathly Hallows. The movie is just a series of buildups, culminating in one big cliffhanger that will make July 15th seem decades away.

For the extremely small percentage of you who don't know what's going on in Potter World, Harry, Ron, and Hermione have dropped out of school and are now on their own trying to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes - pieces of Voldemort's soul they must get rid of in order to defeat him. The movie is 95% just the three of them, there are very few supporting characters in this installment, particularly in the middle act of the film, which lends itself to be both a strength and a weakness.

The weakness is that the middle act is very slow; they spend a lot of time camped out in the woods trying to figure out what they're doing next. With the presence of one Horcrux, it causes the characters to be easily anxious and angry, and this even leads to a conflict between the friends that ends with Ron leaving the group.

The strength is that as a result of this stationary isolation, the character development is stronger than we've ever seen it in a Potter film. There are some absolutely incredible scenes between the three kids who the world has literally watched grow up, and it leads Deathly Hallows to be the most moving and emotionally satisfying HP movie yet. We watch Harry and Hermione's relationship grow in Ron's absence, and the power of friendship feels stronger than ever. The best scene in the entire movie is one in which Harry comforts a saddened Hermione by dancing with her in their tent - a truly moving and heartwarming creation that was not in the book itself, but contains the spirit of its characters that Rowling would admire.

The movie has a lot going on, so it will definitely be a tough ride for those who aren't as fresh with the story material, although certain things are explained pretty blatantly, including an interesting animated sequence in which the deathly hallows are described.

The other major flaw of the film is the climax - it isn't bad, but it feels underwhelming in comparison to other more adventurous sequences in the movie. It's actually a very short climax, one that had room to be played out a little more suspenseful but chose to move along a bit too quickly.

These weaknesses, however, are definitely overshadowed by the greatness of the production. This is the most beautifully shot Potter yet, and may be the most beautifully shot movie of the year. The music, this time by Alexandre Desplat, definitely has a painful lack of the original HP themes, but if you can ignore that, the original score itself fits the movie perfectly. The editing strongly mirrors the excellence of these two factors as well.

As I said before, the film is also profoundly moving. These kids are now alone and without the safety net that Dumbledore and Hogwarts had always provided, and the movie perfectly depicts this dark and scary world. Tension is high and emotions are a mess, and it's fascinating to watch these kids, lost in the world, try and move around these factors.

It's incredible how excellent the action has gotten over the course of the series, and it would be an injustice not to include how good it is in this particular film. There is a breathtaking pursuit shortly after the movie begins that takes us through the sky and onto the highway during a battle between the Death Eaters and Potter and crew. Another fantastic sequence comes in the form of a mini-heist as the three leads must sneak into the ministry of magic. Another spectacular sequence takes place just before the climax as a group of "snatchers", agents out to find Harry, chase the three adolescents through the woods.

It is important to mention, as the three kids take up most of the movie by themselves, just how good they are. They've had an endearing compassion to them throughout the series, but here we see that post-Potter, Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have very bright futures. I want to mention Emma Watson in particular - she's always done great as Hermione, but in Hallows, she's almost extraordinary. She can do more with a look on her face than most actresses in Hollywood can with a monologue, and she perfectly maintains a strong sense of female pride and assurance and childish fear and worry. Harry is emotionally driven and Ron is lost and confused, so there are many times where it's up to Hermione to save the day - and save the day she does. She's a wonder.

There is going to be much gripe over the film for its flaws - too slow, too un-Potter, too dark - but what people are forgetting is that this is only the first half of the epic finale. I almost feel like I'm cheating by judging this film by itself at all; it's part of something much bigger. Don't overestimate Part 1, there is more to come - this is merely a preview, a setup. And what a magical, thrilling, moving setup it is.

9.1 /10

Music Review: Kid Cudi- "Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager"

Kid Cudi is not the type of artist you can judge based on first impression.  When I heard his debut album, "Man on the Moon: The End of Day" for the first time, I was completely confused.  To be honest, I thought it was a piece of trash.  The concepts and beats were so weird, and a lot of the songs sounded almost dissonant upon first listen.  After a few listens, however, I finally understood why so many people liked Cudi.  He might not be the best rapper in terms of flow, but he more than holds his own with great production and album concepts.  Cudi has attained major popularity after the release of the first album, and his new album has been highly anticipated.  Although his first album had its shining moments, it definitely had its head-scratching moments as well. 

