Into The Wild

Into the Wild, starring an outstanding Emile Hirsch, is one of the best films of the year. Sean Penn directs a magnificent true story about a young man who gives up his normal life to go on a cross country journey to Alaska and be one with the wild. With hardly any money, "Alexander Supertramp" travels across the USA and even Mexico and encounters adventures along the way. Through either nature, people or places, he has found the freedom he has always desired but he also learns the price that comes with it. The people he befriends are all charmed by his wonderful spirit, but they all see something he does not, that happiness is meaningless if not shared. As the character roams, he is stunned by simple beauties and repulsed with his past and the normal lives everyone else accepts. But as he is happy with life on the road and in the wild, he is oblivious to the pain he has caused to his parents he left behind, although it becomes apparent they are the main reason for his departure. But he also hurts his abandoned sister, the only person he really trusted. At one point he claims that happiness does not come from human relationships. I suppose we are to believe that in his mind, it comes from your relationship with nature. However, it may be too late when he realizes it's both. A beautiful film from beginning to end. Into the Wild is one of the few unforgettable movies of the year.

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone is a film about a little girl who goes missing and the people who try to find her. This is Ben Affleck's directorial debut and it is extremely promising. The story is complicated and nearly treated with the care such a story needs. Important, difficult questions are asked, and in the end we are left to ponder them. Too many movies try to have a bright side or a happy ending but Gone Baby Gone fearlessly presents life with no easy answers. The lead performance by Casey Affleck is good, maybe very good, but not great. As his wife and partner, Michelle Monaghan is boring and out of place in almost every scene. Ed Harris is excellent and Morgan Freeman does his thing. The film loses it's way a couple times but Ben gets it back on track, especially at the end. Gone Baby Gone isn't perfect, but it's a serious movie with serious themes worth checking out, and it may revive Ben Affleck's career.

New Album Review: In Rainbows by Radiohead

It's far too difficult to write an interesting Radiohead review, so I'm gonna keep this short and simple. For a more extensive review check out Rolling Stone.

In Rainbows is Radiohead's follow up to Hail to the Thief, an album which received mixed reactions. It was the first album where they tried to bridge the gap between their unique alt rock sound and electronic experimentation. On their latest, they have really faded out a lot of their electronic sound in favour of the music more familiar to OK Computer. After one listen, In Rainbows did not particularly grab me. At least not in the way Radiohead's previous works have. On OK Computer they made a rock album that sounded like nothing else before it, and with Kid A they created a shockingly ugly yet beautiful and completely strange masterpiece. This is not to say In Rainbows is a failure, because even if they aren't breaking new ground, it is still only ground that Radiohead CAN cover. After multiple listenings, the subtle beauty of Rainbows shines through, revealing another powerful work of art. There are few artists in history that made music unlike anything previously heard. Obviously The Beatles come to mind, and no one could ever convince me that Radiohead isn't every bit as good, if not better.

I'm Back!

Hail, hail, small citizens of wheremever you may be! I have returned, chock full of scathing wit and improper grammar, in true form, ready to once again provide endless minutes of entertainment with my no holds barred and highly irrelevant...words. And such a wordsmith am I, that I shall fleer and flaunt all the fantastic furniture of the future while fidgeting, following, and fucking; for I am nothing if not a feathered flea, flapping fondly as fantasies fortell of fleeting fagels forworned of freed flakes of fluff from a fellow aged fifteen; fifteen forlorn and fancy free fortnights. In short: I am a man.

And I figure if Adam gets to display photos of all things him, why can't I showcase a few original pieces of art. I call this one "Faded Multi Colour Dots Set on a background of a colour between cold steel and blue." Enjoy:











I know. It's fantastic.
Well, I guess i'm done, seeing as how this whole post was just so that people didn't forget I also contribute to this blog.


remember him....remember him...

I like taking pictures and then showing them to people

Just a reminder that you can view all my photos at www.flickr.com

My profile name is adam.cook

I hope to post photos directly to the blog more often but it's very slow to upload so the majority of my images will remain exclusive to my flickr page.

the city and the woman i love...

