So...I was driving to work this morning and since 101X insists on playing Red Hot Chili Peppers all of the time, I flipped over to KGSR and the aforementioned song was playing. It was the original, by Don Henley. I like this song. I think it's a great song. My parents were into Don Henley when I was younger, so I've been with this song for a long time.
However, as most girls my age, I got into the Atari's around the end of high school. They are your basic post-punk, pop-rock band. On their album, "So Long, Astoria" they included their version of this song. I loved it, America loved it (it is still their highest charting single). They updated it a little - their version is a little more rockin' and they reference Black Flag rather than the Grateful Dead. All in all, great cover.
So back to me in my car this morning. I'm waiting to turn left and having sort of a low-key jam to Don Henley when I found myself wanting a little more to the song. And I realized, I really like the Atari's version a lot better than Don Henley's original. I feel like the later version of the song has more emotion, and more than that, more desperation. Kris Roe's vocals really capture the nostalgia and the urgency of this regret about a time has drifted away. Don Henley just kind of sounds like he's cruising, you know?
So there, I said it. I admitted it. I like the cover better than the original. Sorry, Don Henley, but thank you so much for playing it with the Eagles at ACL Fest last year!
Funny side story - when my husband and I were first dating, he made me a mix cd for my birthday (which was about 3 weeks after we started dating). So he calls me the next day to ask how I liked it and all that business. As I was praising his excellent mix cd skills he asked, "Did you like how I threw down the original 'Boys of Summer'?" I did my best, but ended up busting up laughing. The cd had the version by DJ Sammy. He assumed that the Ataris had covered a DJ Sammy song. Hilarious. He is still that adorable. Maybe that's why I like this song so much...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Survival
This weekend brought 2 more Golden Globe-nominated, Oscar-hopeful movies. When I was thinking about blogging about these 2 movies together, their common thread dawned on me: survival - in 2 very different ways. The movies also have stellar performances and a real grittiness in common.
Friday night found my husband and I at the Arbor and as ready as we would ever be to see 127 Hours. While it was nice to be in a mostly empty theatre for a change, there were 2 LOUD women over my left shoulder. Listen, I gasped out loud a time or two and my husband and I whisper to each other, but this was like prolonged exclamations and repetitive conversations. If only I could have raised an order flag to alert my server. Alas...
Anyways - 127 Hours chronicles the 127 hours hiker Aron Ralston spent with his hand trapped between a boulder and a canyon wall in Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. I actually saw him on Letterman shortly after his ordeal, so I was really intrigued that they were making a movie about it. I was even more intrigued when I learned Danny Boyle was directing it. So basically Aron spends his weekends hiking and climbing and this particular weekend (seemingly due to his own sense of invincibility) did not let anyone know where he was going. Cut to mid-day Saturday and he is at the bottom of a canyon with his hand stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place (also the name of his book). If you don't know how this story ends - SPOILER ALERT. After some minor hallucinations and struggling to free his hand from the rock, Ralston decides to take fate into his own hands and frees himself - by cutting his arm off a few inches below the elbow. He then wanders for about 8 more hours, rappels down a cliff (WITH ONE ARM!), and is rescued by a Swedish family.
I heard this movie described as basically an acting master class by James Franco. This description is dead-on. He commits to this carefree character and really spirals into the depression, grief, and mania that this man went through. One particularly interesting scene is when Aron is interviewing himself as if on a radio show for hikers, Franco captures both charm and disdain in this exchange with himself. But even outside of Franco's performance, the movie is exceptionally crafted with an uplifting score by A.R. Rahman. Yes, the amputation scene is gruesome, but you get a really cathartic ending that is made all the better by the fact that this a true tale of survival and really coming out on the other side. He chose physiological survival and gained his life back.
