I also found it disappointing — not as a near-billion-dollar grosser, but as a movie purported to be both action and science fiction. It’s too inert for the former and not imaginative enough for the latter. The title references a brutal annual competition staged by the government of a dystopian future, of which this film’s […]
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Kill List
The less you know beforehand, the better, but know that Jay (Neil Maskell, Atonement, Doghouse) is stricken by immense stress. Struggling under the grips of the recession has placed his marriage to Shel (MyAnna Buring, The Descent, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1) on shaky ground, and their verbal disagreements dampen the spirits […]
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Cool Breeze
To get this right out of the way: Shaft, it is not. Heck, it’s not even Shaft in Africa. But it’s good enough for a temporary kick, like a mild beer buzz. Per its trailer, “Cool Breeze is cold business.” To continue the Shaft math, Thalmus Rasulala (whose other blaxploitation forays included roles in — […]
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The Walkmen — Heaven
Aesthetically, Heaven follows in the steps of 2010’s Lisbon, although a reflective tone throughout recalls the act’s early days. While “The Love You Love” and “Nightingales” sound like echoes of “The Rat,” both level out after (relatively) wild openings, growing softer where “The Rat” grew louder. The single “Heaven” is a song to behold, reflecting […]
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Tele Mori — Sounds from a Broken Music Box
Henry McMinn, one-half of that twosome, is now back as Tele Mori, and backed by a full band. Not only does that added help grant depth and a richer sound to his programmed melodies, but the resulting disc, Sounds from a Broken Music Box, is more accomplished. Whereas a good chunk of Funktion’s tracks sported […]
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Colin Nance — Warmth
The aptly named “Dream Cove” launches the effort with an expertly arranged froth of synthetic washes, cavernous percussion and his wistful, measured vocals. The following “Awakening” is more playful, bouncing with Casio beeps and a more vivacious melody that soars at the chorus; had this song come out 30 years sooner, I’m certain it would […]
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Affair of the hard
Photo: Chris Hultner The usual suspects of street punk brought the guys behind Violent Affair together: The Unseen, Broken Bones, Krum Bums and so on. But when it came time to record the Oklahoma City band’s latest material — the recently released, two-song EP, A Call to Arms — the five-piece sought inspiration through Nintendo. […]
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The Strangers — The Strangers
Shawn C’s smooth, dreamy production provides a nice contrast to Tefic’s sharp-as-nails delivery. It’s a match made in heaven, and they certainly seem more comfortable together than the duo’s name might imply. Again, Tefic proves he can put his own spin on any of his favorite artists’ music to make it his own, and Shawn […]
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Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live
Secret World finds the Genesis founder fully entrenched in his world-music phase — still ongoing today — but still playing his solo hits, such as the never-not-excellent “Solsbury Hill” and the John Cusack’s boom box-co-opted “In Your Eyes,” which becomes an epic encore. All are sung with passion, with backup (and occasional duet duties, i.e. […]
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The Raid: Redemption
About to hit — and I do mean hit — Blu-ray and DVD after a limited but lauded theatrical release in April, the film carries the barest of plots. For 10 years, a much-feared mobster in a 15th-floor compound has ruled over a decrepit apartment building housing not only his narcotic enterprise, but also the dregs […]