Coachella 2005

For the second consecutive year I will be attending the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA. For two days the Empire Polo Club plays host to over 90 bands with multiple stages and tents strewn across fields littered with art installations (soon to be joined by 70,000 fans, if the turnout matches last year, and just as many plastic water bottles). Musical styles range from from alt & indie rock to dance and hip hop. The festival showcases up and coming acts, established headliners, and even some reunited blasts from the past. It's also the destination for the latest crop of British invasion bands.

Last year's festival was anchored by headliners Radiohead and '80s stalwarts The Pixies, The Cure, and Kraftwerk. This year's festival sees the return of Coachella alumns Bright Eyes (climbing the ranks a couple notches since last year's appearance), Weezer, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, and DJ Peretz (a.k.a. Perry Farrell). Bands from across the pond include Day 1 headliner Coldplay, the latest Brit Pop acts to crack the US charts: Snow Patrol and Keane, the just-under-the-radar Stereophonics and Doves, plus newcomers Kasabian, The Futureheads, Razorlight, and many more. Wilco, who were absent from last year's lineup due to Jeff Tweedy checking into rehab, will make the trip this year along with former tourmates Mercury Rev. The '80s contingent will be short The Cocteau Twins as lead singer Elizabeth Fraser dropped out of the reunion citing personal reasons; Bauhaus, Gang of Four, and New Order will be on hand. Nine Inch Nails, who are set to release their first album in six years, headline Day 2. Click the picture above for the full lineup.

I will post a full report (with pictures) when I return.

[WARNING: 24 spoilers to follow]
In an interesting tie-in to my last post, in episode 4X17 of Fox's 24, Air Force One crashes in the desert 20 miles Northeast of the city of Indio. Also, a Season 3 episode of FX's The Shield involves a bank in Indio. That episode originally aired right around the time of the Coachella Festival. Coincidence, I think not.

A.D. Spoofs 24

Here is a commercial for Arrested Development that parodies Fox's 24.

For fans of 24, check out this cool fan site which is hosting the clip: 24Fanatics.com.

Free Annyong

Another mission for you Arrested D fans. ;)

Save Our Bluths

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Do you love Arrested Development (Sun 8:30PM EST Fox)? Well you should! It's the only other sitcom on Network television besides Scrubs that's worth a damn (incidentally Scrubs' Zach Braff guest starred on last night's episode of Arrested Development "Spring Breakout"). After winning an Emmy for Season 1 (now available on DVD), Fox has cut back its episode order from 22 to 18, meaning there are only 7 new episodes left if the show does not get picked up for Season 3. Fan site the-op.com has organized a Save Our Bluths campaign if you just can't get enough of this zany family.

A couple fun facts for you Arrested D fans. G.O.B. (pronounced Jobe), played by Will Arnett, stands for George Oscar Bluth II. Will Arnett is married to SNL's Amy Poehler. Also, Ron Howard narrates the show. For more Bluthian trivia, check out the Bluthcyclopedia.

Harold & Kumar ***

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Dude where's my burger? From the director of Dude Where's My Car?, comes this stoner comedy about two best buddies, one Korean American and one Indian American, who survive temptation and peril in a quest for the White Castle burgers they crave. John Cho (Harold), Kal Penn (Kumar) and company deliver some good laughs exploiting ethnic and drug culture stereotypes. Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D.) turns in a side-splitting cameo as himself. In one scene he snorts a line of cocaine off a hooker's ass -- so, you see, he's playing against type. Though similar in tone to Dude Where's My Car?, the leads in Harold & Kumar are more relateable which keeps the viewer on board for their strange trip through New Jersey.

For those outside the U.S., you might know this movie by it's alternate title: Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies.

Picks for April 2005

movie pick
Frank Miller's Sin City - in theater's April 1, 2005

music pick
Mercury Rev: The Secret Migration - in U.S. stores May 17, 2005

Movie & Music Picks

I have added movie and music picks to the sidebar of the page. Here you will find films (in theaters or on DVD) and music albums that I highly recommend. I will try and update these every month or so, and will keep an archive of the picks. Enjoy.

Sin City ****

Frank Miller's Sin City
Brutal and beautiful would be the best way to describe Frank Miller's work, and Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Spy Kids) brings the pages of Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels to life in this faithful film adaptation. Originally skeptical about the project, Miller came around after Rodriguez showed him the opening sequence/test reel featuring Josh Hartnett (taken from the short story "The Customer Is Always Right"). Rodriguez fought to have Miller named co-director, and Miller even makes a short-lived cameo as a priest. Miller is also known for the "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" comic book series from the late eighties.

