Foo Fighters and Coldplay are back!

Recently, two of my favorite bands have come back with fresh new singles.

Foo Fighters

Quick Recap: The Foo Fighters have gone through a series of members since their creation around 1994-1995. Frontman Dave Grohl had been the drummer of Nirvana prior. Today, along with Grohl, they have Nick Mendel on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums and backing vocals, Chris Shiflett is on lead guitar and backing vocals and finally, Pat Smear on guitars. They have released six albums over the years, all were nominated for Grammys and three albums won.

Their current new single, Walk, is from their seventh album, Wasting Light, which was released back on April 12th. The single dropped on public radio on June 6th. Movie goers may have already been familiar with the song as it can be heard during the closing credits of Thor.

The video itself is interesting and reminded me of the 1993 film, Falling Down. But unlike the Michael Douglas thriller, the music video had a very comedic twist.

Coldplay

Quick Recap: Their hit single, Yellow, put this band on the map in 2000 and Coldplay has continued to hang around the music scene ever since. Chris Martin is the lead singer and is on the keyboard. Johnny Buckland is on lead guitar. Guy Berryman is on bass. And Will Champion is on drums. Buckland, Berryman and Champion all serve as backing vocals. They have released 4 albums, 3 of which were both nominated and won a few Grammy awards. Their fifth album is yet to be named and is expected to be officially released this fall. The band has played a few of their new songs at festivals such as Glastonbury. Their new single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, was released on June 3rd.

I'm still iffy on Teardrop, it's a good song, I certainly like it better than Viva La Vida, which I felt was not their best single, but I have to listen to this song a few more times before I decide if I want to buy it on iTunes. But that's just me. Can't wait for the official release!

My Thoughts: The Adjustment Bureau

I was hesitant of The Adjustment Bureau when it was first released. From what I gathered, it looked like a different version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But then again, I've been skeptical of most movies. When I first saw the preview of Inception, I saw The Matrix meets Dark City. And then when I saw Inception and was just blown away.

The Adjustment Bureau is loosely based of the Philip K. Dick short story The Adjustment Team. Dick passed away in 1982, but many of his stories would adapted into films, which included Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report. Dick enjoyed playing with the future, science and politics and some of those elements transfered to the films. Blade Runner with the use of androids, Total Recall with its clash between real and false memories and Minority Report with the concept of thought police. So, the idea of an organization that was in charge of destiny intrigued me. It was also then I realized that this was not Eternal Sunshine.

I enjoyed the movie. The visual effects were really good. Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie and Terrance Stamp gave good performances. I want to say I liked the plot, and well...I liked the idea of the plot...but there was just something missing. Compared to the other adapted films, this one just didn't quite meet my standards. It was better than Scanner Darkly, but by no means did it reach Blade Runner. Like I said though, there was just something missing from the story that could have put it over the edge for me.

I know that director George Nolfi was trying to go with this message of fate, destiny, free will and borderline religion, but I felt he could have pushed the envelope more. It wasn't as thought provoking as Children of Men or The Matrix.

The other issue is, after Inception, it will be hard for me to watch other science fiction movies. Just like after The Dark Knight, my expectations of comic book based movies changed.

But, it still was a good movie for me, held my interests and was very enjoyable.

The next Philip K. Dick adaptation that I know of will be another version of Total Recall. But it won't be an exact remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, as producer Neal Moritz said it will be more close to the original story. This version will have Collin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston and Jessica Biel. It is scheduled for release on August 3, 2012.

My Thoughts: Thor

Why am I posting my Thor review almost 8 weeks after it's release? A: I haven't been able to go to the 30 movies I used to at age 22 but more importantly, B: I loathed the Thor character. Going back to the days when kids collected Marvel trading cards, I didn't even want to handle the Thor cards. Why read about the God of Thunder when I could look at Spider-Man taking on Venom and Carnage or Wolverine against Sabertooth. So, I still stand by my anti-Thor stance when it comes to Marvel Comics.

