My noise project just released a new collaborative album. It's sort of a huge post-rock-ish vision quest. There is a video to accompany the first recording. I hope you like it.
December 12, 2013
November 11, 2013
SLM Mixtape #61: The Miranda Mix
My buddy Miranda is super cool.
So I made her an enormous Mix Tape.
Which ended up being put onto like 23 CDs.
Because "tapes" don't make sense to me.
This is that mix.
I submit it for your usage during the rest of November and the first half of December.
At the end of the year there will be an extra special mix.
So I made her an enormous Mix Tape.
Which ended up being put onto like 23 CDs.
Because "tapes" don't make sense to me.
This is that mix.
I submit it for your usage during the rest of November and the first half of December.
At the end of the year there will be an extra special mix.
October 14, 2013
SLM Mixtape #60: Near Occult
Wow! You kids love the metal mixes.
Originally I was going to post two "Best Of's" as the last 2 of the 3 metal mixes I had planned.
But this site can tell that I've uploaded 2+ tracks by a band even if I change the names or cut a few seconds off.
So here is the 2nd & 3rd METAL mixes in one, which aren't "best-of's," since I missed last week.
I've been out of the game long enough, I have a hard time telling whether or not it's all even metal. Some of it is ultra rare though.
Originally I was going to post two "Best Of's" as the last 2 of the 3 metal mixes I had planned.
But this site can tell that I've uploaded 2+ tracks by a band even if I change the names or cut a few seconds off.
So here is the 2nd & 3rd METAL mixes in one, which aren't "best-of's," since I missed last week.
I've been out of the game long enough, I have a hard time telling whether or not it's all even metal. Some of it is ultra rare though.
Tracklist:
Those Who Fight Further - THE BLACK MAGES
Below The Belt - Bodine
Let Them Burn - Kataklysm
Seven Gates of Hell - Sigh
Night.Light - The Axe That Chopped The Cherry Tree
All We Are - Warlock
Boris The Spider - Arjen Lucassen
Untied/Culling Essence From The Void - In The Company Of Serpents
Klatter 1 - Boris with Merzbow
See Who I Am - Within Temptation
Before The War - Suffocate
Boken Heart Container (Octorock my body) - I Shot The Duck Hunt Dog
Hand In Hand - Dark Moor
Ride With The Sun - Fairyland
Chosen Orb - Kitezh
Part Three - Trees
Unquestionable Presence - Atheist
Troll, Død Og Trolldom - Kampfar
Bring Forth Ye Shadow - Theatre Of Tragedy
Fear (Wasn't In The Design) - Rakoth
Evil - Heavenly
25 Hours - C.A.D. (Children Of The Anachronistic Dynasty)
Best Of Friends - Anthony
Babylon Fell - Apollyon Sun
September 23, 2013
SLM Mixtape #59: Metal Heart
People really seemed to like that metal mix, so I've got 3 more for you kids, this being the first of the 3.
They're metal bands covering metal bands (mostly).
It's short and sweet.
Tracklist:
All My Loving - Helloween
Over The Hills And Far Away - Nightwish
Aces High - Children Of Bodom
Number Of The Beast - Iced Earth
Burn In Hell - Dimmu Borgir
Strong & Smart - In Flames
Lay All Your Love On Me - Helloween
Repent - Children Of Bodom
Who Wants To Live Forever? - After Forever
Metal Heart - Dimmu Borgir
Tracklist:
All My Loving - Helloween
Over The Hills And Far Away - Nightwish
Aces High - Children Of Bodom
Number Of The Beast - Iced Earth
Burn In Hell - Dimmu Borgir
Strong & Smart - In Flames
Lay All Your Love On Me - Helloween
Repent - Children Of Bodom
Who Wants To Live Forever? - After Forever
Metal Heart - Dimmu Borgir
September 9, 2013
SLM Mixtape #58: Origin of Extension
Tracklist:
Juliette - Hollerado
Don't Want To Talk - The Martial Arts
Outgoing Message - Corin Tucker Band
Back To The Web - Elf Power
Take My Flesh - Monofog
Let's Fall In Love - Mother Mother
Sinking Boats - Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
You Come In Burned - The Dandy Warhols
September 2, 2013
SLM Mixtape #57: Worldly Possessions
Mixtape Monday!
Slow and sad to compliment another beautiful September day here in Denver
August 26, 2013
SLM Mixtape #56: Chrome Star
Tracklist:
Spraypaint - Black Moth Super Rainbow
I Want You - Birds and Batteries
The Beat - C2C
Brief and Bright - Whitey
Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It - Stars
Pompeii - Bastille
Fair Warning - Penguin Prison
Hang Out - Drop Out Orchestra
August 19, 2013
SLM Mixtape #55: Unbaised Obliteration
I made this for two fellas I know.
There are a lot of different types of Metal in this mix.
Not every genre is present.
Neither is your favorite Metal Band.
I'm super sorry about that.
To make up for that,
and for my extended absence,
I've made the mix hecka long.
I also promise to never make another "all metal" mix again.
P.S. Mixtape Monday is back!
July 17, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Looking Back
A Retroview Review. the last one actually.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Well That wraps it up. Yesterday's post was the final of the series. I hope you enjoyed the quick and dirty write ups of some movies I saw basically a quarter of a year ago haha. Do I have a favorite movie? No. I think that would be the hardest thing to pick, because I saw so many amazing movies, movies that were all amazing for incredibly different reasons. I think if you read through, you'll be able to tell which ones I enjoyed most. Did I get burnt out watching almost 60 movies in 10 days? Hell no, I wish life wouldn't keep getting in the way so I could do it all the time. Will I do it again? You better believe it. Tuff Fest II feels like it's just around the corner...
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Well That wraps it up. Yesterday's post was the final of the series. I hope you enjoyed the quick and dirty write ups of some movies I saw basically a quarter of a year ago haha. Do I have a favorite movie? No. I think that would be the hardest thing to pick, because I saw so many amazing movies, movies that were all amazing for incredibly different reasons. I think if you read through, you'll be able to tell which ones I enjoyed most. Did I get burnt out watching almost 60 movies in 10 days? Hell no, I wish life wouldn't keep getting in the way so I could do it all the time. Will I do it again? You better believe it. Tuff Fest II feels like it's just around the corner...