On Saturday we finally watched our Netflix movie - Winter's Bone. This story is set in the backwoods of the Ozarks and follows Ree Dolly. Ree is a 17-year-old who is primarily responsible for her younger brother and sister and her mother that has been pushed psychologically over-the-edge. The family barely has enough to make it day-to-day anyways, but then a police officer informs Ree that her crank-cooking father has put up their land and house for his bond and they lose it if he doesn't show up for court the next week. Ree must strike out on her own to track him down. She has to confront his family and rival "families," all the while caring for her own. Jennifer Lawrence (as Ree Dolly) gives a powerful and unapologetic performance in this "country noir" film. I ended up liking the movie although it was a little hard to follow due to the authentic accents and dialects. I also liked seeing the resilience of a teenager and her prevailing love for her family. Ree didn't pity herself or the hand she was dealt and that part of her character pushed her to take care of her family at all costs. Survival again!!
Coming Attractions - I'm hoping to see The Fighter this weekend and we'll finally get a new Netflix movie in the mail - The Kids Are All Right.
Friday night found my husband and I at the Arbor and as ready as we would ever be to see 127 Hours. While it was nice to be in a mostly empty theatre for a change, there were 2 LOUD women over my left shoulder. Listen, I gasped out loud a time or two and my husband and I whisper to each other, but this was like prolonged exclamations and repetitive conversations. If only I could have raised an order flag to alert my server. Alas...
Anyways - 127 Hours chronicles the 127 hours hiker Aron Ralston spent with his hand trapped between a boulder and a canyon wall in Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. I actually saw him on Letterman shortly after his ordeal, so I was really intrigued that they were making a movie about it. I was even more intrigued when I learned Danny Boyle was directing it. So basically Aron spends his weekends hiking and climbing and this particular weekend (seemingly due to his own sense of invincibility) did not let anyone know where he was going. Cut to mid-day Saturday and he is at the bottom of a canyon with his hand stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place (also the name of his book). If you don't know how this story ends - SPOILER ALERT. After some minor hallucinations and struggling to free his hand from the rock, Ralston decides to take fate into his own hands and frees himself - by cutting his arm off a few inches below the elbow. He then wanders for about 8 more hours, rappels down a cliff (WITH ONE ARM!), and is rescued by a Swedish family.
I heard this movie described as basically an acting master class by James Franco. This description is dead-on. He commits to this carefree character and really spirals into the depression, grief, and mania that this man went through. One particularly interesting scene is when Aron is interviewing himself as if on a radio show for hikers, Franco captures both charm and disdain in this exchange with himself. But even outside of Franco's performance, the movie is exceptionally crafted with an uplifting score by A.R. Rahman. Yes, the amputation scene is gruesome, but you get a really cathartic ending that is made all the better by the fact that this a true tale of survival and really coming out on the other side. He chose physiological survival and gained his life back.
On Saturday we finally watched our Netflix movie - Winter's Bone. This story is set in the backwoods of the Ozarks and follows Ree Dolly. Ree is a 17-year-old who is primarily responsible for her younger brother and sister and her mother that has been pushed psychologically over-the-edge. The family barely has enough to make it day-to-day anyways, but then a police officer informs Ree that her crank-cooking father has put up their land and house for his bond and they lose it if he doesn't show up for court the next week. Ree must strike out on her own to track him down. She has to confront his family and rival "families," all the while caring for her own. Jennifer Lawrence (as Ree Dolly) gives a powerful and unapologetic performance in this "country noir" film. I ended up liking the movie although it was a little hard to follow due to the authentic accents and dialects. I also liked seeing the resilience of a teenager and her prevailing love for her family. Ree didn't pity herself or the hand she was dealt and that part of her character pushed her to take care of her family at all costs. Survival again!!
Coming Attractions - I'm hoping to see The Fighter this weekend and we'll finally get a new Netflix movie in the mail - The Kids Are All Right.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Good Start to a New Year
Somehow we made it to 2 movies in the first 2 days of 2011. We have since dropped off.