So here we are in 2010, one year later, listening to Cudi's newest album, "Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager."  I am not sure what to expect from this album, and it would be foolish to expect anything particular from Kid Cudi.  Part of the reason why Cudi is so successful is that he strives to do the unexpected and unthinkable.

Right from the get go, "Man on the Moon II" is dark and moody.  The intro track, "Scott Mescudi vs. The World," sets the tone for the entire album with its dark, strange melody and sobering lyrics.  Cudi's best aspect is his probably his brute honesty.  Not many rappers have enough guts to put their entire heart and soul into their tracks, let alone an entire album.   Although this might make Cudi not the most radio-friendly artist, it definitely gives his music a feeling you won't get from any other rapper in today's game. It's obvious that not everything is nice in the world of Kid Cudi.  "Don't Play This Song"  lays out a particularly stingy line about how Cudi has contemplated suicide.  "Marijuana"talks about how Cudi uses the herbal drug to relieve him of his pain.  If the beats weren't so interesting and twisted, this album could have possibly been a little too much of a downer.  When Cudi does decide to show off a little bit of swagger on one of his tracks, it's a nice change of pace.  My favorite song on the album is probably "Mojo So Dope," which features a confident and lively Cudi showing off some swagger.  It's a nice compliment to the otherwise dark album. 

Kid Cudi is not that great of a rapper.  His flow is chopped up, and his lyrics are bizarre at times.  He overcomes his shortcomings with psychedelic beats and sincerity.  It's kind of ironic how Cudi's faults make him such a good rapper.  "Man on the Moon 2" is not a classic for sure, but it's definitely worth listening to.  It's so much different than what any other rapper in the game today is producing.  It might be hard to like the album upon first listen, but play it a few more times and let it soak into your head.  It won't disappoint.

Top Tracks:

1. Mojo So Dope

2. Maniac

3. Marijuana

4. Mr. Rager

5. Scott Mescudi vs. The World

Album Rating: 84 (Very Good)

Rating Scale:

0-30: If this album was a child it would be a mistake
31-39: Bad
40-50: Below Average
51-59: Mediocre
60-69: Slightly Above Average
70-75: Solid
76-79: Good
80-85: Very Good
86-89: Great
90-94: Awesome
95-100: Classic

Movie Review - Hereafter

"If you're worried about being on your own, don't be. Cause you're not."

Clint Eastwood, the 80-year-old filmmaking legend, has been getting some crap for his new film about life and death, and where we go when the two cross paths. Many critics are calling it "cold" and "boring", and saying it's too tidy and quiet, so I went in ready to admire a great director but walk away waiting for his next film to blow me away. And maybe that's why this new movie, Hereafter, DID blow me away - but I don't want to give too much credit to expectations.

Every complaint I've heard about this movie - too quiet, too slow - these are the things I LOVED about the movie. This is a deep meditation on death and what happens when our time comes by a man who's age alone proves he knows a thing or two about life.

The plot surrounds three characters who are each affected by death in some way. In France we have a woman named Marie who experiences a near death experience in a tsunami scene that will blow your mind it's so good. In England we have a young boy named Marcus who loses his twin brother and is taken away from his mother by social services due to her substance abuse issues. And then we have Matt Damon, in an Oscar worthy (but certain to be ignored) performance as a tormented blue collar worker named George who has a gift to "connect" with people and help them communicate with lost love ones.


The three stories are intertwined in an interesting fashion - while all stories are seamed together (as opposed to part one, part two, part three Amores Perros -style), the characters are actually presented in order - Marie, George, Marcus, repeat. This provides a unique flow to the film that I haven't seen before.

I don't want to give much away, but Hereafter handles its cliche and over-the-top aspects - i.e. the idea of a character "connecting with the dead" - in a remarkably calm and believable manner. You obviously still have to suspend your belief - but not by as much as you'd expect.

The movie begins with an outstanding tsunami sequence that will leave you breathless - while Eastwood is known for his more quiet films, he can nonetheless direct an action scene. Then the movie slows down incredibly; this is where it will split viewers. If you embrace the feel of Hereafter and meet Eastwood halfway, you will be engrossed and haunted. If you choose to cling onto the excitement of the opening scene and anticipate more energy, then you will be severely disappointed.

