Review: The Rocker

I had high hopes going into “The Rocker”. I mentioned my excitement to Tomm and he thought the movie would be terrible and my excitement wouldn’t live long. I will admit that did put doubt in my mind, but I wasn’t disappointed.

Robert “Fish” Fishman is the drummer in the biggest up-and-coming band of the time, Vesuveus, but when Matchbook Records offer a contract, it states that Fish is to be replaced by the head of Matchbook’s nephew. The rest of the band reluctantly agrees and that sends Fish spiralling into a life of normal and boring. When Fish’s nephew’s band, A.D.D, needs a new drummer for a gig in two days, Fish agrees to play with them. The first gig is a bit of a dud and Fish is kicked out. But he offers a … If he gets the band a gig, he can stay. He has trouble finding this gig and when he does, It’s on the other side of the country (I presume). So sets off a chain of events that ends in a video of Fish drumming to one of A.D.D’s songs naked becoming viral. Matchbook Records see the video, hear the song and sign A.D.D to record an album, make a music video and open for Vesuveus.

I think Rainn Wilson did a great job depicting Fish, the immature middle-aged party animal, pulling out great one-liners like “Get out of here Moby…Dick” and “Some people carry lucky charms. I like to rock a pocket of puke.” There are also well played supporting roles from Emma Stone, Christina Applegate and a pre-Hangover Bradley Cooper. All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Even though the ending is a clichéd high school music movie ending, it is very funny.

7/10

The Awesominator

Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Chris Martin said he wanted to take  Coldplay's fifth album to different places and different avenues, but this really sounds a lot like a traditional Coldplay album to me, full of dull synth pop ballads aimed at commercial radio.  The album opens with the suitably dreamy title track that flows into 'Hurts Like Heaven' an alright boppy little pop tune.  Then we hear the album highlight 'Paradise' a nice uplifting track with just the right amount of strings to go with it.  The rest of this album is really quite bland with nothing really that striking on it. The next single 'Charlie Brown' is a just a whole lotta 'meh' that's made for the charts.  Overall this is just another average Coldplay album that shouldn't belong on your Christmas wishlist.

5.5/10

Tomm

triple j's Hottest 100 of 2011

The songs I voted for were:

Lana Del Raye - Video Games
M83 - Midnight City
My Morning Jacket - Holding Onto Black Metal
Neon Indian - Polish Girl
Real Estate - It's Real
SBTRKT - Pharaohs (ft. Roses Gabor)
Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I'm A Woman
Snakadaktal - Air
TV On The Radio - Will Do

and my favourite song of 2011 is...

Slow Club - Two Cousins

Tomm

triple j's Hottest 100 of 2011

It's that time of year again. Voting has opened for triple j's Hottest 100 of 2011 and these are the songs I voted for. Tomm will also post his votes later.

-MuteMath - Blood Pressure
-Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High
-Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
-Gotye - State of the Art
-Big Scary - Gladiator
-Snakadactal - Air
-The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
-The Wombats - 1996
-Emma Louise - Jungle

And my number 1 song of 2011 is...

Midnight City by M83

The Awesominator

Review: Rango

Rango follows a pet chameleon (voiced excellently by Johnny Depp) who loses his owner in the desert. He is on a quest for water when he comes across the town of Dirt, where he assumes the name and builds the legend of Rango. After telling heroic stories and accidently killing a hawk with one bullet, he is appointed the position of town sheriff by the mayor. the water in Dirt is being taken and it's up to Sheriff Rango and his posy of weird and wonderful characters to find the culprit and bring back the water.
This film is smart, witty and utterly hilarious. The awkward silences and awkward actions of Rango are just too funny. It is animated beautifully and has perfect sound effects. Even though this flick is rated PG, it is definitely aimed at an older audience, but will still be enjoyed by the young ones. All the adult-oriented jokes are completely harmless and hilarious. You could say this movie is predictable, but the journey to the predicted end makes this movie a piece of brilliance.

8/10

The Awesominator

Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

Going into ‘I’m With You’ I didn’t really have high hopes.  I have never really been that much of a Chili Peppers fan, but I was somewhat surprised.  It opens with the okay ‘Monarchy of Roses’ but it picks up with my album highlight ‘Brendan’s Death Song’.  Some other album highlights along the way were the first single ‘The Adventures of Raindance Maggie’, ‘Annie Wants a Baby’ and ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’.   Some of the best things about this album are Flea’s chaotic bass lines and there is one in just about every song. This is first album to have new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on board and I think he fits in well, though sometimes he does like to hang back in the shadows.  Overall this is a pretty good album but what holds it back is its familiarity, it just sounds too common and I think if the Chili Peppers still want to remain relevant they will have to try something different for their next record, but still, this is a good effort.

7/10  

Tomm

Review: Batman: Under the Red Hood

Batman: Under The Red Hood is the best animated movie I have ever seen. It follows Batman who, as usual, is cleaning up the streets of Gotham City with the help of former counterpart Nightwing. This is being made difficult by lunatic The Joker and crime boss The Black Mask. But there is someone else; The Red Hood. He is taking down the goons and the bad guys in Gotham City, but not in a very humane way. Who is he? Is he good? Is he bad? All these questions are answered in the film and it makes for an excellent journey.

As I said, this is a great movie. The story, the characters, the voicing: all superb. I especially admired the quirkiness of the Joker (as in all Batman movies). It also has one of the best closing scenes I have ever seen.

Batman is one of my favourite superheroes and I can’t get enough of the darkness and mysteriousness of Gotham City. This keeps the bar for animated superhero movies oh-so high. A must see for any superhero buff.

8/10

The Awesominator