The 9 Best Christmas Songs That I'm Not Sick of Yet

It can be hard to get into the holiday spirit. People may cut you in line while you're doing your Christmas shopping. Traffic on the freeways might be worse than usual. Maybe it's too cold/rainy/snowy for you to enjoy yourself. Whatever the case, your Grinchy-ness won't be helped by listening to the same old Christmas songs you've been sick of since you were 7, let me help you with that! Here's about a CD's worth of songs to help you get in a merry holiday mood:

“Frosty The Snowman”- Banjo or Freakout

“Christmas Isn't Christmas”- The Boy Least Likely To

“I Wish It Was Christmas Today” Julian Casablancas (Saturday Night Live anyone?)

“Get Down For the Holidays” Jenny O

“Holiday Face” Dent May

“Snow Is Falling”- Darker My Love

“Christmas Don't Be Late”- Catwalk

“Winter Wonderland”- John Blaze. I actually couldn't find video on youtube, but you can find it (the second section, 5^th song down) right http://www.indierockcafe.com/2010/12/s-25-mix-christmas-songs/ >here

“Barcarola (You Must Be A Christmas Tree)” – Sufjan Stevens, The National, and Richard Peer Parry (Arcade Fire)

Honorable Mentions (Look them up if you want/NEED even more holiday spirit!)

“I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun”- Beach House

“Silent Night”- The National, Sufjan Stevens and Richard Parry

“All I Want is Truth (For Christmas)” The Mynabirds

“Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”- Slow Club

Songs I've Recently Been Enjoying on My iPod- 11/13 Edition

Work started back up for me, and that means I get to catch up on my music! Here are some of the songs I've discovered on my iPod that I am currently obsessed with:

• Fleet Foxes "Blue Ridge Mountains"- my current favorite! I can't get it out my head! Love his voice. Love the variation in the song. Love it.

• Bird and the Bee "You're a Cad"- I heard Lily Allen did not plan on making any more albums, and that makes me appreciate Bird and the Bee, and this song in particular. Very reminiscent of Ms. Allen, what with the biting lyrics paired with a catchy pop tune.

• Department of Eagles "In Ear Park"- has a very different sound to it. Very unique. I also really like songs that seem to evolve, especially when they are under 10 minutes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. "If It Wasn't You" - a band I've recently come around to. Catchy, fairly mellow, and from what I've heard so far, quite adorable. Also give "Simple Girl" and their cover of The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" a listen! (I would have put those on the list, but that would make me a liar because I have been enjoying those for awhile now)

Immortals is… Pretty? Still Kinda Bad Though

I have been a big Tarsem Singh fan ever since I saw The Cell. Then I saw The Fall, and became a really big fan. He was 2 for 2 in his films as a director in my eyes, and that is pretty darn good. When I heard Tarsem was going to be the director of the 3-D Greek mythology epic Immortals, I could not have been more excited! Imagining his visual style in 3-D, paired with the vast possibilities of the ancient mythology subject matter, I couldn’t see how this could fail. In theory, it seemed like the perfect idea. This perfect idea however, became a silly, beautiful mess.

Fortunately, I sometimes check Rotten Tomatoes to make sure I’m spending my money wisely before I see a movie in theaters (going to the movies just ain’t the same anymore, $14 tickets?!). Usually I try not to read the specific reviews for fear they will spoil the movie or influence my opinion too much, but I do check the tomatometer. To my surprise and devastation, Immortals was at a dismal 35%. But then again, it was Tarsem’s third movie. I had to go see it anyway. The tomatometer put my ludicrously high expectations in check though, and I am very, very grateful for that.

Immortals tells the story of the Greek Legend Theseus, though not at all faithfully. Theseus (played by future superman Henry Cavill) and the evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) are both seeking a mythical bow that has the power to release the titans that were imprisoned by the gods in even more ancient times. The titans are powerful enough to be a threat to the gods, which in turn, I guess gives them the potential to end the world? I’m not really clear on that, or many other plot points for that matter, but this is the basic story. If even Tarsem decided ignore the story, I’m going to assume it’s just not a good story, and it’s probably not really worth going into here either.

