Chad Liffmann – Page 27 – Spinning Platters

Album Review: Laura Veirs – Warp and Weft

warpandweft

Not many musicians have the longevity to release nine full-length studio albums. Laura Veirs is one of the few. The Portland, OR resident has been producing a constant flow of beautiful folk rock and delicately woven lyrical tales since 1999. It’s only appropriate, then, that Veirs’ new effort, Warp and Weft, is aptly named using the terms for the crossing threads in weaving. It is tightly constructed, contemplative but also commentative, and weaves together vivid images and stories of lives long gone and some yet to pass.

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Film Review: Jobs

“Jobs” is uninspired and constantly misses the mark…unlike Steve Jobs.

Ashton Kutcher does a serviceable impersonation, including a Jobs pose.

Most of us know about Apple, Inc. If you were born in the early 80s, you may even remember many of the corporate controversies, lawsuits, etc. that Apple had to trudge through before profitability in the late 90s. If you were born later, it’s likely you’ve heard of these events, anyway. We also have an appreciation for the design, innovation, and use of their products and show it by making purchases. When we purchase an Apple product, we are acknowledging the brilliant mind for business and technological innovation that Steve Jobs had. But acknowledgement is one thing, and understanding is another, and what most of us don’t know and can’t find through a simple Google search, is extensive information about the man himself and why he did what he did. Jobs, the new biopic starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, does not shed any light on the subject, instead giving us a standard (and repetitious) timeline of the company…which isn’t that interesting on screen.

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Film Review: Kick-Ass 2

Kick-Ass is back, and this time he’s (too) serious.

2010’s Kick-Ass had a refreshingly original tone — including a hard-on for depicting severe violent repercussions within a completely unrealistic comic-born plot. The film solidified Chloë Grace Moretz as a rising star…and a genuine bad-ass. Fans hoped to eventually see more of Hit Girl and more of this type of violent mayhem that was (crucially) grounded in a sense of fun and, dare I say, purpose. Now comes Kick-Ass 2, a mostly straightforward revenge tale that features more graphic violence than the original, but much less fun and with less purpose.

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Film Review: Prince Avalanche

‘Prince Avalanche’ takes a humorous stroll down melancholy road.

Where we're going, we don't need lines on the roads. — Where we’re going, we don’t need lines on the roads.

Adapted loosely from the Iceland film, Either Way, Prince Avalanche is a sad, yet, somehow, delightful tale of unlikely friends connecting in an equally unlikely setting. Alvin and Lance are spending the summer of 1988 re-painting traffic lines on a Texas highway that winds through a burnt out forest. Their job is repetitive and tiresome, and takes an extraordinary amount of patience to adapt to the disconnect from city life and nearly all social/romantic interactions. There is a lot of isolation in Prince Avalanche, from within the characters, to the landscape in which they work and pine, yet the film is light and inviting thanks to the humor elicited from a charming script and powerful performances by the two leads.

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Film Review: The Wolverine

‘The Wolverine’ is 3/4 the thrilling character driven spinoff we wanted.

Yeah, he's angry, bub! — He’s angry, bub!

Rest assured, The Wolverine washes away most of the sour taste leftover from 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The Wolverine is not an origin story, nor is it similar to the usual X-Men fare. Under the consistently solid, if not stellar, direction of James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Knight & Day), The Wolverine manages to resurrect the energy of a character who was losing appeal due to over exposure and silly effects-laden films. The first three quarters of The Wolverine make up one of the most entertaining comic book adaptations to date. Pardon the expression, but The Wolverine is almost ‘Nolan-esque’. In more ways than one, the story is also filled with parallels to Greek mythology (much of the X-Men universe is), all the while maintaining a strong loyalty to the fan favorite title character. Unfortunately, all comes tumbling down in the final act.

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Film Review: The To Do List

A raunchy two-joke movie that keeps the humor flowing.

Aubrey Plaza demonstrates her (acting) skills.