My girlfriend and I recently shared our two year anniversary. In some ways, the time has flown by, but if feels like we have known each other forever. We have gone through ups and downs, faced turmoil and have achieved triumphs. And through it all, I have discovered who I am and hope to be. Meanwhile, I experienced this evolution with the human being I hope to be close to forever. Having someone you can trust completely and be able to enjoy their company above all else is incredible as well as helpful in learning and growing personally. In the end, i have benefited infinitely due to luck in finding such a rarity, and I will never forget how grateful I am.

I love you, Nicole.

In Rainbows...

Out of nowhere, Radiohead has begun to sell their new album, In Rainbows, only available from their website www.radiohead.com

In one of the coolest moves ever, they are releasing the album independently (they are no longer affiliated with a label) for however much you want. That’s right, you decide the price. When you go to the site to buy the album you type in how much you want to pay (in pounds). The only amount not accepted is 0.

0.01? Go for it. It’s bound to be another classic album, and the method of it’s release will shake the industry. Something Radiohead is pretty good at.

However, in my opinion they deserve the money for the album.

That didn’t stop me from choosing only 1 pound though……

The Kingdom

The Kingdom is a film about a team of FBI agents sent in to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist attack. The movie is the next film from director Peter Berg. His last film, Friday Night Lights, is my bold pick for best sports movie of all time. Through his screenplay and direction he took what could have been average and made it emotionally charged and original. Berg, however, did not write The Kingdom, so it’s not as tight an artistic package. He takes an above average screenplay and breathes similar life into it as he did with (a much better screenplay) Lights. The major players, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Batemen are all solid, perhaps as good as they could be with the material. The Kingdom is certainly not a character piece and will not provide much insight. But that is not the aim of the film. Critics have been dissing the film for being too action packed and unrealistic, faking political awareness. Unfortunately most have missed that the point is much smaller than any huge political commentary. This movie is about human beings, their perspectives and how they interact. The political storyline is at most times, merely a vessel to tell a small, yet beautiful story. The action is a highlight though. The last bit of the movie is insane and will get your heart pounding. Another common complaint is that the terrorists are reduced to incompetent targets for Americans to shoot at. I believe this to be on purpose and a method to get something across to the viewers. The Kingdom is exciting, beautifully shot, wonderfully directed, and although it has it’s shortcomings in writing and character development, it is one of the best movies of the year.

Resident Evil: Extinction

When Resident Evil was released in 2002, many fans were disappointed of the direction of the movie but some were satisfied. It didn’t truly follow the plot of the excellent video game franchise but it was a solid horror film with some unique aspects. In fact, I liked it and was excited when the sequel, Resident Evil: Apocalypse was released. But as most were, I was incredibly let down, not only did the movie not improve on the original’s flaws, but it failed in every area a movie can…..miserably. It stands today as one of the worst movies I have ever seen. And oh my god, wait for it…….Extinction is worse. Jaw droppingly bad writing, terrible terrible acting (Oded Fehr as Carlos may be the worst performance this year) and quarter-ass plot. I don’t really need to elaborate, this is a truly awful film. And, unfortunately, it gets worse, due to the cliffhanger at the end, it becomes evident that the title, Extinction, is not referring to the Resident Evil movie franchise.

NO STARS

Eastern Promises

Canadian director David Cronenberg’s latest film Eastern Promises, is another fabulous movie. It features Viggo Mortensen as a right hand man for the Russian mafia and Naomi Watts as a normal woman who becomes tangled in their dark world. After a young girl dies during pregnancy, Watts’ character wants to find the deceased’s relatives to give the child a home. She discovers the girl’s diary (in Russian) and traces the clues to the mob. The film is eerily intense at the most anti-climatic times, such as during the many conversations Watts has with the mob boss. The plot is terrific, and has Cronenberg all over it. However, the highlight is Viggo Mortensen’s fascinating character. This one of the few times where a character is actually more interesting then the actual story taking place. Thanks to Mortensen’s acting and brilliant writing, Eastern Promises offers one of the best mafia films and thrillers in recent years.

Sorry...

Parker and I hardly post anymore and I apologize. I swear it is not a result of apathy but of uncontrollable lack of creativity and laziness. For now on, I want The Bronze to be a consistent vessel for my reviews and photography supplemented by Parker and I's randomness. Also, in an effort to make up for our shortcomings, I'm starting off October with a bang.

Enjoy.