While I would strongly recommend you do the former, and it didn't pose too much of a problem for me, this is definitely still a flaw - the movie hits some narrative speed bumps, at times confused with the direction it wishes to take, and maybe going down a few roads that could have been cut out to create a slightly shorter film. There is also some cheesiness here and there, but this criticism is very light considering the way Eastwood can make the most cliche scene in history seem relatively natural.

It's hard to recommend Hereafter, because I know views will be split - they already are. But I have to say that I have not seen a more moving film this year. The quiet anxiety of Hereafter sneaks up and floors you - there are some genuinely devastating moments, both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. It's a movie that will stay with you for days after you leave the theater. I cared for these characters, I was moved by these characters, and these characters gave me a little bit of hope. Hereafter, a movie about death and what happens when our time comes may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's one of the most life-affirming movies I've ever seen.

9.2 /10 (Excellent)

Movie Review - Jackass 3D

"Santa had a few last night so this ain't gonna feel so good..."

After a decade of punching each other in the balls, the boys of Jackass actually have something to be proud of - they're leaving a legacy behind, one that is most likely never to be repeated to the same extent (at least not by any intelligent human beings).

How do you review a movie like Jackass? People know exactly what it is. You know what to expect. It either is your thing or isn't. Me personally? I have a blast watching these boys do what they do best, and it could be a generational thing, but I actually think there is something compelling about Jackass; you can try and try to make a movie about male adolescence, and even exceed admirably - but nothing will ever truly capture the anxiety and naive fascination with the grotesque that are displayed in Knoxville and his team.

It's because of this that there's actually a looming sadness to Jackass 3; these boys aren't really boys anymore. It's very apparent in the movie that these guys are getting "too old for this shit". There's more fear, there's more reluctance to face the danger, and in fact, there's less danger in general and more gross-outs. The guys even point this out at one point - as Steve-O straps into a porta-potty bungie contraption filled with poop - when someone recalls the fact that Steve-O was putting a hook through his cheek and being used as shark bait years earlier. I'm not saying I want to do the toilet thing - but between that and shark bait? You know what you'd pick.

That's not to say there isn't danger; hallways filled with tasers and wild bovine are invited to the party. But there are still more pranks than normal, and they're funnier than ever. I won't spoil anything, but there's one midget-related scene that had me turning over in my seat laughing.

The sequences in this movie are actually much more well shot than normal - better angles, more editing techniques; the stunts aren't just funny, they LOOK incredible. Although the use of 3D is completely pointless and really doesn't serve much to the film, unfortunately, but hey, guess what Hollywood: it never has.

It seems that in Jackass 3, Knoxville and gang are saying goodbye. As I said before, these guys are getting old, and there's a strange feeling when that familiar guitar chord twangs and the movie fades out that it may be the last time. This makes sense, not just because of their age, but because of the obvious question, "How long can they keep doing this?" Jackass will always have a special place in my heart, but it's definitely time for goodbye. With one final punch in the balls, my hat's off to these guys for creating the most entertaining display of male idiocy ever put on screen. These jackasses have actually been pretty fun to have around.

7.8 /10 (Good)

Movie Review - The Kids Are All Right

"Yeah that's uh, that's cool, I uh, love lesbians..."


There are scenes in director Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right that are so incredibly acted, so sharply written, and so well directed that you forget you're watching characters and instead imagine these actors as real people that are walking around somewhere in the world working out their dysfunctions. This is where the heart of the movie lies - this is one of the truest portrayals of an American family you're ever likely to see in a movie.

Anette Bening and Julianne Moore play lesbian partners who are living life just like anyone else when their kids - one 18, about to leave for college, and the other 15 - decide to hunt down their donor dad, plaid by Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo begins a relationship with the family, which eventually leads to events that both tear the family apart and bring them closer.

I don't want to give too much away since some of the events that transpire, while they seem like typical indie-flick quirkiness, actually build up to a truly moving climax.

While the writing is real and resonates, the real stars of the film are the actors, mainly the two leads, Moore and Bening. They play their parts with such emotional conviction that you never doubt their characters for a second. It feels like a real relationship, and that's why the bumps hit so hard and the pleasures feel so good.

