 |
| Mural of famous movie stars on building, Los Angeles, California |
Dear loyal readers (of which I know there are thousands), it is with a heavy heart that I am relinquishing the reigns of Dive Deep Into Music and Movies. I will be leaving the DFL and moving on to the Hingham Public Library as their Local History librarian. Writing this blog has been an absolute treat and I will miss it dearly. I hope that those of you who read it will continue to do so as our fabulous YA librarian Larissa takes over and brings her unique opinions to the ever growing collection of AV materials we have here at the DFL and beyond! Thank you to anyone who has ever read anything I've written. I hope it inspired you to watch or listen to something new! For now, I'll leave you with a final playlist...
Eh. That sums it
up. The highly anticipated crime drama Black Mass directed by Scott Cooper was
good but ultimately, could have been significantly better. Living in the Boston area, everyone and their
mothah was wicked excited about the movie about South Bawston’s own Whitey
Bulgah. Many in this area have vivid
memories of the notorious crime boss and his penchant for violence. After the media storm surrounding his capture
and trial in 2011, it made sense for Hollywood to cash in and the result is a film
that follows all the standard “mafia movie” tropes. As a result, the movie comes across as an
amalgam of themes, scenes, and dialog that feels straight out of BETTER
organized crime dramas of the past. That
being said, the film is essentially a story about the character of Whitey
Bulger – a man whose brutality has become myth.
In this respect, it was well done.
Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Bulger while over the top at times felt
authentic and conveyed the deep seated madness behind the family man from
Southie. Regardless, you’re always aware
that it’s Johnny Depp (the problem with such recognizable actors) and you’re
even more aware that Depp’s accent is false.
Given, he does a pretty phenomenal job as fake Boston accents go but it’s
still a hurdle to get over that distracts you from the dialog (which admittedly
has its ups and downs). Supporting
actors Benedict Cumberbatch as Billy Bulger and Joel Edgerton as dirty cop
John Connolly are shadowed by Depp and feel almost unnecessary. It would have been nice to focus solely on
Bulger himself and not get bogged down with the story of Connolly’s role in
getting Bulger set up as an informant for the FBI. Overall, the film was OK but disappointing in
that it could have been great.
James Bond is an
icon; an eternal character too large for one man. Thus every actor’s stint as the suave British
agent with a license to kill must come to an end. Connery, Dalton, Moore, Brosnan…their times
have all come to a close and with the release of Spectre, Daniel Craig’s chapter as the tuxedo wearing, martini
drinking, Astin Martin driving spy is now part of the pantheon of greats that
have come before him. But that’s the
problem. Throughout the course of Craig’s
four Bond films the character has become a shadow of itself. Maybe it was a Bond for a new generation; a Bond
with an edge who sacrificed the debonair attitude for some grit and grime. I’d be able to accept that if the films were
any good.
Now don’t get me
wrong. I enjoyed 2 out of 4 of the Craig
films. Casino Royale was based on the first Ian Fleming Bond novel and
thus had most of the elements of what we’ve all come to expect in a 007 flick:
the Astin Martin, the martinis, the sex on the beach. Quantum
of Solace was a miss in my book, a continuation of the events of Casino
Royale in a way that DID NOT feel like a Bond film. Part of that comes from the fact that they
were forced to create a plot without the help of a Fleming novel. They took this “new” Bond which Craig had
helped create – the kind that rudely says “I don’t give a damn” instead of “shaken
not stirred” to the bartender – and thrust him into a new world. While Quantum
fell flat, Craig and co. turned it around with Skyfall, a film that in every way felt like classic Bond. Diving deep into James’ past as well as his
lifelong personal relationship with Judy Dench’s M was spectacular. Javier Bardem’s villain was superb. He was the classy, sophisticated psychopath
you expect to try and take over the world.
I was blown away and had such high hopes for the follow up; which brings
us to Spectre.
