July 2010

Okay, I'll admit it: it was a subpar 2005 film called Shopgirl that first hipped my to Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon. I'd heard a few songs and maybe one full album from Kozelek's first band, Red House Painters, but never made a purchase. When SKM's "Carry Me Ohio" played in Shopgirl, I melted. I melted to a cheesy love scene between a 60-year-old Steve Martin and Angela Chase from "My So-Called Life." True story; the music was that moving. Kozelek (who also appears as the Stillwater bassist in Almost Famous) plays a handsome musician in Shopgirl, performing his song "Lily and Parrots" in the film. I was sold on the guy that night ... then went out drinking and forgot about Sun Kil Moon until their debut, Ghosts of the Great Highway, was reissued in early 2007. A classic record that melts me to this day.

So, Shopgirl in mind, I’d like to attempt to use one word to define Sun Kil Moon: melt. And soul. And maybe independent, too. And by independent, I mean that Kozelek does what Kozelek wants - these days, at least. In the past few years, since Ghosts has become a steadily selling classic and the Red House back catalog has found new ears, Kozelek has found ways to become as independent as any major indie artist on the market. He records and releases his records on his own, whenever he wants, however frequently he wants. He has no one telling him to be more accessible or to re-record songs or go on endless tours.

Tops at the Box: Inception, for the second straight week, was the No. 1 film at the box office last weekend, bringing in another $43.5 million, upping its 10-day US total to $143 million (that’s $228 million worldwide). Success! Director Christopher Nolan’s seventh film has pretty much already made back its production budget and, by this time next week, will have likely made back its promotional budget, too. Pretty cool when the good guys (i.e. directors who work on creative, well-made films) make some money and score some solid press. Thus far people seem to like the movie quite a bit - even if only because they like arguing about the specifics and theories on IMDB. There are complaints, but none that I get. Is this really the kind of work that’s worth knocking? Seriously? If so, please e-mail me at the below address explaining why. 

More from the Box: Director Phillip Noyce’s return to big dollar cinema, Salt, took the No. 2 spot last weekend, bringing in a solid $36.5 million over its first three days. Not bad. Noyce, who first became known for five consecutive commercially successful films, Patriot Games, Sliver, Clear and Present Danger, The Saint and The Bone Collector, is a solid-as-hell filmmaker, for sure. After that hugely successful stretch he released two very good indie films, The Quiet American and Rabbit-Proof Fence, and now we have Salt, starring Angelina Jolie, Live Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor. We hear it’s surprisingly great. Coming in at No. 3 last weekend was Despicable Me, upping its three week total to over $160 million; at No. 4 with just under $10 million was Nic Cage vehicle The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which is underperforming in a major way thanks to the success of Inception; and rounding out the Top 5 last weekend was the great Toy Story 3, upping its so far total to a whopping $380 million.

Opening this Weekend: Three major releases look to take some of that Nolan green this weekend, starting with Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore. Looks sooooo awful. Also out are Charlie St. Cloud (cheesy tearjerker starring Zac Efron) and Dinner for Schmucks. Starring Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and a huge  ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Inside Man features an incredible cast, a great - but not perfect - crime thriller script, amazing cinematography and a World Class director named Spike Lee. On paper it’s a great film. If you see clips of some of the should-be classic scenes, you’d think this was one for the ages. It’s not. There are just too many problems. Problems, sadly, that could’ve easily been avoided. 

That said, Inside Man is a pretty good film. Not the classic it should’ve been, but a solid film that appeals to both the cinephile set and the everyday popcorn movie goer. Lee, who didn’t write the script and only casually adds his signature fingerprints, here comes off as a real moviemaker, Inside Man maybe being the movie we’ll look back on as proof of his ability. Where fellow auteur types of his generation such as Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino seem unable to make anything other than signature films, Lee has done much for his legacy by proving that he can skillfully - and successfully - make someone else’s movie.

And damn if Inside Man - which stars heavyweights Denzel Washington and Clive Owen (as well as a great supporting cast and the unnecessary presence of Jodie Foster) - isn’t the by-far most commercially successful film of Lee’s career, bringing in almost $200 million at theaters worldwide. To put that into perspective, Lee’s films average $20 million. The concept of an auteur stepping away from his usual style to make a Hollywood picture, and then that film making 10 times more than the average of his other films, would be a great topic for a paper. Hell, it’d be a great idea for a topics course at a film school ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Our newest feature, Trailer Review, is exactly what it says it is - a collection of reactions to recently released film trailers. Some reviews will go deeper than others; most will simply make you, the reader, aware of the film by offering some details and our grade. Here is our first of many entries ...

