Media Junkie

Why So Serious?

In honor of The Dark Knight, opening July 18th across the country, I am going to be dedicating the month of July here at Media Junkie to both Batman and the films of Christopher Nolan.

I will be reviewing the classic 1989 Tim Burton version that originally set the standard for comic book movies, as well as the direct-to-DVD Batman: Gotham Knight, a collection of short animated films that bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.  In addition to this, I will review all of Nolan's previous films including Batman Begins, his independent feature film debut, Following, the classic Memento, and his remake of Insomnia.

Of course, the big event of the month will be my full-length review of The Dark Knight which I pledge here and now to write and post immediately after returning from my 12:01 AM IMAX showing the morning of July 18th. 

I hope you'll enjoy this month's look at one of the most talented filmmakers of our generation.  To kick things off, I'll direct you to my review of Nolan's fifth feature film, The Prestige.

CD Review: Earlimart - Hymn And Her

Earlimart
Hymn And Her
2008
Shout! Factory/Majordomo

Buy This Album

You know an album is special when the instant the CD stops spinning, your first instinct is to hit play and listen to it all the way through a second time.  You never get the urge to skip a track, and after the second time around, you still can't wait to give it another go.

Less than a year after they released Mentor Tormentor to critical acclaim, the duo of Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, better known as Earlimart, return with Hymn and Her, a concise piece of independent pop-rock brilliance that not only blows its predecessor out of the water, but stands tall next to the amazing Treble & Tremble as the best album the band has put out yet.

Building upon their established sound, laden with spacey drums, Espinoza's trademark echoing vocals, beautiful, often heart-wrenching melodies, and some of the best lyrics the band has ever written, Hymn and Her marks the maturation of one of the best bands the world has yet to hear.

Required Viewing: WALL-E

WALL-E
Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures
Rated: G
103 Minutes

There are certain films that are instant classics.  From the instant the end credits begin rolling, you are left in awe and you know you've just witnessed something special.  The latest creation from the geniuses at Pixar Animation Studios, WALL-E is just such a film. 

There simply aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe how clever, how touching, and how entertaining WALL-E is.  It's something you just have to see for yourself to believe.  This is Pixar's best film and hands down one of the best films of the year.

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk
Marvel Studios/Universal Pictures
Rated: PG-13
114 Minutes

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.  IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ENDING OF The Incredible Hulk, STOP READING!

If Ang Lee's 2003 adaptation of Marvel's big, green superhero, Hulk, left a bad taste in your mouth, Marvel Studios and director Louis Leterrier have the remedy.  Possibly the fastest series reboot in film history, The Incredible Hulk is everything the Eric Bana trainwreck should have been and more.

It should be noted that I was never a huge fan of the Hulk comic books, so the fact that the new Hulk movie was so entertaining even to me speaks to what a quality product it is.  Much like Iron Man before it, it further proves that Marvel's decision to finance their films themselves, instead of giving a motion picture studio creative control, was justified. 

Written by Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand, Suspect Zero), with heavy input from the film's star Edward Norton, The Incredible Hulk is an exciting, entertaining, if somewhat imperfect, summer blockbuster.

CD Review: Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2008
Capitol Records

Buy This Album

Right from the opening notes of "Life In Technicolor", the 2:40 mostly-instrumental opening track to Viva La Vida, you can tell this is not your ordinary Coldplay record.  Sitars and guitars clash with layers of cascading synths, creating a sonic wave that washes over you. 

Coldplay return with their fourth studio album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, the album frontman Chris Martin says they were "born to make."  After 2005's somewhat patchy, but overall strong offering X&Y, I can confirm that Martin may very well be speaking the truth and not just reciting a standard issue promotional line.  Viva La Vida is quite possibly the band's best record since their stunning debut, Parachutes.

Under the Radar - June 2008

Hit the jump for further details!

Rock Show: Death Cab For Cutie - Live at the Fox Theater, Detroit, MI - 4 June 2008

Finally, a concert worth posting about! 

I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Death Cab For Cutie perform at the 89x Birthday Bash at the Fox Theater here in Detroit last night.  Our seats were terrific - dead center stage, even though they were towards the back of the floor.  There really isn't a bad seat at the Fox, but being center stage was certainly nice.  This would be my first time seeing the band live, and there is always some trepidation that a band you love on record won't be quite as good live.  Perhaps the singer's voice isn't as good as it sounds in the studio, or perhaps the sound setup will be poor.  I'm happy to report that neither of these things were true.

Required Viewing: Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead
Studio Canal/Rogue Pictures
Rated: R

Part horror film, part comedy, all entertainment.  That's the best way to describe British comedy duo Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's homage to zombie flicks, Shaun of the Dead.  Taking the best parts of both classic and modern zombie films, including George A. Romero's seminal Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead, taking friendly jabs at everything in between, including Danny Boyle's reinvention of the genre, 28 Days Later, and mixing it with a healthy dose of British humor and even a little romance.

Shaun of the Dead is not a parody.  It's more of a respectful nod to a nearly forgotten and stale genre that it would in turn help revitalize.  The duality of the film is the precise reason it succeeds so well.  Shaun never takes itself too seriously, but it never goes into the realm of predictable jokes like the God awful American-made pop-culture parody films such as the abysmal Scary Movie series or anything that features the words "starring The Wayans Brothers."

Essential Albums: Plastikman - Closer

Plastikman
Closer
2003
Mute U.S.

Buy This Album

I confess - I didn't like techno music for a long time.  Despite being a native of the Metro Detroit area, which spawned the genre, I just didn't "get it".  Save the odd track from artists like Kevin Saunderson and, of course, Moby, it was too minimalistic and uneventful for me.  Even the more uptempo tracks tended to sound abrasive and grating.  I especially didn't like Plastikman, the alter ego of Windsor, Ontario's Richie Hawtin. 

Despite the fact that he had become a legend in the techno scene, I couldn't get into his downbeat style of music.  I found it mind-numbingly repetitive and I couldn't understand why people praised him so much.  That was, until I heard Closer.

CD Review: Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Death Cab For Cutie
Narrow Stairs
2008
Atlantic Records

Buy This Album

Death Cab For Cutie are a difficult band to judge.  From their name, you might think they're some sort of speed metal band, but their appearance lends itself more to angst-ridden emo rock.  That's why I was surprised when I first saw their brand of infectious, evocative piano rock and thoughtful lyrics on an episode of Austin City Limits, which also featured another favorite band of mine, The Flaming Lips. 

I was intrigued, but they still ended up on the backburner; just another band on the long list of acts I need to research more.  My work was cut out for me when a friend loaned me a copy of their 2005 masterpiece Plans.  Halfway through the album, I knew this was a band I had misjudged.

Since their auspicious debut, You Can Play These Songs With Chords, originally released on cassette, then eventually on CD (including bonus tracks) years later after the band gained critical success, Death Cab have slowly and methodically risen to the top.  At the time of this review, Narrow Stairs, their eighth studio album, sits atop the Billboard music charts and the band is embarking on a tour of sold out venues in support.