Writing For the sake of writing
I have to write 5 pages a day, as per my own mandate. So I thought I could bang out a few o those pages by writing my thoughts on some of the movies and tv shows and music I’ve watched recently. I know most of you won’t really care about most/all these things, but, well, shit, stop reading then. No one’s forcing you.
Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs of Revolution:
I literally bought this album last night and listened to it twice in a row because I wanted to be able to talk to certain friends about it. I enjoyed the album altogether. Its good, but…ok, this is an odd complaint, but I should have known what I was purchasing.
Before I continue, lemme explain the project of 99 Songs of Revolution. 8 albums, 2 from Streetlight Manifesto, 2 from Bands of Acoustic Revolution, and 4 others from Streetlight-like artists. Eventually 99 songs of Revolution. So yes, this is a cover album, which I knew full well going in.
See, Streetlight has a definite Life and Death theme going into their songs. And it’s sung with such heart. When Tomas Kalnoky screams “Please don’t take my mother away!” or “Looking through the paper today, looking for a specific page. Don't wanna find her full name followed by dates” it’s heartbreakingly wonderful. And when they erupt into anthems like “I never wanted this, no one ever wanted this, but they gave it to me, so I might as well be proud of it”, I feel it. There’s a poetry to it.
I figured, since I knew none of the songs going in, they would just feel like Streetlight songs and I’d be satiated. But the songs lack the poetry of lyrics or the bombastic energy I love so much about the band. This album is merely fun, as opposed to fun with substance. Again, I should have expected this going in, so the band isn’t at fault really. But after having listened to it 3 times (another time while writing these reviews), I kinda wish I just got a new album from them with new songs. Instead, I felt annoyed that the next album would be a continuation in this cover project.
Stand outs are ‘Such Great Heights’, ‘Hell’, ‘They Provide the Paint for the Picture-perfect Masterpiece’, and ‘Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard’.
Dollhouse (spoilers):
I have never seen such a polarizing show. I feel like the first season is a great lesson in what a series with an epic plot SHOULD NOT do, while second season was so crazy it’s a perfect lesson in what an epic plot SHOULD do (up until the final episodes).
The problem stems from the show moving way too slow and not getting to its point fast enough. In honesty, I only watched the first season on Hulu because I had nothing else to watch at work. I kept watching because, while the entirety of the show was mundane, I saw glimpses of brilliance here and there. I saw what could have been and it gave me hope. I was gonna drop it altogether until I saw the bonus episode (Epitaph 1). I saw where the show was finally going and it was interesting. The second season was fast paced, really amping up to this distopian future previewed to us. They came up with clever episodes (the ones with the serial killer, Sierra’s backstory, and the Attic are the top of that list), and aside form an ending that tried to wrap up way too much in a single stroke (due to the cancellation), it was a strong season. It dropped the ball and I was annoyed watching the final 3, but I can’t help but think that there is so much to learn from Dollhouse as a show.
My biggest question about the show in general is did they need the slow first season to set up the second season? I say no. I don’t think you could just jump into season 2 and have it still be impactful, but I think the first season took time establishing the ‘norm’ of the dollhouse, so we could see how balls to the wall crazy it can get later. But when the ride is as boring as the one they gave, I can’t see many people who would watch it unless they were extreme Whedon fans.
As a final paragraph, I wanted to talk about Eliza Dushku, star of the show. It’s not that I think shes a terrible actress, but this girl had to adapt to about 100 different distinct personalities and characters and, honestly, she couldn’t. I never believed it. There’s also another inherent problem with this. Until about 1/3rd of the way through season 2, there is no ‘main character’. Echo is whatever the episode deems that she needs to be. She is a bank slate decided by Topher’s chair, until her personalities combine and make one super alter ego. That’s cool when that happens, but when I have no main character to latch onto, when I just have an all purpose doll that can be an art thief and then a negotiator for a kidnapping the next episode, who am I rooting for. Who is Echo/Caroline? Without any anchor to weigh me to this show, there’s not really much keeping me there.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
I’m not really sure when this show became my favorite but, well, here I am. Watching a show about the worst people in the world. I’m not really sure what to say about this show. It’s just so funny. I think it applies to the idea of a show without morals. Characters without boundries. About giving in to our selfish desires and trying to do what we always wanted, only to see these idiots have it backfire on them. The show always starts with one group having the best intentions and the other trying to get the advantage of a situation because they think they’re smarter. By the end, you’re not sure who was the bigger disgrace to humanity, but it was a bitch boat of fun watching them. The idea of these characters getting addicted to crack because they want welfare money is just a hysterical concept in itself.
