The Must List: January 29 – February 4, 2010

By our guest blogger, Spencer Morton

Editor's Note: Each week, guest blogger Spencer Morton will offer his new column, "The Must List," which will prime readers for all things worth viewing and hearing in the coming week. Look for it each Thursday.

Movie

“Edge of Darkness” --  Mel Gibson's acting hiatus officially ends tomorrow.  Here, he stars as Thomas Craven, a homicide detective who must uncover the mystery behind his own daughter’s murder. He discovers his daughter was living a secret life and had gotten into some hot water with the government.

Ray Winstone plays Jedburgh, a government agent assigned to prevent Craven from putting together all the pieces. The trailer looks tense and this seems like a perfect role for Gibson to get back into the game. It’s been nearly seven years since his last film appearance. See if he’s still got it when “Edge of Darkness” hits theaters tomorrow.

* Runner-up: “North Face” -- Inspired by true events, this film follows climbers’ ascent up the dreaded north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. This German period piece will receive a limited release tomorrow.



DVD/Blu-ray

“Zombieland” -- One of the most outrageous and entertaining movies of 2009. Watch as Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Witchita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) try to survive a zombie apocalypse which is sweeping the globe.

The plot is unoriginal, but the execution is seamless. “Zombieland” perfectly combines comedy with sufficient amounts of zombie violence. A surprise cameo nearly steals the show toward the end of the film. The ‘zombedy’ genre has become increasingly crowded over the past few years. “Zombieland” stands above the rest. Check it out when it drops on Tuesday, February 2, 1010.

* Runner-up: “Ong Bak 2: The Beginning”-- Watching Tony Jaa knee people in the face is one of many cinematic guilty pleasures of mine. “Ong Bak 2” is a little slower paced than its popular predecessor, but it still packs a punch.


CD

Lil’ Wayne – “Rebirth”: After handfuls of delays, Lil’ Wayne’s ‘rock’ album will finally hit stores Tuesday, February 2, 2010.  It’s hard to think this album will be anything more than a creative failure. The album has leaked onto the Internet multiple times, so Wayne has had to go in and change a lot of the songs. The first single, “Prom Queen,” isn’t anything special, but “On Fire,” the second single, is a very catchy, successful track.

Lil’ Wayne certainly has rock-star potential. He’s got the cockiness, but does he have the talent? Is he anything more than an auto-tuned rapper with silly lyrics and slick beats? The rapper has certainly stirred up a lot of controversy in the hip-hop game, making this one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. Will this give the haters more to bite their teeth into, or will it shut them up? Check out “Rebirth” on Tuesday to see if the self-proclaimed ‘greatest rapper alive’ can crossover to the world of rock.


Songs to Download:

“On Fire”
“Drop the World” [featuring Eminem]
“Paradice”

*Runner-up: Rob Zombie – “Hellbilly Deluxe II”: One of the creepier people in the music industry releases his latest work. His music has always been solid; his movies, not so much. If nothing else, check out “Hellbilly Deluxe II” for what Zombie claims to be his “best artwork yet.”



Television

“Lost” Season Premiere – Not only is this the most anticipated show this week, it’s one of the most anticipated premieres of the year. “Lost” has revolutionized television with its non-linear storytelling, engrossing characters, and completely enthralling script. Critics say the show has been in a tailspin since it crashed onto the scene in 2004. Die-hard “Lost” fans beg to differ.

Since it is the final season of “Lost,” viewers can expect a ton of answers. The underground following for this show is enormous, and the hype for this premiere is off the charts. If it’s possible to watch seasons 1-5 in the next four days, do so, or your can read our recap of those seasons here. You won’t want to miss out on this. The final season of “Lost” begins on Tuesday on ABC at 8 ET.

*Runner-up: “The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards” -- I’ve never really liked the Grammy’s. There are like 1,347 categories and most of the people that are deserving of awards aren’t even nominated. The performances are a good time, though. Who knows, maybe Kanye West will pull some of his crazy antics again--look out Taylor Swift! Hell, look out everybody!  Check it out Sunday night on CBS at 8 ET.


Music Video

Wyclef Jean: “Hold On” - The multi-talented Haitian musician released a tribute song to his home country in lieu of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti two weeks ago. The song was actually recorded over a year ago after the death of fellow Haitian rapper Jimmy O. The video was released last weekend.

“Hold On” is an inspiring song for all listeners, not just those affected by the disaster in Haiti. The strings and choirs throughout the song eerily build emotion. Wyclef wears his heart on his sleeves in most of his songs, but “Hold On” takes him to a whole new level. The devastating pain and glimmers of hope in his voice really shine through.

View the video below:




Viral Video

This week and this week only, two music videos for the price of one! Is this chico serious? Watch out for this little guy; mess with him and he’ll shoot you--with a nerf gun. I’m sure this is how it went down. Someone ripped the soundtrack from an old Nintendo game. They stole this gordito from his kindergarten class, gave him a $200 gift card to TJ Maxx, Aeropostale and Lids, and then told him to rap about how pretty he is. Not sure where they got the backup dancers. This whole video is just creepy.

View the video below: