The King's Speech

Just went and saw this movie over the weekend, and man was it interesting. Since this post will most likely just be a series of ravings for the movie, let me begin by saying something clearly: this movie is really good, relevant to the world today, and very well acted.

First, I like that the characters are cast pretty true to their backgrounds. All the main characters are English (minus the speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush), so these accents aren't forced at all, allowing the movie to be taken seriously. As for Rush, he's actually - wait for it - Australian! So even his accent, which idiots like me (read that "Americans") would take for a superb English, can be written off as part of the character he plays.

Secondly, I loved the back-and-forth style that Colin Firth and Rush displayed during their sessions. It was quick-witted and playful at times, and then slow and heart-warming at others. One scene which pretty accurately synopsizes the movie: when King George VI is walking through his speech which he is scheduled to give in mere minutes, his speech doctor and friend Lionel Logue sits and walks him through the ins and outs of his message. As the stammering George VI continues getting tripped up on words (such as words starting with "P"), Logue persists through the snags and pauses by giving the king helpful hints (like singing the words, cursing during pauses, or dancing to distract himself). This leads to a hilarious, ground-breaking scene where the King of the British Empire is waltzing around the room, cussing out an unseen audience and belting out the melody to "Camptown Races" to an elated Logue who shouts encouragement.

Another thing I noticed is how timeless the symbol of Nazi Germany is, and how it can still affect us today, especially British audiences. Its effect on the Jewish people remains well-documented and represented in the media, but I didn't really realize the effect felt on the British people. Granted, World War II for the UK was a bitter one, with bomb shelters and air raids being common during the blitzkrieg days of the Luftwaffe. I understand the importance of history, and how a symbol can flood back those memories found in my textbooks during school. As an American, an image of a redcoat or the Declaration of Independence bring me back to good ol' George Washington crossing the Delaware or the pride of the Boston Tea Party. Since The King's Speech is set in the times leading up to World War II, the historical images of bomb shelters and families crouching around their radio sets serve as good memory-impetuses (impeti? whatever.).

It was also really funny seeing some actors used in very different roles from how I'm used to seeing them. I kept waiting for Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the new Queen, to have a Bellatrix Lestrangian hiss whenever something went slightly wrong. And when Lionel Logue was acting out a Shakespearean character for his two young boys, I just wanted Geoffrey Rush to revert back to his Captain Barbossa character and say "we call the monkey Jack". Does that make me hard to please?!

Finally, Colin Firth really just acted well. It's very hard to stammer if you don't (believe me, I tried for the few hours after getting out of the movie), and he showed all of the inner conflict of a stammerer's fear of failure/inadequacy without conveying anything comedic about a serious difficulty. Whether or not you have a speech defect, the main conflict of the movie can be understood by most, if not all: public speaking is scary.

Okay Here Goes...

I have some favorite albums of all time. That list is quite extensive, and I won't bother you with the length of it. However, a subset of that long list includes a select few albums which are transcendant in listenability (yep...that just happened). These albums aren't necessarily better than the other albums in the "favorite" echelon, they all just share a certain oomph quality to them that sets them apart. Allow me to attempt to do the impossible: lay out an abstract thought from my head in a clear manner.

Again, as with Naturals (see my earlier post), there are certain common factors that all of these albums share. For instance, and this sounds ridiculous, but still - the album must be GOOD. Heck, we may get in the car on a road trip and pop in Britney Spears or BSB and everyone would say that this music is fun or brings back memories, but I believe consensus in the car would agree that these types of CDs aren't GOOD...or at least not really good. So each of the albums is good music, and most people would agree that the music is high-quality.

Secondly, the album can be viewed as a work of art. Maybe not abstract like a Picasso painting, or immense like the Sistine Chapel - but the artist(s) took themselves seriously when they made it. That way, you don't end up adding Ke$ha's Animal to the list (because let's be real, who wouldn't?), only to end up disappointed that she started her singing career as a joke.

