reporter-arts@mnsu.edu
Variety Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Ledger’s last picture
“Romance is Boring” Wichita (1/26/10)
JACOB BOHROD
staff writer Some movies need but an open mind and open arms to achieve something memorable. While “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is a flighty and, at times, lost example of one, it is indeed one of those films. Crafted by co-writer/ director Terry Gilliam, whose noticeably French-influenced style of filmmaking makes him particularly interesting to keep track of, “Parnassus” will keep you as confused and insecure as its subject matter: a traveling sideshow headed
by the immortal Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer). The only thing consistent about the film is its inconsistency, caused perhaps by the death of its lead (Heath Ledger, as the sideshow’s newcomer, Tony) mid-shoot, which resulted in a complete retooling and the casting of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell as Tony’s other selves; but to shrug off what becomes the film’s critical feature—an askew universe that ties both the characters and viewers into knots—as a mere happenstance would be a nearsighted and lacking
departure. The film starts off on the foot it intends: the wrong one. A horse-drawn, self-contained stage has set up outside a bar where a jester announces the arrival of Dr. Parnassus, a longbearded mystic who slides onto the set in deep meditation, and bodes the night life to draw closer. Promising entertainment and enlightenment, the jester finds two takers: a rowdy drunk stumbling from the bar and an intrigued movie-goer entering Gilliam’s game of choice and wager.
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The quick fix Los Campesinos!
web photo Production for “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” was stunted due to the death of its star Heath Ledger, but changes to the script incorporated Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell to portray sides of his character.
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Singer Gareth Campesinos! and his merry band of Scottish indie-pop misfits are back from taking their longest break in between records (only 15 months) to release another epically exhuberant album that, much like their U.K. counterparts the Arctic Monkeys, makes lyrics on breakups, narcissism and overall pessimism behind up-tempo orchestration, dancing keyboard riffs, call-and-response vocals, bells and whistles. Gareth must only be happy on-stage because, althought excited, he feels that romance (and everything else for that matter) is boring while belting out “You’re pouting in your sleep, I’m waking still yawnin’, we’re proving to each other than romance is boring” on the title track. For Fans Of: Arctic Monkeys, Architecture in Helsinki, bells and whistles
Yeasayer “Odd Blood”
Secretly Canadian (2/9/10)
The psychedelically electronic opener “The Children” may scare new and old listeners away from Yeasayer’s newest — “Odd Blood” — but there is really no need to worry. It’s trudging, grounded melodic pace perfectly precurses lead single “Ambling Alp” — the best song written about Max Schmeling ever recorded — and the rest of the album to be the progression on the freak-pop fans of the band’s debut were hoping for. But while the lead single (and it’s off-the-wall music video) consistently features the familiar up-tempo, jangles craziness of its predecessor, a good portion of the album, much like Animal Collective’s recent output, is relatively toned down; a tactic which makes the band more relatable without sacrificing it’s overall approach and sound. For Fans Of: Animal Collective, Neon Indian, knocking out Joe Louis
Lil Wayne “Rebirth”
Young Money (2/2/10)
There are really only two ways to view the dreadlocked rapper’s “rock” album, and they are words made up by “How I Met Your Mother”’s Barney Stinson — Awfsome and Awesful. Awfully awesome or awesomely awful. Either way, it seems that Lil’ Wayne is very sincere with this misguided pet project of his. But whether or not his sincerity is mixed with a tongue-in-cheek approach — one that the video for lead single “Prom Queen” suggests is the determining factor. And while it’s easy to just call his flirtation with the guitar a bad idea and be done with it, there is something to Wayne’s passionate approach — simple, fan favorite chord progressions mixed with relatable tales of romance both failed and successsful that makes it difficult to judge whether it’s amazing because it is irreverantly terrible or genius in its crassness. For Fans Of: Lil Wayne’s Katie Couric interview
Surfer Blood “Astro Coast”
Kanine (1/19/10)
The beachy, macbre-titled Florida band’s debut LP takes the island-pop of Beach House to a fuzzier, more hollowed-out level. Yet its sound and intentions are far more aggressive toward relationships and loss (“When you told me you were leaving, I wasn’t thirsty for revenge, no I wasn’t dissapointed much at all, ‘cause you’ll be back again”). With songs such as “Fast Jabroni” that resemble Frank Black’s take on the Beach Boys classic “Hang Onto Your Ego” if it was sung by the Cure’s Robert Smith. But with relative ease, the band pulls back the throttle into “Slow Jabroni” and builds itself back into a chaotic crescendo. For Fans Of: Beach House, Girls, being smacked in the face with a smile — Nate Brennan, Variety Editor