Pop Culture Buzz

Fuck all of those Courtney Love haters, I love the shit out of her. I have seen her perform on heroin whacked out 2 months after Kurt Cobain died and I saw her clean and Hollywood ready when she toured with Marilyn Manson, and she always delivers the goods live!

Here Courtney Love is with Miss Linda Perry who has saved MANY pop stars careers; Pink, Britney, Christina Aguillera etc. by writing huge hits. That also looks like billy Corgan to Linda’s left, but I could be wrong. Then again the guy next to Courtney looks like Audioslaves Tom Morello, so don’t listen to me. This isn’t the best quality video, and they don’t sound perfect, but man do I wish I was at this show! Rock on girls!

Here is another neat little category for you pop culture buzz fans, streaming music “hidden gems”, or singles that are hardly heard of. Mostly this will feature re-mixes, re-makes or oddball new artists that I feel are having an impact on pop music today. And in the case of someone like Paris Hilton, just a guilty pleasure. Enjoy this weeks hidden gems!

HERE IS SUFJAN STEVEN’S “CHICAGO” THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITY MIX:

HERE IS FEIST’S “MUSHABOOM” THE MOCKY MIX:

HERE IS ROBBIE WILLIAM’S “RUDEBOX” THE CHICKEN LIPS VERSION:

HERE IS PARIS HILTON’S “NOTHING IN THIS WORLD” THE RAP REMIX:

If you haven’t heard yet, Britney flashed her business to the paparazzi Tara Reid style on “accident” on TWO seperate occasions recently…and of course there are pictures to prove it. I usually am not a fan of this type of news, but man is this hilarious!

Whether she is walking out of a public bathroom barefoot, riding her kid in a car without a car seat or showing us her hoo-hoo…she is perfect tabloid trash. So here are both the pictures, after many requests….be warned! Now excuse me while I go throw up a little….

Now normally I wouldn’t pick this type of musical to go to, but I found myself laughing out loud along with the other audience members in this charming stage romp. If you have your parents in town for a visit, this would be the musical I would suggest you take them to.

“Menopause” showcases the day in the life of 4 shopping ladies who are all going through “the change”. Now surely I couldn’t relate, but I was caught up in the silly storytelling and catchy musical parodies. There are lots of send ups of your favorite 50’s, 60’s and 70’s tunes with funny new lyrics expressing the hell that is “menopause”.

I had a fun time with the folks when watching this musical, and really isn’t that all you can ask for? “Menopause” delivered with it’s witty lyrical parodies, simple set design and under an hour and a half running time. It was worth the trip down to the hectic “Fisherman’s Wharf” area of San Francisco.

If you are looking to please the parents, and get some genuine laughs in at the same time than this holiday season go see “Menopause: The Musical”. Your folks will get a kick out of it and you’ll have a good time.

Lily Allen is virtually unknown here in the states, but that may change when her album drops in January! I have posted a couple of music videos of Lily Allen’s on this blog already, but thought you all would get a kick out of hearing her fabulous c.d. early! I have selected a few songs from “Alright Still” so you can judge for yourself! Just click the “play” button below the title!

HERE IS “LDN”:

HERE IS “SMILE”:

HERE IS “LITTLEST THINGS”:

Pop Culture Buzz just got fancier, now I am able to post streaming songs from some of the new artists that are creating a buzz or ones that are my personal faves at the moment!

There will be a new category posted to the right as well, so enjoy!

This is my favorite tune off of the new Scissor Sister’s c.d. “Ta-Da”. It is a fun mixture of dance music and electro pop. Who is this guy in this video? Is it me or is he packing some serious heat?! Ahem. This video is pretty awesome, the visuals are totally trippy and kind of hot, plus the song rocks! I feel like dancing just hearing it!

If you haven’t heard the new Beck album “The Information” you are missing out. Check out my review in the “music review” section to the right of this page. You are in for a great treat when you hear this new collection of funk driven progressive pop music.

Beck has so much confidence in each song, he created a video for each track on the c.d. Now that is impressive! Too bad he is a Scientologist, but I will put up with that part because he is such a musical genius. Check out two of the best singles from his new album below:

HERE IS “NAUSEA”:

HERE IS “SOLDIER JANE”:

Jude Law is as sexy as it gets in the movies these days as far as I am concerned, well Paul Rudd is a close second. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are cute as a button too. This type of movie would normally make me want to slice my wrists, but this cast and the holiday vibe are appealing. This may be a cute, snuggly winter hit for all the softies out there!

GRADE: A+

This is the most important documentary of our time, period! If you consider yourselves eco-friendly or an environmentalist than this movie is required viewing. You will feel a jolt shoot through you as the facts are layed out before you. The truth of the matter is that our world is dying, and we are directly responsible….duh! I mean who doesn’t believe that global warming exists? Apparently a lot of short sighted people.

