In a Minute

Einstein has a well-known quote (that they tried to pass as LL Cool J dialogue in Deep Blue Sea), in which he compares the relative length of a minute when your hand is on a hot stove versus time spent with a cute girl. That dichotomy, of a minute's simultaneous length and brevity, is the subject of two of the three songs posted today. The first, the opening track from the Silver Jews' Starlite Walker record, is a duet between Steve and David, both imploring us to "come in [their] kitchen" to sit with them and spend some time together. Wistful and laconic, they sing that they "never want this minute to end / And then it ends." The song acknowledges that, yes, time is fleeting, but also dense and compendious.

Conversely, the third song (another by Carla Bruni) focuses more on the "soixante petites secondes pour ma dernière minute" -- the last minute of someone's life. It's more urgent than the slow pace of the Silver Jews, who are clearly in no hurry and have the time to contemplate life, rather than the desperate rush to find meaning, validation -- something! -- as the last moment ticks away.

Sandwiched between those songs is a short ditty from Godard's Pierrot Le Fou. Entitled "Twist Pour Jean-Luc," it's one of many compositions he recorded for Pierrot Le Fou and Le Weekend. It's a fun song, and hey, it's just a minute.

Silver Jews -- Introduction II
Antoine Duhamel -- Twist Pour Jean-Luc
Carla Bruni - La Derniere Minute

Early Bergman

Criterion might be the hardest working DVD company right now. They provide their customers with movies of only the highest quality, plus packaging and bonus features that would never appear on the releases of other companies.

The main compliant has always been that their films are too expensive. Well, this is no longer true. Starting this Tuesday Criterion Collection/Eclipse will start releasing films that may have a cheaper price, but still contain the Criterion Collection quality.

Their first release is a collection of early Igmar Bergman films and the following month will see a release of Louis Malle documentaries both for around $50!

TMNT review

I’ve been looking forward to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie since day one. The idea of an all CGI Turtles movie didn’t thrill me, it was just a small concern, and any fears were soon erased with the teaser trailer. In that trailer the Turtles looked like they were ripped from the pages of the comics. Their eyes were the same eyes to be found on Page one of issue one which was a big plus for me. This movie was obviously made by someone who cared about this property.

But somewhere in there something happened. It was like the TMNT movie I had put so much faith in became a safe kid’s film. Now I know that this movie was never going to sniff a rating above PG, but that teaser trailer showed so much promise and these other trailers showed so much….umm…cute monsters. What happened?

So with much hesitation I went and saw it. I was excited, but every ounce of me was waiting for a disaster. What I found instead was a Turtles film that pulled a lot of punches and yet it still manages to work somehow.

The Turtles retain a lot of the characteristics of the comics. Mike is a clown, Don is smart, Raphael is a loner, and Leo is the reluctant leader. Keeping this dynamic is crucial to the movie, and I think director Kevin Munroe realizes that. The Turtles need to act like a fractured family. If Munroe had chosen to ignore this and instead focus on the monsters then this film fails. The arc of this story isn’t in the Max Winters storyline; it’s in the Raphael and Leonardo dynamic, and the stances that they choose to take.

I mentioned the CGI earlier because I still don’t think it works. The humans are animated to be too much like a cartoon. How come a cheap Nasonex commercial has better animated humans then a top of the line Hollywood movie?

What works? The Foot here works better then expected. They are a group lacking a leader since the Shredder’s death. In many ways the Foot is what the Turtles are at the beginning of this film; Leaderless, looking for their place.

I’m not the biggest fan of the monsters and Max Winters story, but it serves its purpose. It is just a backdrop for a much bigger story to hopefully be played out in a sequel. A sequel that would hopefully include the Shredder.

Overall TMNT is a solid children’s film. It doesn’t pretend to be anything more then a fun movie, and you shouldn’t expect as much.

