TV Review - L O S T

A N D S O I T E N D S . . .

ABC's grand epic about a group of plane crash survivors that has infuriated the mind and riveted the emotions of millions of fans has finally come to an end. "Lost", whether you like it or not, is undeniably television's most mysterious show. Let's take a look at how the series stacks up.

S E A S O N O N E

Lost began with an eye.

A suddenly opening eye that was revealed to be Jack Shepherd's, as he lay in a bamboo forest, beaten and dirty in his tarnished suit. Suddenly, he sees a dog. And then there's a scream...which leads him to discover a disastrous plane crash on a beach. What a way to wake up in the morning, right? Well to say that this is "unusual", in Lost's terms, would just sound like idiocy. Lost began as a weird and mysterious but still relatively simple (using that term VERY loosely) in comparison to the direction it would take. A large cast of characters, each with their own interesting backgrounds told through flashback sequences, combine to create the most interesting group of protagonists ever created in an entertainment medium. You truly came to care about these people - whether it be care enough to love, care enough to hate, or care enough to be scared by - you cared. And that was Lost at its core. Throughout season 1, a number of mindbending twists and turns were thrown at you, but what really mattered was the characters. That was the great thing about Lost: it was a rare combination of great storytelling - and by that I mean the BEST storytelling on television - and raw emotional connection - and by that I mean the BEST emotional connection on television. Season one of Lost truly had it down, and with a firecracker of a finale topped off with one of the best cliffhangers I've ever seen, Lost had established itself, after 22 episodes, as one of the best things on TV.

S E A S O N O N E G R A D E : A

S E A S O N T W O

The anticipation left over from season one was fully met with another intriguing season of Lost - in fact, much more intriguing. Although some of the original novelty was lost - the slightest radio call may not have been so suspenseful at this point compared to their encounters with the newly discovered other crash survivors - season 2 rose to the challenge by creating a much more intense environment and introducing the concept that would end up defining the entire series: Jack, the man of science, and Locke, the man of faith. With more brain exploding twists and analysis of "fate" than ever, Lost was on a roll, if a bit unfocused at times. The introduction of the hatch and the mysterious character that would soon become the infamous Ben Linus were key elements in the castaways' journey, and situations became tenser than ever as the group came into full contact with the "Others" on the island. Many characters were killed in this season, and fate was left up for grabs as it closed with yet another cliffhanger, leaving Jack, Kate, and Sawyer in the hands of the "Others", and the audience on the very edge of their seats.

S E A S O N T W O G R A D E : A-

S E A S O N T H R E E

After the groundbreaking first two seasons of its run, Lost hit a road bump. Sure, it was still interesting, but season 3 proved even further that the characters are what Lost is all about, and the mythology comes second, as good as it is. It was here that the writers started to put story first, and while the season had enough moments to keep it riveting television, the show "lost" a lot of its appeal. The characters got bland. Their stories got boring. And the narrative got too confusing, and went too far over the top. There was no way I was giving up on Lost yet - but there were many who disagreed, and if it wasn't at this time that ABC announced that Lost would only have three more shortened seasons left in its run, I may have made the decision at some point along the lines. But that thought was completely crushed with the home stretch of the season; all the confusion, all the hit-or-miss storytelling, all the sloppy character work, etc. was more than made up for by a great final few episodes, and an absolutely KILLER season finale that ranks among some of the greatest episodes of television to ever air - possibly THE best, in fact, until the series' finale.

S E A S O N T H R E E G R A D E : B

S E A S O N F O U R

The rules were flipped, the game was changed - after season 3's powerfully strong finale, the flashbacks that were key to the series were now flashforwards - and these scenes revealed something fantastically new to Lost fans: six of its lead characters OFF the island. The question became how they got off - and why there were only six. In any matter, Lost was picking itself back up. After a sloppy preceding season, Lost was now only airing 12 episodes a season, meaning way less down time, and much more time for narrative and action. The characters' battle with the "Others" was starting to come to a climax, as new characters became involved in the attempted escape from the island. But escape, as it turns out, was not what fate had planned.

