Running For My Life

I am dedicating this page to a non-fitness related activity: pop culture. Here you will find my commentary on movies, websites, music, books, TV programs…whatever motivates me to offer an opinion! Feel free to add your own comments.

Music: “New Again” by Taking Back Sunday - This emo-rock band has reinvented itself as a former emo-rock band, and the result is surprisingly awesome.  This is up-tempo alt rock at its finest.  Recommended downloads:  “Cut Me Up Jenny” and “Where My Mouth Is”.   Rating: 8.5

Music:  “The Fray” by The Fray - This is what I call “guilty pleasure” music.  It’s not the most challenging music, but it’s good on the ears.  Smooth pop/rock with lots of hooks….the kind of music that makes you feel good all over.  Recommended tracks: “Never Say Never” and “Ungodly Hour”.   Rating: 7

Movie: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” - I went into this movie not knowing anything about it except that it was a blockbuster with ticket sales and that it was supposed to be funny.  I spent the first 45-60 minutes thinking that it was not funny and wondering how so many people could have purchased tickets for this stinker (and feeling fortunate that I only paid $2 at the budget theater to see it).  However, during the final half of the movie I started to realize that there was a bit of comic genius to this flick.  It was so bad that it was good.  It was “horribly good” as I like to say.  I would go see it again just to laugh at how bad it is, and I would probably enjoy it much more in the process.  I think this movie has the potential to be one of those cult pictures.  Rating:  7.5

Music:  “No Line On the Horizon” by U2 - I don’t profess to be a big U2 fan (they are much too established for me!), but I continue to be amazed at how they always sound so fresh and hip after all these years.  They have been making music for over 20 years but each CD sounds has a “new” sound to it.  “NLOTH” is no different, and in fact is the band’s best CD since “Achtung Baby” from the 90s.  My favorite tracks are “Moment of Surrender” and “Unknown Caller” which are back-to-back on the CD (songs #3 and #4).  This is a brilliant piece of music and quite remarkable for a band that has been around for so long.  Rating: 8.5

Movie:  “Slumdog Millionaire” - A great movie?  Yes.  Worthy of being the favorite for Picture of the Year?  No.  From a creativity standpoint, this picture is a perfect 10.  The music, the images, the acting….it will challenge you for the entire 120 minutes.  The story itself was lacking in depth, but still heartening. Rating: 9

Movie:  “Bedtime Stories” - If you got rid of Adam Sandler this would actually be a decent movie, especially for kids (but not real little kids).  Sandler seemed completely out of place in a kids movie.  The story of the movie was somewhat predictable but yet safe and enjoyable.  I would recommend it.  Rating:  6.5

Music: “Only By the Night” by Kings of Leon - Picture the Cure’s music with Lynard Skynard’s singer.  That is what KOL sounds like.  This CD is a masterpiece, from Track 1 to Track 11.  It’s hard to compare it to anything, just good alt rock with a southern twist.  The band features three brothers and a cousin.  Their grandfather’s name was Leon, thus the inspiration for the band name.  Best tracks on the CD are “Cold Dessert” and “Manhattan”. Rating: 9.5

Music: “A Hundred Million Suns” by Snow Patrol - I can’t say that song-for-song this is as good as SP’s previous CD “Eyes Open”, but there are some amazing tracks on this.  The best is the last song “The Lightning Strike” which is a 3-part, 16-minute opus that ends amazingly with a part called “Daybreak”.  It’s a very mellow, melodic disc that is short on up-tempo songs, but never gets boring.  This is music’s version of a “chick flick”.  Rating 8.5

Movie: “Burn After Reading” - Once I discovered “Fargo” - one of the greatest flicks ever made - I have not missed a movie by the Coen brothers.  “Burn After Reading” comes on the heals of “No Country for Old Men”, but is compared more often to “The Big Lebowski” or “Fargo”.  It doesn’t measure up to any of those movies.  The story is only so-so, and the characters (other than the personal trainer played by Brad Pitt) are not as well-crafted as ones like Jerry Lundegaard in “Fargo” or Anton Chigurh in “No Country…”.  Still, an off Coen brothers movie is better than most, and “Burn…” still has much entertainment value.   Rating: 7.5
Music: “Loyalty to Loyalty” by Cold War Kids - This is CWK’s second CD.  They are a controversial alt-rock band (supposedly they are Republicans!) from Fullerton, Calif.  It’s hard to describe their music other than to say it’s “controlled chaos”, which makes for a very challenging listen.  I give this CD my absolute highest recommendation as it is both amazing and stunning.  Rating: 9.5

