Monday, March 27, 2006
Enjoyable Bidness: Four Things I Liked
In the world of cinema, there exists a film called V For Vendetta, which is quite well-versed at exceeding expectations. Based on the highly regarded comic book that I read four issues of at work last week, Vendetta totally sounded like something I'd fuckin' detest as fervently as possible. Why, you say? Well 'cuz every other adaptation of an Alan Moore (not my wife, the other one) comic has sucked awesomely, and 'cuz them Wachowski Bros are supreme shit-merchants of this careless digital age. Also early script snippets I read on-line were miserable, too. But so the finished product ain't too bad, really, and is actually fairly good. It looks amazing, the acting is generally fine, and the central theme of the comic wasn't fucked with too egregiously. The big bang at the end was maybe a bit too self-indulgently action film-esque, and added little to the resolution other than that visceral fist-pumping, they-blowed-it-up-quite-good moment that was no doubt mandated and stipulated by producer Joel "not-Ron" Silver. And the case can be made that, if the culture being saved and preserved is typified by Cat Power and Antony and the Johnsons, then perhaps fascist totalitarian dictatorships ain't so bad afterall. Still, an enjoyable romp with just a little bit more behind it than most action flicks, but still suitably idiotic and addle-brained enough to entertain intellectually inert dumbasses like me.
Moving on to the tv. Not a hi-def tv, unfortunately, but tv nonetheless. Last night's Gervais-written ep. of the Simpsons was sterling. Not a classic, or anything, but definitely a highlight of the last eight or so seasons. Granted the funniest bits were Gervais basically being himself and/or David Brent, but there was enough good stuff happening outside of (and in addition to) the Gervaisity that this episode was easily approaching a level approaching greatness. A fine half-hour well-spent.
Musically, I gotta strongly recommend the new album from Parts and Labor, entitled Stay Afraid. It comes out on Brah/Jagjaguwar sometime in the next coupla weeks. These dudes have been thrilling me constantly for a couple years now, and with Stay Afraid said thrills might just be fuckin' lethal. If you think Trans Am would be better served by rockin' out full-force 100% of the time, you might dig Parts and Labor. The kid at the station what reviewed the album compared 'em to Husker Du, which really ain't right at all, exceptin' the similarity in energy levels and general rambunctiousness. I don't get any pissed feeilng from P&L, though, whereas that was like 90% of the Husker Doeuvre.
Finally, in regard to comic books, that most noble and agreeable of human communication, let us discuss the sheer beauteousness of Frank Espinosa's Rocketo. The story ain't so hot, really, and it often reads like an awkward translation from a foreign language (it most assuredly ain't), but the art's just so god-damned beatiful that I can't muster the nerve to knock it. The whole island-hopping, a-venturin'-we-go milieu is fine and intriguing, but the dialogue is almost always kinda weird and stilted, and the typos fly as often as Spiro Turnstiles' fists. Still, the rich, startlingly kinetic drawings more than split the difference. Borrow some dude's copy and take a quick gander, it's well worth it.
In the world of cinema, there exists a film called V For Vendetta, which is quite well-versed at exceeding expectations. Based on the highly regarded comic book that I read four issues of at work last week, Vendetta totally sounded like something I'd fuckin' detest as fervently as possible. Why, you say? Well 'cuz every other adaptation of an Alan Moore (not my wife, the other one) comic has sucked awesomely, and 'cuz them Wachowski Bros are supreme shit-merchants of this careless digital age. Also early script snippets I read on-line were miserable, too. But so the finished product ain't too bad, really, and is actually fairly good. It looks amazing, the acting is generally fine, and the central theme of the comic wasn't fucked with too egregiously. The big bang at the end was maybe a bit too self-indulgently action film-esque, and added little to the resolution other than that visceral fist-pumping, they-blowed-it-up-quite-good moment that was no doubt mandated and stipulated by producer Joel "not-Ron" Silver. And the case can be made that, if the culture being saved and preserved is typified by Cat Power and Antony and the Johnsons, then perhaps fascist totalitarian dictatorships ain't so bad afterall. Still, an enjoyable romp with just a little bit more behind it than most action flicks, but still suitably idiotic and addle-brained enough to entertain intellectually inert dumbasses like me.
Moving on to the tv. Not a hi-def tv, unfortunately, but tv nonetheless. Last night's Gervais-written ep. of the Simpsons was sterling. Not a classic, or anything, but definitely a highlight of the last eight or so seasons. Granted the funniest bits were Gervais basically being himself and/or David Brent, but there was enough good stuff happening outside of (and in addition to) the Gervaisity that this episode was easily approaching a level approaching greatness. A fine half-hour well-spent.
Musically, I gotta strongly recommend the new album from Parts and Labor, entitled Stay Afraid. It comes out on Brah/Jagjaguwar sometime in the next coupla weeks. These dudes have been thrilling me constantly for a couple years now, and with Stay Afraid said thrills might just be fuckin' lethal. If you think Trans Am would be better served by rockin' out full-force 100% of the time, you might dig Parts and Labor. The kid at the station what reviewed the album compared 'em to Husker Du, which really ain't right at all, exceptin' the similarity in energy levels and general rambunctiousness. I don't get any pissed feeilng from P&L, though, whereas that was like 90% of the Husker Doeuvre.
Finally, in regard to comic books, that most noble and agreeable of human communication, let us discuss the sheer beauteousness of Frank Espinosa's Rocketo. The story ain't so hot, really, and it often reads like an awkward translation from a foreign language (it most assuredly ain't), but the art's just so god-damned beatiful that I can't muster the nerve to knock it. The whole island-hopping, a-venturin'-we-go milieu is fine and intriguing, but the dialogue is almost always kinda weird and stilted, and the typos fly as often as Spiro Turnstiles' fists. Still, the rich, startlingly kinetic drawings more than split the difference. Borrow some dude's copy and take a quick gander, it's well worth it.
