Moviemaking

1. Casino Royale. I watched this DVD again the other night, and my original review holds up pretty well. I was struck again by the grittiness of the film as compared to previous Bond flicks, and also by the fact that even though I knew it was coming, that torture scene still made me cringe.

2. The Good German. Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney have had some pretty interesting collaborations, and while they haven’t all been successful, there’s usually at least something worth taking away from the movie. In the case of The Good German, they attempted to recreate the post-war noir films of the 40’s, with pretty amazing results. The lighting, the camera angles, the use of stock footage, even the dialogue and the way it was delivered were spot on. There were times that I had to remind myself I was watching a modern movie. Clooney and Cate Blanchett were particularly good, but it was a little tough to imagine Tobey Maguire as an asshole who beat his girlfriend (he’s just too nice to have a dark side). The plot was decent, but it was really the achievement in filmmaking that kept me interested in this one.

3. The Simpsons Movie. So, here’s where I stand on the Simpsons. I’m not a regular watcher, and haven’t been for quite some time. I can’t quote chapter and verse like some people I know, but over 19 years, I’ve come to realize that the strength of the show lies in its supporting characters. All the personalities around Springfield add layer upon layer of humor to the show, and as the show has gone on longer and longer, these characters have gotten more and more play. After all, there only so many times you can tell the same stories about Bart, Lisa, Homer, Marge, and even Maggie. So it was a bit of a surprise that the secondary characters remained so, well... secondary in the movie, especially when it came to which characters had relatively big roles (Comic Book Guy, Cletus), which had surprisingly small ones (Mr. Burns), and which had none at all (where were Principal Skinner, Snake, and Sideshow Bob?). But the writers were able to make a sharply funny movie by focusing on the core Simpsons family and keeping the story tight. They could have easily gone off on plenty of tangents along the way, but by keeping the secondary characters in the background, it made me appreciate them that much more when they did pop up on screen. Aside from that, the movie was typical Simpsons—sharp, witty social commentary wrapped around a basic story of Homer doing something idiotic with dire consequences and then redeeming himself (only this time he had 3 times as much time as usual to get things right). The audience at yesterday’s matinee was laughing out loud for most of the movie. Plus, the animation was super-crisp and looked really good. Based on the credits, I would hope so, because it looked like they had more than 1,000 animators working on that thing. I have to admit, I was skeptical when this movie was first announced. I figured they were 10 years too late with this one. But the movie proved me wrong, and I’m happy to admit it. After all this time, The Simpsons have still got it. Cowabunga, dude.

Odds and Ends

1. There’s a trailer up for the new Wes Anderson movie, and not a moment too soon. I think I’ve had my fill of sequels and car commercials masquerading as movies based on toy commercials masquerading as cartoons. More original and quirky, please.

2. I’ve currently got major nerd love for The Venture Bros. DVDs. The show is part of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup, and intelligently spoofs old shows like Johnny Quest and the Hardy Boys while working in as many geektastic sci-fi and fantasy references as possible. It’s also got a great retro visual look that I love. Entertainment Weekly recently gave the show some love in their EW 100 issue. Definitely worth checking out.

3. David Beckham finally made his debut in a Los Angeles Galaxy uniform. No confirmation on whether he actually walked on water after the game. I feel no need to add to what’s already been written, but hopefully now the focus can go back to the soccer. There were some great MLS games this weekend that were completely overshadowed by ESPN’s over-the-top Becksturbation.

And In The End...

Well, that’s that. I finished around 2:30 last night, and due to my extreme grogginess, I decided to give it a little time to sink in. Overall, I thought it was a fairly satisfying ending. Rowling was never going to be able to please everyone, and while I did have two big problems with the book, I thought she managed to do the series justice.

First, due to the necessity of following Harry’s storyline, there’s a lot of important action that happens “offscreen”. Because of this, I felt like a lot of the work Rowling had done developing some secondary characters in the past couple of books was wasted. By the time these characters appear in Deathly Hallows, there’s not much left for them to do except make brief cameos in the final battle, and what they do contribute mostly feels rushed and forced. Actually, that‘s the same problem the last couple of movies have had. I guess it was just a matter of trying to fit everything into one book without making it 1200 pages long (not that most readers, me included, would have minded).