Was Tarsem was even trying to tell a story here? He pretty much ignores the plot to focus on the visual. He did do this to some extent with The Cell and The Fall, but in Immortals this is taken to a new level. I’m not sure how much is due to a terrible script, and how much is his choice/ FAULT, but there are countless moments where all I could think was “Huh?”or sometimes simply, “Man that was dumb”.

Theseus often made me think that, because he was incredibly dumb. I’m not going to go into detail, but if you have a super powerful mythical bow that when put in the wrong hands could kill your gods, please be careful with it. Maybe at least look like you’re being careful with it? No? Okay, carry on Theseus.

See? He can't even dress himself.

*SPOILER ALERT*

While I’m at it, I might as well vent about another hilarious scene- the sex scene. Frida and Cavill fall in love, but she’s an oracle. She needs to remain pure to have her visions. The visions are kind of a hassle though, as Theseus points out. Frida is instantly seduced, and decides she wants to get busy. She tells Theseus something to the effect of “ You’re right, visions given to me by the gods are a hassle. Do me!”. Theseus thinks about this (but like I mentioned before, he isn't very good at thinking), so he says “Okay!” Then the team is left with a non-functioning oracle. Congratulations on another fantastic decision you guys.

Yes the movie was annoyingly nonsensical throughout, but believe me, the ending was worse.

*SPOILER ALERT*

"For a god, I've made some poor decisions." - Zeus

Endings can be bad for many reasons. Maybe it doesn’t offer closure. Maybe it drags on too much. Maybe it’s cheesy. But in Immortals the ending confirms what you suspected throughout the preceding hour and a half: this movie is pointless. Theseus fails in stopping Hyperion from releasing the titans, which is especially disappointing because Zeus says fifteen minutes earlier “I put my faith in you, don’t  make me wrong”. When the titans are released, the gods fight them and win. They do suffer heavy loses, and they probably could have used the help of the God of War Ares, but Zeus had killed him earlier. Zeus killed his son/ powerful god just because he tried to help Theseus the idiot not get everyone killed. This brings me to another annoying point; had the gods intervened, they could have killed Hyperion instantly. Zeus tells the gods that anyone who interferes with what is going on on Earth, he will kill, but never gives a reason why. It is a matter of life and death for the humans AND gods, but they are forbidden to defend themselves for some reason? I wish they had given me some answer to that. It didn’t have to be too elaborate, but give me something. Really.

And finally, because he really proved himself, and because his failure left many job openings, Zeus makes Theseus a god. Clearly, he deserved it, and I have no doubt he will prove to be an excellent asset to Greek god team. On the bright side, all the people in the Underworld that died due to his ineptitude won’t have to see his face for all eternity.

So it is fair to say that the plot was a problem. But I will say this, Mickey Rourke is very compelling to watch, as is Luke Evans (Zeus), but they were the exceptions. The dialogue certainly didn’t do any of the actors any favors. I’ve liked many of the actors in other other roles: Henry Cavill on The Tudors, Frida Pinto (who plays the oracle) in Slumdog Millionaire and Stephen Dorff in everything (Cecil B.Demented, Blade, etc.), but they couldn’t do anything with the material. Very unfortunate.

All this being said, I actually didn’t hate it (probably thanks to my high expectations bubble being popped beforehand). It entertained me, if only because it was so visually stunning. It was not a good movie, but it was a very pretty one, and that made it worth watching for me. If you’re expecting anything beyond that though, you will be disappointed.

By the way, seeing this makes me even more scared for Tarsem’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The trailer was very disturbing, and by disturbing, I mean boring. Maybe Tarsem has lost his touch in going mainstream. Sad face. Well 2 for 4 is still alright, I guess?

Final word:
2 out 5 stars.
Worth it for the visuals, but expectations should be low.

The 5 Best and 5 Worst Celeb Costumes of Halloween 2011

BEST

Jessica White- as a genie? It doesn’t really matter. It looked good. She also rented a snake. Commitment.

Eva Marcille- Storm! It’s been done before, but I think better than Ciara last year. That has to be some sort of accomplishment

Heidi Klum- as the dead body. I wasn’t super into her monkey thing.












AnnaLynne McCord- lady from 1700’s? There were actually a lot of these Musketeer/ pirate/ 1700’s-lady-in-curly-wig type costumes this year, but I liked this one best.

Lea Michele- White Swan. I was surprised we didn't see more Black Swans or White Swans running around, but this one was pretty attractive.

