Movie Review: True Grit

The Western genre has always appealed to me. I've seen a good number of classic westerns, including a good deal of Clint Eastwood's classics. When it comes to True Grit, I haven't seen the John Wayne original, I have heard great things about it, but haven't gotten around to seeing it. On the other hand, The Coen Brothers update of True Grit, is the best western I have seen in quite some time.

True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross(Hailee Steinfield), whose father was brutally murdered by an outlaw drifter named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Determined to catch Chaney and see him hung for his crime, Mattie seeks help of Marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track Chaney down. Skeptical at first, Cogburn reluctantly agrees to Mattie's offer. Also along for the ride is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon), who is in pursuit to bring down Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator.

True Grit is a hell of a western. The Coen Brothers are the main reason this works so well. In the hands of lesser directors, this could have been a disaster, but The Coen Brothers' immense talent is on display here. Their script crackles with wit, humor, and sharp dialogue. It's great to see them bring their trademark style to a true western (No Country For Old Men could be considered a modern western due to its setting). Each scene is finely tuned and well thought out; the Coen are true craftsman at directing.

The acting is also superb. Jeff Bridges does a damn fine job as Cogburn, embracing the character and playing him as an old,miserable drunk. He also shows off his comedic skills which haven't been on display since his turn as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Bridges' performance here makes me forget about the abnomination that was Tron: Legacy (which did the impossible, make Bridges looks like a bad actor). I also have to give major kudos to Haliee Stienfeld. She's only 14 years old, but I can say her performance in this film should help her gain a long and successful career. She has the talent and poise of an actress twice her age.

The one gripe that I had with this film that single-handedly dropped this out of my top 5 for the year, was the fact that the entire premise of the film, the tracking down of Chaney, was resolved with very little build-up or tension. Brolin only has about 10 minutes of screen time total. I found the ending to be very anti-climatic and it lowered the quality of the film a little bit.

Still, True Grit is a great film. This is the Coen Brothers most accessible film to date and as usual, they knock it out of the park. Their script and direction is brilliant. The acting is dynamite all around and I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Bridges and Haliee Stienfeld pick up Oscar nods, they deserve them. True Grit is the best western since Unforgiven.

4.5/5 Stars

A Couple of Quick Movie Reviews

I saw another couple of 2010 releases on DVD recently, here are my quick reviews.

Legion: The only reason I watched this film was because it was on Instant Watch on Netflix and I am trying to hit my goal of 50 2010 films before the end of the year. Legion is a serious mess of a movie. Way too dumb and unintentionally funny to be entertaining. Throw in some overacting and a nonsensical ending and you have a recipe for one of the worst films of 2010.
1.5/5 Stars

Green Zone: Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon team up once again for this Iraq-war drama. This is actually a pretty good film. It blends action, drama and a message pretty nicely. Matt Damon turn in a respectable performance here as well. It does get a little bogged down towards the end which takes away from the film a bit, Still it's a nice little action/drama film.
3.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky's is one of the most ambitious filmmakers of our time. After his most straight-forward( but still fantastic) The Wrestler, he goes back to his signature style with Black Swan. Black Swan bends your mind in the signature Aronofsky style.

Black Swan centers around Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman). Nina is a dancer in a New York ballet company. Nina gets her big break when the director of the ballet Leroy (Vincent Cassel), when he casts Nina as the lead in Swan Lake. Nina will be playing both the White and Black Swan in the play. As Nina prepares for the role, she begins to become overwhelmed with pressure. In addition to the pressure, she becomes jealous of a new dancer named Lily (Mila Kunis) and begins to lose her grasp on reality.

Black Swan is an experience. This is an intense film that also acts as a workout on the psyche. It's basically the definition of a mindfuck. You don't know what's real and what's not. This film left me in absolute awe after watching. The entire film is filled with nice little surprises and Darren Aronofsky's manic, artistic style. Only a director like him could make a film like this. He knows how to engage an audience so perfectly and he is truly a craftsman when it comes to filmmaking.

A big reason this film works so well is the performance of Natalie Portman. Watching her character's transformation from innocent dancer to unstable lunatic is fascinating to watch. Portman deserves some serious Oscar consideration for this role. Rarely do you see an actress make such a transformation into her character. Portman's performance is excellent, deep, disturbing, sensual and at times, strangely gorgeous.

