The Must List: April 9 – April 15, 2010

The Must List: April 9 – April 15, 2010

Movie

“Date Night” – When I first saw the title of this movie, I asked myself, “Isn’t this one of the many terrible, vomit-inducing, pieces of excrement that Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have heaved upon us in the past 10 years?” I was thinking of 2006 masterpiece “Date Movie.” My mistake. Unlike that pile of garbage, “Date Night,” starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, has the potential to actually make audiences laugh.

Carell and Fey are a married couple who have dull jobs, a humdrum home life, and a sedate sex life. On their date night, they find more excitement than they can handle when they take the identities of people they don’t know. In order to get into a fancy restaurant, they pretend to be a couple that is actually on the guest list. Unfortunately for our leads, this couple is in some serious trouble with some seriously ruthless people. Carell and Fey are forced into a wild chase which they never should have been on in the first place.

For starters, the cast is stellar. Along with the exceptionally talented leads, we get appearances from Common, Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Krisitn Wiig and Mark Ruffalo. Behind the camera is Shawn Levy who, let’s be honest, makes bad movies. He was responsible for “Big Fat Liar,” “Just Married,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “The Pink Panther,” and both of the “Night at the Museum” movies.

“Date Night” has a great cast and an excellent premise. It won’t be the funniest movie ever and the direction will most likely be a little sloppy. Still, it might be a good time at the movies. Given the strength of its cast alone, it's worth checking out “Date Night” when it hits theaters Friday (4/9).

*Runner-up: “The Square” – Money can make people do insane things. Heck, it can even make people burn down a neighbor’s house with an old lady inside. Such is the plot of Australian steamy, crime thriller, “The Square.” Affairs, murders, mobsters, arson, and blackmail all have their place in this highly-touted film. “The Square” will receive a limited release on Friday (4/9). Check your local listings to see if it’s coming to a theater near you.


DVD/Blu-ray

“Pirate Radio” – To put it simply, this is a seriously fun movie. While the events portrayed in the film don’t exactly mirror what happened in real life, it doesn’t entirely matter. “Pirate Radio” shows, in detail, the free-spirited attitude of rock radio stations and their listeners. The comedy in the film is non-stop, believable, and fresh.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost and Rhys Ifans each bring their own blend of dry, dark humor to “Pirate Radio.” One of the most important supporting characters of the film is the wonderful soundtrack. The movie perfectly portrays everything that made 1960s rock so immense.

While much of the humor may be lost on an American audience, this British comedy is well worth a view. It’s fun, care-free, rebellious, and it rocks hard--it's everything a '60s pirate radio film should be. Check out “Pirate Radio” when it hits shelves on Tuesday (4/13).

*Runner-up: “The Slammin’ Salmon” – The Broken Lizard comedy crew are legends among college-aged males. They’re responsible for “Super Troopers” and “Beerfest,” two gems. “The Slammin’ Salmon” is a little-seen film they put out last year. It’s strewn with a lot of laughs, but it’s lacking that typical Broken Lizard hilarity. They’ve done better, but comedy lovers can do a lot worse. Check out the funny workplace comedy when it hits stores on Tuesday (4/13).


CD

MGMT – “Congratulations”: Psychedelic rock, synth rock, electro--whatever you want to call them, MGMT is taking over stereo systems across the world. In 2007, the band hit listeners' eardrums with a fury of thumping beats and creative sounds with the album, “Oracular Spectacular.” There back with their 2010 follow-up “Congratulations.”

Since their 2007 release, MGMT has been busy. They’ve collaborated with trendy rapper Kid Cudi, The Flaming Lips, and Beck. MGMT’s popular songs, “Kids,” “Electric Feel,” and “Time to Pretend,” have been featured in many films, television shows, and video games.

Band member Ben Goldwasser has stated that the upcoming album may not feature any major hit singles like “Kids” or “Time to Pretend.” The band doesn’t want listeners to just pick out a few singles to simply listen to--rather, they should listen to the entire album. The song “Flash Delirium” was released on their Web site a few weeks ago. The track diverts from MGMT’s old sound in a lot of ways. It’s mellow, toned down, and even contains a flute at one point. It’s oddly reminiscent of the Beatles, actually. Take a listen for yourselves. MGMT’s new album, “Congratulations,” drops on Tuesday (4/13).

Songs to download:
“Flash Delirium”
“Siberian Breaks”
“Lady Dada’s Nightmare”

*Runner-up: Coheed and Cambria – “Year of the Black Rainbow”: Coheed and Cambria takes the awards for modern rock band with the most talent, lead singer with the craziest hair, and albums with the longest, most cryptic titles. Coheed has an undeniably epic sound. Their songs are orchestral in nature, full of hard riffs and contain unrestrained aggression. See what they can do with their newest album, “Year of the Black Rainbow,” when it hits stores on Tuesday (4/13).


Television

“The Tudors” (4th Season Premiere) – Viewers have been eating up the sensual period drama since the show first aired in 2007 to wonderful ratings and high critical acclaim. In its three seasons, the show has garnered a rock-solid fan base. The fourth season of “The Tudors” airs on Sunday (4/11) at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

The show follows the life of King Henry VIII, portrayed beautifully by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The king’s life is well-documented, and the series adequately depicts Henry’s dangerous relationships, his love for his country, and his self-destructive tendencies. Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam, and many others contribute solid performances.

The series may be too sexually graphic for some, and it probably won’t impress too many history buffs. Rhys Meyers is perfect as Henry VIII and the episodes are always compelling and fast-paced. The fourth season will continue Henry’s rapid descent into darkness, madness and insanity.

*Runner-up: “Lost” – The final season of “Lost” is rolling along at a remarkably quick pace. Questions are being answered left and right. “Lost” connoisseurs are calling this the best season yet. Anticipation for each episode has never been higher. If you haven’t hopped on the “Lost” train yet, you need to get moving, quick. The next episode in the final season airs on Tuesday (4/13) at 9/8c on ABC.


Music Video

Cypress Hill – “Armada Latina”

Cypress Hill is one of the most praised rap groups of all time. They’ve had a storied, if inconsistent, career. They often impress, but albums like “Till Death Do Us Part” and “IV” leave a lot to be desired. “Armada Latina” is a single off their forthcoming album, “Rise Up.”

“Armada Latina” is an interesting song. It’s not their best, but they do manage to cleverly sample Crosby, Stills & Nash, incorporate some nice harmonies from Marc Anthony, and infuse slick rhymes from Pitbull. B-Real and the Cypress Hill crew throw down some typically slick verses. It’s a good song, accompanied by a decent video.

The music video for “Armada Latina,” released on Thursday, features the Cypress Hill boys at a giant fiesta. The song is essentially about how awesome Latinos are, so the video depicts a lot of Latino people having fun. There are some cool shots and clever editing. This video isn’t going to turn many heads, but it’s the best thing released this week. Enjoy!



Viral Video

Scarface School Play

This is, by far, one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Some drama teacher out there decided it would be good for elementary school-aged students to put on a production of “Scarface.” Yes, “Scarface,” the Al Pacino movie that features excessive language, drug use, violence, and nudity. On almost every level this play is sickening. But, as messed up as it is, it’s equally hilarious. Kudos to the props guy, using popcorn as cocaine is ingenious.