The last common aspect of these albums has to do with time, and how they seem to affect it. With these types of albums, I've found that time seems to just FLY BY, and at the end of it you're always left wanting more. That's not a bad thing at all, and it's really good as an artist to trust yourself, and not mess with perfection. So there you go, three key elements that each of the following albums have that make them super-listenable (I'm loving this...I'm my own Merriam-Webster!). Without further ado, here are the albums. Hate them if you can!

Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown

Key Track: "The Beautiful Letdown"

Whenever I think about this concept, the Time-Bending Album, TBL is always the first one to my mind. The songs flow like crazy, every single one is amazing ("Redemption" is the least-awesome on the whole album, and it's crazy-good! There's the proof.), and it's got hit-quality songs on here too - see "Meant To Live" and "Dare You To Move". My favorite song on the album is the title track, since it just really gets down deep into lead singer Jon Foreman's heart. I may revere this album a little too highly, but I don't see that as a bad thing. I don't have much to say about this album, except that it is really good.

Kanye West - The College Dropout

Key Track: "Through The Wire"

Let's face it, Kanye is crazy (want more proof? twitter.com/kanyewest...be prepared). He's like a train wreck, so destructive - yet SO interesting to watch, you can't take your eyes off him! However, back in 2004 (was it really only 7 years ago?), before Kanye got his train going at full-speed, he made some SICK music. This whole album is full of bumpin' beats and cut-you-to-the-quick lyrics. While I don't absolutely love the skits, they definitely act as road signs for the listener. West's mind runs at freight train-type speeds, and we can only try to hold on for dear life as he barrels through a variety of struggles and tribulations in his own life (drug use, addiction to shopping, dissatisfaction with the education system, his epic car accident that left him with a wired-shut jaw for six weeks, and his lengthy discourse on how he got into the rap game in the 12 minute, 40 second-long saga "Last Call"). "Through The Wire" is my favorite track, and I'm sure I sound (and look) like an Eminem-wannabe when I spit it while I'm walking down the ghetto streets of Suburbia.

Cartel - Chroma

Key Track: "A"

Cartel's debut album is one of the most fun rock albums I've heard in a long time. To me, this album seems like a hand-held camcorder of lead singer Will Pugh's life. We see him painted as a romantic, a care-free kid, a young man coping with the death of his adolescence, and a poet. Yet, in the midst of this wide swatch of emotions and personalities, the entire album is driven by a rock groove. This beat ceases only in "The Minstrel's Prayer", giving way to Pugh's Avatar-style confessional (yes, that's an anachronism...why do you ask?). As we slip into his inner thoughts, queries, and doubts in "Q", the listener gets to witness his maturation and realization of himself in "A", laying waste to all his previous questions.

The Beatles - Abbey Road

Key Track: The B-Side Medley

Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album, and it's really not even a close race. The first half of the album is near-perfection, and "Oh! Darling" is one of the best blues songs I know, even though it's played by a bunch of pretentious Brits. The album art, as shown above, is also one of the iconic albums even today - so you've got something nice to look at while you're sitting Indian-style in the basement resetting the needle on your parents' record player. Starting with "You Never Give Me Your Money", the following 16 minutes are a little glimpse behind the curtain of heaven.

Jay-Z - The Black Album

Key Track: "Encore"

This Jay-Z album is one of those you can listen to anywhere. Whether it's bumpin' in the club (which I do all the time) or dissecting the detailed rhymes on a Saturday at home (which I most definitely have NOT done...EVER), this music seems to fit the bill. At times, Jay-Z is the "Hova" of rap-god status such as the Kanye West-produced "Encore", and at other times he's the self-aware success story who came from nothing, like in "My 1st Song". Between the two personas, Shawn Carter strikes a chord with this young thug. Okay fine, with this thug.

John Mayer - Continuum

Key Track: "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room"

I'm a John Mayer fan. I'll admit it. And while his forays into the playboy world have been well-defined by National Enquirer and his E! True Hollywood Story will be scintillating to say the least, his music is the biggest thing about him. Continuum definitely satisfies the "work of art" qualification: this thing is Mayer's magnum opus. For example, one time I was having a conversation about music with a dude while we were eating lunch. When we got to the subject of John Mayer's (then) most recent album, he described it as "Mayer's Continuum" - like Handel's Messiah or Beethoven's 9th Symphony. But it is! This album, front to back, is a work of art. I have heard that "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" is epic live, and I have sworn to see Mayer in concert before he dies. Because let's face it, John Mayer's life is following much more of a Kurt Cobain orbit than that of Betty White.