Mark Ruffalo is excellent as the donor dad, but I'm not sure where all the Oscar buzz is coming from. Ruffalo is an exceptional actor who is long overdue for a nomination, there's no doubt about that - but at no point in the movie did I feel like this was the one it should happen for.

The kids in the movie, played by Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson, shine as well - particularly Wasikowska, who really gets into the skin of her troubled youth in the midst of growing up. In the end, the movie is truly about them - the kids.

The film definitely hits some bumps along the way; the story loses its way a little bit around the middle as it tries to figure out which characters it wants to focus on, and when it chooses to focus on two in particular that I won't give away, things hit the biggest low in the movie - these events ARE important, but the filmmakers took a little too much time in displaying them.

However, a "low" for The Kids Are All Right isn't all that low at all. The movie starts and ends so strongly, in fact, that the lows don't even matter so much. It's funny, sad, and very touching - this movie isn't taking any big risks or making any big statements, and it settles into this passive niche very nicely. We the audience are really just flies on the wall in the lives of these people, through their ups and downs, watching them hurt, watching them love, and celebrating the fact that through all their troubles, they are indeed gonna be all right.

8.8 /10 (Great)

Movie Review - The Social Network

"I'm sure you're gonna be a very successful 'computer person'. But you're gonna go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a geek. And I am telling you, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole."

The Social Network, David Fincher's new film about the creation of Facebook, begins with possibly the greatest break-up sequence of all time. Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg in an Oscar-worthy performance) sits across from his girlfriend, played by future American girl with a dragon tattoo Rooney Mara, discussing the importance of Final Clubs. Zuckerberg dances around the conversation, frequently changing topics and then returning to previous ones without warning, as if he was sorting through transcripts in his head. The scene ends with a heart broken computer nerd, and begins what will eventually turn into the biggest phenomenon of our generation.

Mark returns home and creates a program while drunk that will become so popular that it crashes the entire Harvard computer system. It is because of this that Mark is approached by the Winkelvoss twins (played by the one and only Armie Hammer, another actor worthy of some awards attention) and their companion Divya. The boys approach Zuckerberg to assist them in creating a sort of dating site, but with a catch - it's for Harvard students only, and the idea of exclusivity maintains a major attraction to the borderline sociopath.

However, Zuckerberg instead takes this idea and expands it, and with the financial help of his best friend Eduardo Saverin (future Spider-man star Andrew Garfield in a star-making performance) and his very own computer codes, creates theFacebook.com. 

This of course spirals the boys into all kinds of trouble as they navigate social status and dodge the bullets of their WASPY twin opponents. The situation is exacerbated with the arrival of Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake in the 4th award worthy performance of the film), which leads Mark into yet another conflict, this time with his own best friend.

The movie is comprised of three different storylines - the two separate court depositions Zuckerberg faces from the twins and Eduardo, and the story of what actually happened (which may or may not be entirely true). This gives the structure of the film an extremely fluid motion that will hold your attention for the entire span of its two very short hours.

To say that The Social Network is a masterpiece would be an understatement; it isn't just a masterpiece, let alone the film of the year. It is the movie of our generation - a film that defines our time and serves the best social commentary of an era since Th Great Gatsby. 

Aaron Sorkin, the writer, may have earned himself his first Oscar for his incredibly fast paced, witty, riveting and heartbreaking script. Scene after scene we are set in a room with incredibly interesting and layered characters who are all on some level of genius as the quibble with each other over issues ranging from what party they should attend to how many hundreds of millions of dollars one owes the other.

David Fincher has directed his finest film yet, and that's saying A LOT since I consider his 2007 film Zodiac a classic. His attentiveness to visual splendor may seem odd for a movie that's essentially simple and character based, but the man has proved that he is more than capable of handling any situation and changing a typical debate to a maniacal conflict that pins you to your seat.

The entire movie rests on the shoulders of more than capable acting, but there are four performances in particular that elevate the movie to another level - Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Armie Hammer. 

Eisenberg is electrifying in the lead role; sometimes subtly conveying facial expressions and thoughtful imagining in a way that's so good it's scary, and sometimes spitting out Sorkin's light-speed dialogue like nothing you've ever seen. 