I’d write a longer review but, honestly, I don’t have much else to say. It’s a simple pleasure. Not a guilt pleasure, just a decadent one.
Animated Films:
I wanted to do a quick list of what I thought of all the animated films I saw last year. Ice Age 3 is not on this list for completely biased reasons. Also, never saw Madagascar or Monsters Vs. Aiens.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Amazing. I’ve shown this to a number of friends and think it’s a wonderful story with a ton of heart. It reminded me of a kids book a mother reads to her child before bed, but the story was tuned to adults. So it effectively brings you back to that feeling of story telling and the visuals that accompany it. The mood and feel is what captivates you. The look that makes you wonder if they even know what perspective is. And a voice cast and soundtrack that is just mesmerizing to listen to. Highest recommendations.
Up: I really really liked this film and think it was great. But…I feel that’s all I have to say. I think this was a great film, but I had no urge to rewatch it when I got a copy from Disney (we get free screeners from other studios). I just know it as a good film. That’s where it ends. To me, it was just well done, but nothing really made me want to go back. I know a lot of people feel differently but…yeah.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this movie. It’s really silly and can’t hold a candle to a lot of the other films on this list, but it was extremely pretty and the humor was, well, it was really funny. I really enjoyed watching it. It reminded me of myself, going ADD and just being like “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if…”. I can only think of one other movie that did that, and that’s ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’. And if I’m comparing a film to the Emperor’s New Groove, you know it’s gotta be fun.
9: Even though this is under the animation banner, I want to make it clear I do not mean the musical, but the animated film about socks saving the world. With that said, I hated this movie. I really loved the short and was curious about it when the movie was being made. But the plot and look and feel was very much like a video game, only…ugly. The film was very silent and atmospheric, which can work in a game or even in many movies, if the visuals are unique or harrowing. But I’ve seen stuff like this before, and I’ve seen it better in a video game AND it was longer AND it was interactive. So if this is a poor man’s video game, why not just play a video game. Really, this movie was slow and not worth the effort put into it.
Coraline: Loved it. Aside from the Fantastic Mr. Fox, the best film on this list. Haunting visuals (take a lesson, 9), great character development, a wonderfully fun atmosphere, absolutely brilliant soundtrack (I was so happy when I got that along with the screener), and the film just oozed with style. It had its own unique look, like Fantastic Fox. While Pixar films look great, they don’t have a really ‘unique’ look (though it is an identifiable look). Fox, Coraline, and even Meatballs all had a unique look that made them their own world, reminding me of the joy of 2D animated films. I’m getting on a tangent, but I really don’t have anything else to say except if you haven’t seen this film, go see it!
Princess and the Frog: I liked this film. A lot, actually. I’ll be honest; I probably liked this film more because I hadn’t seen a 2D Disney film in ages and it made me feel good to see one again. There was a lot of great in this film, between the animation, some of the side characters, and it was mazing to see a new Disney Villain. I forgot how wonderful the Disney villains are, and I’d include Shadow Man among one of their better ones. He had the best song, the best animation, and he had such character. They also leave little hints of his backstory and his depth and it just made him very memorable. My only 2 problems are that the songs (aside from Friends on the Other Side) and Tiana were completely unmemorable. Really, every other character in that film had such personality but she was dull as a brick. She was unable to hold this film up. Luckily, she had a great supporting cst doing the work for her.
Girl Who Lept through Time: I’m aware this is older, but I saw it in Japan with Katie. I really really REALY liked this film, and would even use the word ‘love’ if it weren’t for the last 10 minutes. I won’t spoil it here, but the film had such character and heart, and like most animes I feel like they just dropped the ball on the ending. I can’t say much more, but I loved these characters and the way events played out and how I held my breath in anticipation and nearly screamed whenever one of the main characters were in danger. I CARED. I really cared about these people. So why does the ending make me want to kill everything forever!?
Sword of the Stranger: I saw this a while back. It’s pretty and whatnot, but the film starts off with badass fighting and ends with it. The middle is all about the relationship between the boy and the stranger And while it’s good, it’s not GREAT. While I love action, I also enjoy good character progression and scenes that explore the deeper layers of characters. I feel like that’s what the middle was trying to do, but it just wasn’t all that great, especially when the action scenes had so much heart and beauty to them. They held meaning. The final fight scnee is marvelous and really says something about the characters fighting. But the scenes when there’s no fighting…there’s nothing. So it’s just waiting to get from point A to B to C.