Honorable Mention:

Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want

Key Track: "Shackled"

I love Vertical Horizon, and I'm not even partially ashamed to admit that "Shackled" has far too many plays on my iTunes. Throughout this entire album, each song just...sounds...so...good! I'm a huge fan of their sound, and lead singer Matt Scannell is the long lost member of the Blue Man Group.

Oh come on, it's like looking in a mirror!

The...Natural?

"He's a natural." "She looks like she was born to do that." "I don't know what it is, but when I get out there on the floor/court/stage/whatever, I just do what comes naturally."

We've all heard these phrases used to describe people before, probably so many times to where the phrase loses meaning. But there is something amazing about watching someone do an activity, whether it's technical, social, or just for fun, that makes me stop and think. I've been running this idea through my head for a few years now, and it's recently come to the forefront of my mind, so I figured I'd write down as much of it as possible so that I don't forget it. The idea is that there is something inherent in my personality that is attracted to watching people perform who look as if the act just comes to them. You can call them savants, or geniuses, or a myriad of other terms - but for the sake of this post, let's just call them Naturals.

One of the big aspects of a Natural is not only being able to perform at a high level, but to make it look EASY when they're doing high-difficulty things.

By naming people Naturals, the last thing I want to do is to open up the criteria so that just ANYONE can be included. I want it to be exclusive, really an elite company. So here are a few people who I think are deserving of the title of Natural:

Neil Patrick Harris, Natural comedian.

Evidence - Twitter feed: http://api.twitter.com/#!/ActuallyNPH

NPH started off as a child actor, and to be honest I've never even seen Doogie Howser, MD...so I'm not going to pretend I have. However, I love How I Met Your Mother, the show he's on now. On it, the real-life homosexual Harris plays a ladies' man, and sells it so well that I have had to reassure myself (via wikipedia) multiple times that he's ACTUALLY gay. But apparently I'm not the only one who loves his work: he has a 4 straight Emmy nominations for HIMYM.

Neil finds a way to let his comedic nature show in many different ways - not only on television. For example, he was the namesake of a 5-part sing-along blog (I know, right?), playing Dr. Horrible in....you ready?...Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He even won a Streamy Award for it! Granted, it's probably not as coveted as an Emmy...but still. The point is that he's funny, and it just is going to find peoples' eyes and ears, even through something so unorthodox as Dr. Horrible.

Probably the biggest evidence of NPH's humor is getting to see the world through his eyes (or his fingertips, excuse me) by following him on Twitter. I love seeing how he can turn something mundane into a funny or witty take in 140 characters or less. Cream will rise to the top, and with the whole comedy scene it definitely has since a Natural like Neil Patrick Harris is now rightfully being recognized as funny-man extraordinaire.

Jay-Z, Natural rapper.

Evidence - Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKKLqEqZ81w

There are lots of stories I've heard about Jay that speak of his style in rap. I've heard multiple interviews from fellow rappers who say that, unlike most others, when Jay-Z lays down a track for a song, he does it in one take. No repeats, no do-overs, once he gets into the studio and behind the mic, he just lays down gold.

On a sidenote, that reminds me of one of the best drummers I've ever seen, much less played with: a guy from my high school named Josh Goates. Josh is a good-sized dude, played football in college, that sort of thing - but in life he is mostly, in a word, quiet. Then you see him sit on the drum throne, and he lets the drums do his talking and becomes larger-than-life. The dude, much like Jay-Z, continuously just needs one run-through to play flawlessly. Josh, I would say, is a Natural drummer.

Back to S.Carter. Understanding his background helps to show his style: he grew up wanting to be a rapper, making beats on his kitchen table and rapping 'til the wee hours of the night, then sold drugs and hustled as a way to make money for the ultimate end of making it in the "rap game". To recap, he's not kidding when he has a single like "99 Problems," or "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" - he really has been there, living out the words of his songs. He has all of these stories and experiences that make him who he is, and he shares these complex lifesongs in the most Natural way possible: by rapping them.