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
July 16, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Wrap-Up Mega-Post 3
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Okay, so, like 4-5 months late, here is the last of the last two wrap ups for Tuff Fest I:
Red State
Kevin Smith never claimed to be a great film maker, and he has definitely lived up to that expectation. That said, he has made some good movies. His movies generally portray that he knows what he wants to say, but the end results generally come off a little muddled, trite, or cliche. Red State has a simple message, which serves Smith well, because it shines through crystal clear: religious fanatics don't always live in a foreign country. The world Smith presents to us feels real enough to touch, aided by spectacular performances by just about every cast member. It's a brutal, disturbing film, with one heck of an ending. I can't say the message isn't ham-handedly hammered home, but it's evident that this was Smith's intention, so I find myself unable to fault him. Maybe best described as a tonal piece.
More short reviews after the break!
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Okay, so, like 4-5 months late, here is the last of the last two wrap ups for Tuff Fest I:
Red State
Kevin Smith never claimed to be a great film maker, and he has definitely lived up to that expectation. That said, he has made some good movies. His movies generally portray that he knows what he wants to say, but the end results generally come off a little muddled, trite, or cliche. Red State has a simple message, which serves Smith well, because it shines through crystal clear: religious fanatics don't always live in a foreign country. The world Smith presents to us feels real enough to touch, aided by spectacular performances by just about every cast member. It's a brutal, disturbing film, with one heck of an ending. I can't say the message isn't ham-handedly hammered home, but it's evident that this was Smith's intention, so I find myself unable to fault him. Maybe best described as a tonal piece.
More short reviews after the break!
July 9, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Wrap-Up Mega-Post 2
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Okay, so, like 4-5 months late, here is the first of the last two wrap ups for Tuff Fest I:
House II
Everything that can possibly happen in a movie happens in House II. And all in 90 minutes. It's a sequel that is so loosely related to it's original that basically it's only connection is that it calls itself a sequel to House (not House, or House, or House, or House though). But that doesn't matter at all, much in the same way that Troll 2 doesn't need to be related to a movie called Troll, because it's so bad ass that it transcends any predecessors. Cowboys, John Ratzenberger, Zombies, Mayans, Dinosaurs, Halloween, Bill Maher, 80's pop stars, dance parties, dinner parties, virgin sacrifices, ex-lovers ... the list goes on and on. The Best thing about this movie and that it doesn't feel as though it's dragging on, or that it's trying to accomplish too much. Some how they managed to get everything "movie" into 90 minutes, which is the most "movie" time for a movie to be. Just see it. Seriously. This is the only one during Tuff Fest that I'd seen before, and it was well worth it.
More reviews below the cut!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Okay, so, like 4-5 months late, here is the first of the last two wrap ups for Tuff Fest I:
House II
Everything that can possibly happen in a movie happens in House II. And all in 90 minutes. It's a sequel that is so loosely related to it's original that basically it's only connection is that it calls itself a sequel to House (not House, or House, or House, or House though). But that doesn't matter at all, much in the same way that Troll 2 doesn't need to be related to a movie called Troll, because it's so bad ass that it transcends any predecessors. Cowboys, John Ratzenberger, Zombies, Mayans, Dinosaurs, Halloween, Bill Maher, 80's pop stars, dance parties, dinner parties, virgin sacrifices, ex-lovers ... the list goes on and on. The Best thing about this movie and that it doesn't feel as though it's dragging on, or that it's trying to accomplish too much. Some how they managed to get everything "movie" into 90 minutes, which is the most "movie" time for a movie to be. Just see it. Seriously. This is the only one during Tuff Fest that I'd seen before, and it was well worth it.
More reviews below the cut!
July 2, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Wrap-Up Mega-Post 1
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The Secret of NIMH - If you saw it as a child, feel reassured that it is still as adorable and chillingly terrifying as you remember it. I was not lucky enough to have known what I was in for. It's like the Rescuers meets H.P. Lovecraft. Okay, not that crazy, but still dark.
Cronos - I was surprised that it wasn't set during the Spanish Civil War, as many of Del Toro's other movies are, but it's a better tale set in the modern era. Del Toro's movies generally concern mortals coming in contact with the other side. Cronos follows suit, looking deep into the heart of man (or maybe just this one man) when he is given something even he already knows well enough not to call a gift. It's as twisted and inventive as Del Toro's other movies, but on a slightly smaller scale, which feels natural and inviting.
Many more after the break!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The Secret of NIMH - If you saw it as a child, feel reassured that it is still as adorable and chillingly terrifying as you remember it. I was not lucky enough to have known what I was in for. It's like the Rescuers meets H.P. Lovecraft. Okay, not that crazy, but still dark.
Cronos - I was surprised that it wasn't set during the Spanish Civil War, as many of Del Toro's other movies are, but it's a better tale set in the modern era. Del Toro's movies generally concern mortals coming in contact with the other side. Cronos follows suit, looking deep into the heart of man (or maybe just this one man) when he is given something even he already knows well enough not to call a gift. It's as twisted and inventive as Del Toro's other movies, but on a slightly smaller scale, which feels natural and inviting.
Many more after the break!
June 25, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 23: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Just as the remake is coming out, I find it more pertinent than ever to point out that this movie, the original, which came out barely 2 years ago, is an astonishing accomplishment in filmmaking, and that no matter how good the American remake might turn out to be, it's still important to ask ourselves if the remake is actually something that needed to be done. Having seen what an American director can do to a remake of a popular Swedish movie (I'm referring to the scar on cinematic history known as Let Me In, a travesty of a movie), I'm not very excited to see TGwtDT(2011), despite how admittedly awesome the trailer is. Will I still see it? Yeah, I think I will, but I'm just saying I'm not getting to excited about it.
Niels Arden Oplev's 2009 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a triumph. The characters are rich and enticing, each with complex but believable histories. For the audience, the joy of watching the meticulous unveiling of the mystery that the plot revolves around, the thing that links our characters, almost pales in comparison to the excitement that comes with learning more about the characters themselves. Watching them interact, learning more about their lives with genuine interest was more engrossing than watching any simple murder mystery. It was repulsive at times (not gorey, just uncomfortable), which didn't repel me, but, rather, drew me in further. An amazing, moving, movie. I DARE any director to have the same effect with the same characters and story, but without Oplev's hand and the powerhouses that were Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. Double Dog Dare.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Just as the remake is coming out, I find it more pertinent than ever to point out that this movie, the original, which came out barely 2 years ago, is an astonishing accomplishment in filmmaking, and that no matter how good the American remake might turn out to be, it's still important to ask ourselves if the remake is actually something that needed to be done. Having seen what an American director can do to a remake of a popular Swedish movie (I'm referring to the scar on cinematic history known as Let Me In, a travesty of a movie), I'm not very excited to see TGwtDT(2011), despite how admittedly awesome the trailer is. Will I still see it? Yeah, I think I will, but I'm just saying I'm not getting to excited about it.
