Mr. Seven

Oh, also, watched Once for the first time over the weekend, having previously seen the stage show. That film should win the Best Song Oscar every year. I know that's impossible but 'Falling Slowly' is just such a beautiful, beautiful piece of music that it should be formally and eternally recognised as the wonderful thing it is.

 

Christ. Hyperbole just fuckin' floods out of you, doesn't it? First off, 'Falling Slowly' is a maudlin car crash of a song. It's aggressively cloying and unbearably whining. I've had the tremendous displeasure of finding myself in the same room as Glen Hansard on several occasions, and while I find him to be almost impressively rude and downright odious time and again, his reaction to being referred to as 'an Academy Award winner' - to a crowd of people gathered to hear him and others speak - takes the number one spot in his utter cuntishness. Despite this description 1) being completely accurate, not to mention flattering and 2) being perfectly acceptable when uttered by the likes of, say, David Letterman, Glen took offence, noting that art isn't about awards and accolades and titles, it's about the art and the music, maaaaaaan.

 

The air was immediately sucked out of the room as Glen decided to react to a friendly, throwaway introduction like the despicable cunt that he is. His wretched music is the stuff of nightmares, his signature move is to go real quiet to the point that you think the song is mercifully over BUTNOWAITHE'SBACKANDYAAAAAAAAAAAAASCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGGGGG!!!! Because it's all so fucking emotional, ain't it Glen? You cretin. His gigs are circle jerks with people planted in the crowd to chime in with how lovely Glen is for coming back to his old school and getting up in front of the kids and trotting out his latest rotten dirge. He often plays four hour gigs because his ego is out of fucking control. He's been known to hijack open mic nights, not even bothering to attempt the fake, 'I don't really want to be doing this' thing when the spotlight inevitably comes his way. Met Irglova when she was 13 and was fucking her about five years later. Oh, and the fact that somebody killed themselves by hurling themselves onto a stage whilst Glen was playing is the greatest punchline to the darkest of jokes.

 

And that fucking song. That vile mess. If you meet anyone who holds it dear, walk the fuck away.

Apologies to the honourable Gladders, but I really enjoyed Only God Forgives. It ain't subtle, Refn really needs to start collaborating with writers and Gosling desperately needs to move on from only saying 20 lines of dialogue and brooding but I still dug this. It's visually gorgeous, for one. The story or lack thereof is almost hilariously basic, you could get away with renaming the thing Corridors and, again, it's about as subtle as a brick to the face but goddammit I was sucked right in.

 

I might have loved it.

 

Morgan Freeman to play me in the movie.

Anyone seen Stoker?

 

It's emptier than ebb's head. Biggest disappointment of the year, maybe of the last few years. Speaking of, 2013 hasn't really been all that great, has it? Tons of excellent music but not so much found on the silver screen. Stoker, as heartbreaking as it is to admit, has absolutely nothing to say. It looks nice, sounds lovely and has some really strong performances but it's all for naught. Just incredibly basic and unoriginal. The ending is an absolute insult that I hope was tacked-on in a moment of madness because if not, then I don't know how the script was so highly regarded.

My poor girlfriend

Oh, you have a girlfriend? Not like you constantly fucking mention her or anything. air_raid raises a good point, tbh. Plenty of book readers can be very pedantic but there is a large difference in Roose leaving out Jaime's name, when you consider how the show has essentially turned him into a good guy. Again, not to be that guy, but there's so many shades of grey to Jaime even after his behanding that you can never fully consider him 100% babyface. From what I can remember, he has respect for Robb's tactics in battle but like most people, he knew he was done the moment he broke his oath. Still, while he didn't step up and finish Robb off in such cowardly fashion, he didn't exactly oppose it either.

Been listening to the new Daft Punk album for the past few days non-stop, it's fucking ace (obviously). Definitely evolved their sound- this album is more laid back than their previous three. Think Something About Us or Veridis Quo from Discovery. Some heavy American 70s American influences here, not too indifferent to Justice's second album in that respect. The collaboration with Paul Williams is especially good. Excellent album that gets better and better with every listen will do a full write-up on the album thread soon.

 

Oh, and the Giorgio track in the album is superb. Sounds so wonderfully....Giorgio.

 

Fanboy bollocks. Barring two or three moments (not tracks, moments) Random Access Memories is a laughable mess, and that's coming from someone who defends Human After All to this day. 'Touch' is hilarious and I can only presume that the people who recognised the Lou Reed/Metallica album for the joke that it is feel the same way about this track because it's exactly the same thing, save for swapping guitars for synths. The Giorgio love-in is like a terrible SNL sketch. 'Get Lucky' is played out already. 'Lose Yourself To Dance' is good, then it drags on for three more minutes. 'Contact' is easily the best thing on the record, but Anthony Gonzalez and M83 do that sky-scraping thing much better. But hey, you, like so many others, decided in advance that this album would be the soundtrack to your closeted little summer, so what can you do.

Fuck Seven, watching Dark Knight Rises, Anne Hathaway's arse when she blows up the tunnel makes it the best ever, you Irish fool

 

Had a few, did we?