Howl (September 24) - Described as a genre-bending biopic consisting of three interwoven aspects, Howl focuses on the three common highlights of poet Allen Ginsberg's life: 1) his early life in New York City; 2) the release and reaction to his classic "Howl and Other Poems"; and 3) the obscenity trial that resulted in the publication of the then-radical "Howl." Starring James Franco in what looks to be his official turn to the big time (speaking artistically here, not commercially), Howl drips with style, mixing different cinematography and production styles with animation. Features an amazing supporting cast that includes David Strathaim, Jon Hamm, Bob Balaban, Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels. Yep, were very stoked about this amazing trailer.  A+

The Lucky Ones was a great idea for a film. A road movie about three soldiers on leave, played my Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena. When these three soldiers - who are initially strangers - end up on a plane together (and eventually a rental car due to the grounding of planes) they’re forced to spend time together, limping and driving across the country, battle scars everywhere. 

Directed by Neil Burger, known mostly for 2006’s decent enough The Illusionist, The Lucky Ones feels like the work of a filmmaker who has ended up far out of his league. He seems to make some good decisions here and there (the film is well cast and the concept is strong), but, for a $14 million dollar film with three great leads, The Lucky Ones is a major disappointment. For starters, cinematographer Declan Quinn (In America, Rachel Getting Married, Leaving Las Vegas, Monsoon Wedding, etc.) doesn’t give this film a $14 million dollar look. In fact, after a few scenes I got excited, thinking that this might be a true indie film with a tiny budget. It’s not. And, unless Burger paid his stars big bucks, I can’t figure out where the $14 million went - there’s nothing in this film that should’ve cost much more than a Joe Swanberg or Andrew Bujalski film.

And while that might seem like a petty complaint (seeing as how most movie watchers don’t analyze such things), let me also take this opportunity  ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Tops at the Box: No surprises this time of year. Last week’s No. 1 film, as expected, was Universal Studios’ Despicable Me (the yellow knobby guys with goggles), bringing in a solid $60 million over its first three days. *Eclipse took last weekend’s No. 2 spot with another $33 million, upping its so-far U.S. total to $237 million. Fox Searchlight’s unnecessary new Predator film, Predators, took the No. 3 spot last weekend in its first week, pulling in $25 million over its first three days in the U.S.; meanwhile, Toy Story 3 took the No. 4 spot with another $22 million, upping its so-far U.S. total to over $340 million ($553 million worldwide). Blah, blah, blah. Rounding out the Top 5 was The Last Airbender, bringing in another $17 million, upping its 10-day total to over $100 million. The film, which critics are hating and kids are loving, is on pace to be director M. Night Shyamalan’s by-far best-attended movie since 2002’s Signs. Blah. 

More Notes from the Box: Film business analysts have been comparing this year’s “indie breakout,” Cyrus, to summertime indie breakouts of recent years. (500) Days of Summer and Little Miss Sunshine, mostly. (By the way, since when did “indie” mean guy-with-chords-Chucks-mope-hair-and-geeky-glasses? I thought “indie” signified an aesthetic, not a target market of fancy coffee drinkers.) They’re saying that, while Cyrus is a surprise hit (and also very good, most agree), it’s can’t compare to the success of movies like Summer and Sunshine. Huh? Summer played in over 1,000 theaters at its peak ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

On 2003’s Mount Eerie, Phil Elvrum used dense production and an overload of ideas to create lush soundscapes while, telling a story of his romanticized battle with the night. Elvrum’s imaginative texturing and overall production schtick once again took precedence, leaving his lyrics secondary. On The Microphones’ latest release, a live album full of all new material, Elvrum flips his stance, this time, focusing on lyrics, and, dare I say it, taking a shot at the singer-songwriter genre. 

After spending nearly half a year alone in Norway (rooming in random fans’ houses), Elvrum worked out a batch of new songs and announced one last tour under his ‘The Microphones’ cachet. Written and performed in the spirit of the early 70s, wandering Neil Young, Live In Japan depicts Elvrum as a free spirit, reinventing himself as well as any accomplished artist could wish to do.

Fans of Mount Eerie and The Glow Pt. 2 can rest easy. While Japan is a new approach for Elvrum, it still manages to highlight his nature-adoring charm and uniquely detailed vocals. Most importantly, the new batch of songs feel like a step forward in the progression of The Microphones’ music. Eerie blew Elvrum’s primary influences  ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Supposedly, Jason Molina lived in the studio around the clock while writing and recording Pyramid Electric Co., his first album credited to his birth name. Whether or not that's a good idea is beside the point; Molina's prolific back catalog makes it's hard to question such a proficient songwriter's work ethic. As exorbitant as this all may seem, it does allow a lot to be imagined. All night recording sessions? Spastic snoring rhythm tracks? Guitar bags used in solo pillow fights? Bouncy ball collections used as insulation? 