Niels Arden Oplev's 2009 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a triumph. The characters are rich and enticing, each with complex but believable histories. For the audience, the joy of watching the meticulous unveiling of the mystery that the plot revolves around, the thing that links our characters, almost pales in comparison to the excitement that comes with learning more about the characters themselves. Watching them interact, learning more about their lives with genuine interest was more engrossing than watching any simple murder mystery. It was repulsive at times (not gorey, just uncomfortable), which didn't repel me, but, rather, drew me in further. An amazing, moving, movie. I DARE any director to have the same effect with the same characters and story, but without Oplev's hand and the powerhouses that were Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. Double Dog Dare.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
June 18, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 20: Moneyball
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Moneyball is a terrific movie, plain and simple. It makes me feel nostalgic about a sport I feel absolutely nothing for (re: baseball), and that's impressive. Though, admittedly, of all the sports movies out there, baseball ones are the easiest to have a confusing amount of nostalgia for, for some reason. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give brilliant performances, the script is clearly shooting for an Oscar, and there's a healthy helping of American Spirit drenched over every aspect of it. It is absolutely a solid movie, and to say any more than "it will go down as an instant classic" would be superfluous. Do you like movies? If you do, see Moneyball. It's a perfect example of how to do things right.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Moneyball is a terrific movie, plain and simple. It makes me feel nostalgic about a sport I feel absolutely nothing for (re: baseball), and that's impressive. Though, admittedly, of all the sports movies out there, baseball ones are the easiest to have a confusing amount of nostalgia for, for some reason. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give brilliant performances, the script is clearly shooting for an Oscar, and there's a healthy helping of American Spirit drenched over every aspect of it. It is absolutely a solid movie, and to say any more than "it will go down as an instant classic" would be superfluous. Do you like movies? If you do, see Moneyball. It's a perfect example of how to do things right.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
June 11, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 19: Fire and Ice
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I initially ordered what I thought was Fire and Ice from Netflix, and what arrived was the documentary of Frazetta's life, Painting with Fire, that was supplementary to Fire and Ice. As a person with eyeballs, I am a fan, or at the very least, admirer of Frank Frazetta, and I was interested in his story, so I popped in PwF. A pretty poorly paced and edited documentary, PwF still succeeded in wetting my appetite for Frazetta's full length movie, Fire and Ice. I have to say I was not incredibly surprised when I saw it. I was still, however, fairly disappointed. Fire and Ice is pretty darn bad. It's interesting to see how he and the rest of the crew attempted to bring his paintings to life, but past that general feeling of interest to see what he could do, I couldn't recommend it to anyone. No strong characters, an awful excuse for a female character, and, at times, it kind of looked terrible. I suppose I'm glad to have seen it, and it was fun yelling at the movie with my friend Margie, but ... seriously ... it's pretty bad. Check out Painting with Fire though!
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I initially ordered what I thought was Fire and Ice from Netflix, and what arrived was the documentary of Frazetta's life, Painting with Fire, that was supplementary to Fire and Ice. As a person with eyeballs, I am a fan, or at the very least, admirer of Frank Frazetta, and I was interested in his story, so I popped in PwF. A pretty poorly paced and edited documentary, PwF still succeeded in wetting my appetite for Frazetta's full length movie, Fire and Ice. I have to say I was not incredibly surprised when I saw it. I was still, however, fairly disappointed. Fire and Ice is pretty darn bad. It's interesting to see how he and the rest of the crew attempted to bring his paintings to life, but past that general feeling of interest to see what he could do, I couldn't recommend it to anyone. No strong characters, an awful excuse for a female character, and, at times, it kind of looked terrible. I suppose I'm glad to have seen it, and it was fun yelling at the movie with my friend Margie, but ... seriously ... it's pretty bad. Check out Painting with Fire though!
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
June 4, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 17: Restrepo
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I was previously unaware that I was as effected by the slew of wars over the past decade, mostly because, as far as I could tell, there'd always been a war, so it was just kind of a normal state. I didn't have any friends in the war because I was too young, and I didn't have any relatives in the war because they were too old. But now I'm at the point where I've got old neighbors coming home from the war ... or not. Thoughts about this have been slowly seeping in, but nothing could have compared me for Restrepo (Reh-strep-oh). You're introduced to actual people, some of which, by the end of the movie, are no longer alive. You see them laugh and joke around, and you see them in fire fights, and while you never actually see any bloodshed, it occurs off camera, it's just as terrifying, if not more, than if you were actually watching it. Before watching this documentary, my stance on the war was a general dislike, and a desire to see the troops come home. After seeing it, my stance has changed to me never wanting war to have ever existed ever. An incredibly powerful and important movie, I'm afraid that Restrepo will never get the circulation it truly deserves.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I was previously unaware that I was as effected by the slew of wars over the past decade, mostly because, as far as I could tell, there'd always been a war, so it was just kind of a normal state. I didn't have any friends in the war because I was too young, and I didn't have any relatives in the war because they were too old. But now I'm at the point where I've got old neighbors coming home from the war ... or not. Thoughts about this have been slowly seeping in, but nothing could have compared me for Restrepo (Reh-strep-oh). You're introduced to actual people, some of which, by the end of the movie, are no longer alive. You see them laugh and joke around, and you see them in fire fights, and while you never actually see any bloodshed, it occurs off camera, it's just as terrifying, if not more, than if you were actually watching it. Before watching this documentary, my stance on the war was a general dislike, and a desire to see the troops come home. After seeing it, my stance has changed to me never wanting war to have ever existed ever. An incredibly powerful and important movie, I'm afraid that Restrepo will never get the circulation it truly deserves.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
May 28, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 15: A Town Called Panic
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
This is another one that I'd seen before, but definitely wanted to see again, especially with a new group of people who hadn't seen it. Luckily my buddy Dana was around, so we put it on. A Town Called Panic is a motion picture adaptation of a series of 5 minute puppetoon series of the same name. The movie feels an awful lot like twenty 5 minute shorts back to back, the plot free floating and sporadic, but never to the point where it feel taxing. A pure and simple exercise in absurdity, A Town Called Panic is what I call a great, fun movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
(p.s. This task has, addittedly, gotten the better of me haha. 60 movies in 60 days on top of a job and being in a band and wanting to read stuff sometimes? haha, yeah, I'm going to need to move a little faster than that. So I'll publish the reviews I've already written, and do a huge wrap up, single to two sentence wrap up of the other movies!)