After a scrumptious day of football and New Year's food (...and mimosas), we made our way to the Alamo Drafthouse Village for a late showing of True Grit. Now I (nor anyone in my party, I believe) haven't seen the original or read the book that each movie is based on - just wanted to get that out there. That being said, I really enjoyed it. As expected all of the principal actors gave inspired performances and it was shot very beautifully by the Coen's (again, as per usual). I personally really enjoyed seeing the movie in a room full of Texans as Matt Damon's character is a Texas Ranger and plays that part as you expect. A little braggadocio and a lot of drawl. Fortunately we all found it humorous, but I did wonder what people in the rest of the country thought about that sort of portrayal and Texans in general. It probably just perpetuated the over-the-top, horse-riding, boots and hat-wearing stereotype - but at least he was charming, right? I also really loved the continuity of the musical theme of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I'm not really sure why they chose Iris DeMent's version as their jumping off point, but she appears to be successful for some reason. Incidentally the composer's reliance on old hymns is what disqualified this film from being eligible for Best Original Score. Certainly deserves a nomination for Best Picture, don't know if it deserves to win.
The next day we traveled down to Alamo South Lamar for a lunch showing of The King's Speech. Great performances again - although I was most impressed with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter as the once and future King and Queen. Colin Firth was a family and company man, but still likable and really displayed the true struggle that King George VI endured his whole life long. I have remarked to more than one person that it was so lovely to see Helena Bonham Carter not play a crazy-face. She was prim and proper and sweet and really added a great, supportive asset to the film. I also liked how the film explored Bertie's (Colin Firth) brother's abdication of the throne and the family issues that posed - not just overcoming a stammer. All in all a very interesting and good movie. The friend we saw the movie with asked us to rank this movie with others we've seen recently and it was hard because it really is a great movie, but it's not anything like Black Swan or even True Grit. Like how would you even compare? It's a great period peace that is impeccably crafted, but I wouldn't say it broke any new ground.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get out to see either 127 Hours or The Fighter. Don't worry - I'll check back and let you know what I think.
After a scrumptious day of football and New Year's food (...and mimosas), we made our way to the Alamo Drafthouse Village for a late showing of True Grit. Now I (nor anyone in my party, I believe) haven't seen the original or read the book that each movie is based on - just wanted to get that out there. That being said, I really enjoyed it. As expected all of the principal actors gave inspired performances and it was shot very beautifully by the Coen's (again, as per usual). I personally really enjoyed seeing the movie in a room full of Texans as Matt Damon's character is a Texas Ranger and plays that part as you expect. A little braggadocio and a lot of drawl. Fortunately we all found it humorous, but I did wonder what people in the rest of the country thought about that sort of portrayal and Texans in general. It probably just perpetuated the over-the-top, horse-riding, boots and hat-wearing stereotype - but at least he was charming, right? I also really loved the continuity of the musical theme of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I'm not really sure why they chose Iris DeMent's version as their jumping off point, but she appears to be successful for some reason. Incidentally the composer's reliance on old hymns is what disqualified this film from being eligible for Best Original Score. Certainly deserves a nomination for Best Picture, don't know if it deserves to win.
The next day we traveled down to Alamo South Lamar for a lunch showing of The King's Speech. Great performances again - although I was most impressed with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter as the once and future King and Queen. Colin Firth was a family and company man, but still likable and really displayed the true struggle that King George VI endured his whole life long. I have remarked to more than one person that it was so lovely to see Helena Bonham Carter not play a crazy-face. She was prim and proper and sweet and really added a great, supportive asset to the film. I also liked how the film explored Bertie's (Colin Firth) brother's abdication of the throne and the family issues that posed - not just overcoming a stammer. All in all a very interesting and good movie. The friend we saw the movie with asked us to rank this movie with others we've seen recently and it was hard because it really is a great movie, but it's not anything like Black Swan or even True Grit. Like how would you even compare? It's a great period peace that is impeccably crafted, but I wouldn't say it broke any new ground.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get out to see either 127 Hours or The Fighter. Don't worry - I'll check back and let you know what I think.
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