WORST

Michelle Trachtenburg- Sally from Nightmare before Christmas? Not convincing at all. I question if she has even seen it.

Garrett Hedlund- He just wore a wig. He admitted this. C’mon man, if you're going to be lazy with your costume, don't be lazy with your explanation of your costume.

Bethenny Frankel- I may be ageist, but she is way too old to try and pull off a Hello Kitty costume.

Jennifer Love Hewitt Sexy Cheerleader? Not only is that a very typical costume when she can afford to be creative, she also wears nerd glasses. It kind of just confuses me. Most Cheerleaders probably wear contacts, for safety reasons. 

Kim Kardashian- I wanted to be Poison Ivy next year. That dream and I are now divorced. Haha.

THE UNEXPECTED OF NETFLIX INSTANT!

There are a TON of awesome classics available now (i.e. Trainspotting, Memento, Clockwork Orange,Blue Velvet), but here are some of my more surprising ventures:  Comedy (?) -TiMER- a surprisingly delightful romantic comedy. Slightly sci-fi in nature, so that makes it okay for me to enjoy it. -Strictly Ballroom- a wacky Australian movie about ballroom dancing. -Love Serenade- a wacky Australian movie about two sisters competing for a very undesirable man. -Priscilla, Queen of the Desert- a wacky Australian movie about drag queens making their way  through the outback.  *Yes. I am aware that I really enjoy wacky Australian movies. All three make this list because even if you have heard of them, who knew Nextflix Instant was so Aussie friendly? Drama -Before Sunset- one of my new all-time favorites. It is the sequel to Before  Sunrise, but it so much better in so many ways. It is more romantic, more authentic, more tragic, just amazing in its simplicity.  The last scene makes me swoon (both for its fabulous quality and fabulous romance) every time. -Heavenly Creatures- directed by Peter Jackson and featuring a young and still-talented Kate Winslet. A tale of one of New Zealand's infamous murders, a mother committed by her daughter and her daughter's friend. It doesn't excuse the girls' actions, but it attempts to explore their motivation. It still has Peter  Jackson fantasy, and it makes for an interesting combo. -Edge of Seventeen- a gay coming-of-age story. You don't get a gay movie with a realistic feel too often in the movies. It seems like most of the time, "gay" movies star two famously straight actors vying for an Oscars. Doesn't the fact that "out" actors are never picked to star in gay films, highlight the discrimination and inequality in Hollywood? Yeah, I wrote an essay on the subject.  -SLC Punk- unexpectedly wise coming-of-age story starring... Matthew Lillard? Look him up if you don't know the name, it seems an odd casting choice superficially. Strangely, it really works. You get a glimpse into a way of life you probably have not had before, and it has real emotions going on there. When I first saw it, it  was completely different from my expectations based on the title and trailers. -Y Tu Mama Tambien- super sexy Spanish film with a touching story and beautiful scenery behind it.  -Buffalo '66- Vincent Gallo is an ass, but his debut is stylish, different, and strangely sweet enough for me to enjoy it. -Malena- I love Monica Bellucci. She is one of the most beautiful women ever, and she has the acting chops to back it up. This is an excellent movie that showcases both of these qualities. -Reprise- another coming-of-age movie, but this time it's Norwegian. It deals with young love, mental disorders and features a sometimes awesome soundtrack.   Documentary -My Architect- this film follows the filmmaker attempting to finally get to know his father, after his father's death. He interviews people from his father's life; acquaintances that seem to know more about his father than he does. It is the story of a man trying to come to terms with his father's abandonment, both his absence in the son's life and the lack of reconciliation in his death. Thriller (?) -The Machinist- the movie Christian Bale lost all that weight for. It may seem like a gimmick at first, but the weight loss (well more his unhealthy appearance) is important to the plot, and it's a good plot. It's has a really creepy atmosphere that makes it really unique. * Brad Anderson directed The Machinist, and another movie  you should look into that's ever-so-scary called Session 9. I am a fan. He seems to be influenced by Kubrick in a very good way. -Oldboy- apparently they are remaking this with Will Smith? But don't let that fool you. It is much better than Will Smith. Crazy Action. Crazy story. Way badass. -Kalifornia- David Duchovny, Brad PItt and Juliet Lewis. I love them all. It's a great gathering of the soon-to-be-famous, and though it didn't get the attention it should have, the fact that all their careers took off afterwards is no coincidence. -From Dusk Til Dawn- yeah you probably have seen this, but in the off chance you haven't, it's awesome! It's really campy, as you should expect from a Rodriguez/ Tarantino collaboration, but it's also funny and actually has amazing character development in the first hour. I think it's also George Clooney's best work. It's at least his sexiest, in my humble opinion. -Sukiyaki Western Django- Japanese Western! It's very visually stunning, and super cool. -Charade- Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Thought I should include an overlooked classic. It's a heist movie in same the vein as Alfred Hitchcock. It's charming and keeps you guessing the whole way through. Bonus TV:  -The Vice Guide to Travel - eye-opening journeys into Chernobyl, North Korea, Liberia, and more. -Twin Peaks- David Lynch's soap opera. AWESOME

