April 30, 2013

Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 10: Haunted Honeymoon

A Retroview Review. 
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!


Haunted Honeymoon sort of slipped its way into the festival. I'd seen it before when I was a kid, and didn't put it on my list, but after watching the Expendables, and randomly seeing it in my suggested queue, the people I had over and I thought it'd be a good companion piece. Haunted Honeymoon, for those of you who don't know, was Gilda Radner's last movie before she died of ovarian cancer. Watching it honestly feels like we're looking in on a fever-dream during the last few days of love bird's Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder's marriage. Going in to this movie with this knowledge adds a strange dynamic, watching Gene and Gilda unknowingly fall into a potentially life threatening situation, and laugh, dance, and sing their way out of it feels like an all to apt swan song. But it also makes it harder to watch, because now, looking back, we know it's a swan song, but at the time that it was being made, they were still fighting hard to make it more than that. And, outside of the movie, happily ever after didn't really come through for G&G. A heartbreaking movie without ever intending to be one.

-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com


April 23, 2013

Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 9: The Expendables

A Retroview Review. 
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!



The Expendables is everything that you think it is. It's a throwback to the testosterone-driven explosion-smorgasbord era of cinema, and really nothing more. At this point in my festival, a few friends had come over, and a few drinks were had, so any semblance of what the plot of this movie was almost entirely lost on me, but, as you probably guessed it, that didn't really matter. There were big manly men fighting each other, huge explosions, cameos, and every other sort of unabashedly self serving, masturbatory aspect of the epics given homage by this overblown production. Oh yeah, and it also totally ruled. It was just too much fun, even at its most base moments.



-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com



April 16, 2013

Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 8: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

A Retroview Review. 
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!



Uncle Boonmee is a hard movie to really review.  It's certainly beautiful, and definitely an experience, but it's not for everyone.  It's another slow and contemplative movie, floating by at glacial speed. What is happening in the plot takes a back seat to deliberately weighty silences and long stretches of either metaphorical or literal wanderings.  I did like it, and found it uncannily beautiful, but I can't say I really understood what was happening, and found myself getting so lost in it that I zoned out, my mind going on trips of it's own.  When it would come back, it would appear that nothing much had changed since I left.  If explored more deeply, I may come out of it with a deeper understanding of the plot or even the message, but I'm not sure I'll be quick to revisit this admittedly strange and beautiful movie.

-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com

April 15, 2013

SLM Mixtape #53: if only


Peace In the Valley - Marva Whitney
That's How Strong My Love Is - The Gaylettes
I'm Coming Home (To See My Mother) - Clifton Chenier
Anyone Can Move A Mountain - Marlena Shaw
Go Now - Bessie Banks
Parallelograms - Linda Perhacs
Love is Blue - Sylvie Vartan
All I Can Do is Cry - Johnny Bond and His Red River Valley Boys

April 14, 2013

Show review: Now, Now, 4/11/2013

Last Thursday, I was cordially invited to see Minneapolis' now relatively established indie rock crew Now, Now (formerly Now, Now Every Children).  After a series of opening-set tours, and a spot on Jimmy Fallon, they've return to Denver on their second headlining tour, their first in a few years.

I picked up their first release back in '08 and found it nothing short of charming and heartwarming, and was excited to see how their new material would stand up live.  After two openers who did nothing but cause concern for the outcome of Now, Now's performance, I was quickly rewarded for my patience.  Now, Now continues to be the real deal.

Now, Now's now three members quietly set their things up on stage, did a quick check up on the levels, and them warmly eased into their first song.  Now, Now's performance was reserved, calculated.  There didn't seem to be a single note out of place, or thoughtlessly added.  There being the lack of a talented producer to filter their performance through, they had to rely on their ability to live up to their recorded sound, and they wonderfully.

Now Now's songs are patient, in no rush to win you over, rewarding you for your own patience with winsome, kinetic, tempestuous verses and choruses. Their Sleater-Kinney set up, but with occasional programmed keyboard tracks as bass back up, flaunted their understanding of the necessity to be as tonally aware as they are, that more volume, more drum fills, more vocal inflections don't make an interesting or enjoyable song, it's the attention to detail and pure, unwavering sense of direction that makes a song special.

Now, Now is currently on tour, and you'd be remiss to miss them:

Apr 14    The Blue Moose TapHouse, Iowa City, IA
Apr 15    Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Apr 16    Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
Apr 17    Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN
Apr 19    Highdive, Champaign, IL
Apr 20    Young Avenue Deli, Memphis, TN
Apr 21    Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX
Apr 22    Stubb's BBQ, Austin, TX
Apr 24    Pub Rock Live, Scottsdale, AZ
Apr 25    The Loft (UCSD), La Jolla, CA
Apr 26    The Wire, Upland, CA
Apr 27    Satellite Club, Los Angeles, CA
Apr 28    Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA
Apr 30    Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
May 01    Cozmic Pizza, Eugene, OR
May 02    Mississippi Studios,Portland, OR
May 03    ELECTRIC OWL, Vancouver, Canada
May 04    The Crocodile, Seattle, WA








April 9, 2013

Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 7: Trollhunter

A Retroview Review. 
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!


There were moments while watching TrollHunter that I was leaning forward, jaw agape, eyes wide, and heart racing. It doesn't have to rely on the audience pretending they're watching a "real" found footage movie, which honestly makes the movie more engaging and a hell of a lot more fun. Yes it's a bit of a Blair Witch rip off, but it I think it accomplishes a thing that Blair Witch would have killed to: It's a blast to watch. I was laughing and smiling the whole time. It's a fun, unassuming, unexpected adventure.
 
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com


April 8, 2013

SLM Mixtape #52: Lives, Lived



Song Of Songs - Two Gallants
Seen It All - Jake Bugg
Dream Girls - The Fresh & Onlys
Child of God - Josephine Foster
Greeneyed Monster - Jena Malone
Lines - Lucy Rose
Eric - I Was A King
All Cats Are Grey in the Dark - Henry Adam Svec

April 2, 2013

Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 6: I Love You Phillip Morris

A Retroview Review. 
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!

I Love You Phillips Morris is a fun, funny, twisted tale of one man's selfishness never really catching up to him. The moral of the story may have been lost, but with this movie it really is all about watching this based-on-a-true-story movie unfold. Jim Carrey's portrayal of real life Steven Jay Russel is charming and hypnotic, most of the joy found in the movie being derived from watching him get away with all of the just-barely-believable madness that occurs throughout the movie. Jim and Ewan act their tushes off in the playful, colorful, outrageous, blast of a movie. Definitely the feel-good-movie of year (two years ago).


-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com


April 1, 2013

SLM Mixtape #51: Chariot




Tracklist:
Rooster - Doron Diamond
Family Tree - Evening Hymns
A Lifetime in Heat - The Guggenheim Grotto
Leviathan - God's Little Eskimo
Boyfriend - Chelsea Wolfe
Cabin In The Burn - Evening Hymns
USA - Yellow Ostrich
Thumb - Meursault