Black Swan is a movie that will stick with you after viewing. I saw this film on Tuesday and it took me a few days to write this review, this is a film that needs to sink in for a little while before you form your views on it. It's a highly disturbing, brutal film that twists your mind and doesn't let go. This goes beyond a film, it's a piece of dark art. Darren Aronofsky is a twisted genius, he is one of the most original directors in Hollywood today. Natalie Portman is superb and Milia Kunis gives a great performance as well. Black Swan is a masterpiece that will have you thinking about it for weeks afterwards.

4.5/5 Stars

Mayhem Fest 2011 Rumors

As usual, with the Mayhem Fest lineup announcement coming at the end of January, the rumor mill is working overtime. Normally, half the lineup is known by this point in time, but this year there is conflicting information and no one really has a clue who will be on it. These are the bands that are being heavily rumored to be in talks.
Disturbed
System Of A Down
Godsmack
Deftones
All That Remains
As I Lay Dying
Skeletonwitch
Cradle Of Filth
Dimmu Borgir
Unearth
Trivium
Devildriver
Kingdom Of Sorrow
Children Of Bodom
Born Of Osiris
All Shall Perish
Rammstein
Darkest Hour

We'll see how many of these bands actually end up on there. Arch Enemy,Children Of Bodom, Cradle Of Filth and Trivium are all playing Wacken in Germany, so they most likely won't be there, but Bullet For My Valentine played Wacken in 2009 and were still on Mayhem. I hope the 2011 lineup is another good one for Mayhem and I am eager to find out what bands will actually play.

Movie Review: Tron: Legacy

Oh lord another December, another shitfest blockbuster that I had zero interest in seeing that I ended up seeing against my will. Last year around the same time, I saw Avatar. I'm not going into detail about that experience right now, but let's say I didn't enjoy it. Tron: Legacy suffers from the same issues as Avatar, it's a high-budget ball of shit with almost zero redeeming qualities.

Tron: Legacy picks up where the first installment left off, but let's be honest did anyone really see the original? Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappears in 1989, after telling his son about "The Grid" and two programs known as Tron and Clu that are assisting him creating the perfect virtual world. Fast forward twenty years and Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is still haunted by his father's disappearance. After a visit from one of his dad's best friend's Alan (Bruce Boxletiner) informing him of a page he got from his dad's old arcade, Sam pays a visit to the arcade. When Sam arrives to the arcade, he discovers the world that his dad has created. The world Kevin Flynn has created has been overrun by Clu(also played by Bridges). Sam needs to help out his father and help overrun Clu and regain control of the world his father created.

Tron: Legacy is a steaming turd of a film. It seriously fails at everything it tries to do. For a movie that's supposed to have these crazy action scenes, it falls way short in that department. In it's 2 hour runtime, there is about 3 action scenes and they are all terrible. It seriously feels like you are watching a Beyblade cartoon. You really don't see action this poorly done very often. The storyline is also fucking stupid, the story is paper thin and nonsensical. This wouldn't be such a big issue if it didn't try to develop it so strongly. The entire movie is trying to build this epic, super-serious plot when it's completely unaware how cheesy and flat-out fucking dumb it is. The acting is also god awful. Garrett Hedlund looks baffled the entire duration of the film and is one of the worst heroes in recent memory. You know your film is in trouble when one of the finest actors around, Jeff Bridges, turns in a weak performance. This is the worst performance I have ever seen from the normally spectacular Bridges, Apparently the dog shit acting virus was contagious on set.

Sure Tron: Legacy is nice to look at, but it's pretty much the film equivalent of owning a Ferrari with no motor, it's nice to look at, but it's fucking useless. This is pretty much the 2010 version of Avatar. It's an overhyped, fanboy-driven machine that takes itself way too seriously, has lame action, cheesy dialogue, and weak acting. Outside of the visuals and Daft Punk's soundtrack, Tron: Legacy is a heavy handed turd ball that highly underwhelms as a film and delivers no thrills or excitement. This holiday season, do yourself a favor, stay home and do anything at all, it will spare you the pain of watching Tron: Legacy.

1.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: The Fighter

It's December, when means awards season is right around the corner. December is the month were most of the studios release their Oscar Bait films and quite frankly, it's an exciting time of the year for film. As a film fan, it's exciting to see the award contenders to see what films are worthy of the hype and the ones that fall short. The Fighter is in the former camp and is deserving of all of the nominations it's getting.