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
This is another one that I'd seen before, but definitely wanted to see again, especially with a new group of people who hadn't seen it. Luckily my buddy Dana was around, so we put it on. A Town Called Panic is a motion picture adaptation of a series of 5 minute puppetoon series of the same name. The movie feels an awful lot like twenty 5 minute shorts back to back, the plot free floating and sporadic, but never to the point where it feel taxing. A pure and simple exercise in absurdity, A Town Called Panic is what I call a great, fun movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
(p.s. This task has, addittedly, gotten the better of me haha. 60 movies in 60 days on top of a job and being in a band and wanting to read stuff sometimes? haha, yeah, I'm going to need to move a little faster than that. So I'll publish the reviews I've already written, and do a huge wrap up, single to two sentence wrap up of the other movies!)
May 21, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 13: The 39 Steps
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I was fortunate enough to be able to watch this movie with someone who had worked on a production of the stage version of the 39 Steps. He said that, while this version was a great drama, the stage version was more of a comedy. After looking back on the movie, I could see the points where certain elements, if played differently, could have been laugh out loud funny. That said, I was glad for the drama, as Robert Donat's sly and dry wit and humor would have felt a little dull if everything else was being played up to the nth degree. Hitchcock showcases his at this point well developed sense of pacing and camera work. There's a particularly titillating piece of camera work involving the shot starting in a car, then swinging out as the car drives away, that mirrors Fritz Lang's revolutionary window shot in M (seen here), but improves on it in ways that only Hitchcock could. Of course it's awesome, it's Hitchcock.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I was fortunate enough to be able to watch this movie with someone who had worked on a production of the stage version of the 39 Steps. He said that, while this version was a great drama, the stage version was more of a comedy. After looking back on the movie, I could see the points where certain elements, if played differently, could have been laugh out loud funny. That said, I was glad for the drama, as Robert Donat's sly and dry wit and humor would have felt a little dull if everything else was being played up to the nth degree. Hitchcock showcases his at this point well developed sense of pacing and camera work. There's a particularly titillating piece of camera work involving the shot starting in a car, then swinging out as the car drives away, that mirrors Fritz Lang's revolutionary window shot in M (seen here), but improves on it in ways that only Hitchcock could. Of course it's awesome, it's Hitchcock.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
May 14, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 12: Burnt Offerings
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I put Burnt Offerings on my list primarily because John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats once mentioned it and gave it a fair amount of praise. Burnt Offerings is, first and foremost, a very long movie. It's only really 2 hours, but it feels way longer. Without giving any spoilers away really (as this is the premise of the movie), the house this family agrees to stay in for the summer appears to be draining the life from the family. Whether or not this is what is actually happening, it does appear this way, and when your movie's goal is to show the life slowly being drained from someone, you have to realize that this feeling will be experienced by your audience as well. If you're really into Dark Shadows, and love campy 70's horror, and have nothing to do, then I'd recommend that you watch Burnt Offerings. If not, then I'd heavily consider watching this one scene from it. Warning, Spoiler. That's really all you'll need.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I put Burnt Offerings on my list primarily because John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats once mentioned it and gave it a fair amount of praise. Burnt Offerings is, first and foremost, a very long movie. It's only really 2 hours, but it feels way longer. Without giving any spoilers away really (as this is the premise of the movie), the house this family agrees to stay in for the summer appears to be draining the life from the family. Whether or not this is what is actually happening, it does appear this way, and when your movie's goal is to show the life slowly being drained from someone, you have to realize that this feeling will be experienced by your audience as well. If you're really into Dark Shadows, and love campy 70's horror, and have nothing to do, then I'd recommend that you watch Burnt Offerings. If not, then I'd heavily consider watching this one scene from it. Warning, Spoiler. That's really all you'll need.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
May 7, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 11: Who Is Harry Nilsson?
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Everyone likes Harry Nilsson, even if you don't know who he is. I've been a fan of his since my Dad played me Son of Schmilsson when I was a kid. I particularly liked "You're Breaking My Heart." As I got older, I gathered up as much Nilsson as I could get my hands on, absorbing it like the leading brand of paper towels. Until recently I didn't look into his personal life too much, as I've never found that sort of information as interesting as the music itself. But when someone makes a doc about one of the most under-appreciated musicians of the 20th century, I figure it's my duty to find out a little about the guy. Who is Harry Nilsson? goes into immense detail about how crazy this man Harry's life really was, and how if a startling genius can also be a huge jerk, and, simultaneously, a loving man. Okay okay, that's not that startling, but still, it's a good story and a well paced documentary, so what more could you ask for?
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Everyone likes Harry Nilsson, even if you don't know who he is. I've been a fan of his since my Dad played me Son of Schmilsson when I was a kid. I particularly liked "You're Breaking My Heart." As I got older, I gathered up as much Nilsson as I could get my hands on, absorbing it like the leading brand of paper towels. Until recently I didn't look into his personal life too much, as I've never found that sort of information as interesting as the music itself. But when someone makes a doc about one of the most under-appreciated musicians of the 20th century, I figure it's my duty to find out a little about the guy. Who is Harry Nilsson? goes into immense detail about how crazy this man Harry's life really was, and how if a startling genius can also be a huge jerk, and, simultaneously, a loving man. Okay okay, that's not that startling, but still, it's a good story and a well paced documentary, so what more could you ask for?