What
happened?? The film fell flat and was
not the “go out with a bang” I was hoping for for Craig’s last iteration of
Bond. While Ralph Fiennes is INCREDIBLE
as M, Christopher Waltz’s rendition of classic Bond villain Ernst Stavro
Blofeld was bland and forgettable. This
is immensely disappointing as I’ve come to adore Waltz as an actor,
particularly in the role of the villain and yet he is completely
forgettable. Gadgets are nowhere to be
found and the sleek, bullet proof spy car only has a rear flamethrower...whoop dee
doo. The evil organization SPECTRE where
the film gets it’s title does not come across as all powerful but instead a
rather plain group of individuals ruled by…money? power? influence? force? It’s
never abundantly clear leading you to not really believe the fact that they are “everywhere”
so to speak. Aspects of Bond’s character
are almost non existent and make the film feel like a generic, run of the mill
action movie with dark undertones. If it
weren’t for the Bond theme playing in the background, it would be possible to
write off the film as just that.
Ultimately, it’s a poor and disappointing end to Craig’s time as the
titular hero but ultimately, an accurate reflection of his version of the
character from the beginning.
The Duxbury Free Library carries the newest,
It's February and that means one thing (besides Valentines Day)...the Academy Awards are approaching!! I have high hopes for this year and maintain the belief that the Oscars is the LAST truly sensible award show. After the farce that was this years Golden Globes (see my post on The Martian) I'm really hoping the Academy can pull it together to make some wise, multicultural, intelligent picks this year. Though it seems popular opinion has continuously found it's way into the mix with movies like Mad Max Fury Road getting a nom for Best Picture....give me a break!! That being said there are some truly amazing films and actors up for awards this year. Best Picture noms include Spielberg's Bridge of Spies and the Boston based Catholic Church drama Spotlight. Leo is up for Best Actor again for his emotional role in The Revenant who's mastermind Alejandro Inarritu is also up for Best Director. Jennifer Lawrence is quickly establishing herself as a core part of the next generation of iconic Hollywood actresses and is nominated for her role in Joy. As far as animation goes, there is only one film in the category in my opinion; Pixar's fabulous Inside Out. Other things to watch for include whether John Williams will take home his sixth Oscar for Best Original Score for his work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and whether or not The Martian will win Best Adapted Screenplay (it should!). In the weeks leading up to the film industries biggest night, stop by the DFL and pick up a Best Picture winner from years past!
When Canadian noise punk trio METZ released their eponymous debut in 2012 I was indifferent. I thought it was good, but never thought it was anything revolutionary or radical. The albums 10 songs were straightforward grungy noise rock with a hardcore twist. An amalgam of other Sub Pop releases from the last 20 years. However, I recently gave their new LP simply called "II" a listen and I was floored. The power and sincerity I never noticed on their first album was readily apparent on their sophomore effort. Sharp, jagged opener "Acetate" sets the tone for the rest of the album with it's shaky vocals, whiny guitar strings, and a bass line that feels more like a kick to the face as it drives the music forward. Other stand out moments include the adrenaline fueled "I.O.U" and the sporadic tempo shifts of "Spit You Out". METZ finishes strong with "Kicking a Can of Worms"; a song that builds and builds before erupting like the violent volcano it is. You're hypnotized by the repetitive droning noise as the band leaves you with a farewell letter that shows they are more than just your average rock band. It ends up representing what makes METZ great. Using a variety of musical building blocks, the band incorporates the influences of 90's Seattle in a way that doesn't sound forced or overexposed. Their live show is supposed to be a smorgasbord of whipping hair, metal riffs, and a sludgy rhythm section which lets be real, is the perfect cocktail for mind altering rock and roll. A recent stop in Boston at the Sinclair saw the band playing with 2015 breakout band Bully and up and coming Seattle rockers So Pitted. Really wish I had been paying more attention to this band but they've certainly hooked me now. It's what rock is supposed to sound like in 2015.