S E A S O N F O U R G R A D E : B+

S E A S O N F I V E

As if Lost couldn't get any more confusing, they decided to throw time travel in there. The flashforwards had now evolved again into simply present time - off the island vs. on the island - creating two stories moving forward at once (well...sortof). On the island, the characters were moving to and from different time periods. In the beginning, this was a bit rough and felt very complicated, but halfway through the season they islanders finally settled down in 1973 and became members of a past Dharma society. Lost was as different - and as interesting - as ever. As fate had planned, the survivors off the island eventually returned, and Jack had a new mission: an opportunity to use a hydrogen bomb would allow for everything that had happened to them on the island - all the pain and suffering, as well as the incredible new relationships they had formed - to be erased from history, and not have actually happened at all. Jack took this opportunity, and as it turns out, you CAN have it both ways...

S E A S O N F I V E G R A D E : B+

S E A S O N S I X

Lost ended with an eye.

Six years down the road, the creators of the show - Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse - were now faced with a daunting task: bring to an end one of the biggest television phenomenons of all time. No pressure. As it turns out, the hydrogen bomb detonated didn't work - but it also did. What? Yes - an alternate universe was created, where the survivors had never actually met. However, fate played its part, and they all came into contact with each other once again. Through a series of events, they become "enlightened", and begin to remember the things that happened to them on the island, where shit is currently going down, as Jacob and the Man In Black rally their troops together for one final battle over the island. It all came down to the series finale, and in my mind - and I'm sure I'll get shot for saying this - this was the best episode of television I've ever seen, and at the very moment it ended - because it wasn't this way until that very moment - Lost became the greatest television show to ever air. Why? What are you talking about? That's such an overstatement! Let it out, haters, and when you're done, find me ONE other series that ever came remotely close to matching the uncompromising themes that Lost put forth and combine them in such a way - faith, hope, love, destiny, birth, death, and the acceptance of life and its tragedies. Shows like The Sopranos, Dexter, and Mad Men are all very famous franchises that excel on terms of acting, writing, direction, and overall production value, but none of them truly give the emotional impact that Lost put forth. A lot of hardcore fans were disappointed by the fact that the series finale didn't answer every single little stupid unimportant detail. In my opinion, that's ridiculous. Had they taken the time to answer every question, not only would it have been the most boring episode of TV ever, playing out more like a history channel special than the adventurous epic that it was, it would completely lose the mysterious aura that Lost has kept up the entire time. Never has a show sparked more debate - wouldn't it just be awful if those debates ended when the series did? What kindof legacy is that to be left behind? How dare it be the most mysterious show on television if it ended with no more mysteries. No, the ending was perfect. They answered the important things, and the geeky fanboys will have to get over the rest. This is a show about people, and the finale had the best emotional impact possible. The final talk between Jack and his dad was fantastic, and the way the show ended, with Jack on the ground, closing his eye and bringing the show full circle, was absolutely the best possible closing shot they could have come up with. It was this ending that MADE Lost the greatest show in television history thus far - it showed how much its characters mattered, and the lessons and hardships that they faced. After that beautiful of an ending, how dare you ask where that stupid f***ing polar bear came from.

S E R I E S F I N A L E G R A D E : A

S E A S O N S I X G R A D E : A

I think I speak for just about every Lost fan when I say that it was really, really hard to say goodbye. Not just because ABC had provided us with weekly entertainment that was truly unmatched in suspense, but because you felt like you were bidding a final farewell to a close friend. I don't often give out "A"s, and even then, "A"s aren't perfect scores. An "A" could be a 95. I've never, ever given out a perfect score before. And at first, I wasn't sure what grade I was going to give the series of Lost, because I couldn't think of anything that would fit it. But this is the best I can do. Lost had its flaws, but that's what made it so perfect. Lost was always some of the best television around, but its closing, its tying together of its themes and resolution of its characters is what truly completes it as more impactful to me than any book I've read, any movie I've seen, any song I've heard. And it's true, Lost has an advantage - its LONG. I mean, no movie or book, no matter how good, really has enough time to incorporate as many themes or emotionally invest you the way Lost does, and that's what makes it so special. It's polarizing, it's controversial, it's gripping, it's mysterious, it's everything. It's the one piece of entertainment to ever exist that you really can't put a genre on. It molds into what the viewer wants - and to me, THAT's entertainment. Entertainment in its finest form.

L O S T : T H E F I N A L G R A D E : A+

TV Review - "Chuck" - Season 3 and Finale

CHUCK

9 PM, MONDAY NIGHTS ON NBC

Thank goodness this show got renewed. After its fantastic first season, NBC's "Chuck" showed incredible promise - promise that was delivered tenfold with its explosive second season. Ratings went way up, but still not enough to get it out of the danger zone. However, the producers made the right choice, and renewed Chuck for season 3 (and have now renewed it for a 4th season - whew!). While season 3 fails to live up to the show's masterful sophomore effort, it still packs in enough action, comedy, and scuzzball fun to be a blast.

