The good news is that Rize of the Fenix arrived today. And it included this poster:
Thanks, Insound. (Also for getting the amazing Beach House album to arrive on Monday. Wow.)
But sadly the mp3 downloading is a mess on The D’s site… anyway, you should know, album-wise, it is good overall but they saved the best song for last. 39, man. 39.
Itching for a new Coen Brothers film? Yeah, me too. Details about the NYC folk scene film they have coming up have been scarce but exciting. So, in the meantime, might I suggest taking a look at “To The White Sea”, an unproduced script of theirs from 1998. It’s an adaptation of a highly praised James Dickey novel wherein a downed WWII pilot ends up turning into a violent predator. It’s something the Bros may have gotten out of their system with No Country For Old Men - so I’d say it’s a safe bet this humdinger will never hit the screen.
My first trip to a Dave & Buster’s had me reminiscing… Take it away Harry Dean Stanton & Jim Jarmusch.
Diabolical.
Dir. Gareth Evans
The best martial arts film in years is not only eye-opening in its dynamic stunt sequences but also in how it manages to successfully recycle ages of the most simplistic dramatic framework. Since there is an American remake of The Raid already in the works, perhaps they’ll gussy it up and cram in layers of needless sub-plots, back stories and double crosses. In what is essentially a police corruption story, there’s opportunity for more plot but it’ll likely be a shame. Fingers crossed, but even if you set-up complex red herrings that end up paying off in spades - it’s really only getting in the way of the sublimely ridiculous violence on display. As it is in the original flavor, Indonesian The Raid (retitled The Raid: Redemption for obscure U.S. distribution purposes but hopefully playing at a theater near you) it’s a dull framework that is nonetheless more than sturdy enough to hang an hour and a half of head spinning camera and body movement. Taking place entirely during a police raid on a powerful drug lord’s apartment complex, Gareth Evan’s camera floats through the walls and ceilings as Iko Uwais’ noble policeman’s fists, elbows, knees, knives and bullets deftly hit their targets. It combines the best of John Woo and Jackie Chan - something that seems like simple enough an equation but the only martial arts film since their heyday that has come close to capturing the exhilaration of The Raid is the Thai one-two punch of Ong-Bak and Chocolate. Of those two I greatly prefer Chocolate - so much so that I’m hesitant at this point to declare The Raid superior. It wouldn’t be fair since I’m still under the spell. But it’s not out of the question.
Wild Flag, Boston, MA 3/31/12 Paradise
In honor of Fiona Apple’s fantastic performance at the Royale tonight - the (should be) classic Not About Love video.