The Fighter tells the true story of "Irish" Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg), a boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts. Ward had struggled to breakout in his career, considered to be a stepping stone for better fighters. Ward is trained by his brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), an ex-boxer who once fought Sugar Ray Leonard. The rest of Ward's family especially his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo) are highly involved in his boxing career. After Dickie is thrown in jail for his violent and destructive behavior due to his drug addiction, Micky decides it would be in his best intrest to move on without his mother and brother. Micky begins to achieve success and rise up the ranks of the fight ladder. Once Dickie is released from jail, Micky has to chose between continuing with his current trainer or his family which have caused problems in the past.

The Fighter delievers on all levels. This isn't just a film about boxing, it's a story about family and the issues they can cause. The acting all around is top-notch. Mark Wahlberg does a fine job as Ward. He is a charismatic, likeable underdog that you want to see succeed and reach his goals. The film is really stolen by Christian Bale and Amy Adams. Bale is scary good as Dickie Eklund. He gets so in to his character, that you seriously believe that he is a drug addict. Bale is pretty much a lock for the Best Supporting Actor, his performance is outstanding. Adams is equally effective as Ward's girlfriend, Charlene. It's such a drastic change in characters for Adams to be playing and she proves she is up to the challenge. She really took a risk playing this character and it pays off big time.

Another aspect The Fighter did a great job with was the fight scenes. The boxing sequences are brutal and highly realistic. You can feel the intensity of each punch. I really don't think I have seen another boxing film with fight scenes this good. These fight scenes are expertly done.

The Fighter is one of the absolute best films of 2010. It's expertly acted, written, deep and winning film. Bale and Adams are more than deserving of Oscars and are really a marvel to watch. They captured the sport of boxing with a biting realism. The Fighter is much more than a boxing film, it's a story of an underdog, it's a story about family and it's a story about overcoming turmoil and every obstacle imaginable to achieve your dream. The Fighter should get some recognition around Oscar time and rightfully so, it's a brilliant film.

4.5/5 Stars

2010 In Music: A Year In Review.

2010 was a solid year for music. 2010 had a hard act to follow after 2009, which was the best year for music in recent memory. 2010 did have a fair share of letdowns (Kylesa, Exodus,Eminem, Arsis,Rob Zombie), surprises(Deftones,Annotations Of An Autopsy) and killer debuts (Black Breath,Howl,Son Of Auerlius). Overall, 2010 was a pretty good year for music. Looking on to the future, 2011 has a lot of great artists releasing new material so next year should be great. Here is my ranking of every single EP and Full Length that I listened to this year complete with star ratings.

EP's
4.The Devil Wears Prada-Zombie EP(3.5/5)
3.Chiddy Bang-The Preview(3.5/5)
2.Atmosphere-To All My Friends,Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's(4/5)
1.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Mafia(4/5)

