Ah, Halloween eve. Like Christmas eve day, it’s one of those pseudoholidays, legitimate by association, that always orbit around the biggies. (Fun aside: November first is Hallowday. Get it?) Anyway, I’m throwing four flicks your way. Pay attention.

I love Kevin Smith. From the ages of about 11 to 15, I was obsessed with “Dogma,” his fourth film. I watched it on a regular basis, and when I wasn’t watching it, it was playing on a loop in the background. I watched it with the cast commentary as often as not. At one point I have the entire screenplay memorized and could perform the film, word for word, on command. I’ve since gotten over the movie, but I have fond memories of one of my first obsessions. Mr. Smith has worked outside of the ViewAskiewniverse before, with “Jersey Girl,” which I enjoyed (although it seems no one else did). He operates outside of his comfort zone again for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” which opens tomorrow.

Colored with controversy during its production (mostly, ironically, in regards to its advertising), “Zack and Miri” deals with two friends, Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) who, finding themselves in a tight situation, decide to make ends meet by making and selling their own porno. It’s a sweet film, and it’s interesting to see how Kevin Smith works with some of the thoroughbreds in Judd Apatow’s stable. There’s no reason not to see it. (Click here to read more…)

So I was contemplating film the other day, in my usual form (on a mountain, in a white robe, with my pet eagle Hypherion perched on my shoulder), and something came to me. When you consider monster movies as a genre, or school of film, one axiom is that, regardless (or in spite) of the actual arc of the plot, irrelevant of who dies and who lives, or the moral/cultural overtones, the monsters die.

When a deformed psycho killer terrorizes promiscuous college students, he is eventually burned to death. When the monster from the woods wreaks havoc upon a nearby mountain town, he is shot, at the last moment, by the young constable’s son. Aliens on a spaceship? They don’t stand a chance. See, whatever monster movies may ostensibly be about, their real theme is the triumph of the human spirit. An inhuman foil is presented and, after the obligatory killing, is undone by mankind’s interior strength. On some level or another, we all intuitively understand this—aside from the gimmicks, this is what we go for.

There’s one particular flavor of monster movie, however, that deliberately inverts the paradigm. Instead of mankind winning, we lose. Every time. I’m talking about Zombie Movies. I can’t say this is universal, but the majority of serious Zombie films (ie. not “Shaun of the Dead” or-debatable-the “Evil Dead” series) have the survivors dying at the end and the undead overrunning the world.

“Dawn of the Dead” (2004), “I Am Legend” (the original concept, or the 1964 version “The Last Man on Earth”), the “Resident Evil” series, etc. Even in the case where the zombie infestation doesn’t spread across the globe, it triumphs locally before an external force (like the army) can come in and suppress it.

The point is, monster movies are about humans winning, while zombie movies are about people losing. Why? I’ll tackle that next week.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Warning: episode spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

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Deerhunter and Atlas Sound frontman Bradford Cox may not like it, but fans have been enjoying Deerhunter’s music for months now after a number of their albums leaked, including Microcastle and Weird Era Cont.. So today’s release of Microcastle is only exciting in the sense that Deerhunter devotees have another excuse to spin the album (not like they really needed one).  I have to admit that I’m digging it quite a bit, and that seems to be a consensus all around.

We also have Ryan Adams & the Cardinals coming out with a new album called Cardinology, which sounds like a dumping-ground major for people who couldn’t make it in physics, chemistry or biology. Rolling Stone has already given it 4 stars, which should say something considering Adams is not an ancient rocker. Then you have Snow Patrol, who try to take an optimistic look on this album. And if you’re looking for something obscure, look no further than the Major Labels’ Aquavia, although you may be better off putting on a Beatles record instead.

By the way, I neglected to mention that AC/DC released an album last week through Wal-Mart only, which I don’t count as a “real” release. Other people do, including the Daily Cal’s Allan Wetzel, who found it to be an entertaining listen despite the lack of fire on the album. However, the real old-timers treat will likely be the Cure’s 4:13 Dream, which I promise will be reviewed on Arts: It’s What’s for Blog some time this week.

And there are so many more releases. The physical release of Bloc Party’s Intimacy also comes out this week, as do new albums from Pink, Toby Keith, John Legend, Coolio and Queen and Paul Rodgers. All I can say is you are going to have a busy week catching up with all of these releases. But if you are being selective, I say just bask in the glory of Deerhunter for a while.

See what I did there with that title? Yes you did. A trick alliteration. Pew pew.

But in seriousness, the two sequels hitting theaters this week, “High School Musical 3″ and “Saw V,” so vastly outperformed their competition this weekend that it deserved linguistic accent. In first place (with a commanding lead) is HSM 3 with 42 million dollars. Loads of cash, although if you average that out amongst all three films (the first two which were essentially distributed for free) that figure seems about right. Somewhat ironically, some consensus floating around is that this film, despite its larger scale, is actually a bit less creative and charming than the first two, as the plot gimmick overlaid on top of the musical foundation is one of the most hackneyed. The “high school sweethearts going separate ways” idea is so universal that it is fully inadequate to support a movie that is already wearing out the grass with its repetitive, pacing arcs.

Catchy tunes though and syrupy sweet, regardless. In his book “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs,” Chuck Klosterman argues (using “Saved By the Bell”) that the most universal and human truths are inevitably cliche. It is our common, subconscious understanding of the rules of love that make them universal (obviously), and that familiarity makes any realization, or manifestation of these rules in any sort of storytelling form seem unoriginal. This, Klosterman says, is not a bad thing. It reassures us, being able to predict where the story goes. It shows us we’re still loosely connected as people. (Click here to read more…)

More hypnotic than strawberry jam.