I felt sickened, guilty and depressed while I watched Al Gore state fact after fact, proving the existence of global warming and mankind’s malicious behavior towards the earth. Al Gore has made a movie that reaches beyond political lines, he is calling out to all humans to move to action soon. We are in a fleeting world, the resources we have are dwindling and time is almost up for our majestic glaciers.

I didn’t remember specific facts, or write down some interesting scientific research for this review. I figure I would just come off as a liberal know it all. So I am begging anyone who reads this to go out and rent this film. Have your families watch it, recommend it to co-workers and spread the word…this movie needs to be seen by those you love and admire. They deserve to know all of the facts, right?

I will sum up this movie once again by saying it is the most important documentary of our time, you can almost hear the earths clock ticking as time runs out. It is our job to educate ourselves, this is a great first step in the right direction.

***1/2 STARS

Damn, I must come off as a sentimental fool with every cartoon feature review. I swoon over these chunky pieces of eye candy, and drool in amazement while viewing them. This movie is no different, actually it surpasses all other animated films I have seen in a long time. You must see this film, and in IMAX like I did.

From the get go this movie commands you sit there wide eyed at the vivid and life like images. And then the music kicks in, and you know this will be a fun ride. I actually sat up in my seat and said “wow” out loud during this film, I couldn’t believe the sharp and polished look of this film. From the expansive glaciers, to the realistic seals and killer whales this movie has created a bench mark for other animated films. No other cartoon in recent memory has evoked such awe and affection.

The characters and plot are your average family fare, but the execution is truly original. Elijah Wood voices “Mumbles” the tap dancing penguin, that skips to his own beat. But you see, in this world emperor penguins use their singing voice to meet a mate. From “Queen”, to “Prince” to disco hits, there are no original Randy Newman-esque tunes here, just good old fashion pop hits. “Mumbles” grows up without the talent like that of all of the other emperor penguins when they sing their “heart songs” to mate. His fancy foot tapping gets him in lots of trouble, and soon he is on an adventure to prove himself.

You would think that Robin Williams would make you cringe when hearing him do his voice over work, he has done this shtick so many times before. But, once again he delivers and delivers BIG. His narration does not take away from the images on screen. He is perfect in another role as “Lovelace” the smaller penguins guru, who by the way wears a 6 pack ring around his neck as if it were jewelry. And he does a remarkable job as “Ramon” the smaller penguin who runs with a colorful gang of crack ups.

Director George Miller, the mind behind “Mad Max” & “Babe” may win an animation award for best feature at next years Oscar’s. His script and remarkable vision is worthy of the prestige. I am still reeling from the magnitude and scope of the brilliant colors and details.

I think the eco-friendly message is subtle and honest enough that it helped drive the plot and gives kids a clear, real version of our actions as humans on earth. “Happy Feet” is not heavy handed or preachy, it is what it is. It is a love story set in a ever changing world, with a hero that has more spunk than most action movie stars today.

THIS WEEK / TOTAL SO FAR

1.) Happy Feet $37,945,000 $100,100,000 .

2.) Casino Royale $31,000,000 $94,173,000

3.) Deja Vu $20,836,000 $29,029,000

4.) Deck the Halls $12,000,000 $16,900,000

5.) Borat $10,400,000 $109,280,000

6.) The Santa Clause 3 $10,016,000 $67,199,000

7.) Stranger Than Fiction $6,000,000 $32,700,000

8.) Flushed Away $5,841,000 $57,366,000

9.) Bobby $4,909,000 $6,157,000

10.) The Fountain $3,725,000 $3,725,000

It was another strong week for “Happy Feet”. Families and adults are swarming to see this sweet family film. But don’t count out “007″, “Casino Royale” made another truck load at the box office as well. World wide “Casino” was the #1 movie, it has already proven to be more succesful than the last Bond outing with Pierce Brosnan.

It was deja vu this week when ANOTHER cop action movie starring Denzel Washington opened with a whopping $20 million. This is the 4th Denzel movie in a row to bow with those numbers. Look for it to be yet another mild hit for the Oscar winning actor.

“The Fountain” has proven to be a critical and commercial bomb, which is just too sad. The movie had high hopes, and looks arresting and striking. Another bomb is the holiday movie with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick “Deck The Halls”, not surprising it looks pretty bad. All in all, this was a great holiday but not as big as past years that had those little movies starring some wizard named “Harry Potter”.

GRADE: B+

I’ve said it before, this year is a great year for toon’s. With only 3 nominees able to fight over the ‘Best Animated Feature” category, there should be a close race between some worthy hopefuls. “Ice Age 2″ is one of those cartoons that deserves some recognition.

This movie is just as good as the first film, and is a creative sequel. The animation has improved and the original fun loving characters from the first film are all back. The best character is “Scrat” the raccoon looking squirrel thingy who is on the never ending search for his precious nuts. His antics in this film are laugh out loud funny. The moments with the piranha fish and the baby vulture are some of the most comical in a cartoon this year.