If you’re old enough to remember growing up in the 90’s, then The To Do List will supply you with a healthy dose of nostalgia. If you like sexual humor and gross-out comedies, then The To Do List will surely entertain you. If you find the combination of 90’s culture and sexual humor appealing, then this movie is basically a cinematic orgasm. It’s also a coming-out party for Aubrey Plaza, if Parks & Recreation hasn’t yet done the trick. The To Do List turns the stereotypical preachy message that you’d find in most romantic comedies (even the gross ones) over on its head, instead delivering the truth about teenage sexual curiosity and pressures…the unabashed, awkward, and honest truth.

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Album Review: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

edward sharpe

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is the self-titled third full-length album from the 10-person folk rock group. It’s fitting that the group’s third album is self-titled, since it emits a level of musical maturity that signals that they’ve finally found their authentic stride. Their super popular debut album, Up From Below, was filled with songs that were heard all over the radio and in commercials, movies, and just about everywhere one looked. Yet Up From Below felt forced, as if the group jumped onto the folk revival bandwagon late and inserted as many trending characteristics as they could. The same level of mass consumption didn’t occur with the second album, Here, but it nevertheless catered to a fan base eager to hear catchy choruses and jangling folk-rock melodies. With Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the group has merged catchy hooks with natural sounding music composition. The songs don’t feel contrived. Sure, the album still carries a dose of pretentiousness that the group will never be able to shake. However, frontman Alex Ebert feels more at home here, embracing the rawness and eclectic range of influences and tones, and the band is able to follow suit, creating what may end up being one of the best albums of the year.

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Film Review: R.I.P.D.

R.I.P.D. is a good reminder of how similar movies used to be better.

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds are ready for all terrible CGI creatures coming their way. — Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds are ready for all the terrible CG creatures coming their way.

– What do you call an undead police force?
– The R.I.P.D. The Rest In Peace Department.
– Ha!
– They would be like the Men in Black.
– Yeah. Except instead of aliens, they’d be fighting hell’s escapees.
(…to be continued)

Although R.I.P.D. is based on a comic book series of the same name, first published in 1999 (after Men in Black), I can easily imagine the concept for this movie arising in the above fashion. I haven’t read the source material, and therefore can’t speak to it, but it’s a bit too easy to find the parallels between R.I.P.D. and MIB; every character, plot turn, and joke from the former has a close equivalent in the latter. It’s surprising that we don’t see the MIB writers getting credited for the R.I.P.D. story or screenplay. Perhaps I’m being too harsh. But for the sake of argument, perhaps extra time should’ve been spent polishing what ends up being a cheap clone of a concept already executed to a much more satisfying degree. The characters in R.I.P.D. aren’t well developed, the special effects look gummy at best, and the plot doesn’t take any unexpected turns.

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Film Review: Turbo

A cute, formulaic, one-joke movie…but at least it’s not sluggish!

He's going the distance! He's going for speed! — He’s going the distance! He’s going for speed!

Low expectations commonly yield better-than-expected results. In the case of Turbo, a charming result emerges from an incredibly lackluster premise. ‘A snail that goes fast!‘…Okay, not really piquing my interest. ‘And, he races in the Indy 500!’ Snails and racing? No thank you, I’d rather read a book. Turbo doesn’t break any new ground, nor is it distinctly memorable. Its straightforward story is respectable, its characters are pleasant, and the colorful visuals are good. Nearly every joke is about the ‘snails vs. speed’ theme at play, but luckily the movie never slows to a snail-like crawl. But despite the film’s drawbacks, audiences will still be rewarded by Turbo, if only because it’s just not as bad as it seems.

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Album Review: White Dove – The Hoss, The Candle

Calling an album ‘melancholic’ or ‘ethereal’ can be dangerous, even though these terms, when used to describe music, are generally positive – invoking a beautiful calmness. They can also be used to describe music that fits a mood so well, the music then becomes synonymous with that mood. White Dove’s new album, The Hoss, The Candle, rides that line precariously. It’s the type of album best absorbed in the evening, sitting by candlelight and pondering life’s mysteries. To listen to it in any other setting with distractions would render the album forgettable.

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