French?

 

Anyways, add me to the pro-Hannibal group. Wouldn't go five stars because there are trappings of the genre that you cannot avoid but even the more on-the-nose dialogue readings felt believable. Graham's mental state could becoming irritating as the season progresses but so far I think Hugh Dancy is excellent casting. I'm a huge fan of Manhunter so I'm very happy to see a similar aesthetic (though obviously much less neon '80s) at play here. Mikkelsen seems the right way to go too. I like that the small hints of what he is are only really because we already know and not him winking at the camera and twirling a moustache. Hopefully it retains this style all the way through. It also looks absolutely beautiful. Some truly stunning compositions.

 

Critics who have seen the first five episodes note that Laurence Fishburne evolves past the 'cranky boss' archetype nicely and that the tone of the show is often quite harrowing but in a really effective way unlike say, the absolute joke that is The Following. Those critics (and myself) do fear that the show won't get the ratings as it's probably too methodical and odd for Thursday night NBC. Pray it doesn't get cancelled after one season, I guess.

 

SickWoy - have you gotten any further with Justified? Season 4 just finished and I'm already counting the days until next January.

You don't need to play the first BioShock first but Infinite will lose a small but huge bit of impact for you unless you do. It's still one of the best games of the last few years, so dive right in ASAP.

 

Goin' quote LaGoosh from the other videogames thread as I presume he meant to post here:

 

Completed Bioshock Infinite on Sunday. Bloody epic brilliant stuff. 10/10. My favorite video game ending ever. When they talk about the evolution of storytelling in gaming I think Bioshock Infinite will be listed as one of the first games to deliver true compelling and gripping storytelling on the same level of a film or novel. The ending stayed with me for hours, I couldn't sleep because it was haunting me. Cemented an already fantastic game as one of my favorite ever games.

 

I'll preface by saying that I love the series. The original is a game-changer. The sequel is underrated but it's definitely more a 1.5 than a brand new thing. Infinite though, is indeed something else altogether. I'm not sure I'd go full marks though. There's probably too many ideas at play here and thus some get shortchanged. Also, Ken Levine is waaaaaaaaaaay too heavy-handed with some of the themes and they detract on occasion. Still, it's a remarkable achievement in terms of design and narrative and quite fun to play if a little repetitive and the final fight is really lazy and irritating. Elizabeth is a revelation, though.

 

The ending... I'm not sure if it's uplifting or depressing. It hit me like a punch to the throat even though I guessed the ultimate result. It also does Inception a whole hell of a lot better than the movie.

 

Attack The Block is one of the most admirable and surprisingly excellent films in recent years.

He's tried to make a pop album for muso's.

 

It would have been fine on some songs, but there are certain tracks where being a 3 minute, radio-ready pop track would have been okay.

 

Hes probably aware, too, that though his last album hinted at that muso pop/r n b sound, Frank Ocean has since come along and really owned that territory. That's probably why the new album is so cynically overdone, a 'I'm the king of this' type deal.

 

But no one should be surprised, he's always banged on abou making 'pop' credible in the same way rock or blues are seen as credible. His PR for this album has pretty much hinged on one sentence; 'if Led Zep and Pink Floyd can have ten minute tracks, why can't I?'. He's used that line everywhere.

 

It really is an album for critics to toss off to. The 7-8 minute songs are a real chore to get through because they reach their natural endings and then they're drawn out for the final 2-3 minutes, and because the material itself just isn't that good. The only two exceptions to all of that are Tunnel Vision and Don't Hold The Wall.

 

The long running times and alterations at the end also mean that Timbaland has to do a lot more work. He ends up centre stage instead of Justin Timberlake.

 

And if Justin Timberlake can't figure out why Pop songs aren't usually 8 minutes long, this is why. It sucks out the fun, and it's ridiculous to try to make epics out of songs with lyrics like, "We can make love on the moon," and, "My blueberry lollipop."

 

It's an arrogant album that isn't even half as good as it thinks it is.

 

In the immortal words of Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, that's way harsh, boys.

 

There's a huge difference between confidence and arrogance and I think JT has absolutely nailed the former, even if the album suffers a little for it. Could a bunch of the tracks be shorter? Absolutely, but let's not confuse arrogance with ambition. Not everything works here and anyone expecting Futuresex/Lovesounds II will be disappointed, but what right do they have to even expect such a thing in the first place? 'My Love' might well be in my top ten favourite songs of all time (definitely make the top twenty anyway) and I would have liked JT to work with someone like Trent Reznor but I knew it wasn't going to happen. At the very least, the guy has made three very different, distinct records and he's taken his time in doing so. It's a pleasure to see an artist in control rather than them churning out the same old dreck year on year (see Swift, Taylor).

