Bird & Bone (EP) - The Artisan Guns

Having made a very bad first impression with Artisan Guns front-man Matthew Hope I knew that I owed it to them to pick up their EP Bird & Bone when it came out. The truth is that having seen them play a couple of times and having thought that they were pretty good really, I probably would have bought it anyway. (But that hardly makes for an interesting introduction does it?!)

So who are the Artisan Guns? They're a young and upcoming four-piece band who have sprung up out of East Auckland. They're country-alt-rock and the EP presents five very catchy songs, with tight harmonies that range from laid-back to more up-tempo rock numbers.

My personal favourite off the disc (and the current single) is Autumn for it's great sweeping vocals that show off Hope's gravely and aggressive instrument, while Tuesday Night is a great way to start the disc. Ballad of Red Man farewells us with one of their country influenced tracks.

I'm not a big fan of buying New Zealand music because it's New Zealand music, but this is a good first offering from the band and these guys could really go places. I really would recommend giving it a listen.

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3 1/2 Stars

Michael Jackson's This Is It

Fuck!

I'm sorry to start with an expletive, but that's the word that I kept thinking to myself as I watched This Is It. I cursed Michael Jackson's premature death and the loss to entertainment. I cursed my unappreciative self for ever forgetting how amazing MJ was. Most of all though I cursed anyone who has bagged the film for being "fake".

And what a ridiculous criticism that is. The argument is that from 100 hours of footage, the 1 hour 51 minutes that made the cut has been chosen to paint Michael in a good light and has ignored that errors, the tears and the other negative aspects of the four month rehearsal period. Well no freaking kidding! Name me one film or even album where the worst cuts get picked and released to the public as finished product. Morons!

To me, This Is It just brought home what an amazing, amazing performer Michael Jackson was. Here's a man of 50 who can still dance better than I will ever be able to and has maintained his voice to a standard that no one will ever replicate. He still had it. Anyone who would have seen one of his 50 shows on the This Is It tour were in for a treat. A concert of epic proportions was in store.

We're painted a picture of a Michael Jackson who's a perfectionist. He's demanding and he knows what he wants. I certainly wouldn't want to mess up while performing for him. He's also forever apologising for his own mistakes, warning people in advance that he's saving his voice, or hasn't warmed up. Truth be told, for most of this film he's giving it 50%, just working on getting the musicians, the dancers, the lighting techs and everyone else involved in the production, up to his standards. He knew he'd get it right (after 40 years performing some of the numbers, no surprises there!) but even at half-strength he's the only one who matters. Such charisma.

Half documentary, half concert and fleshed out with some of the animations and clips to be used at the live concerts. While capturing the essence of a behind-the-scenes making of a music concert, it's all about Michael and his music. I was blown away and left with an overwhelming sense of loss for us all. What a star he was.

Why didn't I buy a ticket for one of his 50 shows? I guess you just don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. See this movie. It's entertainment at it's best.

Surrogates

I went looking for a mindless popcorn flick. I certainly found that.

A cross between the Stepford Wives and Minority Report, Surrogates presents a world where humans sit at home during the day and use robot surrogates (yep... there it is!) to go about their daily lives. It seems that everything is working fine, until two surrogates are killed, their "operators" suffering the same fate in their homes.

When faced with the first murders in who knows how long, what are you going to do? Well if you're the Chief of Police and you have Bruce Willis on your force... you're going to send him to investigate aren't you?! He really does have a proven track record for by-the-book, run-of-the-mill, professional investigations. And he gets results!

What follows is a conspiracy theory which never really ramps up into something worth considering. Similarly themed, Enemy of the State had twists, turns and political intrigue as well as posing some questions about technology and what we really know about it's usage. Surrogates on the other hand provides one red herring and a handful of plot flaws poorly cobbled together, and seems to be a soap-box for someones mild paranoia about societies "disconnect" from reality.

I can only imagine this petrified leftie to be the one or all of the writers who must, I'm sure, spend a lot of time looking over their shoulders while they use a large electro-magnet to clear their computer of any historic data.

One day I too hope to be a cranky old man who complains about the youth of today and frets for the fate of mankind. I'll probably do it differently though; I'll pull on my beige corduroy pants and yell "take out those headphones you damned junkies." And "stop twitterfacing," while puncturing the footballs of neighbourhood children with the sword I'll hide in my cane. It just seems simpler than going to all the effort to make a film out of it. I may also wear a tinfoil hat.

It's not that Surrogates is the worst film ever made, it's just not as entertaining as you'd like it to be. A disappointing way to spend 88 minutes and $15.50. (you know... plus $25 on popcorn and candy!)