• The cover of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the recently announced Animal Collective album (!!) due out in January, is kind of amazing. Here’s the tracklist.

• Ever the perfectionist, rapper Lil Wayne plans to re-release this year’s bestselling and critically lauded Tha Carter III as an entirely new album. He told MTV, somewhat confusingly, “I think we’re gonna release …a new Carter III with none of the same songs, though. None of them. Not one!… it’s gonna be called … Tha Carter III: The Rebirth. The birth of a new beginning.”

• Swedish electronic brother-and-sister team The Knife have been quiet since their stunning 2006 album Silent Shout, but a solo effort by the duo’s Karin Dreijer Andersson is in the works and due out early next year. Read more and hear a track from her project, titled Fever Ray, here.

• Because he could really do with a bit more exposure,The New York Times has asked U2 frontman Bono to write an occasional op-ed column starting next year. Details haven’t been hammered out, but we can guess he’ll seize the opportunity to promote his humanitarian causes, such as ONE Campaign, the anti-poverty initiative he co-founded—and to which, if he gets paid, he’ll donate his earnings.

• As we noted in February, it’s been over ten years since Neutral Milk Hotel released the indie rock milestone In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, after which bandleader Jeff Mangum more or less dropped off the radar. He’s interrupted his musical hermitage, looking exactly the same as he did circa 1997, to appear several times on the Elephant 6 collective’s Holiday Surprise Tour. His only concessions thus far to the Aeroplane era: “The Fool” and “Engine,” a b-side from “Holland, 1945.”

Lessons from the world of arts criticism, from the critics of The Daily Californian.

When I was first exposed to Pitchfork some years ago, I was overjoyed at the breadth of albums the site had covered. So what could I do but dig through the site’s archive and seek out Pitchfork’s opinions on my favorite albums? Unfortunately, I had not yet realized how deadly some of Pitchfork’s writing could be. So when I typed the words “Kid A” into the search box, clicked on the review and started reading, it felt like someone was shoving their fist down my throat.

What caused this impulse to vomit? Well, this:

I had never even seen a shooting star before. 25 years of rotations, passes through comets’ paths, and travel, and to my memory I had never witnessed burning debris scratch across the night sky. Radiohead were hunched over their instruments … White pearls of arena light swam over their faces. A lazy disco light spilled artificial constellations inside the aluminum cove of the makeshift stage. The metal skeleton of the stage ate one end of Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce, on the steps of the Santa Croce Cathedral. Michelangelo’s bones and cobblestone laid beneath. I stared entranced, soaking in Radiohead’s new material, chiseling each sound into the best functioning parts of my brain which would be the only sound system for the material for months.

Tell me that you didn’t unconsciously grope for a brown bag while you were reading that. (Click here to read more…)

Firstly, go here. Yeah.

Sooooo, “High School Musical 3″ opens up this weekend. I must admit (although I’m not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of this) that I’ve never seen either of the first two. I know little to nothing about the trials that Troy and Gabrielle face, obsessing over the status quo, sticking to what they know, etc. These things follow fairly stable arcs, however, so I believe most of the substance can be extrapolated. On the other hand, my girlfriend is completely obsessed with Zac Efron and the whole HSM “crew” and will not cease.

What makes this film special, at least to me, is that it’s the only example (in my knowledge, although I’m sure there are more) where a film series starts on television and actually upgrades to theaters. So, they’re all Seniors now, which adds a lovely College glaze to the substantial foundation of High School Drama, set to music. I really can’t advise you to go or not. If you liked the first two, see this one. If not…

I don’t know how many of you went to the blood drive on Tuesday in MLK. It was packed. I overheard a nurse telling a few volunteers how amazed she was at the turnout. They asked why, and she said it was because the blood drive had actually been sponsored by “Saw V.” I admit, that was pretty clever. Marketing no one is allowed to complain about. You all know about the “Saw” series of films-I’m sure you’ve all seen at least one. Psychopathic Jigsaw is back (dead?). Symbolic murder, morbidly fascinating death traps and secrets. Irresistible.

If you dig Colin Farrell or Edward Norton, then “Pride and Glory” might be your ticket. A straightforward cop movie (families in danger, good vs. evil, law vs. justice). If you have nothing else to do.

Not much else getting a wide release this weekend. Relax and have a good one.

(One day, I will get these recaps up on time. But today is not that day. You know you love me. XOXO.)

Warning: episode spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

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This “Inside Profile” may hardly seem timely, as it has been 40 years since we’ve seen any activity from the band the United States of America. But I just so happened to be searching for esoteric records on UCB’s library catalog, Pathfinder, when I saw that one of those albums actually was in the library’s storage. That record was the United States of America’s only, self-titled album.

You may wonder why I am writing so excitedly about this when nobody knows of or listens to this band anymore. Simply put, I am so thrilled to find this record because of its importance in rock history. It is one of the first electronic excrusions in rock, and it remains one of the most fascinating psyschedelic recordings ever.

I first heard of the album through the greatest classic rock review site on the Web, Only Solitaire, run by Russian linguist George Starostin. Starostin was my hero; I have read his reviews religiously from the age of 12 on, and when he raved about something, I sought it out as soon as possible. Not to say that I always agreed with the opinionated gentleman–you’re bound to disagree with a guy who’s written over 2,000 reviews–but I nonetheless admired his thorough style of reviewing and encyclopaedic knowledge of music. Therefore, when I saw him speak of the importance of the United States of America, I knew I had to find the record. (Click here to read more…)