Well, Molina isn't exactly Lee Perry. His bunker approach, however, is likely to raise it's share of brow. "These are the things legends are made of," or at least, when they work out, they are. Antics aside, you have to wonder just how much inspiration one can conjure while living in an isolated studio?

It's safe to say that Jason Molina typically sounds calm and introspective. On his Ghost Tropic album (recorded under his Songs:Ohia moniker), he seemed to be accompanied solely by only his own (multi-instrumentalist) ghosts. On last year's Magnolia Electric Co., Molina was as lively as ever, to the point of earning Bob Seger comparisons. While that alone may or may not drive someone into isolation, it did  ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

The Naughts were, without a doubt in our mind, the best decade ever for television. The cost of production dropped and thus, the production value went up. Way up. WAY UP. The best shows now looked like the best movies. Great shows from the 90s like Homicide: Life on the Street, The X-Files and My So-Called Life, while undeniable great, no longer seemed like the best shows ever. 

With shows like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Survivor and pretty much all of HBO’s programming, TV also got much more diverse and creative in the Naughts. Stale variety shows like SNL and Mad TV (not to mention late night talk shows) bombed while reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother set new standards for human study on TV. (Likewise, it must be said, shows like American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, TMZ, The Simple Life, America’s Top Model, etc., brought down the artistic standards of mainstream American life.)

While putting together a list of our favorite shows from the last decade, we realized that there’s still quite a bit we need to check out. Deadwood, for one. Damages and maybe even The West Wing as well. All that said, we did see most everything else - or, I should day, we gave almost everything else its proper chance. Here are the shows we liked enough to include on our list, the Top 15 ranking easily as 15 of our all-time favorite television shows. Incredible …

COULDN’T LEAVE THESE FIVE OUT

35. Weeds

34. The Chris Isaak Show

33. Mind of the Married Man ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

THE LISTS GET LONGER (AND BETTER!)

July 10, 2010

We spent the day (and a long day it was) combing over all of our year-end movie lists from 2000-2009. The Naughts. Not only did we rearrange and expand each of the lists, but we added sub-lists, credited directors for every film listed and gave each film a rating out of 10. Took forever.

Click any of the links to see the new lists: 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005; 2006; 2007; 2008; 2009. More list fun coming soon, including updated and expanded lists for the 1990s.

Written by G. William Locke

ARCHIVE UPDATE: REVIEWS FROM 2004

July 9, 2010

Flash back to 2004 and you'd find the Ze Catalist offices (then under daily construction) forever filled with new music. Downloading was still not the norm and people were buying CDs almost as much as ever.

We at the Ze Cat still buy CDs very often, but maybe never so much as we did from 2002-2009. And, looking back at our journals and records, 2004 was a banner year for us. We had stacks of discs everywhere and we attempted to review as many of them as possible. The writing was still a little roughback then, but the passion and excitement (what really counts) was as strong as ever.

And so we've added seven new reviews to the 2004 archive. Check 'em out by clicking the links or browsing the 2004 portion of the site: Jonny Greenwood's Bodysong; Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose; Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama's There Will Be a Light; Phish's Undermind; The Old 97s Drag It Up; Preston School of Industry's Monsoon; and Marah's 20,000 Streets Under the Sky.

Posted by G. William Locke

Tops at the Box: Two films that movie snobs everywhere are surely making fun of at this very moment, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender and Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight series, dominated the U.S. box office this past weekend, edging out the still-hot Toy Story 3 (go see this one if you haven’t yet!). Eclipse, which made a stellar $69 million over the weekend and additional $92 freaking million during its early two-day run, will have, by the time its first week ends, already made over $300 million worldwide. ScreenTime, clearly taking this film-column-gig thing a little too seriously, actually went to the theater and paid to watch Eclipse last Friday. Yep. Truth be told, we actually went to this “sexy” (yet painfully sexless) vampire flick for the following three reasons: 1) someone asked me to go with them; 2) I love dissecting pop culture phenomenons, good or bad, and Eclipse surely registers as such; and 3) the movie was directed by David Slade, who helmed a 2005 thriller, Hard Candy, that I like quite a bit. Was Eclipse as awful as the $709 million New Moon? No way. In fact, I’d with no hesitation call Eclipse a generally good movie when compared to its predecessors. In reality, however, Eclipse is low-brow cinematic garbage. Imagine if the “Saved By the Bell” love triangle (Zach/Kelly/AC) met the Lost Boys, hung out at Hot Topic for six months then all shared a heavy fascination for crocodile tears and New Age schmaltz. Voila, we have Eclipse. 