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
May 6, 2013
SLM Mixtape #54: Fervency
The Companion - The Mary Onettes
Hey Mama - The Motorcycle Boy
Over My Shoulder - Paul Banks
Halleluwah - Can
Anonymous - American Taboo
Lies- Big Hair
Compressor - Biting Tongues
Rage the Viking I'm Not - The Blast Conservatory
April 30, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 10: Haunted Honeymoon
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Haunted Honeymoon sort of slipped its way into the festival. I'd seen it before when I was a kid, and didn't put it on my list, but after watching the Expendables, and randomly seeing it in my suggested queue, the people I had over and I thought it'd be a good companion piece. Haunted Honeymoon, for those of you who don't know, was Gilda Radner's last movie before she died of ovarian cancer. Watching it honestly feels like we're looking in on a fever-dream during the last few days of love bird's Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder's marriage. Going in to this movie with this knowledge adds a strange dynamic, watching Gene and Gilda unknowingly fall into a potentially life threatening situation, and laugh, dance, and sing their way out of it feels like an all to apt swan song. But it also makes it harder to watch, because now, looking back, we know it's a swan song, but at the time that it was being made, they were still fighting hard to make it more than that. And, outside of the movie, happily ever after didn't really come through for G&G. A heartbreaking movie without ever intending to be one.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Haunted Honeymoon sort of slipped its way into the festival. I'd seen it before when I was a kid, and didn't put it on my list, but after watching the Expendables, and randomly seeing it in my suggested queue, the people I had over and I thought it'd be a good companion piece. Haunted Honeymoon, for those of you who don't know, was Gilda Radner's last movie before she died of ovarian cancer. Watching it honestly feels like we're looking in on a fever-dream during the last few days of love bird's Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder's marriage. Going in to this movie with this knowledge adds a strange dynamic, watching Gene and Gilda unknowingly fall into a potentially life threatening situation, and laugh, dance, and sing their way out of it feels like an all to apt swan song. But it also makes it harder to watch, because now, looking back, we know it's a swan song, but at the time that it was being made, they were still fighting hard to make it more than that. And, outside of the movie, happily ever after didn't really come through for G&G. A heartbreaking movie without ever intending to be one.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
April 23, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 9: The Expendables
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The Expendables is everything that you think it is. It's a throwback to the testosterone-driven explosion-smorgasbord era of cinema, and really nothing more. At this point in my festival, a few friends had come over, and a few drinks were had, so any semblance of what the plot of this movie was almost entirely lost on me, but, as you probably guessed it, that didn't really matter. There were big manly men fighting each other, huge explosions, cameos, and every other sort of unabashedly self serving, masturbatory aspect of the epics given homage by this overblown production. Oh yeah, and it also totally ruled. It was just too much fun, even at its most base moments.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The Expendables is everything that you think it is. It's a throwback to the testosterone-driven explosion-smorgasbord era of cinema, and really nothing more. At this point in my festival, a few friends had come over, and a few drinks were had, so any semblance of what the plot of this movie was almost entirely lost on me, but, as you probably guessed it, that didn't really matter. There were big manly men fighting each other, huge explosions, cameos, and every other sort of unabashedly self serving, masturbatory aspect of the epics given homage by this overblown production. Oh yeah, and it also totally ruled. It was just too much fun, even at its most base moments.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
April 16, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 8: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Uncle Boonmee is a hard movie to really review. It's certainly beautiful, and definitely an experience, but it's not for everyone. It's another slow and contemplative movie, floating by at glacial speed. What is happening in the plot takes a back seat to deliberately weighty silences and long stretches of either metaphorical or literal wanderings. I did like it, and found it uncannily beautiful, but I can't say I really understood what was happening, and found myself getting so lost in it that I zoned out, my mind going on trips of it's own. When it would come back, it would appear that nothing much had changed since I left. If explored more deeply, I may come out of it with a deeper understanding of the plot or even the message, but I'm not sure I'll be quick to revisit this admittedly strange and beautiful movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Uncle Boonmee is a hard movie to really review. It's certainly beautiful, and definitely an experience, but it's not for everyone. It's another slow and contemplative movie, floating by at glacial speed. What is happening in the plot takes a back seat to deliberately weighty silences and long stretches of either metaphorical or literal wanderings. I did like it, and found it uncannily beautiful, but I can't say I really understood what was happening, and found myself getting so lost in it that I zoned out, my mind going on trips of it's own. When it would come back, it would appear that nothing much had changed since I left. If explored more deeply, I may come out of it with a deeper understanding of the plot or even the message, but I'm not sure I'll be quick to revisit this admittedly strange and beautiful movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
April 15, 2013
SLM Mixtape #53: if only
Peace In the Valley - Marva Whitney
That's How Strong My Love Is - The Gaylettes
I'm Coming Home (To See My Mother) - Clifton Chenier
Anyone Can Move A Mountain - Marlena Shaw
Go Now - Bessie Banks
Parallelograms - Linda Perhacs
Love is Blue - Sylvie Vartan
All I Can Do is Cry - Johnny Bond and His Red River Valley Boys
April 14, 2013
Show review: Now, Now, 4/11/2013
I picked up their first release back in '08 and found it nothing short of charming and heartwarming, and was excited to see how their new material would stand up live. After two openers who did nothing but cause concern for the outcome of Now, Now's performance, I was quickly rewarded for my patience. Now, Now continues to be the real deal.
Now, Now's now three members quietly set their things up on stage, did a quick check up on the levels, and them warmly eased into their first song. Now, Now's performance was reserved, calculated. There didn't seem to be a single note out of place, or thoughtlessly added. There being the lack of a talented producer to filter their performance through, they had to rely on their ability to live up to their recorded sound, and they wonderfully.
Now Now's songs are patient, in no rush to win you over, rewarding you for your own patience with winsome, kinetic, tempestuous verses and choruses. Their Sleater-Kinney set up, but with occasional programmed keyboard tracks as bass back up, flaunted their understanding of the necessity to be as tonally aware as they are, that more volume, more drum fills, more vocal inflections don't make an interesting or enjoyable song, it's the attention to detail and pure, unwavering sense of direction that makes a song special.
Now, Now is currently on tour, and you'd be remiss to miss them:
Apr 14 The Blue Moose TapHouse, Iowa City, IA
Apr 15 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Apr 16 Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
Apr 17 Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN
Apr 19 Highdive, Champaign, IL
Apr 20 Young Avenue Deli, Memphis, TN
Apr 21 Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX
Apr 22 Stubb's BBQ, Austin, TX
Apr 24 Pub Rock Live, Scottsdale, AZ
Apr 25 The Loft (UCSD), La Jolla, CA
Apr 26 The Wire, Upland, CA
Apr 27 Satellite Club, Los Angeles, CA
Apr 28 Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA
Apr 30 Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
May 01 Cozmic Pizza, Eugene, OR
May 02 Mississippi Studios,Portland, OR
May 03 ELECTRIC OWL, Vancouver, Canada
May 04 The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
April 9, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 7: Trollhunter
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
There were moments while watching TrollHunter that I was leaning forward, jaw agape, eyes wide, and heart racing. It doesn't have to rely on the audience pretending they're watching a "real" found footage movie, which honestly makes the movie more engaging and a hell of a lot more fun. Yes it's a bit of a Blair Witch rip off, but it I think it accomplishes a thing that Blair Witch would have killed to: It's a blast to watch. I was laughing and smiling the whole time. It's a fun, unassuming, unexpected adventure.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
There were moments while watching TrollHunter that I was leaning forward, jaw agape, eyes wide, and heart racing. It doesn't have to rely on the audience pretending they're watching a "real" found footage movie, which honestly makes the movie more engaging and a hell of a lot more fun. Yes it's a bit of a Blair Witch rip off, but it I think it accomplishes a thing that Blair Witch would have killed to: It's a blast to watch. I was laughing and smiling the whole time. It's a fun, unassuming, unexpected adventure.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
April 8, 2013
SLM Mixtape #52: Lives, Lived
Song Of Songs - Two Gallants
Seen It All - Jake Bugg
Dream Girls - The Fresh & Onlys
Child of God - Josephine Foster
Greeneyed Monster - Jena Malone
Lines - Lucy Rose
Eric - I Was A King
All Cats Are Grey in the Dark - Henry Adam Svec
April 2, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 6: I Love You Phillip Morris
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I Love You Phillips Morris is a fun, funny, twisted tale of one man's selfishness never really catching up to him. The moral of the story may have been lost, but with this movie it really is all about watching this based-on-a-true-story movie unfold. Jim Carrey's portrayal of real life Steven Jay Russel is charming and hypnotic, most of the joy found in the movie being derived from watching him get away with all of the just-barely-believable madness that occurs throughout the movie. Jim and Ewan act their tushes off in the playful, colorful, outrageous, blast of a movie. Definitely the feel-good-movie of year (two years ago).