Movie: “The Dark Knight” - I don’t know what I can say about this movie that hasn’t already been said.  Believe the hype! Rating: 10
Music: “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” by Coldplay - This is Coldplay’s 4th CD and best since their debut CD, “Parachutes”. The sound is a far cry from “X&Y”, which is their spacey-sounding 2005 release. This time out they opt for a richer sound with more piano and strings, and some interesting mid-song tempo changes. This CD will obviously be a huge commercial success for Coldplay, but it lacks a top 40 radio hit. “Violet Hill” will probably find the most radio airplay even though it’s not the best song on the CD. That distinction goes to “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love”, with a close second to “42″. Although the lyrics are often a bit simplistic (”you are a big fish in a little pond”), at least singer/songwriter Chris Martin keeps his whacky political views in check. Rating: 8.0

Movie: “Kung Fu Panda” - This is an animated movie starring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie. Black plays a panda whose dreams of becoming a kung fu hero come true, but only by accident. I would highly recommend this movie….if you’re 12 or under. My wife, 13-year old son and myself found it rather boring; my 10-year old and 7-year old sons were thoroughly entertained. When compared to some of Pixar’s better movies like Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc. or Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda is slow-moving and dull. However, animation is breathtaking. Rating: 6.0
Movie: “Juno” - In the interest of brevity, I can sum up this movie with one word: overrated. My wife could also sum it up with one word: creepy. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the movie, but it wasn’t nearly worth the hype. I’m glad I only paid $3.99 to watch it on pay-per-view. Rating: 6.5
Music: “Narrow Stairs” by Death Cab for Cutie - When I read yesterday that this CD debuted at #1 in the country, at first I was surprised, but then very happy that so many people have discovered Death Cab with virtually no radio airplay. Despite the grim name, this is 30-something pop rock with an alternative flavor to it. This CD is classic Death Cab, sounding more like “Transatlanticism” (two CDs ago) than their previous CD “Plans”. For song downloaders, make sure to check out “Long Division” and “Your New Twin Sized Bed”, which I think are the two strongest songs on “Narrow Stairs”. Rating: 8.5
Book: “Company Man” by Joseph Finder - This is the third of Joseph Finder’s novels that I have read in the past two months, and I would say this is the best….and the worst…..for the same reason: I couldn’t put the book down. I am too busy for page-turners like this, but there I was, blowing off my parental responsibilities and household chores because I couldn’t quit reading this book!! I finished it in three days. The story is about the CEO of a large office furniture corporation in Michigan who ends up committing a self-defense murder of a stalker. The thrilling plot is full of twists and turns….you try to guess what’s going to happen only to be shocked by what really does. I am a big fan of Finder’s books and have been checking out one after at my local library. I highly recommend doing the same. Rating: 9.0

Music: “Building Nothing Out Of Something” by Modest Mouse - I have continued my fascination with early Modest Mouse music, which is odd since most of my purchases and downloads are of new CDs. Still, I was so impressed by 1997’s “Lonesome Crowded West” (see review below) that I picked up “Building Nothing Out Of Something”, which is a compilation of early Modest Mouse songs, ranging from 1994 to 1998. While not as amazing as “Lonesome”, this CD is still a great listen and a perfect introduction to the early years of this Washington (the state) band. The first line of the first song, “I’m the same as I was when I was six years old” has been stuck in my memory for two days, and hopefully many more to come. Rating: 9.5
Movie: “Eagle vs. Shark” - Some have called this a foreign version of Napoleon Dynamite, but I beg to differ. It’s a very off-beat story of a young man in New Zealand who goes back to his hometown to settle some scores from his youth. He takes his new girlfriend with him and it turns into a zany trip that is both touching and hilarious. Rating: 8.5