Garfield is quietly heartbreaking as Eduardo; whether he's calmly maintaining the boyish helplessness of his character or letting his talent truly shine in a loud and subtly powerful confrontation with his former best friend, the young Brit is a man to watch. 

Timberlake will rock your socks off as the sly and devious high school dropout Sean Parker, a cunning snake who slithers in and rips out Mark and Eduardo's relationship from under them. 

The role that will most likely be overlooked is Armie Hammer, who truly steals every scene he's in, and on top of that has to play two people at the same time. Employing a body double in Josh Pence and digitally placing Hammer's face on, the film produces an incredible illusion, one that could not have been done without the actor's miraculous portrayal of the twins - while both are similar, they are still two different people, and therefore have different mannerisms, voices, and slight behaviors. It's an incredibly nuanced performance.

In the end, it's the movie's layers that truly stand out the most. This may be a story of our digital age, but its themes are as old as time. It's a story about a guy who creates the most accessible way possible for people to connect, and yet can't connect with anyone himself. It's a rivetingly tragic conclusion, and the movie sneakily hides this within its humor and entertainment value - it gives you this silent feeling that something is wrong, and it haunts you.

To sum up, The Social Network is beautifully directed, brilliantly written, incredibly well-acted, hilarious, entertaining, and ultimately tragic. What more could you possibly want out of a film? It's a movie that leaves you pinned to your seat, not even caring about Facebook itself but thinking about the ways we connect with other people, and that having a lot of "friends" doesn't mean you're not alone. The movie is like it's protagonist - intelligent, fast-moving, and scarily visionary. It's a knockout. 

10 /10 (Classic)

Music Review Roundup

Haven't had a lot of time for music reviews, as Hunter, Matt and I have all been very busy with countless other projects. So I'm gonna give you a quick rundown of albums that have been released recently you should run out and buy, listen to somehow, or skip. I'll rate it the normal style, and then assign it one of those three categories. Here we
go!

Interpol - Interpol
Interpol will always be known for one album. Turn off the Bright Lights. They will never top it. Never. But they could have at least tried. This album entirely lacks the feel of their first two discs, and that's not a good thing. Don't get me wrong, progression is a fundamental concept most bands need to adopt. But it's called PROgression for a reason. You're supposed to get better. Instead, Interpol has released what is a front runner for the most disappointing album of the year. I thoroughly did not enjoy this album, and the most disappointing thing isn't that I paid for it. It's that I expected more from Interpol, and got not much in return. The comparison to Editors needs to stop, because right now the Editors are better.
Final Score: 4.8/10 (Skip)

Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
While Minutes to Midnight wasn't a bad Linkin Park album, it didn't live up to the hype surrounding the band after 2 great albums and a remix album with Jay-Z. Now that can be attributed to a number of things, because everyone knows that Linkin Park are good musicians. At least they were. A Thousand Suns finds Linkin Park abandoning all concept of logic and presumably thinking "Let's make a concept album about the world dealing with a nuclear fallout and the desolation and loneliness associated with such things. Except let's not use solid song structure or good lyrics". Well, as crazy as this sounds, this idea didn't exactly work. Don't get me wrong, there are good songs here. The first single The Catalyst isn't bad, and neither are songs like Blackout and Wretches and Kings. But the album takes forever to get going, contains some songs that don't sound like anything but AM radio static and nails being dropped on the floor, and the concept would have been cool only in the Cold War. I didn't have high expectations for this album initially, and I'm glad I didn't. I would have been disappointed. Linkin Park needs to either go back to Hybrid Theory, or have Mike Shinoda make another Fort Minor album. Please?
Final Grade: 6.8/10 (Worth one listen)

Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops and Hooligans
Bruno Mars, single artist. He can make a hook, but can he make an album? After the greatness of "Nothin' on You", Bruno Mars was at the top of his game. He also co-wrote "Right Round" by Flo Rida, so his penchant for catchy songs is close to unparalleled radio-wise. But Bruno Mars can sing also. His voice is great, especially on songs like "Just The Way You Are", "Grenade" and "Liquor Store Blues". He also sings with an old time feel, and makes you think that you're listening to the voice of a 1960's blues artist rather than an upstart 20-something year old on a debut album. It's a gift, and Mars shouldn't change it. The only issue I have with the album is the cheesy feel some songs have. While Mars sounds entirely genuine on most songs, songs like "First Time" fall flat due to their tired and true subject material that's been done by everyone and their cousin. However, Mars has made a name for himself that people won't soon forget. And a voice they better get used to hearing.
Final Grade: 8.5/10 (Buy it)

