Fighting Off the Barbarian Hordes

I am behind. Behind on blogging. Behind on movie watching (I haven’t even seen The Black Dahlia yet). Behind on new episodes of The Wire and Brotherhood. This is what happens when you go away on a blissful vacation—even a short one—and return to mounting stacks of media to consume, articles to read, articles to write, four-digits worth of emails to read, and, oh yeah, a full time job too.

That said, a few brief thoughts: I am intrigued by this trailer, especially after being extremely impressed with the new Yo La Tengo album. Zach Braff aside (I didn't even mention it in my review, but his handpicked soundtrack to The Last Kiss was incredibly irritating), indie rock soundtracks are where it’s at. Sufjan Stevens in Little Miss Sunshine. I shouldn't even have to go any further than that.

I suppose neither are technically indie rock, but the soundtrack to Code 46 made a mediocre movie worth watching, and it’s pretty much impossible to lavish too much praise on the Dust Brothers’ marvelous, trippy, wired score to Fight Club. Maybe it’s not even indie rock that does it, but soundtracks done by a single recording group rather than a traditional composer.

Other trailers that you should watch: The new trailer for The Prestige, which looks to be what The Illusionist should’ve been. Nicole Kidman’s creepy looking Fur. And, most curiously, Stephen Frears’ The Queen. I love High Fidelity (I think, though, that as a vaguely introspective music and movie obsessive with a permanent case of the collector’s bug, I’m sort of biologically predestined to like it), and I really liked Dirty Pretty Things, though I didn’t care too much for The Grifters or Mrs. Henderson Presents. So I’m curious, to say the least, especially considering how odd a thing it is to see movie about political figures and royals (pseudo political figures, I suppose) who’re not only still alive, but in power.