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
I Love You Phillips Morris is a fun, funny, twisted tale of one man's selfishness never really catching up to him. The moral of the story may have been lost, but with this movie it really is all about watching this based-on-a-true-story movie unfold. Jim Carrey's portrayal of real life Steven Jay Russel is charming and hypnotic, most of the joy found in the movie being derived from watching him get away with all of the just-barely-believable madness that occurs throughout the movie. Jim and Ewan act their tushes off in the playful, colorful, outrageous, blast of a movie. Definitely the feel-good-movie of year (two years ago).
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
April 1, 2013
SLM Mixtape #51: Chariot
Tracklist:
Rooster - Doron Diamond
Family Tree - Evening Hymns
A Lifetime in Heat - The Guggenheim Grotto
Leviathan - God's Little Eskimo
Boyfriend - Chelsea Wolfe
Cabin In The Burn - Evening Hymns
USA - Yellow Ostrich
Thumb - Meursault
March 26, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 5: THE THING
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
There are few movies that occupy the upper echelon of movies I consider good (there are a lot of good movies, but few perfect is what I'm saying). I bring this up because, obviously, The Thing is one of the few movies I consider basically perfect. From the terrifically chilling soundtrack to the stellar performances from every cast member, from Rob Bottin's godlike visual effects mastery to the straight up bonkers premise, from the brilliant cinematography to the spot on look into the human psyche, John Carpenter's The Thing is an unstoppable behemoth of a movie. No matter how many times I see it, the sense of terror present during my first seeing it surfaces again in new and bizarre ways. It's flat out an effective movie. And if you haven't see it, I envy you, because you get to see it for the first time now that you're going to go out and see it right away.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
There are few movies that occupy the upper echelon of movies I consider good (there are a lot of good movies, but few perfect is what I'm saying). I bring this up because, obviously, The Thing is one of the few movies I consider basically perfect. From the terrifically chilling soundtrack to the stellar performances from every cast member, from Rob Bottin's godlike visual effects mastery to the straight up bonkers premise, from the brilliant cinematography to the spot on look into the human psyche, John Carpenter's The Thing is an unstoppable behemoth of a movie. No matter how many times I see it, the sense of terror present during my first seeing it surfaces again in new and bizarre ways. It's flat out an effective movie. And if you haven't see it, I envy you, because you get to see it for the first time now that you're going to go out and see it right away.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
March 25, 2013
SLM Mixtape #50: ohmygodshutup
track list:
Flipless in What Plastic Box - Baby Walrus
Fathers Day - Neal Morgan
Shut Up & Deal - Radiator Hospital
Tony's wife - Sun Ra
Windows Open - Which Magic
I Won't Hurt You - West Coast Art Experimental Band
Movies Is Magic (Van Dyke Parks) - Mike Cooper
This Is War... - Spoon Boy
March 19, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 3: In the Mood For Love
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Wong Kar-wai’s second in his informal trilogy, In the Mood for Love is the most accessible of the three. Faster paced than Days of Being Wild, more concise than 2046, In the Mood For Love is a heartbreaking exploration of the processes of losing a lover to infidelity. It’s still very much a contemplative movie, slow and deliberate, but more emotionally charged. There are conversations that are so unbelievably hard to watch that I felt uncomfortable just being in the same room as the movie. The soundtrack comes in gracefully during emotional moments, causing the heart to swell and one's breath to freeze in their lungs. It's a desperately beautiful movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
Wong Kar-wai’s second in his informal trilogy, In the Mood for Love is the most accessible of the three. Faster paced than Days of Being Wild, more concise than 2046, In the Mood For Love is a heartbreaking exploration of the processes of losing a lover to infidelity. It’s still very much a contemplative movie, slow and deliberate, but more emotionally charged. There are conversations that are so unbelievably hard to watch that I felt uncomfortable just being in the same room as the movie. The soundtrack comes in gracefully during emotional moments, causing the heart to swell and one's breath to freeze in their lungs. It's a desperately beautiful movie.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
March 18, 2013
SLM Mixtape #49: Something Powerful
Track list:
Leading Me Now - The Tallest Man On Earth
Second Place Blues - Luke Roberts
Randy Quaid - Graham Wright
Emmylou - First Aid Kit
The Motherlode - The Staves
Night Bus - Lucy Rose
The First Day Of Snow - The Mad Skeleton
Undone - Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles
March 15, 2013
New Layout!
As you may have noticed, the site looks a little different. Well that's because my good buddy Jasper went through and tore up the fabric of space and time (read: code and stuff) and came up with this wonderful new layout! Everything fits now! Everything looks wonderful! Now I'll be able to write new things and not feel embarassed by the sickly and disturbing design!
New content coming atcha soon. I hope you like the new layout!
Check out Jasper's personal website if you think you may need his assistance with any of your own stuff. He's awesome!
March 12, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 2: Days Of Being Wild
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The first of Wong Kar-wai’s informal trilogy, Days of Being Wild is a slow, contemplative, mood focused film that follows around a Hong Kong playboy’s exploits with one woman, whom he quickly becomes bored of, and another whom he can’t seem to rid himself of. The movie explores courting, copulation, certain people’s compulsion to constantly remain on the hunt, and the inevitable emotional fallout that all of these things may bring about. It’s a sad movie, and moving, but it is certainly not for everyone. Bring your patience and be prepared to let it wash over you and you may find it rewarding.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
The first of Wong Kar-wai’s informal trilogy, Days of Being Wild is a slow, contemplative, mood focused film that follows around a Hong Kong playboy’s exploits with one woman, whom he quickly becomes bored of, and another whom he can’t seem to rid himself of. The movie explores courting, copulation, certain people’s compulsion to constantly remain on the hunt, and the inevitable emotional fallout that all of these things may bring about. It’s a sad movie, and moving, but it is certainly not for everyone. Bring your patience and be prepared to let it wash over you and you may find it rewarding.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
March 11, 2013
SLM Mixtape #48: what. what is it that you want.