After the ridiculously good cliffhanger from season 2, Chuck now finds himself grappling with his new intersect. With the ability to perform a multitude of new tasks such as kung fu, foreign languages, and pretty much anything you can imagine, our lovably uncoordinated protagonist becomes an unorthodox success. Problems arise, however, such as Chuck's emotions preventing the intersect from working, more drama with his love interest, Agent Sarah Walker, and - uh oh - mental deterioration caused by the intersect.

These kinds of problems created a darker tone for the series, which I can't say fit it as well. It didn't have as much run-and-gun goofiness, funny character subplots, or last minute problem solving as its predecessor season, and it failed to maintain a certain naive adventurous spirit that was carried heavily with pride before. Chuck is a real spy now, which is cool but...now? Don't get me wrong, I think the eventual creation of a darkening of plot adds wonderfully to character development, and obviously we're all rooting for Chuck to become a real spy - but this soon? The show may be moving a little too fast. However, despite its darker turns, the writers and actors of Chuck still know how to throw you a great time, especially as Chuck tries desperately to master his new skills, and still hilariously messes up frequently.

In the season finale, Shaw returns, now an intersect himself. This setup feels a little bit forced, and I would have rather there been more resolution in the buildup there's been with the Ring agent contacting Ellie than forcing Shaw back to have a good climax. The episode just could have gone about itself in much, much better ways. BUT, that's not to say the episode, particularly the first half, isn't one hell of a ride.

Ellie finally finds out Chuck's secret in the first half of the episode, which I'm totally thrilled with. I'm glad Ellie can now be a part of things, although it is pretty funny to watch Awesome struggle to keep the secret. Throughout part one of the finale, "Chuck vs. the Subway", the story moves quickly, with much Bartowski family drama and the fast and violent pursuit of Chuck and crew by Shaw who is trying to set them up to be prosecuted by the CIA. Part two of the finale, "Chuck vs. the Ring Part II", fails to deliver the promise from its first half, but is still an enjoyable second half. My main problem was the ending. It's definitely a cliffhanger, but after the huge surprise given by the season 2 cliffhanger that literally changed the way the show operated, season 3's cliffhanger feels like a mid season stunt right before a 3 week break. After season 2, I wanted to throw something, I was so angry I couldn't continue to watch and watch. After season 3, I'm still an avid fan - but I can wait.

Nonetheless, "Chuck" remains one of TV's best shows. It's a great blend of action, drama, and comedy that's tough to match in the goofball universe. Hopefully the show will sway back to its roots in season 4 and enjoy itself a little more, but no matter what happens, I'm sure the show will continue to shine. I said I COULD wait - I never said I wanted to.

Chuck vs. the Subway (finale part 1): A-

Chuck vs. the Ring Part II (finale part 2): B

Chuck, Season 3: B+

TV Reviews - Seasons/Finales of "Community", "The Office", and "30 Rock"

With the departure of "Scrubs" and "My Name Is Earl" (which, in my opinion, is a good thing), two new shows have joined "The Office" and "30 Rock" on the famed NBC Thursday night lineup: the community college comedy, "Community", and the Office-esque mockumentary "Parks and Recreation". I am not up to date on Parks, as I was not a fan of the earlier episodes, but I've heard better things and will be exploring the show soon. The other 3 programs, however, I have stuck with and was anticipating Thursday night's season finales. Let's see how these final episodes, and seasons overall, stack up.

COMMUNITY

8 PM, THURSDAY NIGHTS ON NBC

At its start, Community was an entertaining show, although not very compelling, or particularly funny. It was definitely fun to watch, but there was little intrigue about the characters, and instead of being outrageously funny like 30 Rock or excruciatingly awkward like The Office, it was more along the lines of amusing. The show eventually got better, however, and found its place in the lineup, and my list of great shows. It moved out of its awkward beginning phases and settled in its niche with a fantastic theme of movie imitations and the wild humor of its outlandish characters. They became interesting, and something to care about. Jeff's sarcastic comments are there, but his douche baggery was toned down to make him likable. Britta's annoying female angst was turned into a pitiful humor that made her entertaining. Abed and Troy's constant shenanigans became a welcome pattern. Pierce's childish and obnoxious comments went from being dumb to downright hilarious. Annie and Shirley made their beds too as the sweet, naive members of the group. They became a community.