Second, the body count is pretty high in this book, and while some of the deaths were surprises, others had been obviously coming since book 4 or 5. The problem is, the more characters died, the less their deaths impacted me as a reader. I understand Rowling’s need to show the severity of the situation, but eventually I lost any sense of shock or surprise when someone else was killed, and by the end, I was simply keeping a mental list of the dead. Also, Rowling knew her readers would be expecting deaths, and she had a bit a fun with fakeouts involving major characters throughout the book (including a big one near the end). Unfortunately, this only ended up adding to the lessened impact when characters actually did die.

On the other hand, Rowling was trying to end an epic series that has a large (and largely young) fan base, so while I may not have agreed with all of her choices, I understand the necessity for many of them. I don’t envy her that task. But most of all, I appreciate the fact that she actually gave us an ending and didn’t go all David Chase on us. I’m not sure I could have handled the final Harry Potter book cutting off in the middle of a sentence.

Hey Now, You’re An All-Star

Sweet Jesus, did I really just quote Smash Mouth? Someone please shoot me now.

So, exciting evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where I attended the MLS All-Star Game. The All-Stars took on Celtic FC of Scotland and won 2-0 on goals by Juan Pablo Angel and Juan Toja, or as I like to refer to them, the Two Juans (say it out loud, it’s funnier). The game itself was fairly lackluster. What was more exciting for me was that I was granted my first-ever media credentials, which let me watch the game from the press box (view: very nice; food: so-so; swag: rockin’) and meet some soccer media types and even a celeb or two. Over the course of the night, I chatted with Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, Allen Hopkins of ESPN, Charles Boehm (who covers DC United for MLSNet.com), and Carlos Machado of Fox Soccer Channel, listened in on an Alexi Lalas interview from 2 feet away, shook hands with Bob Bradley, had a man who I’m 99% sure was Garth Brooks accidentally end up in a photo I was taking, and was within 50 yards of David “Jesus Reincarnated” Beckham!!! (I grant him the coveted three exclamation points due to the insane amount of teenage squealing that followed him wherever he went. Seriously, the only comparison is those early Beatles trips to the U.S.)

Now, most of those names I listed won’t mean much to non-soccer fans, but as a wise friend of mine said earlier, they’re stars to me, and it meant a lot to me that the ones I talked to were so friendly and very cool about me wandering around the press box looking a bit awed and starstruck. Plus, these guys will all be great to know down the line someday when I become art director of the breakout American soccer magazine.

Potter-y

I moved recently, so pop culture has been very secondary, what with all my books in boxes, movies packed away, and Netflix on hold. Luckily I had the foresight to keep my Harry Potter close at hand. Unless you’re one of those “living under a rock” types, you may have heard something about this week’s double-shot release of the movie of Order of the Phoenix (currently riding the momentum of a rather exceptional box-office weekend) and the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. To get ready, I’ve re-read all 6 books and re-watched all 4 DVDs over the past two weeks, and it’s both interesting and somewhat humorous to see the way the books and the actors have developed along the way. I caught a matinee of OotP yesterday, and it’s definitely the darkest movie of the series. I thought it was pretty well done considering how much they had to cut down the book and cram what was left into a little over 2 hours, and it was an excellent way to whet my appetite for book 7 (which I’m assuming is exactly what the Potter Merchandising Empire was hoping for when they set these release dates). Suffice it to say, Pottermania is in full effect at apartamento del Leister, and it will stay that way until sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning when I finish reading, assuming UPS brings me Deathly Hallows on Saturday as promised by Amazon.

Perhaps you’re saying to yourself, “Wow. Dedicating your Saturday night to the new Harry Potter book. How very pre-teen of you.” And you’d be right. But when it comes down to it, I’d rather give up one Saturday night reading than spend the next week with my fingers in my ears going “Lalalalalala” every time someone mentions Harry Potter. Priorities, people. Priorities. And you wonder why I’m still single.