White Jeep - Mayyors
Make Force (Album Version) - Xbxrx
Drunkship Of Lanterns - The Mars Volta
stabbing - Manual Zombie
Amplifuckation - Science vs. Witchcraft
Vaneigem Mix - Royal Family And The Poor
Birdtown - DD/MM/YYYY
Zs - Zs
March 9, 2013
Ivan & Alyosha, Live review (with Arc Life, Dana Falconberry)
(photo: Live Letters)
Last Wednesday, I was invited to see Ivan & Alyosha, a self described "indie-rock, folk-pop, indie-pop" quintet from Seattle, Washington. Being that the majority of the new music I come across sits a little further from center than a band like Ivan & Alyosha, I hadn't heard of them until I received the invitation.
They had a laundry list of accolades from a variety of reliable sources, and I liked the song in their newest video, so I decided to take my best friend out for the night and hit up the Hi-Dive, a venue which rarely disappoints.
Terminally early, I found myself at the Hi-Dive roughly an hour before the music started. As the crowd formed around me, the people-watching portion of the evening began. It great to see so many people so excited, unironically, for a show, that there were "whoops" and "yahoos" well prior to the first band even taking the stage. Denver is an excitable town, true, but it was ready for a show.
March 6, 2013
Ivan & Alyosha @ the Hi-Dive, tonight.
While the blog continues to have these small updates during this sort of reconstruction I've got in the works (You just wait and see! All these minor formatting issues will soon be a thing of the past!), I hadn't really planned on doing live show reviews. But then the opportunity to see Ivan and Alyosha came across my table, and after hearing the song from the video above, I decided to get myself out there this evening and see if they're as adorable as they look in the video. It's at the Hi-Dive at 9PM this evening, 3/6/2013. See you there maybe?
March 5, 2013
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Movie 1: La Horde
A Retroview Review.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
La Horde French indie zombie flick that explores the concept of a zombie apocalypse in a new way. Well, okay honestly it’s still a survival horror movie, but the characters themselves are what really sell movies whose premises are as well taxed as “zombie survival horror.” The characters’ interactions with not only one another, but the zombies themselves, for the first time showed that there can be a collection of cool and calculating people in the middle of an “end of the world situation” … and that even these people will react in unexpected and sometimes terrifying ways when put under pressure. There is a stronger sense of hopelessness in La Horde than American zombie movies, which is most certainly linked to their filmmaker’s cultural differences, which was what made La Horde most appealing. Not the strongest movie ever, but I was pleased to see at least one current zombie movie that felt a little more realistic.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
Btw, props to Beth for the suggestion.
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Click here for an explanation. Read on for the quick and dirty review!
La Horde French indie zombie flick that explores the concept of a zombie apocalypse in a new way. Well, okay honestly it’s still a survival horror movie, but the characters themselves are what really sell movies whose premises are as well taxed as “zombie survival horror.” The characters’ interactions with not only one another, but the zombies themselves, for the first time showed that there can be a collection of cool and calculating people in the middle of an “end of the world situation” … and that even these people will react in unexpected and sometimes terrifying ways when put under pressure. There is a stronger sense of hopelessness in La Horde than American zombie movies, which is most certainly linked to their filmmaker’s cultural differences, which was what made La Horde most appealing. Not the strongest movie ever, but I was pleased to see at least one current zombie movie that felt a little more realistic.
-Luke Hunter James-Erickson
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
Again, for an explanation, click here: Introduction to Tuff Fest I
To suggest movies I should schedule for Get Tuff Fest II, e-mail me: TheeLuke@gmail.com
Btw, props to Beth for the suggestion.
Retroview: Tuff Fest I: Introduction
A Retroview Review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Read on to see what I mean.
Last month I took a week off work and watched movies from one weekend to the next. It was half in celebration of by birthday (a month late), and half me clearing out my “List of Shame” (my list of movies I’m ashamed I have yet to see), with a dash of "well I just want to watch a week's worth of movies for the heck of it." To not take any much deserved attention away from the 34th Starz Denver Film Festival (see the last like 40 posts for reference, nice work Justin and Ben!), I decided to put off writing about it until after the madness of the SDFF34 had come to a close. Also, it takes a long time to write about this many movies.
This will be an ongoing, quick and dirty daily offering that will continue for roughly the next 60 days. I'll put up the first write up later this week, probably after the last SDFF34 post goes up. I hope you enjoy the series!
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
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Luke here, back with a new limited series where I talk about like 60 movies over the next 60 days. Read on to see what I mean.
Last month I took a week off work and watched movies from one weekend to the next. It was half in celebration of by birthday (a month late), and half me clearing out my “List of Shame” (my list of movies I’m ashamed I have yet to see), with a dash of "well I just want to watch a week's worth of movies for the heck of it." To not take any much deserved attention away from the 34th Starz Denver Film Festival (see the last like 40 posts for reference, nice work Justin and Ben!), I decided to put off writing about it until after the madness of the SDFF34 had come to a close. Also, it takes a long time to write about this many movies.
This will be an ongoing, quick and dirty daily offering that will continue for roughly the next 60 days. I'll put up the first write up later this week, probably after the last SDFF34 post goes up. I hope you enjoy the series!
To see all the movies written about so far, click here: Tuff Fest I
March 4, 2013
SLM Mixtape #47: Psalm 137:9
Denomination Blues Part 1 - Washington Phillips
Mcabee's Railroad Piece - Palmer Mcabee
Tired Of Being Mistreated (Pt.2) - Clifford Gibson
At The River - Tennessee Mountaineers
My Jelly Blues - Bertha Ross
No News or What Killed The Dog - Frank Crumit
John Gilman Want Tobacco (Carnival) - Victoria Phillip & Dixon Phillip
Lift Him Up That's All - Washington Phillips
February 26, 2013
Retroview: Bring a Book: Cool World (1992)
A Retroview Review.
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Luke Here. Spending time talking about movies I don't like feels cheap, mean, and makes me wonder if I'm making up for something... But if there's something deeper to examine, then I will. I'll keep the negativity to a minimum, but if you plan on watching Cool World, I suggest you Bring a Book.