So much, that in the season finale, it was actually pretty melancholy to see these characters bid farewell to Annie for the summer as she prepared to leave with her boyfriend. This subplot was one of many, including a fight between Troy and Abed over moving in together, a rivalry between professor Duncan and former-teacher Senor Cheng, and most importantly a love triangle between Jeff, Slater, and Britta. I don't want to ruin how this triangle turns out in case you haven't watched the finale yet, but its outcome is great and unexpected. The season finale of Community felt very season finale-ish. Which is great, and one of the best things about this fantastic episode. Overall, it stacks up as an incredible season finale, and a mark that Community has really come into its own.

The last few episodes of the show, including the incredible "Modern Warfare", have been an absolute pleasure, and I'm looking forward to the show's return in the fall.

Community, Season 1 Overall Grade: B+

Community, Season 1 Finale: A

THE OFFICE

9 PM, THURSDAY NIGHTS ON NBC

Season 6 of "The Office" rocketed off with a great start. The first episode, "Gossip", was a fun mess around with classic Office antics, and a great exploitation of the stupidity of it's star, Michael Scott. And of course, a few episodes later was Jim and Pam's wedding, which was one of my personal favorite episodes ever, being both hilarious and a blast of nostalgia. The show, after its great beginning, did something very unfortunate: it started to suck. And I don't mean suck as in "oh that show sucks", because a sucky episode of The Office is still better than a lot of what's on TV. However, compared to the show's first 3 seasons, it is clearly dying down. Since Steve Carrell is officially leaving the show after next year's season, hopefully they'll take the cue to end the series and make it a season to remember. Season 6 has some great moments, but overall the sum never really matches the brilliance of its parts.

In the extremely unexciting season finale, there are some fantastic moments, such as Michael's interactions with the Sabre head honcho (played again in a guest starring role by Cathy Bates), Dwight's plot to buy out the Dunder Mifflin property, and the overall setup is great, with each character trying to avoid the tag of being the whistleblower on a line of faulty printers. The plot just doesn't meet its expectations; the antics of the investigation are never as fun as they should be, there is not enough emphasis put on the horror of Dwight owning the building's property, there's almost no involvement for Jim and Pam, and the worst part of it for me was the complete lack of a great cliffhanger after the ones the series has become known for. For me, ever since Jim and Pam finally got together, the show has lost some of its narrative draw, and while the writers regained it with the agony of adult angst in season 5 with the whole Michael Scott Paper Company fiasco, season 6 just forgot about that and wandered on without purpose. This didn't feel like a season finale, and it didn't feel like The Office. Hopefully next year, the show will stop slacking off like its characters, and get its act together.

The Office, Season 6 Overall Grade: B-

The Office, Season 6 Finale: C

30 ROCK

9:30 PM, THURSDAY NIGHTS ON NBC

Now, back to some good news. 30 Rock, TV's funniest comedy, definitely rocked it with its 4th season. Through Liz Lemon trying to find her soul mate, Jack Donaghy juggling two women, and of course the insane antics of Tracy Jordan, 30 Rock proved that it just doesn't get old, and is stronger than it's ever been. The show has always been a blast, as it operates in its own universe; every character is so crazy and out-there that to each other, they're just normal. There hasn't been a TV comedy since Arrested Development with such sharp and ridiculously funny one-liners and characters.

In its season finale, Jack's love triangle comes to a conclusion, Jenna makes a decision in her relationship with her own impersonator, and Liz is swept away by guest star Matt Damon, in a hilariously shruggish performance that I hope will span out for at least one or two more episodes next season. I would have preferred more Tracy in this episode, but that doesn't stpo it from being a blast. The episode is full of witty lines and concludes with an absolutely brilliant drunk speech from the lovable country boy page Kenneth Parcell. If there's one show I'll miss this summer, it's 30 Rock.

30 Rock, Season 4 Overall Grade: A

30 Rock, Season 4 Finale: A-

Thursday night was full of disappointment and reward, as three of the best comedies on television came to a close for the summer. I am now eagerly awaiting, above all else, the season finale of Chuck on Monday night, and possibly one of the grandest television events in history: the monumental finale of Lost's incredible 6 year run. Thus far, I'd have to give the best finale prize to Community: it felt the most like a season finale, and wonderfully tied together a show that has grown up quite a bit. What did you think?