An all-star cast convincingly fleshes out the hard-boiled characters that populate the gritty streets of Sin City. Though the film is actually a conglomeration of several different books, Mickey Rourke's Marv is the central figure in the movie. Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, and Benicio Del Toro play the other male leads, with Michael Madsen and Elijah Wood among the supporting actors. Nick Stahl (Carnivale) is amazing as the twisted Yellow Bastard. Even more plentiful than the men, are the voluptuous vixens played by Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), and Marley Shelton (as The Customer). Carla Gugino's nude scene (as Lucille) is probably enough to make most men liquify.

Like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Sin City was shot on an entirely "digital backlot." The actors were shot against a green screen, and the backdrops were inserted later. This gives the movie a stylized look that could be manipulated by the filmmakers in post-production, including the splashes of color that offset the black and white tableau. Rodriguez, who scored this movie with Graeme Revell, took out guest directorial duties from his pal Quentin Tarantino in trade for the scoring Rodriguez did for Kill Bill Vol. 2. I'm not sure which scene Tarantino directed, though I suspect it was the scene with Miho. Tarantino, also a fan of Frank Miller, was eager to check out the all-HD camera setup that Rodriguez has come to love.

Sin City is not your parents' film noir. It's a blood and guts art film that only the likes of Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, and Quentin Tarantino could bring you. I'll be seeing it again this weekend.

My friend Jay joined me for the original screening on opening weekend. Check out his review here.

See the Comments section for my follow up after a second screening, and a list of the books each segment of the film is based on.

UNC Wins!!

Dateline: April 4, 2005
North Carolina beat Illinois 75-70 to win the Men's NCAA Championship on Monday night in St. Louis. After trailing by as many as 15, the Fighting Illini mounted a valiant comeback, much as they had against Arizona earlier in the tournament, but fell short against a tough Tarheels squad led by Sean May (matching his father's title run with Indiana 29 years ago). This is the first championship for coach Roy Williams who has posted 40+ tournament wins.

Some well known faces were on hand, including Michael Jordan, former UNC coach Dean Smith, and former presidential turned vice presidential candidate John Edwards (all in the UNC camp). Bill Murray came out in support of the Fighting Illiini. Ashley Judd was another celebrity spotted during the tournament, rooting for her Kentucky Wildcats who failed to make the Final Four.

I Heart Huckabees ***1/2

Fox Searchlight: I Heart Huckabees
You'll laugh, you'll wonder why, and then you'll laugh some more. This existential comedy from David O. Russell (Spanking The Monkey, Flirting With Disaster, Three Kings) is probably one of the weirdest movies you'll ever see, unless you consider bonking your "other" in the head with a rubber ball "pure being." It's also the only movie in which you'll hear Naomi Watts exclaim "Fuckabees!" Hooked yet? Well how about an African door man, a French nihilist, Dustin Hoffman looking like a long lost Beatle, and Jason Schwartzman as the protagonist. To try and explain it wouldn't do it any justice. You just gotta see it. Fans of Charlie Kaufman's work (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine) will not be disappointed.

Spongebob Squarepants ***

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Everyone's favorite sponge is now available on DVD after making a splash on the big screen. This feature length story adds a few new characters to SpongeBob's universe and even takes our hero to the surface for some live action and adventure (featuring special guest star David Hasselhoff). Guest voices include Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) and Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World, Lost In Translation). Like the series, the movie succeeds in providing plenty of kid-friendly fodder while throwing in enough subversive humor to keep the adults entertained. Clocking in at just under 90 minutes, the story is padded with a few musical numbers. The soundtrack also features some hip artists like the Flaming Lips and Wilco.

The DVD includes conversations with the cast and crew and a special segment with Jean-Michel Cousteau about real sea sponges (not the kitchen variety that SpongeBob is modeled after). It was news to me that Clancy Brown (Carnivale) does the voice of Mr. Krabs and Bill Fagerbakke (Dobber from Coach) is Patrick -- though I probably should've guessed the latter. I realize they're listed in the credits, I just didn't put the names with the faces. It's rather silly that the same guy who plays the menacing Brother Justin on HBO's Carnivale is Mr. Krabs!