The Must List for February 26 – March 4, 2010

2/26/2010 Posted by Admin

The Must List: February 26 – March 4, 2010

By our guest blogger, Spencer Morton


Movie

“The Crazies” – The trailer for “The Crazies” makes the film look eerie and creepy enough to separate itself from other infection/virus movies of late. The genre gets a bunch of unnecessary entries each year that bring nothing new to the table. Early reviews of “The Crazies” praise director Breck Eisner for his no-nonsense approach. The 100-minute runtime is fast-paced, frenetic and doesn’t beat around the bush.

“The Crazies” is a loose remake of a 1973 George A. Romero film of the same title. Eisner’s “Crazies” takes place Ogden Marsh, Iowa, where the once-friendly, kind-spirited residences are plagued by insanity. This insanity sparks mass, gruesome violence amongst the townspeople. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant), his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) and two other unaffected citizens try to make sense of it all. How and why is this virus targeting this small community?

Olyphant is often overlooked actor. He can play a smarmy, maniacal villain and also be the handsome, brave hero. Look for an impressive performance here. “The Crazies” will definitely value style and gore over substance, but will it be too conventional to impress modern horror fans? Check out “The Crazies” when it hits theaters today (2/26).

*Runner-up: “Cop Out” – The world needs another buddy cop movie as much as it needs Kevin Federline to get a record deal. However, this is a Kevin Smith buddy cop film, and the red-band trailer is admittedly pretty hilarious. Early reviews are scolding, but for comedy fans, this is the pick of the week. “Cop Out,” starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, hits theaters today (2/26).


DVD/Blu-ray

“Where the Wild Things Are” – The beloved remake of the classic children’s book frightened many. It disappointed others and was too strange for some. However, myself--along with myriads of others--applauded the movie as a work of genius. “Where the Wild Things Are” was one of the top films of 2009.

Director Spike Jonze’s adaptation was dark, dreary and delightfully deep. “Where the Wild Things Are” managed to capture the purity and innocence of being young with the naivete and struggles that come along with it. The film is beautifully shot and structured, and the voice over work is impeccable from a great list of actors (Forest Whitaker, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Chris Cooper). Max Records turns in a wonderful performance as the curious, adventurous, aptly named Max.

If you’ve read the story, this film is a must see. If you’re simply looking for a unique film experience, check out “Where the Wild Things Are” when it hits shelves Tuesday (3/2).

*Runner-up: “Cold Souls” – Paul Giamatti keeps delivering superb, understated performances--one after the other. In this surreal, grimly funny film, he plays a stressed out, agonized version of himself. He’s a struggling actor looking for peace. To cope, he responds to a New Yorker article about a company that can extract souls and buy and sell them as commodities. It’s an ingenious concept for a film, and it says a lot about modern day consumerism in America. Rent it when it drops Tuesday (3/2).


CD

Groove Armada – “Black Light”: If you haven’t heard of this group, don’t kick yourself quite yet. Groove Armada is a British electronic music duo, and has been making synth-heavy music since the late '90s. On Tuesday (3/2), they’re releasing their sixth studio album, “Black Light.”

Groove Armada’s electronic style is very retro. They have a lot of throwback '80s synthesizers on this new record. Lots of electronic groups these days are resorting to bass-heavy club jams, which do have their place. Groove Armada keeps things flowing with great keyboard work, old schools synths, and soothing upbeat vocals. “Black Light” is a worth a listen and is the top music choice of the week.

Songs to download:
“Paper Romance”
“History”
“Look Me in the Eyes Sister”

*Runner-up: Jamie Foxx – “Body”: The first single, “Speak French,” leaves a lot to be desired. The track meanders through with senseless lyrics and no clear direction. Foxx is an R&B mainstay, though, and always seems to lay down a couple hot tracks every time he puts out a new album. The smooth-singing Foxx releases his fourth album, “Body,” on Tuesday (3/2).


Television

“The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno” – Well, that was an interesting little saga, now wasn’t it? Leno gets moved to primetime after Conan O’Brien was famously removed from “The Tonight Show.”  The question is simple: How will fans receive him?

His first episode as the resurrected host of “The Tonight Show” airs on Monday (3/1) at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. Some pretty big guests are lined up for his first week back. Jamie Foxx, Sarah Palin, Morgan Freeman and Simon Cowell all are set to appear. Announced musical guests for the week include Adam Lambert, Lifehouse and Robin Thicke.

Late night hosts often are either loved or hated. Jay Leno has always been the epitome of this concept. Many applaud him for his clever segments and his witty monologues. Others bash him for being smarmy and pretentious. O’Brien had a huge following and massive amounts of support when he got run out of NBC. Leno, on the other hand, wasn’t viewed in such a positive light. Will he still be able to compete with the other late night heavyweights? Find out on Monday.

*Runner-up: “Nip/Tuck” (Season Finale) – This show has been one of the few highlights for FX since its inception in 2003. Seven seasons later, the show is coming to a close. The final episode of the final season of “Nip/Tuck” airs next week. The show has won Emmys and Golden Globes, and has been praised for its unabashed depictions of sex, plastic surgery, drug use and materialism. “Nip/Tuck” is truly an innovative series. The season finale airs Wednesday (3/3) at 10/9c on FX.


Music Video

Timabaland feat. Justin Timberlake - “Carry Out”

What a strange duo these two turned out to be. Timbaland has been one the top hip-hop producers for quite some time. Timberlake was the curly-headed, geeky frontman for boy-band N’Sync, and he’s come a long way. Timbaland and Timberlake have collaborated many times before and it seems like every time they get together, their tracks become major club anthems.

“Carry Out” is a single from Timbaland’s latest album, “Shock Value II.” This video was released last week. There’s nothing amazing about the video, but it’s the best thing out there this week. Lyrically, the song uses carry-out food as a metaphor for sex. A lot of the metaphors are pretty stupid, but others are clever enough. The beat is good and it all flows well. There’s just something about these two that is undeniably catchy. Watch the video for “Carry Out” below:




Viral Video


Vince Carter’s Amazing Basketball Shot

You may have seen all those crazy commercials where Lebron James is swishing shots from half court like it’s the easiest thing ever. Well here, Vince Carter one-ups him. Sitting down, from 86 feet away, Carter nails this shot and makes it look like a walk in the park. Apparently, fellow teammate and big-man Dwight Howard held the Guinness World Record for longest shot made while sitting down. His shot was merely 52 feet. Carter absolutely obliterated that prestigious record. Check out the shot below:

  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • TwitThis
  • MySpace
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • Google
  • Reddit
  • Sphinn
  • Propeller
  • Slashdot
  • Netvibes

1 comments:

  1. Dutchbrosluv said...

    Shared on Facebook
    Week in Rewind is pleased to offer a giveaway of Fantastic Mr. Fox!
    Own it on DVD on March 23, 2010!
    Tweeted on twitter at @Dutchbrosluv
    Entered the Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD Contest! Win by following @WeekinRewind and RT. http://xr.com/ofi He follows back!
    http://www.facebook.com/linda.s.davison?ref=profile
    I love George Clooney and Meryl Streep would love to win this.
    Linda
    Davison2003@charter.net