Movie Review - "Iron Man 2"

IRON MAN 2

Directed by Jon Favreu

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, Scarlet Johansson, and Mickey Rourke

It would be hard to really sum up the incredibly unexpected pleasure of just how surprisinglygood last year's smash hit, "Iron Man" was. It made Robert Downey Jr. a star again. It introduced a hole new comic franchise, perhaps the best outside of Chris Nolan's Batmans and Sam Raimi's Spider-Mans. It appealed to all kinds of audiences, not just the comic geeks or the 12 year old boys looking to see things blown up. It wasn't art, but it didn't need to be, because it was, well, awesome. Now, two years later, director Jon Favreu and team bounce back with this much anticipated sequel, which has been said to kick off the summer movie season.

To begin, I will go ahead and straight up point out that no, "Iron Man 2" is not better than its predecessor. But why does everyone expect it to be? Sequels are rarely better than their originals, but that doesn't mean all sequels are bad. Many second installments may not quite live up to the first, but they can still be very entertaining - and that "Iron Man 2" definitely is.

We pick up right after the first film left off. Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, is now living with the decision he made to reveal to the world that the supertechnology was indeed his. He is basking in the spotlight, enjoying all the fame and fortune; but he is also dealing with some serious repercussions - the government is constantly dragging him into court, trying desperately to remove the Iron Man suit from his possession. Aiding Stark's enemies is his desperate opposing weapons manufacturer, Justin Hammer (played brilliantly by the most underrated actor in Hollywood, Sam Rockwell). Hammer hasn't been able to touch Tony's work, and nobody else has either, and won't for a long time, our hero ensures. But as it turns out, Tony Stark is about to meet his match.

Enter Mickey Rourke, as ugly as we've ever seen him (well...), playing the psychotic but brilliant rogue Russian physicist, Ivan Vanko. According to Vanko, Tony's father once betrayed the former's own dad, and he's now out to kill Tony for past mistakes of his lineage. Vanko teams up with Hammer in an effort to kill Stark's legacy - and the man himself.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, here's where things get messy. Remember Samuel L. Jackson randomly showing up at the end of "Iron Man" as famed Marvel Avengers member Nick Fury? Well he's back, along with Scarlet Johansson being included this time around as another Avengers member, Black Widow. If you know what I'm talking about, get pumped, because this is fanboy ecstasy. If you don't, which will be 90% of you, you can pretty much just ignore this. Enjoy Sam Jackson on screen, as great as always, and enjoy the cool bits of hand to hand ass kicking Johansson brings into the movie. But there's not much here other than these hints to the upcoming Avengers film, and that's where Favreu and screenwriter Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) drop the ball. The movie could have done without all the comic book memorabilia, and definitely without all the Avengers set up. I, and most moviegoers, are there to see Iron Man, not The Avengers. It almost feels like an advertising stunt. It just feels forced in a movie that's normally so breathtakingly nonchalant in its flow.

The story breaks down in other ways too around its middle, mainly when Stark's army pal James Rhodes, a.k.a. "Rhodey", turns against him as a result of Stark's misbehavior. Rhodey was played in the first film by Terrence Howard and has now been replaced by Don Cheadle, who is definitely the better actor, but unfortunately is not given a good enough role to play. The fight and make up of the two buds both feel expedited for the sake of moving things forward quickly, which wouldn't have been needed without all the Avengers marketing.

Don't let these things get you down, though, because in a movie as fun as this and with actors as good as there are here, "Iron Man 2" is a movie impossible not to enjoy. The action is amped up and much improved, with a great climax and an absolutely stunning action sequence at the Monaco race track. The overall style has also increased, as the film feels much more comfortable than Iron Man 1, letting its actors take much more control of the scenes. Speaking of the acting, it's even better this time. Downey is better - his obnoxious, cocky, hilariously likeable suaveness is brought out better than ever in this movie.

Other than some minor missteps, "Iron Man 2" is still a great way to start the summer blockbuster season. It's funny, action-packed, and relentlessly entertaining. After seeing it twice, I have come to dread some of the middle even more, but also incredibly appreciate the genius here for the majority of the movie. Fans of the first will not be let down. While the story drags and the film overall lacks the fresh novelty of the first, "Iron Man 2" EASILY makes up for these things with pure, slaphappy entertainment rush.