LP's
57.Eminem Recovery(1.5/5)
56.Carnifex-Hell Chose Me(1.5/5)
55. Bring Me The Horizon-There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret.(1.5/5)
54.Godsmack-The Oracle(1.5/5)
53.Iron Maiden-The Final Frontier(1.5/5)
52.Rob Zombie-Hellbilly Deluxe 2(2/5)
51.Bullet For My Valentine-Fever(2.5/5)
50.Disturbed-Aslyum(2.5/5)
49.Avenged Sevenfold-Nightmare(2.5/5)
48.Black Tusk-Taste The Sin(2.5/5)
47.Mutiny Within-Mutiny Within(2.5/5)
46.Exodus-Exhibit B: The Human Condition(2.5/5)
45.Fear Factory-Mechanize(2.5/5)
44.Kylesa-Spiral Shadow(2.5/5)
43.The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-Danza III: A Series Of Unfortunate Events(3/5)
42.A Day To Remember-What Separates Me From You(3/5)
41.Demon Hunter-The World Is A Thorn(3/5)
40.Miss May I-Monument(3/5)
39.Beneath The Sky-In Loving Memory(3/5)
38.Arsis-Starve For The Devil(3/5)
37.Nachtmystium-Addicts: Black Meddle Part 2(3/5)
36.Abigail Williams-In The Absence Of Light(3.5/5)
35.Korn-Korn III: Remember Who You Are(3.5/5)
34.Cephalic Carnage-Misled By Certainty(3.5/5)
33.Dark Tranquility-We Are The Void(3.5/5)
32.Cancer Bats-Bears,Mayors,Scraps and Bones(3.5/5)
31.GWAR-Bloody Pit Of Horror(3.5/5)
30.Whitechapel-A New Era Of Corruption(3.5/5)
29.Parkway Drive-Deep Blue(3.5/5)
28.Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers-Mojo(3.5/5)
27.After The Burial-In Dreams(3.5/5)
26.Through The Eyes Of The Dead-Skepsis(3.5/5)
25.Deftones-Diamond Eyes(3.5/5)
24.Terror-Keepers Of The Faith(4/5)
23.All That Remains-For We Are Many...(4/5)
22.Bison B.C-Dark Ages(4/5)
21.Eluveitie-Everything Remains As It Never Was(4/5)
20.War Of Ages-Eternal(4/5)
19.Veil Of Maya-(id)(4/5)
18.Black Breath-Heavy Breathing(4/5)
17.Vampire Weekend-Contra(4/5)
16.Annotations Of An Autopsy-II: The Reign Of Darkness(4/5)
15.The Acacia Strain-Wormwood(4/5)
14.Finntroll-Nifelvind(4/5)
13.Coheed and Cambria-Year Of The Black Rainbow(4/5)
12.Unleashed-As Ygdrasil Trembles(4/5)
11.Volbeat-Beyond Hell/Above Heaven(4/5)
10.Son Of Auerlius-The Farthest Reaches(4/5)
9.Howl-Full Of Hell(4/5)
8.Nas/Damian Marley-Distant Relatives(4/5)
7.Landmine Marathon-Sovereign Descent(4/5)
6.The Sword-Warp Riders(4/5)
5.Overkill-Ironbound(4.5/5)
4.Intronaut-Valley Of Smoke(4.5/5)
3.High On Fire-Snakes For The Divine(4.5/5)
2.As I Lay Dying-The Powerless Rise(4.5/5)
1.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Option Paralysis(5/5)

Albums I heard bits and pieces of, but not enough to rank
Sick Of It All-Based On A True Story
The Ocean-Heliocentric
Stone Sour-Audio Secrecy
Heathen-Evolution Of Chaos
Oceano-Contagion
Decrepit Birth-Polarity
Chelsea Grin-Desloation Of Eden(I really wish I hadn't heard of this)
Kingdom Of Sorrow-Behind The Blackest Tears
Periphery-Periphery
Torche-Songs For Singles
Arcade Fire-The Suburbs

Albums I didn't the chance to listen to that I plan to check in the future
Watain-Lawless Darkness
The Red Shore-The Avarice Of Man
Conducting From The Grave-Revenants
Orbs-Asleep Next To Science
Cruel Hand-Lock and Key
Misery Index-Heirs To Theivery
The Damned Things-Ironiclast
Johnny Cash-American VI: Ain't No Grave
Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009) Recap

Here is the complete list/recap of my picks for albums of the decade, as well as some records that just missed the cut.