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2 Stars

Draw the Line - David Gray

Poor old David Gray. He struggled and struggled to make a name for himself before hitting it big with White Ladder. The story goes that it was his final effort before throwing in the towel and quitting professional music. He recorded it in his London apartment, an apartment that was to get substantially bigger when the album shot to number one and spawned eight singles. Not a bad effort for an album with only ten tracks.

Personally I prefer to listen to his collection of singles and EPs from 1992-1994. There's a touch more of that Irish singer-songwriter, classic folk musician feel to it with fun lyrics, catchy melodies and a bit of grit to it. (for the record - yes I do realise he's English)

I found it for $10 at a small CD store and thought I might take a chance on an artist I'd heard little from. To this day it's one of the best buys (impulse or otherwise) that I've ever made.

White Ladder was Gray's fourth studio album and with Draw the Line we're now at number eight. I'm a little sad to say that not much has changed. Gray's voice still shifts from impassioned yells to a surging moan track by track and songs, mainly ballads, are alternately driven by guitar or piano. It is exactly the kind of album I should like.

Draw the Line is an innocuous album and there's the rub. While melodies are catchy, they're instantly forgettable. Lyrics don't penetrate the consciousness. The album feels a little like he's getting a little tired of the whole game and is clumsily trying to replicate the 1998 success of White Ladder.

Perfectly pleasant as background music, Draw the Line won't stand out as a memorable album. I might play it again. Perhaps while I'm reading and want to listen to something without the risk of distraction or temptation to sing along.

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2 Stars

LOOT

I was invited along to the opening night of Loot at the Silo Theatre by my friend from Coup de Main. She was late and I was surprised to learn that if you arrive after the show has started, you can still catch the performance from 'The Crying Room' - a handful of seats in a small room separated from the main theatre by a pane of glass.

Eager to avoid this lachrymose relegation, I decided to employ my not-insignificant powers of flirtation to woo an employee at the theatre and have the start of the play delayed. I downed my beer, checked my smile in the glass of the main door and set my eyebrows at a cheeky slant before sauntering over to the helpless usher. Having been told to take my seat immediately I was delighted to see my friends being shown in after the curtain went up after all - eyebrows 1, house-rules nil!

The first thing that caught my eye was the set. Meticulously designed in black and white, it makes excellent use of the unusual shape of the Silo; the stage being a square in the corner of the theatre with two sides exposed to seating. It was functional and simple, yet also lead to the unusual staging decision of having a chair at the join of the two audience-facing sides of the stage. This meant that characters sitting in it effectively had their backs to the audience while carrying on a dialogue with the other players. The theatre is intimate enough for this not to be a problem, but it's an interesting choice nonetheless.

The black and white theme was continued in the costuming where it was evident great care had been taken to ensure only the two tones and shades of grey were used. Just two exceptions were made; a flash of bright red lipstick and a flash of bright red bra strap. Coincidences? I think not.

A good farce is a wonderful thing, which may, as an aside, explain some of my relationship choices. This one is a deliciously dark dig at the Roman Catholic Church, the police force and death along with the way people deal with it. A son refuses to go to his mothers funeral because he fears it would upset him. A policeman poses as an employee of the water board because while a policeman would need a warrant to search a house, the water board does not. And a nurse, prevented by her religious beliefs from euthanising her terminal patient decides to murder her instead as this would not conflict with her faith.

Well directed by Michael Hurst and with superb performances by Mia Blake and Cameron Rhodes along with the rest of the cast, this is a thoroughly good night at the theatre. Loot may be monochromatic in it's setting, but it is anything but colourless.

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4 Stars

Final Destination 4

I always like a movie with a nice ironic title. You know... when Failure to Launch didn't take off. When I Love You Man left me completely unwilling to like either lead actor. When Great Expectations was a little... meh. Final Destination 4 - Well how could this go wrong?!

I was well aware going into this that I wasn't in for finely honed thespian talents, razor-sharp scripting or Edith Head's following costuming, however I was still left cold.

The point of these types of films is, of course, that perfectly every day things - like trips to the speedway or a day at the country club (both of which I do on a regular basis) - are suddenly transformed into potentially life threatening situations. Death's bony finger could beckon at any time and when that scythe falls there ain't nothing you can do to stop it.

For you see in these films it is death and not love that ultimately wins in the end. A true, if somewhat bleak outlook on life. One supposes that when the former calls, the most you can hope for is to have experienced plenty of the later earlier on in the game.

To be fair, the 3D made the film bearable, if not enjoyable, and there was plenty of cheesy gore to have a giggle at.

In the film a message, seemingly from death itself, gives the characters false-hope that "through action they were saved". I'm afraid that when purchasing your ticket at the box-office, it is through inaction that salvation may truly be found.