He also has 11 #1 albums on the Billboard charts, second only to The Beatles.

LeBron James, Natural basketball player.

Evidence - Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysgY46W4Dao

I'm just going to say this, LeBron is my favorite basketball player in the NBA right now, and actually my favorite in a long time. He has a joy for the game that shows through an infectious smile. He is one of a few elite players who seems to enjoy setting up another guy just as much as he loves to slam down a thunder dunk on a breakaway. He takes as much pride in his defense (including his patent-pending "chase-down blocks") as he does in his mastery on the offensive end. And although pretty much everyone but King James himself can agree that he screwed up his Decision to leave Cleveland for the calm shores of South Beach (the Miami Heat do not actually play their home games in South Beach), I like that he's on the Heat. Now he and two pretty remarkable players can play at very high levels, and I feel sure that LeBron will be grinning his way deep into this summer.

But make no mistake, James isn't just happy to be here - he's leaving his mark on the league. He's the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player, he is #22 all-time in assists per game and #3 in points per game. ALL-TIME. The man is 26 years old.

This brings to mind a debate I think is fairly intriguing: MJ vs. King James. From lots and lots of stories I've heard regarding MJ after retirement, as well as his foray into minor league baseball, I would contend that Michael is one of the hardest working human beings on the planet. However, I'm not sure that he is AS natural of a basketball player as LeBron. That sounds stupid, but you have to watch the off-court actions of both players. Off the court, MJ still is the same as on: cut-throat, and a ruthless competitor (be it on a blackjack table or on a baseball diamond). LeBron off the court? Goofy, immature, and light-hearted. But see him step onto the court and he becomes something else entirely: an efficient machine who sometimes single-handedly wrecks defenses or can turn a game around with a block-to-fastbreak dunk combo. LeBron on the basketball court is effortless. His game just looks so Natural.

Black Swan

Holy crap, it's a really cool feeling to walk out of a movie on January 10th knowing that you just saw the best performance of the year. If not the best altogether movie of the year, I don't think that any actor will flat-out ACT as well as Natalie Portman does in Black Swan.

So let's get all of the fluffy stuff out of the way first. The camera angles were very cool. Having that camera in her face while she danced the whole time was very enlightening, it made me understand that every freaking STEP she takes while she's dancing is measured and prepared...yet ballerinas make it look effortless. I haven't seen any other ballet movies before, or really many non-Step Up dance movies...but they should really think about doing the follow camera in this same style. Also, can we get that type of camera angle in a basketball/football movie? Quite possibly the best sport to show this way...hockey. I'm just riffing here, but would that not be absolutely crazy to see a defenseman or maybe a goalie between the pipes? Whatever, doubt if you want, it's gonna be amazing when Spielberg reads this and takes the idea and makes Mighty Ducks 5.

Now for the acting and the plot. Like I said, Natalie Portman just killed it. She also was apparently under 100 lbs for this movie - are you SERIOUS?! She's already a small girl, that's incredible. And not healthy. Get her back up over a dollar please, thanks. And please Ashton Kutcher, be gentle in No Strings Attached...my baby's fragile. Just kidding, NP and I aren't engaged...yet. The restraining order is about to be repealed, then it's time for wedding preparations!

Portman really seems to play coming-of-age roles really well (Queen Amidala who is always wise beyond her years let on, whatever-her-character's-name-is in V for Vendetta, and now the pretty pretty princess-turned-dark angel), and it just shows her versatility as an actress to really be able to envision a living, breathing character while she's going through the script. I also thought that Mila Kunis really played the fun-loving, carefree San Fran girl to a T (what does that mean anyway?). I really could've done without the lesbian sex scene, especially since I was in a theater full of girls...yeah. I'm pretty sure I still have the holes in the back of my head from all the stare-downs I got during that segment.

The transformation to black swan was incredible, especially with the simple, yet drastic makeup change on her face as she danced to the stark change in costume, it was just completely amazing watching the black swan act (or scene?). And of course to see how the dressing room just became a microcosm of the movie, it was a great parallel universe to have tangible illustrations of underlying themes throughout the movie.