There is lovely voice work from Queen Latifah as “Ellie” the mammoth that thinks she is a possum. John Leguizamo as “Sid” the sloth, Ray Romano as “Manny” the mammoth, Dennis Leary as “Diego” the saber tooth tiger are back, and better than ever. This time around they are a bonified family with issues, and heart. There is also a great vocal performance by Sean William Scott as a possum you must check out! Speaking of which, the possum’s “Crash & Eddie” in this movie are hilarious! They add the extra silliness that makes you giggle.

I enjoyed the animation this time more than the original. A lot of technology has been created since the first film came out and it is obvious with “Ice Age 2″. The hair and water animation are stunning. There are some scenes with gorgeous views of broad landscapes and huge glaciers that will steal your breath, and have you asking “is that real”?

The only problem with this movie is the heavy handed environmental theme. The story gets preachy with the global warming references but this is a slight problem. The scenes move along with a fast pace. The movie also has a couple of good villains chasing the heroes throughout the movie. There really isn’t much to complain about. “Ice Age 2″ will delight kids and grown ups that love snappy dialog and vivid, creative imagery.

I have never been to an opera before attending “Carmen” this past Thanksgiving weekend. And now, I am very glad to say I have been. At first my mind raced with torturous thoughts of trying to stay awake, not getting the story or plot and being surrounded by annoying, stuffy white people. But, in reality I was taken over by the sweet story and holiday vibe of the whole outing.

Well, not only did I follow the story, I laughed and I was moved. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The grand scale of the production was very impressive. The set design and mobility of the set pieces was fun to look at. The many, many characters didn’t seem crammed onto the stage. At one point it looked as if there were 50+ cast members on stage.

The first act did come off a bit slow, but that was full of plot development and character studies. It helped to establish the slapstick like drama that was soon to come. We learn in the first act that Carmen is the most popular girl in town, and she is the most reviled by some. She has a sultry, lazy ease about her that people either love or hate.

The second act picked up momentum and I heard very familiar arrangements of classical music and singing that was reminiscent of a Looney Tunes cartoon, and that was a good thing. The story gained a gradual excitement that kept my interest throughout. “Carmen” is three and a half hours long, which I thought would kill me. But I enjoyed the three split up acts with intermissions. When the fourth act started the pacing was super fast, the story flowed with a comedic charm.

As the opera ended the audience is left with a tragic ending, but a realistic impression/view of the times, the battle for Carmen’s love and of the tormented soldiers that chased Carmen. This opera seems to be the blueprint for every romantic comedy that Hollywood puts out today, but with much better results. and for those that are skeptical, there is a screen with sub-titles for us folks that don’t understand French opera.

I will most likely go see another opera after viewing the entertaining and charming “Carmen”. The scope of this opera was huge and impressive. I thought the actors and vocal sound were amazing. This was a great new experience for me, and I am very glad I was treated to this majestic spectacle.

GRADE: A-

I am not sure where to begin. To say I am surprised when I saw this movie this past summer would be an understatement. If I were to tell you that it is moving, convincing and poignant…would you believe me? Well, it is!

First off, let discuss Rosario Dawson. I recently went out to dinner with my partner and our waitress started talking movies with us. She mentioned “Clerks 2″ and it was then that I realized there was an actual positive buzz about the movie before it was released. And then she said, “and what is up with Rosario Dawson? I mean she is all over! Get out of my life Rosario!”. Random, but hilarious. Miss Dawson is beyond funny in this movie even if she is ALL over the place in movies these days. She is sharp, sexy and raunchy . Sure “Rent” was a major disappointment for me, and “Sin City” was o.k. but now, I love me some Rosario Dawson! She has a great dry delivery of her lines that is believable.

Jay and Silent Bob are funnier in “Clerks 2″ than in any other Kevin Smith film. The “Silence Of The Lambs” parody moments with Jay are classic and had me screaming with laughter. Jay and Silent Bob are two of the funniest cinematic duos ever! In the end, they are the movies saviors and give this movie heart and a sweet edge.

Dante has never really been a memorable movie character to me. The actor, Brian O’ Halloran who plays him has never really been convincing as a ladies man. In this movie he has two hot ladies fighting over him, (I’m not sure how with that face but that is besides the point). But his friend, Randall played by Jeff Anderson is the heart and soul of this movie. His “Lord Of The Rings” and “Star Wars” rants are hilarious and written by Kevin Smith with geek love and are genius!

My favorite moment’s in the film are with Elias, the young Christian co-worker. His love of Transformers and the reasoning for him keeping his virginity are so funny I could hardly contain myself. Those moments with him are so funny, it will make you ache with laughter.

There were so many rich moments of a dialog and quiet moving moments in this film I was shocked. The original “Clerks” was a great film, this movie is two times funnier and smarter! Kevin Smith has come full circle, and this film has a intelligent delivery much like “Chasing Amy”. I am so happy that he has redeemed himself after both “Jersey Girl” and “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back”…both I felt were pretty lame.

This movie will be on my top 10 list for 2006! But mostly, I am thankful for a smart movie that doesn’t pander to young Gen X’ers with over the top sex scenes and fart jokes. Kevin Smith has made another comedy classic!