Best Albums Of The Decade 2000-2009
100.Cannibal Corpse-Kill(2006)
99.Korn-Take A Look In The Mirror(2003)
98.Atmosphere-When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold(2008)
97.Chimaira-The Impossibilty Of Reason(2003)
96.Arch Enemy-Doomsday Machine(2005)
95.Nas-Untitled(2008)
94.Pantera-Reinventing The Steel(2000)
93.Machine Head-The Blackening(2007)
92.Rise Against-The Sufferer and The Witness(2006)
91.Madvillain-Madvillainy(2004)
90.Darkest Hour-Deliver Us(2007)
89.Amon Amarth-With Oden On Our Side(2006)
88.Andrew W.K-I Get Wet(2001)
87.Unearth-III: In The Eyes Of Fire(2006)
86.Between The Buried and Me-The Silent Circus(2003)
85.The Red Chord-Fed Through The Teeth Machine(2009)
84.Incubus-A Crow Left Of The Murder...(2004)
83.Municipal Waste-Hazardous Mutation(2005)
82.Rammstien-Mutter(2001)
81.Rob Zombie-The Sinister Urge(2001)
80.Baroness-Red Album(2007)
79.Jedi Mind Tricks-Violent By Design(2000)
78.Foo Fighters-In Your Honor(2005)
77.Protest The Hero-Fortress(2008)
76.3 Inches Of Blood-Advance and Vanquish(2004)
75.System Of A Down-Mezmerize(2005)
74.All That Remains-The Fall Of Ideals(2006)
73.Avenged Sevenfold-City Of Evil(2005)
72.Killswitch Engage-As Daylight Dies(2006)
71.Lamb Of God-Sacrament(2006)
70.Baroness-Blue Record(2009)
69.Lazarus A.D-The Onslaught(2009)
68.System Of A Down-Hypnotize(2005)
67.Eminem-The Eminem Show(2002)
66.Municipal Waste-The Art Of Partying(2007)
65.Lacuna Coil-Karmacode(2006)
64.Alice In Chains-Black Gives Way To Blue(2009)
63.Tool-10,000 Days(2006)
62.Lamb Of God-As The Palaces Burn(2003)
61.Converge-Jane Doe(2001)
60.Goatwhore-Carving Out The Eyes Of God(2009)
59.Skeletonwitch-Breathing The Fire(2009)
58.Immortal Technique-Revloutionary Vol.2(2003)
57.Intronaut-Prehistorcisms(2008)
56.God Forbid-Earthsblood(2009)
55.High On Fire-Death Is This Communion(2007)
54.3 Inches Of Blood-Fire Up The Blades(2007)
53.Behemoth-Evangellion(2009)
52.Jedi Mind Tricks-Visions Of Ghandi(2003)
51.Muse-Absolution(2003)
50.Slipknot-All Hope Is Gone(2008)
49.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Ire Works(2007)
48.Doom-Born Like This(2009)
47.Between The Buried and Me-Alaska(2006)
46.Disturbed-The Sickness(2000)
45.Megadeth-Endgame(2009)
44.Down-Down III: Over The Under(2007)
43.Lamb Of God-Wrath(2009)
42.Unearth-The March(2008)
41.Outkast-Speakerboxxx/The Love Below(2003)
40.Skeletonwitch-Beyond The Permafrost(2007)
39.Gojira-The Way Of All Flesh(2008)
38.The Black Dahlia Murder-Miasma(2005)
37.Killswitch Engage-Alive Or Just Breathing(2002)
36.As I Lay Dying-Shadows Are Security(2005)
35.Mastodon-Remission(2002)
34.Linkin Park-Meteora(2003)
33.Queens Of The Stone Age-Lullabies To Paralyze(2005)
32.The Faceless-Planetary Duality(2008)
31.The Black Dahlia Murder-Nocturnal(2007)
30.The Dillinger Escape Plan-Miss Machine(2004)
29.Hatebreed-The Rise Of Brutality(2003)
28.Atmosphere-God Loves Ugly(2002)
27.The Black Dahlia Murder-Deflorate(2009)
26.Coheed and Cambria-In Keeping Secrets Of Slient Earth: 3(2003)
25,The Red Chord-Clients(2005)
24.The Mars Volta-Frances The Mute(2005)
23.Coheed and Cambria-Good Apollo I'm Buring Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness(2005)
22.Atmosphere-Seven's Travels(2003)
21.Children Of Bodom-Hate Crew Deathroll(2003)
20.Behemoth-Demigod(2004)
19.MF Doom-MM..Food(2004)
18.Mastodon-Crack The Skye(2009)
17.Outkast-Stankonia(2000)
16.Muse-Black Holes and Revelations(2006)
15.Queens Of The Stone Age-Songs For The Deaf(2002)
14.Linkin Park-Hybrid Theory(2000)
13.High On Fire-Blessed Black Wings(2005)
12.Lamb Of God-Ashes Of The Wake(2004)
11.Jedi Mind Tricks-Servants In Heaven,Kings In Hell(2006)
10.Killswitch Engage-End Of Heartache(2004)
9.Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP(2000)
8.Gojira-From Mars To Sirus(2005)
7.In Flames-Clayman(2000)
6.Children Of Bodom-Follow The Reaper(2000)
5.System Of A Down-Toxicity(2001)
4.Between The Buried and Me-Colors(2007)
3.Mastodon-Leviathan(2004)
2.Between The Buried and Me-The Great Misdirect(2009)
1.Mastodon-Blood Mountain(2006)

Honorable Mentions:
Suffocation-Souls To Deny(2004)
The Faceless-Akeldama(2006)
Nile-Those Whom The Gods Detest(2009)
Nile-Annihillation Of The Wicked(2005)
Hatebreed-Hatebreed(2009)
System Of A Down-Steal This Album!(2002)
Dark Tranquility-Character(2005)
Shadows Fall-The War Within(2004)
Nas-Stillmatic(2001)
Blink-182-Take Off Your Pants and Jacket(2001)

Quick Movie Reviews For Films I Have Recently Seen On DVD.