Lil' Wayne - I Am Not A Human Being
Free Weezy....so he can make a real album. This "album" is a collection of tracks recorded before Lil' Wayne went to jail, so it's expected that they sound a little outdated. However, they're far from bad. "Gonorrhea", despite it's god awful title, is actually a decent song. Drake is featured on 3 songs here, as well as Nicki Minaj and a few other guests. Highlights include "Gonorrhea", "With You", "I'm Single, "Right Above It" and "Bill Gates". I'm just hoping Lil' Wayne gets out in November and immediately finishes Tha Carter 4. It's what everyone wants to hear, and this helps for just a little bit.
Final Grade: 7.8/10 (Give it a listen)
Maroon 5 - Hands All Over
And finally, the album I'm most conflicted about. It's not a BAD album, but it's not GOOD. And I don't know why. I really can't pinpoint one specific reason. The songs are carefully crafted and the melodies are above mediocre, yet I can't stick with this album. I find myself having trouble listening to one song all the way through before I hit Next and move on. The highlight is definitely the closer "Out of Goodbyes" featuring Lady Antebellum. It's a great song and worth a few listens....if you can make it to the end of the album. Maroon 5 has always weighed its success on the voice of Adam Levine, and while his voice is the same here, the instrumental structure lacks significantly. It makes you finally realize the importance of a band, and that it takes everyone to make a good album.
Final Grade: 7/10 (Your call, skip or give it a listen)

Review Round-Up: The Week of September 19th

The JCA site has been down for a while, and we're celebrating it's return with a big review round-up. Here are some small reviews for big shows and movies over the past few weeks, to be followed up by Graham later this week with some album reviews.

MOVIES

The Other Guys

Adam McKay teams up once again with his partner Will Ferrell to add another bromance to their previous three efforts - the great (Anchorman), the good (Talladega Nights), and the decent (Step Brothers). This time they're tackling the cop duo comedy with The Other Guys, with a movie that surprisingly stopped the team's downfall in quality right in its tracks. No, The Other Guys is not even close to matching the delightful insanity that was exploited so well in Anchorman, but it managed to play out a full length much better than the uneven Step Brothers. This film falls into the middle with Talladega - fun, occasionally hilarious, and thoroughly entertaining, even if the movie is sometimes too over the top to bear.

The Verdict: 7.9 /10 (Good)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Edgar Wright, the comically genius director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, teams up with awkward teen icon Michael Cera to bring us this new musically infused, naively romantic, and childishly bittersweet tale that will dazzle your vision (employing some of the most daring and inventive visuals I've ever seen on film) and melt your heart. It's funny, it's sweet, and it's a total blast. A true teen fantasy romance for the 21st century that happens to feel more real than anything else released lately.
The Verdict: 9.4 /10 (Incredible)

Pirahna 3D

There are only 3 things you need to know about Pirahna 3D: it's a spoof, it has a purposefully horrible screenplay, and Jerry O' Connel gets his penis cut off. It's trash, but you can count me in.

The Verdict: 5 /10 (The grade really doesn't matter, this film achieved its goal.)

Machete

Robert Rodriguez, famed Quentin Tarantino comparison and the creator of Once Upon A Time in Mexico, returns to the screen after a long hiatus with Machete, another gut-busting, bloodthirsty tale of Mexican pulp fiction. Rodriguez carries much of the film with an entertaining and savage gusto, but too often the revolution enthusiast becomes too self conscious - in some scenes, he magically satirizes the over the top nature of the very grindhouse genre he's celebrating, but he also spends a lot of time trying to humanize his characters, making the balance uneven and throwing off the tone at times. But for the most part he picks his act back up and delivers a sick, twisted ride that will twist your gut like a stab from a machete.

The Verdict: 7.8 /10 (Good)

The Town

Ben Affleck, fresh off his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone (a film that is very good but nothing too special), returns to the director's chair with The Town, a conventional but nonetheless riveting cops n' robbers tale. Ben Affleck is great on screen as the film's lead, but it's Jeremy Renner, star of last year's Oscar winning The Hurt Locker, that completely steals the show. His final scene will both shake you and stupefy. While the movie's story has been told a million times, its fantastic cast and incredible direction makes The Town a true wonder - a film that reminds us that you don't need big, brainy twists to tell a good story - you just need a good storyteller.

