July 17, 2007

Countdown To Comic Con

Two Men...
Two Men and a thirty-six hour bus ride...
Two Men, a Thirty-six hour bus ride, and Joss Whedon...
Equal one hell of an epic journey.
A true tale of life, love, and the trials of redemption as two travelers traverse the landscape leading to what they both so desperately seek...acceptance.
Follow them on their quest (figuratively speaking, unless you really want to follow us) as they survive the harsh winter of San Diego on the streets; living as those who are less fortunate must: one day at a time. Hungry, cold, and caring for the small abandoned orphan child they took under their wing, they must find a way to free hat little family they have left from Sergio Montane Guilioma Francesca Coompadret, the evil beast of a man who guards the princess in the second tallest tower of the castle right across the street from the San Diego Convention Centre. Armed with only their wit, cunning, and an A-bomb they stole from the peruvian government in a previous adventure, they must free said princess without using said A-bomb. Can They Succeed? Will they succeed? How can they not with the power of mediocrity and the power of not-good-but-not-evil-somewhere-in-the-gray-area on their side.

I'm Excited.

Are you?

DUN DUN DUUUNNN.


P.S. that should have been read in an epic voice. All of it.

P.P.S But seriously, comic con is only 6 days away. And yes, it will ROCK....YOUR...WORLD!!!!!!!!

Coming this fall to a theatre near you.

July 16, 2007

New Album Review: Hospital Music by Matthew Good

*please note that Hospital Music will not be released until July 31st.

Matthew Good’s career spans over a decade at this point. In that time he has released 7 full albums and 3 EPs and 1 greatest hits collection. A lot of other things have happened to Matt during his career; he holds the record for the best selling independent rock album in Canadian history (1995’s Last of the Ghetto Astronauts), he has won several Junos (not that they mean anything), he has been banned from Winnipeg (and then let back in after a couple years), had a disease in his throat that lead to surgery and he actually had to learn how to talk again, he has quit smoking, he has broken up with his band, been married and eventually divorced, he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, of course has taken up smoking again. However, there is one thing he hasn’t done, and that’s disappoint. Every release has been at least great, and occasionally phenomenal. I am glad to say that that does not change. In the last year, Matthew has been to the hospital a couple times, because during last year’s tour he collapsed with exhaustion, and more recently, due to taking too much medication. During his stays he wrote a lot of the album, which explains the title, Hospital Music. Most of his albums have been extremely complex and rich, however this is not the case here. His lyrics are no longer masked with metaphors but are straight to the point; the music is also more simple. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the most straightforward song is also the most emotionally effective (She’s in it For the Money). Some might say that on old material Matt hid behind his poetic writing but now, for lack of a better term, he is completely naked. He has nothing to hide, to hear this album is to become close to someone you have never met. The experience is at times heartbreaking, but we are better for it. Music naturally makes us feel alive, it unites us, but with such honest lyrics as on Hospital Music we feel in touch with humanity to an even greater extent. To understand another human being through his art, we take their pains with us and relate to it, and sometimes come out as better people then we were at first. The power of music is incredible but not usually used to it’s full potential like it is here. One thing has always amazed me about Matthew Good, the fact that every album he changes his style. You can never predict what his next release will sound like. I am not sure if there is another artist I could say that about, possibly Radiohead, but there aren’t many. On Hospital Music, Matt reinvents himself again, and we are treated to his most personal work to date. Because of it’s simplicity, it lacks the astounding depth of his masterpieces Audio of Being and Avalanche, but it still kicks the asses of most of the popular stuff around today. It may not be Matt’s best or the best album of the year but it makes for another worthy part of a truly remarkable career, as well as a worthy part of any music collection.

July 03, 2007

Ratatouille

I went into Ratatouille with high expectations, having read many positive reviews. After the opening 10 minutes I was unsure with how I felt. It wasn't very funny at this point, and nothing seemed very special about it. Even after the movie picks up I was still uncertain. It wasn't until Remy (the main character) looks outside the window of an apartment to reveal a beautiful view of Paris that my heart was captured. The view of the city may be the most grand achievement in animated film history. As someone who prefers classic drawn and painted animation to today's CGI, this is a big statement. Easily the best looking animated film made with CGI to date. Ratatouille is visually stunning, pleasing and breathtaking. Director Brad Bird is the best American out there making animated movies right now, his previous two are The Iron Giant and The Incredibles. One of which is one of the best ever made while the other is possibly the funniest. Bird may be the only American willing to tackle animated films with new ideas while completely avoiding proven formulas. This film has more authentic heart than the last 10 animated releases put together, maybe more. The voice acting is flawless, the story is excellent and the writing is superb. With many metaphors abound, older viewers will surprisingly enjoy a rich movie-going experience, more so than many adult films already out this year. I think it's obvious by my review that I was blown away, and for good reason. Ratatouille is on pace to be the best this year easily while also being the superior American made animation of the 21st century so far. In fact, this movie should start showing up on lists of the best of all time. Incredibly unique and awe inspiringly beautiful, Ratatouille is simply one of the best. Many people and critics say animation is in another golden age but I strongly disagree. Animated films are in a big rut, with each release just entertaining and funny enough to get by with good reviews, meanwhile no real advancements or improvements are made in storytelling. So lets hope Disney, Pixar and every animated filmmaker take notice of Ratatouille because if it starts a trend, it will be ushering in another golden age of animation. Actually, if animation does maintain the quality seen here, it will be the greatest age in it's long history.