Have you seen Cool World? I have. I loved when I first saw it. I was also 8. That seems to be how old everyone else involved with it must have been. I'm going to be frank here: I can't believe how wholly unenjoyable this movie is. From the awful pacing, to the embarrassingly shabby sets (though, admittedly, if they were in a more interesting movie, they could totally work), to the terrible acting, there is hardly an engaging moment in the entire 100 minute trudge. I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I shouldn't waste time on a movie this bad, but this movie is a symptom of a greater disease, and that's what I really want to talk about. Here we go!
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Luke Here. Spending time talking about movies I don't like feels cheap, mean, and makes me wonder if I'm making up for something... But if there's something deeper to examine, then I will. I'll keep the negativity to a minimum, but if you plan on watching Cool World, I suggest you Bring a Book.
Have you seen Cool World? I have. I loved when I first saw it. I was also 8. That seems to be how old everyone else involved with it must have been. I'm going to be frank here: I can't believe how wholly unenjoyable this movie is. From the awful pacing, to the embarrassingly shabby sets (though, admittedly, if they were in a more interesting movie, they could totally work), to the terrible acting, there is hardly an engaging moment in the entire 100 minute trudge. I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I shouldn't waste time on a movie this bad, but this movie is a symptom of a greater disease, and that's what I really want to talk about. Here we go!
February 25, 2013
SLM Mixtape #46: Behaving
Native Americans - Les Seldoms
Moonstruck - The Megaphonic Thrift
Texas Overture - Pere Ubu
Peach Cobbler - Marmoset
New Drug Queens - Pink Mountaintops
Charlie - Spider
I Wanna Be Tall - Estrogen Highs
New Building - Looking for Jenny
February 19, 2013
Retroview: Sir Arne's Treasure (1919)
A Retroview Review.
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-Luke here, talking about a movie heralded a shining example of the Golden Age of Swedish Cinema.
Written/adapted and directed by one of Sweden's most prolific filmmakers, Mauritz Stiller's Sir Arne's Treasure (Herr Arnes pengar) is a beautiful, surprising silent movie, rife with wonderful textures, colors, and a plot the likes of which cinema is all too unfamiliar. There is a striking quality to SAT that I found enticing and engaging, while concurrently finding it to be strange and unsettling. It's a hard movie to watch at times, maybe because of the various foreign qualities (it being a silent Swedish movie), but maybe because it's a love story, heck, a story at all, to which I can honestly draw few comparisons. With this movie coming out in 1919, adapted from a novel released in 1903, I find the fact that it feels so fresh and new to be the most striking thing about it. Here we go!
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-Luke here, talking about a movie heralded a shining example of the Golden Age of Swedish Cinema.
Written/adapted and directed by one of Sweden's most prolific filmmakers, Mauritz Stiller's Sir Arne's Treasure (Herr Arnes pengar) is a beautiful, surprising silent movie, rife with wonderful textures, colors, and a plot the likes of which cinema is all too unfamiliar. There is a striking quality to SAT that I found enticing and engaging, while concurrently finding it to be strange and unsettling. It's a hard movie to watch at times, maybe because of the various foreign qualities (it being a silent Swedish movie), but maybe because it's a love story, heck, a story at all, to which I can honestly draw few comparisons. With this movie coming out in 1919, adapted from a novel released in 1903, I find the fact that it feels so fresh and new to be the most striking thing about it. Here we go!
February 18, 2013
SLM Mixtape #45: makin' it look easy
F U C-3PO - Zammuto
In The Dark - ROLLERSKATERS
Baltic Sea - HUMAN TETRIS
Sweet Sipping Soda - Reptar
Days Untrue - S.C.U.M.
The Break Up - Les Loups
This Head I Hold - Electric Guest
Make Up Your Mind - Here We Go Magic
February 12, 2013
Retroview: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2
A Retroview Review.
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(He's Harry, he's Harry, he's Harry bloody Potter.)
Luke here, with a quick and dirty reflection on WB's nightcap of a movie.
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(He's Harry, he's Harry, he's Harry bloody Potter.)
Luke here, with a quick and dirty reflection on WB's nightcap of a movie.
HP7II is a difficult
movie to talk about, because it's not really a complete vision. It marks
the completion of a full work, be it the entire series, or just HP7,
but HP7II is, in itself, not a whole movie. I'm going to say right here
and now that I loved watching it, and am incredibly pleased to see it
opening night with all the squealing fully grown adults, but that I felt
cheated. This review will not be a recap of the other movies, or a
discussion on the end of an era, or the end of a series. There will be a
time and place for that, and I don't believe that this is that time.
For now we have this final offering, this desert of a movie to consume,
digest, and reflect upon. No spoilers here, but I have a feeling you
already know how it ends, either because you read the book, or you've
already seen the movie (judging by the box office numbers, you've
probably already seen it). Here we go!
February 5, 2013
Retroview: Rubber (2010)
A Retroview Review.
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Hold on to your butts. It's Rubber.
Rubber is a movie about a tire coming to life and going on a killing spree. Beyond that I have a hard time telling what is a spoiler and what isn't, because the movie is so much more than just that. It's the second feature film by Quentin Dupieux, better known as musician Mr. Oizo, and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. The acting was spot on, each cast member expertly flirting the line between being caricatures with the expected amount of over acting, and delivering believable, relatable characters. The way the light seeps through the lens of the camera and onto the film, you can almost feel the desert heat, the dry air, the course sand. The atmospheric soundtrack is playful at times, knowingly cliche during others, and perfectly drops out when it needs to, letting the images talk for themselves. It's a fun, funny, ridiculous movie, all on a foundation of one of my favorite things: The Absurd. You're going to love it. Go watch it and come back. Now. ... Okay, now that you're back, let's talk about why this movie is so awesome. Minor-minor-minor spoilers follow, but they only spoil a little bit of the first 10 minutes. Here we go.
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Hold on to your butts. It's Rubber.
Rubber is a movie about a tire coming to life and going on a killing spree. Beyond that I have a hard time telling what is a spoiler and what isn't, because the movie is so much more than just that. It's the second feature film by Quentin Dupieux, better known as musician Mr. Oizo, and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. The acting was spot on, each cast member expertly flirting the line between being caricatures with the expected amount of over acting, and delivering believable, relatable characters. The way the light seeps through the lens of the camera and onto the film, you can almost feel the desert heat, the dry air, the course sand. The atmospheric soundtrack is playful at times, knowingly cliche during others, and perfectly drops out when it needs to, letting the images talk for themselves. It's a fun, funny, ridiculous movie, all on a foundation of one of my favorite things: The Absurd. You're going to love it. Go watch it and come back. Now. ... Okay, now that you're back, let's talk about why this movie is so awesome. Minor-minor-minor spoilers follow, but they only spoil a little bit of the first 10 minutes. Here we go.
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