I have seen a number of 2010 films in the past month on DVD. Since these films came out in theaters a few months ago, I am not going to write full-length reviews for them. Here are my thoughts on these films.

Toy Story 3: The first two Toy Story films were among my favorite films as a kid. I heard so much hype about Toy Story 3 prior to seeing it. Thankfully, it lives up to the hype. This is a really great closer to the franchise. It has all the fun and laughs of the previous two. Pixar has hit another home run and Toy Story 3 is pretty much a lock for the top 10 of 2010.
4.5/5 Stars

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: From living up to the hype to falling way short of it. When Scott Pilgrim was first released, I wanted nothing to do with it. I thought it looked god awful. I saw Scott Pilgrim because of the overwhelmingly positive reaction it got. While it's not a bad film, its really nothing special. I spent the entire duration of the film expecting it to get better, but it never did. It had it's moments for sure and I did laugh a decent amount, it's just not that funny. I just don't really get the hype behind this one.
3/5 Stars

Jonah Hex:Man, what a wasted opportunity. Jonah Hex could have been a hard-R,gritty, bad-ass action flick, instead it settles for a Wild Wild West ripoff. The biggest issue with this film is the editing, it feel like it was cut with a scalpel. It runs a brief 81 minutes and the film feels like it is missing big pieces. John Malkovich is such a horrible villain, hands down worst performance of his career. Josh Brolin does do a good job as Hex and a couple of the action scenes are kind of cool, but it's not enough to save this film. Not as bad as it has been made out to be, but it's still far from good .
2/5 Stars

A Nightmare On Elm Street: I'm not a big horror fan, but I've always like the original A Nightmare On Elm Street. Freddy Kruger is such an iconic character and Wes Craven's original is a horror classic. This reboot is actually pretty decent. Jackie Earle Haley carries the film as Freddy. He is just as creepy as Robert Englund in the role and his performance alone is enough to make this worth watching. A Nightmare On Elm Street is not without it's flaws and bad acting, but it's a decent remake that's worth your time.
3/5 Stars

Grown Ups: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider team up and the results are mixed. The first 30 minutes are actually very funny. It does lose steam throughout the rest of the film though. The cast is very likeable and it's nice to see them all in the same film. Not nearly as good as it could of have been, but it also could have been a lost worse.
3/5 Stars

Robin Hood: Ridley Scott's take on Robin Hood is a good one. The action sequences are really well done. Scott has a niche for creating awesome battle sequences and this is no expection. Russell Crowe does a good job as always in the role of Robin Hood. This film is a lot like Scott and Crowe's 2000 collaboration Gladiator, except not as good. Robin Hood is an enjoyable ride and a pretty good way to spend 2+ hours.
3.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: 127 Hours

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have really put off writing this review. I saw this film a couple of weeks ago I just did not got around to writing this review.

In 2003, I remember being amazed when hearing about the story of Aron Ralston. Aron Ralston had his arm trapped by a boulder inside of an isolated canyon in Utah for 5 days before he decided to amputate his arm to save his life. Ralston's story is one of bravery and courage and 127 Hours captures his story.

In 127 Hours, James Franco portrays Aron Ralston. Franco's performance is outstanding. He is just about the only character in the entire film and he pretty much carries the entire film on his back. He gets extremely emotionally invested in the performance and showcases every bit of talent he has as an actor. Sometimes I forget how great of an actor Franco is. This is the toughest role he has ever played and he nails it. Though I haven't really seen any of the other Oscar Bait films yet, I would say Franco is a leading contender for Best Actor.

127 Hours examines Ralston in-depth. Nothing is left to the imagination. You can really feel his struggles and they are documented to the fullest extent. It is fascinating to watch Ralston go through the stages of denial, depression, insanity, and in the end,triumph. Danny Boyle really deserves a lot of credit for setting the tense mood. The camera angles he chose and his style of direction are very effective and add a really intense touch to the film.

127 Hours is a great and deep film. It's highly emotional and by the end of the film, inspiring. James Franco gives a career-defining performance. The depth and power he gives to the role of Aron Ralston is astonishing. Franco really doesn't get enough credit as an actor and hopefully this performance gives him the respect he deserves. 127 Hours prevails as an inspiring piece of cinema.