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1 Star

500 Days of Summer

It has taken me forever to go and see 500 Days of Summer. It shouldn't have because I knew I'd enjoy it. What I didn't anticipate was how much I'd enjoy it!

It's the romantic comedy which isn't a romantic comedy. And much like our titular female lead, the film is quite upfront about the fact that it isn't looking for something serious.

Tom (the always amazing Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a lover not a fighter who believes that he's met "the one" when Summer (Zoeey Deschanel) breezes into his office and his life. They share the same taste in music, they laugh at the same jokes and they spark without shag-carpet generated static electricity. The only hitch is that she doesn't believe in love. This is the story of boy meets girl, but it's not a love story.

The greatest strength of this film is the characters (and actors) who are both immediately likeable while also quirky. Both somehow out of place in the world, they seem the ideal match for one another and heads never fail to turn when they are together, life spilling out of them. Both actors, but particularly Gordon-Levitt, turn in perfect and charming performances.

Surprisingly for a romantic comedy, the direction and cinematography also rate a mention in 500 Days. Beautifully shot, with some interesting angles and some nifty animations throughout.

The script is fine, but again what really makes it crackle is the chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel. The fact that it didn't follow the usual conventional, well-worn path is also a HUGE plus in my mind.

The soundtrack! Oh the soundtrack! How could it be so far into this that I mention the amazing soundtrack?! This is definitely one of those films for which the soundtrack was considered during production and not just an after though. I shall be acquiring this soundtrack!

So to wrap it all up and stop waffling, this is one of my favourite films of the year. It's unique, it's funny and it's brimming over with heart. Ultimately it's not a love story, but it's not a film without hope.

Check out one of my favourite scenes from the film here.

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5 Stars

Fighting

I don't want to waste too many words on this one. I was forced into watching it because of friend's scheduling issues. Only the length of relationship has saved said friend from the chopping block. No one should be forced to endure this film.

So let's focus on the positive shall we? They cast Channing Tatum in the pivotal role of "boy who fights". He takes his shirt off. End of list.

Story? Nil!

Soundtrack? Crap!

Terrance Howard? As always - ever so slightly more painful than plucking off one's fingernails with chopsticks.

Reasons to watch? Just the one.

Simply 105 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

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1 Star for Channing's chest.

Far - Regina Spektor

I wanted to much to like this latest offering from Soviet-born American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. Apparently an "anti-folk" artist (I love that term - it conjures up in my mind, hoards of protesters all carrying signs with Bob Dylan's face crossed out in bold red) Spektor first came to public attention when her song Fidelity featured on a couple of TV ads. You remember - do-do dee-do-do dee-do-do-dee do-dee-dee-do. No? This help?

Ok well that was from her excellent album Begin to Hope. I really enjoyed that album and wanted to like this one. I did... but I didn't love it.

Spektor maintains a lot of her quirkiness and originality - two traits to be much admired. This is particularly notable on the tracks Folding Chair, One More Time With Feeling and Two Birds. For me, these are two stand-out tracks on the album, showcasing the singers gift for unusual lyrics, up-beat catchy melodies and piano driven ballads showcasing her unique voice.

Laughing With is a beautiful and thought-provoking track about the scepticism and beliefs in tough time. This one made me stop everything and listen. Easily the track I'll remember most.

Other tracks such as Human of the Year and Machine seem a little too over-thought and over-produced. They come across as preachy and tacky.

Not an unpleasant listen by any means, the album is still far from her best.

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2 Stars

Wicked - The Musical

Work took me to Sydney last week. I wish, oh I wish I could tell you about the work related things I'd seen and done, but as that's not an option I'll have to content myself with telling you about the other truly wondrous thing I saw over there... hot Australian surfers - scratch that, Wicked - the musical!

When all the hype first hit about this show I jumped straight onto iTunes and bought the soundtrack. I wasn't impressed. However... now having seen the show all of the music has come alive!

The plot is far too convoluted to try and explain here, it would be pointless anyway as I'd just be reproducing the content of this Wikipedia article. Suffice to say the show is very well written working itself seamlessly into the story already known well thanks to The Wizard of Oz. Full of puns and laughs and great characters. Plot and dialogue - full marks.

The music, as I said, had disappointed me when I first heard it. Now I can't get it out of my head! Highlight for my in terms of music and overall staging is the Act 1 finale "Defying Gravity". It's over the top, catchy, rich music that was made to entertain.

The cast were superb, the sets insanely elaborate and detailed, as were the costumes.

To summarise and save on my word limit - everything about this show is delicious, camp, fun and entertaining from first note to last. It is the best of musical theatre in one show.

If you get the chance to see this in Sydney DO. (and feel free to invite me along too)

For those who can't make it to the theatre then I suggest you grab a copy of the album. You might not appreciate it at first, but you will one day!

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5 Stars