In Honor of the South...

Before experiencing the South, we should get ourselves amped! Watch:

Deliverance- kind of a creepy movie, but since it's not really gory, I think you can handle it. It's about 4 guys that go on a canoe trip through... Georgia I think? And then they have some awkward run-ins with the locals... The scenery is really  purty, and it's a really coo movie. (Not on netflix instant, but can't you find a way to work around that?)

Gone With the Wind- DUH. Oh it's so great! Rhett Butler is my dream man. It is a classic. It's super southern. No brainer.

True Blood, Interview With the Vampire OR one of the million other vampire movies that takes place in New Orleans! But I say watch True Blood because of the Swedish fox that is Alexander Skarsgaard.

Well hello Eric. Fancy finding you here...

Streetcar Named Desire- NOLA again! Classic. Emotional. Marlon Brando.

I will continue to ponder, as should you.

I LOVE NETFLIX

The Best of Netflix Instant Viewing: Part 1

Netflix Instant viewing has come a long way from the 5 pages of worthless B horror movies it used to be. After rating almost 2,000 movies, I now have a little over a page (on the sortable list) of my 5-star picks available instantly, 2.5 pages of my 4-star movies, and with an instant queue of 250 movies, I feel I most certainly get my $15/month worth. I’ve had some friends ask me for some Netflix instant viewing recommendations, because clearly I have more time then them, so here ya go!

(These are some of my 5 star picks, so if I personally know you, I may have made you watch them already)

HORROR

Yes, I don’t know a lot of horror fans. BUT if you are on a date and want an excuse to touch someone, there is no better substitute for a horror movie.

The Shining- CLASSIC! Where to begin… Well it’s directed by Stanley Kubrick, who, to my knowledge, has never made a bad film (hey, I liked Eyes Wide Shut). The cinematography, the sound, the acting… Jack Nicholson won the Oscar for Best Actor for his work in it, and for a horror film, that is especially notable. It was one of the very few times that has happened in movie history. Oh it’s so good. But it is seriously creepy, so be warned.

Session 9- My sister randomly picked this out from a Blockbuster when they still kind of existed, and we were very pleasantly surprised. It combines some of the best horror movie elements: industrial sound effects, very creepy setting, and INSANELY CREEPY VOICE. It’s on the newer side (2001), which is impressive in itself, because they don’t make horror like they used to. Did I mention Horatio/ David Caruso is in it?

The Devil's Backbone- Guillermo del Toro's semi-companion piece to Pan's Labyrinth. Probably more sad than scary, to me anyway. I was going to save it for my foreign section, but what the hey? The good horror section is short. 

DRAMA

Before Sunset- The sequel to Before Sunrise, but it’s an entirely different movie. Where Before Sunrise was a youthful 90’s better-then-average romance, Before Sunset is an adult, cynical, bittersweet drama. The style is very minimalist, very dialogue driven, and yet the performances are so compelling, that is far from boring. The last scene! Sigh. You will see.

Quills- Okay I’m a sucker from awesome acting and crazy sad movies, and Quills totally fits that. Joaquin Phoenix used to be one of my favorites, and his last scene with Kate Winslet is one reason why ( Gladiator is the other). Sad, dirty, somewhat historical, sounds like a good period piece to me.

Fargo- A truly great Coen Brothers movie. I love that it is set in North Dakota, how often does that happen? But there are great characters and a very dark sense of humor, go watch it.

TO BE CONTINUED