 

Yep, there are definite misfires. I'm not sold on 'Pusher Love Girl'. 'Strawberry Bubblegum' is as eye-rolling as its title, 'Suit & Tie' still sounds like the new McDonald's ad and the Jay-Z verse is arguably his most pedestrian guest spot (and that's saying something) and 'Spaceship Coupe' would be rejected by R Kelly but what works works. 'Tunnel Vision' is gold, 'Let The Groove Get In' is charming and infectious as hell and 'Blue Ocean Floor' is EOY list material. It does seem like he's trying to be all things to all fans at times and there's a ton of homages/lifts/inspirations from the likes of Prince, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and more but Timberlake never sounds like he's imitating or cynically following trends. It's an album with problems, but to call it arrogant or self-indulgent or written for critics is doing it, and him, a tremendous disservice. Credit to the dude for not drowning the album in the usual plethora of guest spots that seems to be suffocating in its current omnipresence.

 

In summation - JT rules and he's earned the right to release an album that isn't perfect but still hits the high notes when it needs to.

I doubt many will agree with me, but I saw Cloud Atlas today and fucking loved it. Having already read the book definitely helped with it, though, as did the fact I've got an English Lit degree...

 

"Look at me, I'm so important."

 

In truth, it

She's amazing.

 

Girls is absolute dreck though, but I would say that because, as Chest Rockwell will happily remind you in dark corners, I hate women me. Seriously though, awful show. Lena Dunham is exceptionally irritating and when James fuckin' Franco of all people manages to trash your show with some style, you're in trouble. But hey, as Lena says, she doesn't pay attention to "mixed reviews", so there's that.

They need to do one for The Following, though 10 wouldn't be nearly enough.

 

Anyone keeping up with Justified? It might be my favourite show on TV right now. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I'm basically gay for Timothy Olyphant but it's an absolute joy to see an actor take such a hold on their character that you believe every single thing he does, from actions to dialogue to body language. As is usual with the show, there have been one or two place-setting episodes where the narrative stalls, but I never seem to mind those like I do with some other programmes because there are so many tiny little moments that asks you to read between the lines and draw your own conclusions. The writing is top-notch and as it goes on I find that there are often moments of great emotion that are downplayed so spectacularly it's nothing short of astonishing.

Nine Inch Nails x Carly Rae Jepsen

 

Might be the best thing I've ever heard.

Touch dramatic for you. Still, you have a valid point in that if the above truly is the best this place has to offer, then I don't know why I'd bother coming back either.

Gladders. Place sucks without him.

Frankie bugs me.

 

ShortOrderCook and I have been flirting with one another since he was purplemonkeydishwasher and I see no reason for our forbidden love to die out yet, so him.

Where's The Natural? He's riveting.

Awful, awful selection. Butch Brevik I guess, despite it being sentiment that anyone with a brain should jive to anyway. But yeah, dreadful stuff all round really.

 

You really are shit.

 

Envy.

Awful, awful selection. Butch Brevik I guess, despite it being sentiment that anyone with a brain should jive to anyway. But yeah, dreadful stuff all round really.

The third act of Goodfella's alone is better than most films.

 

It's not though, is it?

Went to see Killer Joe last week. Matthew McConaghuey (sp?) is fantastic in it, proving yet again that if he stayed away from leaning against Kate Hudson on rom-com posters and concentrated on proper roles, he'd be a lot more acclaimed. I don't think you can call this a particularly "enjoyable" film, given how dark and unforgiving it winds up being. It's based on a play and it definitely shows, especially when the last act calls for a pretty fucked up implosion. Strong work from Juno Temple too.

I think you hit the nail on the head Seven, Cross just isn't Bourne and that's the main problem.

 

It's more that Cross is, when you weigh it up, little more than a junkie in need of a fix. The entire "chems" plot, which drives the film and everyone in it, should have been ditched. It kills the film before it has a chance to take off.

Is it filmed in the same 'shakey camera' manner as the 2nd & 3rd film?

 

Not as excessively, no. The finale goes there but for the most part it's fairly static. At least, that's how I remember it. I certainly didn't notice it as much as Greengrass' entries into the franchise.

Maybe it was the hype, but I was somewhat let down by A Prophet. Good film, but not a great one.

 

Has anyone seen The Bourne Legacy yet? I was quite disappointed, but I'd still put it in the three-star range. It's taking a partcularly vicious kicking in some quarters and I think some of the vitriol is unwarranted. The chief problem is the story. It's simply the wrong choice on the part of Tony Gilroy and no amount of strong work from Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Ed Norton, Oscar Isaac, Zeljko Ivanek and others can mask the problems with the script. It's a shame because there are some great moments in the film but, on the whole, it is something of a stitched-together mess. Evidently, Gilroy needs someone over him to fine-tune his work.

 

I think it's fair to label it a failure, but a noble one. The series could have wound up with someone like Taylor Lautner in the lead role. In keeping with character actors, they at least retain gravitas. Renner has a very difficult job simply because he isn't Matt Damon. His Aaron Cross isn't as compelling (thanks again to the ill-conceived story) and there are constant mentions of Bourne in the film, so it's an uphill battle, one that Renner ultimately wins, even if he deserves a much better plot. I do hope it makes enough money to continue though, because there's definitely more to be done here.