The Shadowy Version #2

This is the second installment of "The Shadowy Version," a regular column featuring the covers of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and the original versions. I had planned to feature one of my favorite SMOASP covers, but WFMU took the wind out of my sails with this post, which features not one, not two, but seventy-nine versions of the song "Popcorn." Still, I was pleased to see that my library contains a version not found on their list, which empowered me to persevere. The original, along with a German language version (though I could have asked my girlfriend for a translation, even someone with a cursory knowledge of German should be able to glean the subtleties from a line like "Popcorn ist es gut.") is posted below.

Also included is a cover of Gene Pitney's Eastern-tinged "Mecca," a simple pop song with a wonderful arrangement and ballsy lyrics comparing his girl's house to the holiest of Moslem shrines. It's doubtful someone could write a song like that these days without a load of socio-political baggage attached. I'd like to think there's a missing verse comparing her room to the Masjid al-Haram, but I realize that's wishful thinking. The Shadowy version is a rollicking, upbeat affair. I love Brian's solo in here, subtly changing from the staccato picking of the verse to fuller, more sustained notes. Though his guitar work in Shadowy Men is almost completely un-effected, small nuances in his playing allow for clear delineation of sections.

Hot Butter -- Popcorn
Antoine -- Popcorn (German Language Version)
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Popcorn

Gene Pitney -- Mecca
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- 13 (Mecca)

Ex-Models

Crossover artists are bound to run into some skepticism. I needn't mention all of the celebrity bands who never got the chance to be taken seriously. Granted, most of them are pretty mediocre, but they should at least be able to prove their cruddiness on their own merits. It's difficult to keep a straight face when you hear of a professional athlete or, oh Lordy, a supermodel announce their intentions to make a record. What's more surprising is the fact that some of these songs are pretty good, that Shaq record exempted, of course. Twiggy quit modeling at an early age to concentrate on acting and music. Ignoring some singles she cut when she was younger, her eponymous debut came out in 1976. It featured the production of Doobie Brother John McFee and the songwriting skills of Doobie Michael McDonald and, uh, Kenny Loggins.

Carla Bruni -- who recently put out an English-language record -- was an Italian supermodel who quit the biz at the age of thirty to concentrate on her chanson career. Though a few eyes rolled, her debut album Quelqu'un m'a dit proved her as a mature and sophisticated songwriter.

Also included is a song by the band Ex Models because they're great.

Twiggy -- Here I Go Again
Carla Bruni -- Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre
Ex Models -- Pink Noise

The Shadowy Version #1

This is the first in a series of posts chronicling the extensive collection of covers from the mighty Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. Steve Albini said they were the only band he'd be willing to record for free. SMoaSP has always been a favorite around the Hall of Owls. Our last road trip to St. Louis started with the most democratic of ideas: everyone gets one cd to play in the car, and then the next person chooses a cd and so on. By the second day we had all decided to listen to Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, the Luck of the Hook for the remainder of the trip. Like most folks, our familiarity with the band began with Kids in the Hall, though it quickly developed into something far more deep-rooted. The Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were always relevent, whether it was the first nice day of spring in 1997 or during a late-night drive in 2004. Their cover songs were often standards, but were made new when suffused with the light-hearted mischief that characterized their sound.

We'll begin with two songs from the second side of Savvy Show Stoppers. "Summer Wind," written in 1965 by Henry Mayer and Johnny Mercer, is a crooner standard. The Shadowy version is arranged simply: two guitars, one lead, one rhythm; Reid's sharp, bouncy bass; and a simple brush beat. It's straightforward and unpretentious. "Misty," a piano jazz standard from 1954 and the subject of an early Clint Eastwood-helmed film, has been covered by hundreds of musicians. The Shadowy version has the light touch and sweet romance of a high school prom.

Johnny Mercer -- Summer Wind
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Summer Wind
Erroll Garner -- Misty
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet -- Misty

In Memory

Beloved man about town Larry Bud Melman died today at the age of 85. We demand seven days of grieving!

To quote CNN:

"There will be no funeral service for DeForest, who left no survivors."