Without giving away any of the plot and especially the ending, I really loved how it ended, I thought it did justice to the movie as a whole, and I loved how the credits rolled with applause in the background. It gave an incredible feeling to the movie, like it was in itself a performance. Also, I think it was an attempt to make all the (ridiculous) people who CLAP AT THE END OF MOVIES feel better. Since they obviously insist on clapping, how do you make that seem less awkward to all the rest of the patrons? Have the movie drown out their claps. Props.

So basically, this movie is good, Natalie Portman is a baller shot-caller, and you should see it for more than a freaking sex scene. Or ballet....ladies.

True Grit

Just got back from True Grit, and as an overarching review let me just say: I liked it. Here are a few take-away thoughts from my movie-watching experience.

- The Coen brothers have slowly gained my trust. They didn't start out with it because their movies have been so weird, but I feel like every movie I watch with them is an interesting story. They are very focused on telling a story, and to put it generally, I like the final product.

- I'm a huge sucker for Matt Damon. I'm a growing fan of Jeff Bridges'. And I really like Josh Brolin. Therefore, this movie was not hard to like. Bridges and Damon both just did great jobs, and it was great to watch them interact with each other.

- With that said, I didn't like the girl's character. I realize that she's supposed to be that high-strung, and honestly her negotiation tactics may or may not be going to be implemented into my life...but she was a handful. Even in her old age, she was someone who I would not love to hang out with for extended amounts of time. But apparently neither did anyone else, or at least not enough to put a ring on it! ZING!

- I loved the musical score. There are different ways to have a recurring theme song go throughout a movie/tv show/etc. You can either go the JAG route (unbearable since its so repetitive and strictly goes by the melody), you can have a "themed" theme like Harry Potter where the whole score is loosely based on a melody, or you can have something like this movie did. They basically walked through the whole song of "Leaning on the everlasting arms", and just cut it up throughout the movie. It made the movie flow very nicely.

So for all of those reasons, I thought the movie was a really cool western, with enough star power to save some negative parts of the acting or script. I recommend going to see it, and enjoy the very frequent jokes and ironies thrown in!

Dude, this show is actually good.

So I've now seen the second episode of The Sing-Off. Here's what I thought about it.

First off, the opening combined song was incredible. There's just something about getting all these amazing lead singers from each group, and having them trade off in machine gun fashion. You get all the best aspects of each singer, and none of their deficiencies since they're only singing a line at a time. I admit, "Use Somebody" has gotten really REALLY old since it came out, but the arrangement was awesome. The show started off with a bang.

The first group up: On the Rocks, the boys from Oregon singing Live Your Life. In addition to being partial to all-male groups, I love taking rap/hip-hop songs and putting them to a cappella arrangements. The dude who sang the Rihanna part sometimes got off-key, but the whole thing seemed like one big party. I also liked how they used the entire stage, it made it seem like they were trying to come out of the TV

Secondly, Street Corner Symphony on Hey Soul Sister. Could've called they'd do something with a high lead, but it was even almost a little too high for him. Watching it, you forget it that they're only 6 people. They fill my whole ear, I don't know how to describe it better than that. They've got an above-average bass and then those two guys do great high harmonies. I feel like each person is individual, but they all come together nicely (like Nota last year). Also, I like how originally they dealt with the bridge - it gave some nice break from one guy's voice.

Also, apparently Ben Folds is writing a recap-style blog about each episode and the individual performances? What a genius...I wish I'd thought of that. (here it is: http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/on-key-with-ben-folds/)

High school group (Eleventh Hour), Bruno Mars - Just the way you are. She's still got a great voice, but I still can't help but think she's the only thing that really deserves to move on in the competition. I mean, LeBron could only bring his team to the Finals - you need some great support to win it all. They deserved to go this round, but they're really good. That just speaks to how good every group really is.

Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town, singing Mercy. These guys are just a lot of fun, and musically they know exactly what they do. I'm curious as to whether they can adapt each week, or whether it will start to sound the same. They're another group that sounds much deeper than just 6.

