Ramblings

Tuesday night I went to The Village Idiot on Melrose to celebrate Lisa becoming a staff writer on the brilliant television show "The Shield." That is the coolest Hollywood sounding thing I'll do all year.

Here are some movies I'm looking forward to this upcoming year (at least the first half of it.)

Sunshine: With Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Millions, Danny Boyle has become a director I'll see whatever he makes. Why are you mentioning The Beach, and A Life Less Ordinary? I've never heard of them. They don't exist in my mind. Moving on.

Grindhouse: At least I'm interested in the Tarantino half in which Kurt Russel plays a killer named Stuntman Mike. The image of Rose McGowan with a assault rifle for a leg intrigues me, but I have no faith in Rodriguez. I like the idea that different directors were brought in to shoot the trailers that will be spread out between the two movies. Being a fan of a lot of exploitation film, this seems to be up my alley. Yet, I'm still only cautiously optimistic.

Black Book: Yes, I'm looking forward to a Paul Verhoeven film. Yes, this is the same guy who gave us Basic Instinct, Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, and Showgirls. He also gave us RoboCop and Total Recall which can be a plus or a minus in your book. This time though Verhoeven when back to the Netherlands to get this film made. The very good word of mouth has me interested in this World War II epic. I also like to see these once credible directors leave the American system and find creative rebirth. Yes, I'm looking at you Mr. John Woo.

Hot Fuzz: The creators of Shaun of the Dead and Spaced are making an action movie comedy with references to Point Break and Bad Boys? Really, you still aren't interested? Have you not seen Shaun of the Dead or Spaced? Hmm. I don't know if we can hang out anymore.

Spiderman 3: I know he doesn't get the "black suit" like he does in the comic book, but Black Suit! Black Suit! Black Suit!

28 Weeks Later: I feel confident Danny Boyle wouldn't hand over the reigns to a boob that would destroy the nice feelings I had about 28 Days Later.

Knocked Up: I'm putting my money on this becoming the underrated comedy that will do all right in the theaters but word of mouth will lead it to making a lot of money on DVD. I have faith in Judd Apatow. I still miss Freaks and Geeks.

Here are two I'm hesitant on, but might see if I get off work early or am really, really bored.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The only thing that intrigues me about this is that the animation style resembles the comic book when it first came out. That's how I used to draw them when I made my own mini-comic books.

Fido: It's the story of boy trying to keep his pet zombie safe after it eats the neighbors. I know I had you at "pet zombie." It could be creatively funny, or enjoyably bad like Monster Squad, or it could be just an awful kids movie.

I recently found out Nova Scotian band Sloan released a new album called Never Hear the End of It. I kind of gave up on them after their last two albums and the following greatest hits CD. Still wanting to give them a chance, I took a listen, and it's their best album since their classic One Chord to Another. Don't be overwhelmed when you see the track list stops at 30. Many of the songs are simply songs that bridge two other songs. Even at 30 tracks it still holds together really well and doesn't lag. All four members are song writers and they all get a chance to shine on this album. This is that album that bands make where they shake everything up by taking everything they've learned and not holding back. Sloan has taken their influences of Brit Invasion, Beach Boys, 70's AM gold, power pop and compiled it all into an opus of an album. This I hope is their resurgence. My question to Mandy is Sloan must be rock gods on your campus right? Hometown boys done good?

Did you think the same thing when I heard about the story of the astronaut going to kill her rival? She so has an alien inside her. I bet the astronauts that went up with her are going to start going crazy too.

I know none of you will believe this but I'm actually getting kind of fat. Wait. It might just be my mirror. Nope. For the first time in my life I'm putting on weight.