My Girlfriend:
A+. She’s awesome.
Alright, that's it. I think I have to go to work at some point today so...I'm gonna do that.
I'm OUT!
Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs of Revolution:
I literally bought this album last night and listened to it twice in a row because I wanted to be able to talk to certain friends about it. I enjoyed the album altogether. Its good, but…ok, this is an odd complaint, but I should have known what I was purchasing.
Before I continue, lemme explain the project of 99 Songs of Revolution. 8 albums, 2 from Streetlight Manifesto, 2 from Bands of Acoustic Revolution, and 4 others from Streetlight-like artists. Eventually 99 songs of Revolution. So yes, this is a cover album, which I knew full well going in.
See, Streetlight has a definite Life and Death theme going into their songs. And it’s sung with such heart. When Tomas Kalnoky screams “Please don’t take my mother away!” or “Looking through the paper today, looking for a specific page. Don't wanna find her full name followed by dates” it’s heartbreakingly wonderful. And when they erupt into anthems like “I never wanted this, no one ever wanted this, but they gave it to me, so I might as well be proud of it”, I feel it. There’s a poetry to it.
I figured, since I knew none of the songs going in, they would just feel like Streetlight songs and I’d be satiated. But the songs lack the poetry of lyrics or the bombastic energy I love so much about the band. This album is merely fun, as opposed to fun with substance. Again, I should have expected this going in, so the band isn’t at fault really. But after having listened to it 3 times (another time while writing these reviews), I kinda wish I just got a new album from them with new songs. Instead, I felt annoyed that the next album would be a continuation in this cover project.
Stand outs are ‘Such Great Heights’, ‘Hell’, ‘They Provide the Paint for the Picture-perfect Masterpiece’, and ‘Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard’.
Dollhouse (spoilers):
I have never seen such a polarizing show. I feel like the first season is a great lesson in what a series with an epic plot SHOULD NOT do, while second season was so crazy it’s a perfect lesson in what an epic plot SHOULD do (up until the final episodes).
The problem stems from the show moving way too slow and not getting to its point fast enough. In honesty, I only watched the first season on Hulu because I had nothing else to watch at work. I kept watching because, while the entirety of the show was mundane, I saw glimpses of brilliance here and there. I saw what could have been and it gave me hope. I was gonna drop it altogether until I saw the bonus episode (Epitaph 1). I saw where the show was finally going and it was interesting. The second season was fast paced, really amping up to this distopian future previewed to us. They came up with clever episodes (the ones with the serial killer, Sierra’s backstory, and the Attic are the top of that list), and aside form an ending that tried to wrap up way too much in a single stroke (due to the cancellation), it was a strong season. It dropped the ball and I was annoyed watching the final 3, but I can’t help but think that there is so much to learn from Dollhouse as a show.
My biggest question about the show in general is did they need the slow first season to set up the second season? I say no. I don’t think you could just jump into season 2 and have it still be impactful, but I think the first season took time establishing the ‘norm’ of the dollhouse, so we could see how balls to the wall crazy it can get later. But when the ride is as boring as the one they gave, I can’t see many people who would watch it unless they were extreme Whedon fans.
As a final paragraph, I wanted to talk about Eliza Dushku, star of the show. It’s not that I think shes a terrible actress, but this girl had to adapt to about 100 different distinct personalities and characters and, honestly, she couldn’t. I never believed it. There’s also another inherent problem with this. Until about 1/3rd of the way through season 2, there is no ‘main character’. Echo is whatever the episode deems that she needs to be. She is a bank slate decided by Topher’s chair, until her personalities combine and make one super alter ego. That’s cool when that happens, but when I have no main character to latch onto, when I just have an all purpose doll that can be an art thief and then a negotiator for a kidnapping the next episode, who am I rooting for. Who is Echo/Caroline? Without any anchor to weigh me to this show, there’s not really much keeping me there.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
I’m not really sure when this show became my favorite but, well, here I am. Watching a show about the worst people in the world. I’m not really sure what to say about this show. It’s just so funny. I think it applies to the idea of a show without morals. Characters without boundries. About giving in to our selfish desires and trying to do what we always wanted, only to see these idiots have it backfire on them. The show always starts with one group having the best intentions and the other trying to get the advantage of a situation because they think they’re smarter. By the end, you’re not sure who was the bigger disgrace to humanity, but it was a bitch boat of fun watching them. The idea of these characters getting addicted to crack because they want welfare money is just a hysterical concept in itself.
I’d write a longer review but, honestly, I don’t have much else to say. It’s a simple pleasure. Not a guilt pleasure, just a decadent one.