The Backbeats, singing one of my favorite radio songs (Breakeven by The Script). This lead singer is one of the best in the whole show. At the end when she's going nuts over the top of everybody else - that's the soundtrack to heaven, if you ask me. They're a favorite, even though they still cheated by stealing Sing-Off vets!

Committed, singing Apologize by Onerepublic. Whoosh, these guys can turn an overplayed radio song into some of the best 2 minutes of my life (only slight exaggeration). It's awesome to see that yet another group member has killer pipes. Not much to say here, these guys are head and shoulders and torso ahead of the rest of the competition.

Groove for Thought, Mike Posner, Cooler than me. These guys definitely can sang mayn, and their lead singer's voice reminds me a lot of Justin Nozuka - not a bad thing. The girls definitely added to the overall performance, and I honestly think this could be the performance of the night. Dang, it was great - loved the stand-up bass impersonator.

The Whiffenpoofs, singing a great song - Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble. Didn't love the lead singers, except for the ginger. He was great, and added some personality. They are like the best accompanying band ever, but I guess they only have one great lead singer (I loved Mr. Grace Kelly), and his voice was a little too high for this song I guess? So yeah, they got stuck in the harder side of the bracket, and they don't get to move on.

I'm saying that Committed, then Groove For Thought, Street Corner Symphony, Backbeats, then Jerry Lawson and On the Rocks rounding out the group. The funny thing is, I think On the Rocks could've made the top 3 last season. I'm excited for next week!

The Sing-Off, Season 2!

I love the sing-off, it was amazing last year. They've got a kind of eclectic mix of judges/host: Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), and Ben Folds are the judges...and Nick Lachey from 98 degrees and Jessica Simpson-fame is the host. If you haven't seen it, check out, it's worth it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wldcHwwRHKg&feature=related

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaLBrIZFP68&feature=related

Those are the two finalists from last year, and they were clearly the two best of the season. However, some (aka myself) may think that they picked the wrong winner.

So when I saw that the second season was coming on, I just got so stoked. Here's the rundown of this season:

High school group from Ohio, co-ed - they sang a Justin Bieber song, they're the youngest in the competition, and it kinda sounded like it. I was shocked to see that they moved on to the next round.

Oregon group, all-male - they had a viral video of them singing Bad Romance (watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUWfL32S5PA), and they remind me of the Beelzebubs from last season. They're an early favorite of mine.

Seattle jazz group, co-ed - they're a group of music teachers, so they're really musically solid. However, they're smaller, and a little older, so the energy isn't really as high as with some of the other groups (for the record, I think that isn't what they're going for though). While I didn't love them, they did sing "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder, so they get bonus points from me.

Pitch Slapped, co-ed - funniest group name, and they're from Berklee college of music...so they're studs vocally. They have some intricate harmonies/notes they can hit, that not many other groups could. With that said, it was hilarious that this group of music students comes out with "Good Girls Go Bad". I still can't believe that they got kicked off! It's rigged. I'm calling it right now.

Jerry Lawson and the Talk of Town, all-male - super-enjoyable, motown a cappella. This guy used to be in an R&B group, and I don't know how old he is, but he can definitely still sing. I've got a soft spot in my heart for this type of music, I love it.

The Whiffenpoofs, all-male - Yale student group, oldest a cappella group ever apparently? Really, really liked how they did "Grace Kelly". They're another early favorite.

Men of Note, all-male - great lead singer, and really solid vocally top-to-bottom. They just got stuck in the second group, and every other group was better than them, although barely.

Street Corner Symphony, all-male - good ole boys from Tennessee with a hipster singer, they're really united as a group, but nothing really stuck out to me.

The Backbeats, co-ed - my sister loves this band, and she's got a point. They're a supergroup, and they sound like it, but I'm not all the way on-board yet. But then again, maybe I'm intimidated by a girl beatboxer.

Committed, all-male - gospel group of black boys from 'Bama, these dudes are amazing. Oh my goodness. Can I just say how weird it is to have your beatboxer have a solo - and then jump right back into beatboxing? I am committed to committed.