But, thanks for director Kenneth Branagh, Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, it's a complete 180 on the film version. What bored me about the comic books, actually kept my interests up during the movie. I also credit the new image of Thor, instead of the dull Fabio-like figure I saw as a kid, we get this awesome rugged version that I should have seen back in the comics.

Anthony Hopkins was great as Odin, and Tom Hiddleston wasn't too bad as Loki. He's not the most diabolical Marvel villain I can think of, but I've read that Loki will be much more of a threat for the 2012 Avengers movie. Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Stellen Skarsgard played their supporting roles very well and a movie packed with several characters, I didn't feel at all weighed down like I did with the first Transformer movie.

I found the movie funny at times, and I thought the visuals of Asgard were amazing, some of the best backgrounds and settings I've seen in a Marvel movie. I know some critics didn't like Thor's appearance on Earth, but I actually did. I liked seeing Thor as a human level and it served well for the plot.

So, will I pick up a Thor comic book? Probably not.

Will I see the sequel? Oh yes.

Eagerly awaiting the Captain America movie!

A Look at Glastonbury 2011

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is almost ready to begin. For those of you who don't know, Glastonbury is one of the largest outdoor venues in the world. It is known for the music but it also offers dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and more. It is held the final weekend of June at the Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, UK. Tickets for this year's festival went on sale back in October, 2010 and sold out in 4 hours.

This year's festival have several music acts scheduled to appear, ranging from rock to electronica. Listed below are just some of what Glastonbury has to offer.

Friday:

Cee-Lo Green

Fatboy Slim

Ke$ha

Mike Posner

Grouplove

Two Door Cinema Club

Cage the Elephant

The Naked and Famous

Mumford and Sons

Wu-Tang Klan

B.B. King

Headline Act: U2

Saturday:

Big Boi

The Chemical Brothers

Friendly Fires

Jimmy Eat World

The Gaslight Anthem

Headline Act: Coldplay

Sunday:

Kool and the Gang

Foster the People

The Joy Formidable

OK GO

The Streets

Cold War Kids

TV on the Radio

Queens of the Stone Age

Don McLean

Paul Simon

Headline Act: Beyonce

U2 was scheduled for the 2010 Festival, but due to Bono's back surgery, they had to back out.

Coldplay is on the verge of releasing a yet to be named album and I imagine they will be playing a few new songs on Saturday.

And Beyonce has a new single out as well.

I'm not sure if Youtube will have a stream up like they had with Coachella, but I would think that Vevo would have one going.

It looks like it should be a good line-up. And if there is streaming, be sure to get your fill now because there won't be a Glastonbury 2012 Festival!

My Thoughts: Super 8

Upon first seeing the teaser trailer of the train accident, I was immediately intrigued. Over the years, I've grown to love J.J. Abrams. And I know Cloverfield received mixed reviews, but I enjoyed that as well, and I'll get back to that one in a bit. As for Super 8, he collaborated with Steven Spielberg on this project. Fairly unknown child actors supplied the cast, which I enjoyed and I hope to see more of the likes of Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Elle Fanning and Ryan Lee. The plot held up very well for me, the special effects were great and I was happy that I didn't actually get to see the alien up close until the final act. That is what I enjoyed about Cloverfield. I felt a nostalgia for a time period I never actually experienced. Don't know if that makes any sense but that's just how I felt. And like some critics, I was reminded a bit of E.T. A few went as far as calling these elements plagiarism with permission. I wouldn't exactly say that. Even though both Super 8 and E.T. dealt with children and extraterrestrials, they were by far not the same movies. After all, I don't remember E.T. being extremely violent and attacking the military. If anything, I felt like Abrams gave us an homage to the 1982 classic. And homages and respectable remakes are just fine in my book.