4/5 Stars

Coming Attractions

Attention All( and by all I mean the 2-3 people that read my blog on a consistent basis)
I've got a bunch of shit i've been working on for the next weeks. First off, I going to finally post a review of 127 Hours. I saw it weeks ago, I just never wrote a review for it. Also, next week i'm going to post my year-end music list. My year-end film wrap-up will be completed in January after I see some more films this month in theaters and on DVD. I expect to see True Grit,The Fighter and Black Swan this month, so reviews for those should appear this month. In addition to these, I am also working on a couple of longer pieces that should fun. As always, thank you for reading my blog, I value each and every person that reads this. It means the world to me and stay tuned for this stuff and more!

Chris Maitland

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #1

1.Mastodon-Blood Mountain(2006)

Not only is Blood Mountain my favorite album of the decade, it's my favorite album of all time. I have never heard a perfect album in my entire life. Blood Mountain blends together seemlessly their progessive and heavy elements. The record is full of brilliance and each song is layered,complex and bad-ass. From the thunderous drum intro on "The Wolf Is Loose" to the Star-Wars esque prog-fest "Sleeping Giant", Mastodon's verstillity is prominent throughout The riffs, as usual, are epic and the drumming by Brann Dailor is unreal. The production is crystal clear and the album sounds prestine. Blood Mountain is an absolutely unreal album that continues blow my mind even 4 years later.

Standout Tracks 1.The Wolf Is Loose 2.Crystal Skull 3.Circle Of Cysquatch

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #2

2.Between The Buried and Me-The Great Misdirect(2009)

After their 2007 mastepiece Colors, Between The Buried and Me pushed the boundaries of music even further with The Great Misdirect. The Great Misdirect is a crushing, complex, whirlwind of a record. The experimentation and tempo changes are astonshing. With these frantic tempo changes, Tommy Rodgers shines. He has never sounded better and proves yet again why he is one of the best vocalists around. The Great Misdirect excels on so many levels and Between The Buried and Me created another stirring piece of art.

Standout Tracks 1.Disease, Injury,Madness 2.Swim To The Moon 3.Fossil Genera-A Feed From Cloud Mountain

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #3

3.Mastodon-Leviathan(2004)

"Leviathan" is the reason that I fell in love with Mastodon's music. This was the first record I heard from them after hearing "Iron Tusk", I knew I had a new favorite band. The whole record hits hard. It's jammed packed with some of the best riffs ever crafted. The riffs alone sold me on the record. Later on after hearing "Remission", I enjoyed the inclusion of the progessive elements that really wern't present on "Remission". It added even more depth to Mastodon's sound. "Leviathan" is a behemoth of a record that is as immense as the Moby Dick concept that encompasses it.

Standout Tracks 1.Iron Tusk 2.Blood and Thunder 3.Megalodon

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #4

4.Between The Buried and Me-Colors(2007)

In 2007, Between The Buried and Me made one of the most ambitious records ever released. Colors takes such a wide variety of influences and it translates to one hell of a record. What struck me the most about Colors is just how perfect everything is. Drastic tempo changes and experimental sections of certain tracks including "Ants Of The Sky" with it's western banjo and "Informal Gluttony: with it's Middle-Eastern scales. These are such different and unique elements to have in a record and the inclusion of these elements are dynamite. Between The Buried and Me was coming off two great records with "The Silent Circus" and "Alaska" and Colors blows them out of the water. Colors is heavy,pretty,creative and just flat out fucking spectacular.

Standout Tracks 1.White Walls 2.Ants Of The Sky 3.Foam Born B: Decade Of Statues

Album Review: After The Burial-In Dreams

"In Dreams", the long awaited 3rd release from fast-rising Minnesota act After The Burial is finally here. Since their last record "Rareform", After The Burial has risen substainally in popularity and picked up a new vocalist. "In Dreams" makes some changes to After The Burial's sound, but nothing too drastic and it works for them.

The biggest difference from "Rareform" to "In Dreams", is new vocalist Anthony Notarmaso. This is his first release of new material with them (ATB re-recorded "Rareform" with Nottarmaso on vocals last year), and he rises to the occasion. I would actually say he fits the band better than their previous vocalist. "In Dreams", also features clean vocals, which "Rareform" did not. There has been a lot of complaining about the use of clean vocals on this record. I will say they aren't the greatest vocals ever, but they aren't the complete travesty some fans are making it out to be. I actually liked the clean vocals on "To Carry You Away", they fit the song well and gave the track some more depth.