Animated Films:
I wanted to do a quick list of what I thought of all the animated films I saw last year. Ice Age 3 is not on this list for completely biased reasons. Also, never saw Madagascar or Monsters Vs. Aiens.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Amazing. I’ve shown this to a number of friends and think it’s a wonderful story with a ton of heart. It reminded me of a kids book a mother reads to her child before bed, but the story was tuned to adults. So it effectively brings you back to that feeling of story telling and the visuals that accompany it. The mood and feel is what captivates you. The look that makes you wonder if they even know what perspective is. And a voice cast and soundtrack that is just mesmerizing to listen to. Highest recommendations.
Up: I really really liked this film and think it was great. But…I feel that’s all I have to say. I think this was a great film, but I had no urge to rewatch it when I got a copy from Disney (we get free screeners from other studios). I just know it as a good film. That’s where it ends. To me, it was just well done, but nothing really made me want to go back. I know a lot of people feel differently but…yeah.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this movie. It’s really silly and can’t hold a candle to a lot of the other films on this list, but it was extremely pretty and the humor was, well, it was really funny. I really enjoyed watching it. It reminded me of myself, going ADD and just being like “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if…”. I can only think of one other movie that did that, and that’s ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’. And if I’m comparing a film to the Emperor’s New Groove, you know it’s gotta be fun.
9: Even though this is under the animation banner, I want to make it clear I do not mean the musical, but the animated film about socks saving the world. With that said, I hated this movie. I really loved the short and was curious about it when the movie was being made. But the plot and look and feel was very much like a video game, only…ugly. The film was very silent and atmospheric, which can work in a game or even in many movies, if the visuals are unique or harrowing. But I’ve seen stuff like this before, and I’ve seen it better in a video game AND it was longer AND it was interactive. So if this is a poor man’s video game, why not just play a video game. Really, this movie was slow and not worth the effort put into it.
Coraline: Loved it. Aside from the Fantastic Mr. Fox, the best film on this list. Haunting visuals (take a lesson, 9), great character development, a wonderfully fun atmosphere, absolutely brilliant soundtrack (I was so happy when I got that along with the screener), and the film just oozed with style. It had its own unique look, like Fantastic Fox. While Pixar films look great, they don’t have a really ‘unique’ look (though it is an identifiable look). Fox, Coraline, and even Meatballs all had a unique look that made them their own world, reminding me of the joy of 2D animated films. I’m getting on a tangent, but I really don’t have anything else to say except if you haven’t seen this film, go see it!
Princess and the Frog: I liked this film. A lot, actually. I’ll be honest; I probably liked this film more because I hadn’t seen a 2D Disney film in ages and it made me feel good to see one again. There was a lot of great in this film, between the animation, some of the side characters, and it was mazing to see a new Disney Villain. I forgot how wonderful the Disney villains are, and I’d include Shadow Man among one of their better ones. He had the best song, the best animation, and he had such character. They also leave little hints of his backstory and his depth and it just made him very memorable. My only 2 problems are that the songs (aside from Friends on the Other Side) and Tiana were completely unmemorable. Really, every other character in that film had such personality but she was dull as a brick. She was unable to hold this film up. Luckily, she had a great supporting cst doing the work for her.
Girl Who Lept through Time: I’m aware this is older, but I saw it in Japan with Katie. I really really REALY liked this film, and would even use the word ‘love’ if it weren’t for the last 10 minutes. I won’t spoil it here, but the film had such character and heart, and like most animes I feel like they just dropped the ball on the ending. I can’t say much more, but I loved these characters and the way events played out and how I held my breath in anticipation and nearly screamed whenever one of the main characters were in danger. I CARED. I really cared about these people. So why does the ending make me want to kill everything forever!?
Sword of the Stranger: I saw this a while back. It’s pretty and whatnot, but the film starts off with badass fighting and ends with it. The middle is all about the relationship between the boy and the stranger And while it’s good, it’s not GREAT. While I love action, I also enjoy good character progression and scenes that explore the deeper layers of characters. I feel like that’s what the middle was trying to do, but it just wasn’t all that great, especially when the action scenes had so much heart and beauty to them. They held meaning. The final fight scnee is marvelous and really says something about the characters fighting. But the scenes when there’s no fighting…there’s nothing. So it’s just waiting to get from point A to B to C.
My Girlfriend:
A+. She’s awesome.
Alright, that's it. I think I have to go to work at some point today so...I'm gonna do that.
I'm OUT!