As for Cloverfield and the feedback it received, vs. the reception that Super 8 received, I really can't compare the two. Cloverfield was just a different kind of movie, almost like an experiment and I applauded the effort. But one really had to do the research to fully understand Cloverfield, much of it done through viral marketing. Just like how people had to play the Enter the Matrix video game to completely fill in the gaps for the Matrix sequels. People who didn't were obviously lost and I remember the murmurs in the crowd that verified the confusion. It was the same with Cloverfield. I was fortunate enough to visit the website, play the photo game, read the fictitious Slusho! website and see the splash in the background during the final scenes. I guess Cloverfield is just a movie that requires people to do some homework, and with an American audience who just doesn't seem to want to think, movies like this may suffer in feedback. It's a shame because I think it's a great idea to give us a movie we literally have to unlock in our spare time and I hope that we see more of this in the future.

As for Super 8, this may very well be a movie I will add to my DVD collection in due time!

All Kidding Aside

This Week's Edition of All Kidding Aside: LeBron James


I know I've joked and tweeted about LeBron James and his ridiculous salary since last night's defeat in the NBA Final...but he's young. He's like what? 27? Bosh is a young guy as well, and Wade certainly isn't going anywhere...the Miami Heat will be back. And I believe James will have a ring. It's just a matter of when?
As for Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, you really have nothing to gloat about. The Cavs were the 2nd worst team in the league, and at least LeBron had 2 wins in the Finals. Can anyone remember how many games the Cavaliers won in their only Finals appearance? Can anyone remember when the Cavaliers reached the Finals at all? It was 2007 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Cavs were swept 4-0. So shut up, Gilbert! Gloat when you have the trophy in your greasy fingertips. Also, you're a CEO, not a 12 year-old, STOP using Comic Sans font!
I know "The Decision" was hard to take, but for Heaven's sake, take it like a man!
Did Atlanta cry when Deion Sanders signed with the 49ers?
Did Dallas cry when Steve Nash signed with the Suns?
Did Tampa Bay cry when Carl Crawford signed with the Red Sox?
No!
So shut up, Gilbert, just use your draft pick wisely and REBUILD. But oh wait, you're in Cleveland...the last time your city ever had a sports championship of any kind was what? Around the Eisenhower administration?

Back to LeBron though, like I said, he's a young guy, he has time to use this past week as a learning experience and come back stronger next season. I don't know what happened or why he couldn't seem to close out the past few games. Maybe it was pressure? Over-confidence? That's for him to deal with. I mean, did anyone just come down on Kobe Bryant back in 1998 when his Los Angeles Lakers were swept by Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz at the Western Conference Finals? I don't remember people going "Well, guess the Lakers will never make it!"
Five championships later...
But it's just a matter of when. Ask John Elway about that. So, it could be next year, it could be in 3 years, or 5 years. Only time will tell.

REC vs Quarantine

Thanks to Crackle, I was finally able to watch both movies. One by one. Scream by scream. So, let's get to the 411!

The Original:

REC

Directed by Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza
Starring Manuela Velasco

A 2007 Spanish movie, where a television reporter, Angela Vidal, and her cameraman, Pablo, follow a Barcelona fire fighting crew who answer a mysterious call in an apartment. Before they know it, tenants are stricken with a mysterious illness that reduced them to ravenous beings. To make matters worse, they find themselves imprisoned in the apartment and Angela eventually stumbles onto the truth behind the insanity.

The American Remake:

Quarantine
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
Starring Jennifer Carpenter

Made in 2008, it is essentially the same plot as above, just the setting is changed, as Angela Vidal is following the Los Angeles Fire Department on their fateful night at the apartment. The CDC take further aggressive steps to keep the people detained.