7.7 /10 (Good)

-The Scale-

0: Failure

1: Horrendous

2: Awful

3: Terrible

4: Bad

5: Average

6: Passable

7: Good

8: Great

9: Excellent

9.5: Incredible

10: Classic

Music Review: Minus the Bear - OMNI

Question: If you have enough bad ideas, does it become a good idea? Like when you multiple two negatives, they make a positive. Does the same work for ideas? Well apparently it does work, because Minus the Bear just did it.

Bad Idea Number 1: Back in 2007 after their latest album Planet of Ice came out, lead singer Jake Snider stated that the band was going to change their sound. Now most bands say this and don't follow through, or don't change it much. But Snider then dropped the bombshell: Minus the Bear would record their next album "live style", where they would all play the track together and record it as that, with little to no corrections through ProTools. Minus the Bear is known for severe intricacy, most often found on 2005 breakthrough album Menos El Oso, so my first question is: How the hell are they gonna recreate some of their defining sounds?

Bad Idea Number 2: Right after the release of Planet of Ice, Matt Bayles decided to leave the band. He was the keyboard player and electronics creator for the bands first 2 albums, and had helped produce Planet of Ice. The band had credited him for helping define some of the sound for their first few albums, and Planet of Ice notably lacked an edge without him. Minus the Bear seemed to be floundering. They left their record label and began to record what would become OMNI without any financial support. I was worried, and I'm sure many people were also.

Why did we fear anything? Jake Snider was still here. Dave Knudson was still here. So was Erin Tate and Cory Murchy. The band was still together. And while the sound is certainly different on OMNI, it's not bad. It's actually really, really good. It's not as good as Menos El Oso, but then again not much is. The album begins with "My Time", a song that has more melody than in previous Minus the Bear songs. It's also the first single, and begins with scatting and then a keyboard intro. It's as if they knew our fears of less keyboard, and immediately assuage them. One of the albums many highlights. Usually I can pick a favorite song here, and although one stands clear above the rest, I've found myself coming back to different tracks and proclaiming them as one of the best each time I listen. The next song is "Summer Angel" which is the track that stands out clearly above the rest. This song challenges previous Minus the Bear songs "Pachuca Sunrise" and "Hooray" as their best song. The lyrics on this song are some of the best in years, and the guitar is great. The new live style is also really great here, and this song has a loose groove that wouldn't sound as great if it was pinched together. "Secret Country" is a song that lags a bit until the end, where the sharp guitar work by Knudson saves it from being a low point on the album. It's forgettable, and not a song I've come back to often. The next song "Hold Me Down" starts slow, but builds up quickly. It's also one of the sadder, more depressing songs they've written, but also very sentimental. The lyrics are a standout as usual, and the melodic chant at the end bring a catchy feel that make the song memorable. "Excuses" finds Snider singing "Running out of excuses but we know what the truth is, I'm into you, I'm into you. When you hear this song, you say you knew all along, you're into me too". It's catchy, and typical Minus the Bear. Nothing stands out here, it just helps the album flow along. One thing I've noticed is that the live style hasn't disappointed me as much as I thought it would. Sure, it doesn't allow for some of the back and forth guitar echoing found all over Menos El Oso, but it also allows for a lot of creativity and inter-band play.

One of the weirder songs is next, and it's called "The Thief". We finally hear more synth on this song, as it's been pushed into the background a lot. A solid track, nothing great here, but nothing bad. "Into the Mirror" contains a repeating guitar riff, as Snider's vocals are pushed into the background behind it. The end of the track is extremely notable, as it features female vocals, something previously unheard in a Minus the Bear song. It brings a different touch to the song, and the lyrics are a conversation between Snider and the girl. Turns out the girl is Rachel Flotard, lead singer of female rock band Visqueen. It's definitely a different feel, and it's original. The last bit of the track is purely instrumental until the last 10 seconds. Minus the Bear has become famous for long outro's, and this one doesn't disappoint. "Animal Backwards" is another standout for me, as the lyrics here are great and the instrumentation harkens back to Menos El Oso days. Snider sings "She is a wolf looking through my window" with sharp and angry delivery. I'm pretty sure this is the first song not record with the live style, as it is clearly ProTooled. New band member Alex Rose, who replaced Matt Bayles back in 2007, sings backing vocals here and he's not bad at all. Another good track follows, called "Dayglow Vista Road" which begins with an extended intro and contains more of the same. It's enjoyable, yet slightly forgettable. There isn't many things vocal wise happening here, and the instrumentation is familiar and doesn't stand out. The album closes with "Fooled By The Night" which is actually an amazing track if you can get past the first 2 minutes. The song starts slow, very quiet before moving into a flurry of vocals from Snider and great guitarwork by Knudson before finishing just as quietly as it started.