The Verdict: 9.1 /10 (Incredible)

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Gordon Gecko, the role in the original Wall Street that won Michael Douglas an Oscar, said in 1987, "Greed, for the lack of a better word, is good." In Oliver Stone's follow-up, Money Never Sleeps, greed is now "legal". What a haunting thought - one that stings with the fact that the movie never follows up on it. Money Never Sleeps - despite great performances and a few moments that definitely shine - is essentially a failure. It may ditch the cheese of the original, but it employs even more cliches, including a happy, Hollywood commercial ending that made me cringe in my seat. It's definitely a good movie - if just barely - but with the talent and subject matter involved, this should have been a great movie. However, Oliver Stone is too busy making political statements to focus on creating a solid story with compassionate characters. Money may never sleep, but this movie sure does.

The Verdict: 7.1 /10 (Good)

How the year stacks up so far - the top 5 films from the first 9 months:

1. Inception (10)

2. Toy Story 3 (9.6)

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (9.4)

4. Winter's Bone (9.3)

5. The Town (9.1)

TV PREMIERES

Chuck (NBC, Monday Night)

Chuck has been one of my favorite new shows on TV - it's fun, clever, heartwarming, and just totally awesome. And it's latest season was definitely still great - but it's finale failed to grip me like its previous season did. But great news: Chuck returns with a bang, delivering a totally entertaining episode that is exciting and funny at the same time. Now that Chuck is over its bump of trying to keep itself on TV, it can stop being self conscious and be the little devil that it is - and I couldn't be more excited for what's to come.

The Verdict: 9.2 /10 (Amazing)

Glee (Fox, Tuesday Night)

I really don't have much to say about the Glee premiere, other than I hope we can get past it. I feel like the father of a perfect child who just did something naughty - I'm so in love with it that I'm just going to pretend like this mistake never happened. One of TV's most energetic and show-stopping programs put on its worst episode to date - a boring, dull, and depressing episode that had very few moments worth recognition. No reason to be concerned just yet though - I'm confident it can pick up the slack and return to being, well, gleeful.

The Verdict: 5.8 /10 (Mediocre)

Community (NBC, Thursday Night)

Community, a show that went from being decent at its start to great at its end, really went out with a bang with one of my favorite season finales from May of this year. Its premiere doesn't quite follow up that finale the way I hoped it would - it's definitely not as good, but it also quickly brings to an end all possible branches of controversy. Still, the season opener reminds us why we've grown to love the show, and has its share of good laughs - particularly from an awesome guest appearance by Betty White.

The Verdict: 8.2 /10 (Great)

30 Rock (NBC, Thursday Night)

What is there to say about the 30 Rock premiere? It's great, I mean did you expect anything less? If there is one consistently hysterical show on TV it's this one, and it continues its streak. The season 5 premiere isn't the series' best episode, but in a series that hasn't really had a mediocre episode, who cares? The bottom line is, it's awesome - and the show still feels fresh, with no sign of aging anytime soon. Here's to eternal life.

The Verdict: 8.7 /10 (Great)

The Office (NBC, Thursday Night)

The Office, in its third season, may have been one of TV's top 5 shows at the time - it was gut wrenchingly funny, obnoxiously absurd, but also felt very real and in touch with its characters. It was a truly magical show. With season 4, it went from magical to great. Then with season 5, from great to good. Last year's season six was downright one of the biggest disappointments I've seen come out of the entertainment industry in a long time. The show was trying too hard, inconsistent, and failed to go anywhere. And then to top it off, the finale was so mediocre, I don't even remember much about it. All of these reasons add up to why The Office had my favorite premiere of the week: IT'S BACK. Starting off with a fun and goofy musical intro that the cynics will pan but the true fans will die for, the show returns to its roots - outlandish but surprisingly real characters, along with painful awkwardness that will make you cringe and bust out laughing at the same time. This is a very old fashioned episode of The Office, and I like the feeling. This being Carrell's last season, I hope it's here to stay.

The Verdict: 9.5 /10 (Incredible)