My Verdict:

After almost 3 hours of screaming and nerve racking first person perspective camera angles, I have to say that I enjoyed REC more. Although Quarantine probably had a higher budget to work with, the execution of REC was very well done. I felt a real sense of claustrophobia from it. I also must add, this wasn't my first time seeing Quarantine, I actually saw it in 2008 and I recall losing interest. That never happened with REC. Both did have fairly slow starts, which were meant to capture that Angela was a reporter from the beginning. Much like how the Blair Witch kids were just college kids before their encounter with whatever it is they encountered.
Some other differences I took note of, are that the source of the disease differ. In REC, it is suggested to be a contagious demonic possession. In Quarantine, it appears to be a biological chemical.
The one thing that bothers me is that many classify these films as zombie films and I have to say, just like with 28 Days Later, that's just not the case! True, it appears that the victims are killed and then come back as these dark entities. But that was exactly how 28 Days Later went down, and I thought of them more as these primitive and feral beings. I guess that thought is open up to argument.
In the end, I feel in a time where Japan or Italy are thought of as great countries of horror movies, Spain is definitely has some films to add to the international collection. REC will go down as one of my favorite horror movies in recent years. As for Quarantine, it was a good attempt but it was just missing the key elements of REC.

Which now opens the door for future blog postings about horror movies and perspective. This summer, I plan on discussing the first person camera angle and why it seems that the US just really makes poor horror movies when compared to the countries I mentioned above.

And remember people, both movies are available for free on Crackle!

Bonnaroo 2011

Sorry for the delay, I forgot that Bonnaroo was this weekend and actually kicked off yesterday. So, I'll just dive right into it. This year's festival will be held from June 9 to June 12 in Manchester, Tennessee.
This year's show features an array of artists and bands, ranging from all kinds of genres, from indie rock to hip-hop and on out to pop. Acts such as Arcade Fire, Lil' Wayne, Matt & Kim, Florence + the Machine, Eminem, Mumford & Sons, Bootsy Collins and The Strokes.
From what I read, there will be more than just music, as there is a cinema tent which is scheduled to play movies like Ghost Busters and shows like Children's Hospital.
In addition, former Scrubs star Zach Braff is scheduled for a Q&A and even comedians such as Lewis Black are set to perform.
So, it sounds like it will be an amazing show this year.
I don't think Youtube is doing a live stream, but from what I understand, VEVO is hosting their own stream.

Next time, I will look into the Glastonbury Festival!

Music Spotlight: The Joy Formidable

Coming out of North Wales is the band known as The Joy Formidable. They consist of Ritzy Bryan (lead vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Matt Thomas (drums, percussion).

Long story short: Bryan and Dafydd were once part of Tricky Nixon in 2003, then Nixon reformed into Sidecar Kisses in 2006. When Kisses disbanded in 2007, the childhood friends went back to their hometown of Mold, Wales and formed The Joy Formidable. They experimented with their sounds and released their first singles in 2008 and an EP in 2009. They relocated to London, recruited Thomas and became a trio. From there, they toured small venues in the US, UK and Australia. Their music earned praise from Shirley Manson, Courtney Love, Dave Grohl and Mark Hoppus. In 2010, they signed with Canvasback Records and released their debut album, "The Big Roar".

They recently played their single, "Whirring" on Conan. Speaking of which, "Whirring" is what caught my attention. It was one of those "Stop Talking and Listen!" moments I had, much like when I had first heard The Airborne Toxic Event. Upon first hearing this single, it reminded me of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Naked and Famous and Anthem Facility, mixed a little of the sounds of 1990s Alternative Rock.

Now, I have to note, there are two versions of Whirring. The original version was from the 2008 EP, and that version was shorter with a grunge feel to it. The version that was played on Conan and heard on the radio is much longer, the sound amplified and ends with a nearly 4 minute long guitar riff. I enjoy both versions, but some listeners may tire of the riff.

I skimmed over the rest of Roar, much of it does remind me of The Smashing Pumpkins, Hole and Garbage with a 2011 feel. However, I must say, that I also listened to the EP, A Balloon Called Moaning, and I enjoyed that just as well.

The Joy Formidable are currently on tour in France and are expected to make an appearance at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival this month and in August, at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Be sure to check out their official website and get a free download.

Other than that, I leave you with this music video.