"In Dreams", for the most part keeps the After The Burial sound in tack. The progessive riffing and overall vibe of opener "My Frailty", is very "Rareform"-esque. This what After The Burial likes to do, be heavy and have nice little progessive sections. "In Dreams" has plenty of groove and progessiveness to go around. The tempo-changes are improved from "Rareform", they seem to flow more seemlessly this time around.

"In Dreams" is worth checking out. After The Burial has a ton of talent, their guitarwork is excelllent and they are quite a few great riffs here. Anthony Notarmaso does a fine job on vocals and he is probably the best vocalist After The Burial has ever had. "In Dreams" might take After The Burial in a slightly different direction, but their core sound is still in place and it's another solid release from them.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.My Frailty
2.Your Troubles Will Cease and Fourtune Smiles Upon You
3.To Carry You Away

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #5

5.System Of A Down-Toxicity(2001)

There are not too many albums I would refer to as "game changers", Toxicity is one of them. Toxicity shines through with it's unique sound and true brilliance. Toxicity will stick with you, even on the first listen. It has a such range, it's serious, it's funny, it's all over the place. System Of A Down approaches each theme with the same passion and that makes for some dam fine songwriting. Toxicity is an instant classic that will influence and spellbind metal and non-metal fans alike forever.

Standout Tracks 1.Deer Dance 2.Needles 3.Toxicity

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #6

6.Children Of Bodom-Follow The Reaper(2000)

With their 3rd record, Follow The Reaper, Children Of Bodom grew up and finally created the masterpiece they were capable. Not to say "Something Wild" or "Hatebreeder" are bad, it's just that Follow The Reaper puts it to shame. Follow The Reaper is just mind-blowingly well done. Alexi Laiho's guitarwork is just sensentional, the solos on this record are perfect and memorable. The dueling keyboard/guitar sections also kick ass, they add a layer of depth to Bodom's sound and Follow The Reaper makes the best use of that. Follow The Reaper is infectious, hooky and amazing. No albums has ever made better use of keyboards ever. Children Of Bodom's best work and a true classic.

Standout Tracks 1.Kissing The Shadows 2.Mask Of Sanity 3.Hate Me!

December In Film

December tends to be when all the winter's big films and Oscar bait are released. This December is no different and there are a few films I am intrested in.

Movies I Want To See

4.Little Fockers(12/22) I was a fan of the first two films and the main cast is back. The trailer looks pretty amusing and I hope all the funny parts aren't in the trailer.

3.The Fighter(Opens Wide 12/17) The Fighter looks like a welcome return to serious acting for Mark Wahlberg. The cast which includes Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams, is top notch. This film looks really good and it could be a Oscar Contender. Pretty excited to see this.

2.Black Swan(12/3) I am a big fan of Darren Aronofsky. Black Swan looks to be an odd, creepy film. This is right up Aronofsky's alley and his creative vision should really come out on this film. Also it doesn't hurt Natalie Portman and Milla Kunis have a kissing scene.

1.True Grit(12/22) True Grit looks fantastic. The full length trailer is one of the best trailers of the year. The Cohen Brothers almost always are great and I think they will knock a western out of the park. The three leads Jeff Bridges,Matt Damon and Josh Brolin is one of the best cast assembled in recent memory. Very, very excited for this.

Movies I Am Not Sure About

The Warrior's Way(12/3) Could be decent, but it looks way too much like Ninja Assassin for me to have my complete and total intrest.

How Do You Know(12/17) The cast is good, but the romantic-comedy vibe and James L.Brooks could kill it.

Movies There Is No Chance In Hell I'm Going To See

The Chronicles Of Narnia:The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader(12/10) I hated The Lion,Witch and The Wardrobe, so I think I'll pass on this.

The Tourist(12/10) It looks absurd and really lame.

Yogi Bear(12/17) I really don't understand why they made this into a movie, it will ruin the cartoon's legacy. This makes the Scooby Doo movie look like The Godfather.

Tron Legacy (12/17) I know I am in the minority, but I think this film looks like shit. I am sure the effects are good, but this looks so fucking stupid that I could care less.

Gulliver's Travels (12/22) I like Jack Black a lot and the cast is good, the problem is the trailer doesn't look funny and it's a kids movie.