To be honest, I had low expectations about OMNI. I didn't decide to buy it until a week after it's release, strictly because I didn't know what to expect. Would I come out of hearing it hating Minus the Bear, feeling let down that they couldn't replicate past success? I feared that, but it didn't happen. The album is very different, and if you're looking to get into Minus the Bear, this isn't for you. The only tracks I could imagine a new listener enjoying on first listen are "My Time" and "Summer Angel". It's not a bad album, but it sure as hell isn't Menos El Oso, which is one of my favorite albums ever. The benchmark was too high, and while OMNI is a good album, it's not great. It's tough being measured to an amazing piece of work like their previous albums, but that's the price Minus the Bear will have to pay for making great work previously. I'm sure they'll be fine with that.

Final Grade: B

Movie Review: Nowhere Boy (Early Review, Out 10/8/10)

NOWHERE BOY

Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff

EARLY REVIEW - U.S. RELEASE OCTOBER 8th, 2010

By Hunter Christian

4 BAFTA nominations (British Oscars). Heavy Sundance talk. Possible Oscar buzz. What is the cause of all this? Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the silver screen Mr. John Lennon. 

There have been many biopics over the past few years, many famous public figures recreated; several musical artists, including Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, etc. Yet never has there been a biopic made about The Beatles, arguably the most popular and widely successful band of all time. I don't blame Hollywood; not only would the fantastic four be almost impossible to simulate, I couldn't even imagine the shitstorm that would hit the filmmakers if they messed up.

But finally, here comes a "biopic" of John Lennon, arguably the most famous member of the group. Why do I have "biopic" in quotes? Because to call this movie a biopic, as the producers are marketing it, would just be completely and utterly wrong. This is not a biopic. They say it spans Lennon's "childhood", but the movie is almost entirely Lennon at age 15 and happens to end when he's 19. If you're looking for a true story of Lennon's life, an in-depth look at his psyche, or a story about The Beatles, as I was, you will be completely disappointed, as I was. This movie about John Lennon stinks.

HOWEVER...there happens to be a movie here that is actually fantastic. So I'm going to talk about that one, because the one I mentioned above doesn't exist. Aaron Johnson, almost unrecognizable in this after recently starring as the teenage wannabe-superhero Kick-Ass, brilliantly plays a teenage boy named John. John is a conflicted kid; his sarcasm and likable arrogance doesn't help him in school, and his uncle passes away, leaving him in the care of the stoical Aunt Mimi. Suddenly, John discovers that his mother lives just down the road, and things start to turn around for him. His recklessness doesn't go away, but he becomes happier forming a relationship with his mother, the strange and flirtatious but intriguing character played by Anne-Marie Duff. John's relationship with his mother is borderline incestual, as his mother is fanatically affectionate. This, and a small backstory about Lennon's father, help explore some of the darkness of his childhood, and is the most fascinating part of the film.

And of course, he discovers rock and roll. Encouraged by his mother, he forms a band with some friends from school - including a little guy named Paul McCartney. The boys are The Quarrymen, and they immediately rock the stage with energy.

Johnson, while bearing almost no physical resemblance to Lennon, is a knockout as his character, an emotionally confused teen. Duff and Thomas are excellent as well as Lennon's mother and wife, respectively. Taylor-Wood's periodic direction shines, and this is only her sophomore effort as a director. This movie has everything going for it. So what happens to make this movie so...little? It ends. Lennon, a music superstar, an intriguing poet, has a "biopic" type movie finally made about him and...it's 93 minutes long. When it ends, you leave with the feeling of, "That was good, but...that's it?"

Now, as I said before, there is definitely greatness here. Everything about the film is done well; the screenplay is conventional but emotionally taught, the direction and feel perfectly grasp the time period, and the music reflects the mood and tone well. There's just something missing here. For such a fascinating character, the film is remarkably unremarkable. "Nowhere Boy" is en excellent first half of the movie that should have been made.

B