Elegant Elephants Eclipse Eccentric Equestrians

1. Everything Is Everything…Phoenix
2. Easy Lover…Phil Collins & Philip Bailey
3. Empty Arms (alternate version)…Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
4. El Salvador…Athlete
5. Emily Kane…Art Brut
6. Either/Or…The Ocean Blue
7. Early Morning Rain…Paul Weller
8. Every Part Of Me…Sam Roberts
9. Easy on Yourself…Drive-By Truckers
10. Everyday I Love You Less And Less…Kaiser Chiefs
11. Everything We Are…The Shore
12. Eple…Röyksopp
13. Easier…Glen Phillips
14. Emaline…Ben Folds Five
15. Everytime…The Samples
16. Eleanor…Low Millions
17. Every Morning…Keb’ Mo’
18. Everybody Wants To Rule The World…Tears For Fears
19. Everybody’s Stalking…Badly Drawn Boy
20. Everything In 2’s…Better Than Ezra
21. Electrolite…R.E.M.
22. Even Here We Are…Paul Westerberg

Working-Class Hero

It’s been a good week for my soccer teams. The US Men romped their way through the Gold Cup group stage, looking better and better through each of the three matches they played to set up today’s quarterfinal against Panama. The Yanks have scored seven goals so far through six different players, and the US defense has yet to allow one. In their last match against El Salvador, they didn’t even give up a single shot on goal. Dominant, but against some of the smaller countries in the Gold Cup, not entirely unexpected.

On the other hand, what was unexpected was DC United defeating the New York Red Bulls last Sunday behind a hat trick from midfielder Ben Olsen. Benny entered the league back in 1998 as a speedy winger/forward and serious offensive threat, although more often than not his speed and youthful energy resulted in him running around like a chicken with his head cut off. But a couple of serious ankle injuries forced him to change his game. Since his return, Olsen reestablished himself as a hard-nosed defensive midfielder. He may be slower than in his youth (who isn’t?), but he learned to read the game much better, and by the ripe old age of 28 had become a veteran leader for United. He’s also become a fan favorite (and a personal one of mine—I proudly have his jersey hanging alongside my Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna replicas) for his passion and his tough tackles, but nobody expects much in the way of goal-scoring from Benny. Happily, this surprising offensive outburst put the spotlight squarely on Olsen, as he was honored with both MLS Player of the Week and Goal of the Week for his third strike, an absolute blinder of a half-volley from 25 yards (scroll down to Goal of the Week and chose Week 10). It’s nice to see a blue-collar guy like Ben on the receiving end of a lovefest like the one he’s gotten this week, because his role on the field is often a thankless one. Many writers have been quick with praise, but the one that sums it all up best for me is this thoughtful and heartfelt post from Dan Loney. As DC’s Screaming Eagles supporters group likes to sing, we love you Benny, oh yes we do.

UPDATE: Despite no goals from Ben, DC won again last night, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-1 to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games.

Second Chances

After all the uproar over the way The Sopranos series finale ended, I decided to give it a little time before I talked about it. I’ll admit, I called bullshit when it ended. Maybe I wanted closure, but whatever it was, that abrupt cutoff rubbed me the wrong way. (And for that matter, so do all the reviewers who have referred to it as a “fade to black.” There was no fade, people. If it had faded, nobody would have been saying that they thought their cable cut out.) But, not wanting to be hasty, I let my thoughts stew for a few days, and tonight I rewatched the episode, and I felt better. While the ambiguous ending still bothers me, I was more comfortable with it this time around. No matter what theory you subscribe to (the black screen signifies Tony’s death, or the whole episode was Tony’s dream and the black screen was him waking up, or Tony lives, but all the suspicious characters in the restaurant were there to signify the paranoia he has to live with for the rest of his life), the final scene was a masterful piece of filmmaking. Sure, there were some ragged cuts, but as a whole, it was a strong episode. And really, any viewers who endured all the long delays between seasons and tangential plotlines that never went anywhere shouldn’t be surprised that they ended up with the TV equivalent of blue balls. I can live with all that.