Letter to the Director: Oh, M. Night Shyamalan, director of Unbreakable, Signs, The Sixth Sense and last weekend’s No. 2 film, what happened to you? You were supposed to be the next Spielberg-type; the guy who knew how to creative Movie Magic. A smart, Hitchcock-obsessed auteur with a level head who isn’t afraid to use your brilliance to craft incredibly watchable popcorn flicks. Instead, you’re Eminem ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

I’ll admit to being confused when I heard the news that The Roots had accepted the gig as Jimmy Fallon’s in-house late night band. I wasn’t bummed, because they’d been stale for years, but did figure that, as recordings artists, The Roots were all but done. The Fallon gig, to me, felt like retirement. I bought their ninth studio album, How I Got Over, recording during their ongoing Fallon gig, because I was about to leave for a long trip and wanted some new music. I checked the 30-second samples online and, surprisingly, of all the records I could find that night (and didn’t already have), it was the best option. 

A few days later, while on my “long trip,” it clicked. I’d been playing the record mostly as background music, which is all I figured it’d ever be for me, when songs started to jump into the foreground. I’d bought, somewhat enjoyed, and eventually sold off nearly every record the Philly-based hip-hop band had ever released, but this one seemed different. How I Got Over, despite its epic list of guest artists, felt very concise - or maybe cohesive is the right word. Clocking in at about 43 minutes over 14 tracks (only 11 of which are proper songs), the record is the band’s by-far tightest work yet. They’ve dropped the need for the forced inventiveness we heard on Phrenology and moved on from the lousy crossover pop efforts of The Tipping Point.

They’re no longer obsessed with paying tribute to J. Dilla or making a “throwback” or concept record. They’re no longer confused or burdened by their own expectations. Basically, it seems that The Roots are finally at the point in their career where they’re done trying to be this or that, and are now comfortable just making a record. The irony  ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Greg, it seems we both plunked down our hard-earned cash for the same Robert Pollard record. Why don’t we make the most of wearing the same dress to the dance, so to speak, and review this sucker together?  

Here's my two cents: The former Guided by Voices main man’s second solo release this year (and sixth 2006 release overall) finds him in stripped-down pop mode, cramming an astounding array of hooks, bubblegum and left turns into 35 minutes full of two-minute songs. If Cheap Trick had a prog-rock jones and A.D.D., they might sound something like this.

One tune immediately caught my ear: “Whispering Whip” begins with a skidding dissonant riff straight off of GBV’s 1997 release Mag Earwhig but soon catches traction and rocks acceptably. Thank God Rick Ocasek never got his hands on this song, which is emblematic of the entire album in its rush of creative joy. –D.M. Jones

Don Mattingly Jones, it's certainly always nice to know that there are still others loyal to Pollard, sans his GBV costume. I'll start by confessing that my Cheap Trick phase lasted about as long as an average cut off of Alien Lanes ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke

Tops at the Box: Admittedly, it’s not often that ScreenTime is all about the No. 1 film in America - or even too many Top 10-type films. That said, having seen Pixar’s third Toy Story film a few days ago, it’s safe to say that we’re 100 percent down with America’s pop opinion this week. While the first two films were surely great (the original maybe even one of the Top 20 moments in the pop history of film), the latest installment - which grossed $59 million last weekend and well over $320 million worldwide over its first 10 days - is already our favorite. Sure, the “story” itself is maybe a bit too ambitious (i.e. overstuffed) and long, but just about everything else is about as good as it could be. There’s no edge or grit here to speak of, just lots of playful, thoughtful, sugary goodness from beginning to end. Cheese. Warm cheese. We love it! 

More From the Box: The latest film classified as an “Adam Sandler film,” ironically titled Grown Ups, brought in over $40 million over its first three days. Here’s where ScreenTime returns to our comfortable corner of American alienation. No thanks, Sandler. Last weekend’s No. 3 film, Knight & Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz (an uber-no thanks if ever there was one!), brought in about $28 million over its first four days. Not bad, but about half what the studio expected. (Note to Fox Searchlight: not smart to open an expensive film - or, really, anything - within three weeks of a Pixar opening.) Coming in at No. 4 last weekend was Sony’s still-hot Karate Kid remake, bringing in another $15 million while the weekend’s No. 5 film, the quickly failing A-Team clunker, brought in a lousy $6 million. ScreenTime recently saw the third Duplass Brothers (The Puffy Chair, Baghead) film ... [Continued]

Written by G. William Locke