Music: “Pretty.Odd” by Panic at the Disco - The title sums up this CD perfectly…it is pretty odd. Somewhere around song 7 it loses me and turns into something that sounds like circus music. Some of the early songs such as “Nine in the Afternoon” and “That Green Gentleman” are destined to be radio hits, but the CD sinks quickly in the second half. It appears that Panic is trying to copy the Beatles circa 1969 with some of these songs. The orchestra parts of the disc were even recorded at the Beatles’ famed Abbey Road Studios. If you liked Panic’s first CD with its loose, frolicking sound, you will likely be disappointed with their second one. Rating: 6.0

Music: “Lonesome Crowded West” by Modest Mouse - This CD is from 1997, but a friend loaned it to me last week. Amazing!! I am a huge Modest Mouse fan, but only have heard their latest two CDs…”Good News for People Who Love Bad News” and “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank”. This sounds nothing like those….they were only a trio back in the 1990s and the songs reflected that as they have a very sparse sounds to them. But this CD is 15 songs of near perfection! Rating: 10.0
Movie: “Once” - I saw this movie a few weeks ago (it was released last year and is out on DVD) so my memory is a little fuzzy on specifics, but what an amazing picture! It’s about two poor musicians (a man and a woman) who meet on the streets in Ireland and make beautiful music together before going their separate ways. The movie is almost a musical. The two actors/musicians have actually released a CD and were nominated for an Oscar for one of the songs in this movie. It’s a great story with fantastic music. The ending was a little abrupt and open-ended, which leaves you wondering. Rating: 9.5

Music: “Cease to Begin” by Band of Horses - Another indie-rock band that’s getting lots of buzz these days. This CD came out last October and is hard to describe; there is some Coldplay resemblance and maybe a little Interpol to it. The songs have an acoustic feel to them. My favorites are the first two songs “Is There A Ghost” and “Ode to LRC”, but there is not a bad tune on the CD. Rating: 9
Music: “Strawberry Jam” by Animal Collective - I bought this CD on a whim and now I wish I hadn’t. They call this music “experimental rock” - sort of Pink Floyd meets the Grateful Dead. Imagine one of those rambling, non-sensical poetry readings, and then throw in some psychedelic music, and you have Animal Collective. Some of the songs are tolerable, but most are hard on the ears. Avoid the jam. Rating: 3.5

Movie: “No Country for Old Men” - My wife and I had a rare night out last night and went to see the latest Coen brothers movie, “No Country for Old Men”. What a masterpiece this was!! It is one of those movies that grows on you after you leave the theater. This is easily the best movie I have seen in several years. The characters are fantastic, especially the main character who is a psychopathic murderer (I must admit that it gets pretty violent at times). I wish I could find a description to do this movie justice; all I can say is “Go see it!!”. Rating: 9.5

Movie: “Dodgeball” - I watched this movie on TV last night; what a hilarious picture! It stars Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, and features cameos by William Shatner, Lance Armstrong, Chuck Norris and many others. This is quality entertainment; great writing and great acting (especially by Stiller). Another bonus: it is suitable for the entire family (at least the TV version….I can’t vouch for the uncut version….). Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

Music: “Robbers and Cowards” by Cold War Kids - I picked up this indie-rock CD last week at Wal Mart (yes, they still sell CDs from bands other than the Eagles). I went into this one blind, having never heard of any of songs by the CWK prior to buying it, although I had read some positive reviews on the web and thought I’d give it a try. They have an interesting sound…..lots of guitar with a touch of piano, a multitude of off-beat sounds and some unique vocals. I was hoping that this would match my last few wonderful indie-rock discoveries (The National, Interpol, Arcade Fire). It comes close, but does not fully hit that level. There are some great songs (”Red Wine, Success!” is my favorite), but overall it is lacking the spark of some of today’s other top indie-rock bands. Rating: 7.5
Movie: “Year of the Dog” - We watched this “comedy” on cable TV last night. It stars Molly Shannon as a single woman whose beloved dog Pencil dies, which causes her to freak out and eventually try to stab her next door neighbor with a knife. Sound funny? Not only was it a laugh-less movie, there was no story and bad acting (except for Molly Shannon). It appeared to be an infommercial for PETA. In other words, it was a collossal waste of 97 minutes. Rating: 1 (out of 10)