My biggest problem with the finale is what David Chase has done to the Sopranos’ legacy. The word genius it being attached to his name an awful lot in reviews of the finale. But here’s the problem with that: Leaving the ending up to the viewer’s imagination is not the mark of genius—it’s a cop out, plain and simple. Why else would Chase have fled to France to escape the blowback? Honestly, I think all these people conferring genius status on Chase are just as disappointed as the rest of us, and I don’t care how many wild theories and allusions to existentialist European cinema they throw around to cover it up. Maybe some of those things are true, but I highly doubt it. Ultimately, what we’re left with is this: The Sopranos changed the game when it came to what TV could be. It should go down in history as an incredibly complex and cinematic show which, coupled with some bravura performances from the cast (Edie Falco in particular), raised the bar for everybody else in the television industry. Instead, all people are going to remember is a caricature: Lots of violence, a gimmick ending, and a Journey song. And that’s what really disappoints me.

British Invasion

Bloc Party at the Ogden Theater. It’s a rare thing when a band’s performance can pull you up out of a down mood. Luckily, thanks to a surprising opening band and a well-managed, high energy set from the headliners, this show did just that.

I was feeling lazy and tired and really not in a concert mood tonight, and the idea of standing sober in a hot crowded room with a bunch of hipster douchebags just wasn’t all that appealing. But since I’d already missed one chance to see Bloc Party last summer, I wasn’t about to pass this show up. So I sucked it up and Doug and I headed for the Ogden. We arrived during the first song of The Noisettes’ set, and as opening bands go, I was pleasantly surprised. Kind of a combination of Blondie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the White Stripes, only more punk and fronted by a really sexy British girl. They ripped through six or seven solid songs, then turned over the stage to Bloc Party.

As it turned out, this show was being recorded (I assume for the tour DVD), so there were cameras all over the place. Bloc Party came out and played a smart but short set (about 75 minutes in all). I didn’t really feel cheated, though, because all their big songs were in there, and they managed the setlist very well. They started strong, mixed slow and fast songs throughout the set, and finished strong. Unlike a lot of bands I’ve seen recently, Bloc Party never gave the audience the chance to get bored, and their energy was infectious. By the time they were three songs into their set, I had completely forgottten about not wanting to go to the show and was clapping, dancing, and singing along. Even the unfortunately high level of air drumming from the idiot next to me didn’t bother me too much. Lead singer Kele Okereke (above) did a good job of keeping the crowd engaged without playing too much of the cheerleader, and the band played off the crowd very well. I hope the recording is released to the public, because this was a show worth seeing again. (Besides, I’ll admit it. I’d love the chance to see myself in the crowd.)

As best I can remember, this was the setlist:

Song For Clay
Positive Tension
Blue Light
Hunting For Witches
Waiting For The 7.18
Banquet
Where Is Home?
This Modern Love
The Prayer
Uniform
So Here We Are
Like Eating Glass

ENCORE
I Still Remember
She’s Hearing Voices
Sunday
Helicopter

Thanks to Blog Party for helping me piece it together.

ROTFLMAO

Knocked Up. Judd Apatow is The Man. I love his TV shows and 40-Year-Old Virgin was surprisingly funny, so I had set the bar pretty high for this movie, but I wasn’t expecting to be in pain from laughing non-stop for the last two hours. Literally, every scene is just as funny as the one before it, broken up with just enough pauses to let the audience catch their breath. Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl and Paul Rudd are all fantastic, but as with all Apatow projects, the supporting players steal scenes every chance they get. The best part is, it’s not a one-joke movie. There’s something for everybody here, and the humor is varied enough to carry the entire film—some jokes are raunchy, some sweet, some self-deprecating (Rogen and his roommates have some particularly good running commentary about what sex-starved geeks they are). It’s nice to see a mainstream movie every once in a while that doesn’t insult my intelligence. Plus, the cast list reads like a reunion of previous Apatow collaborators. If you’ve ever seen Freaks & Geeks, Undeclared, or 40-Year-Old Virgin, you’ll recognize pretty much everyone in Knocked Up. Without a doubt, the funniest movie I’ve seen since... well, since 40-Year-Old Virgin. If you haven’t gotten around to seeing Knocked Up yet, cancel your plans for the weekend and head for the theater. It’s worth the trip.