Rachel Lux of Alternative Press

Opening May 8

2009-05-07T11:17:00.006-04:00

Trekkies, unite! This is the weekend you've been waiting for!

GEEK PICK OF THE WEEK

Star Trek

STARS > Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg
DIRECTOR > J.J. Abrams
WHY SEE IT > Okay, this blogger has publicly expressed her dislike for J.J. Abrams in the past. But that was before she knew the dude playing young Capt. Kirk was so pretty. So, yeah. I might join the Trekkies for opening night, Abrams and all.

DID YOU KNOW "BIOPIC" IS PRONOUNCED BIO-PIC AND NOT BI-OP-IC?

Little Ashes

STARS > Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltr�n, Matthew McNulty
DIRECTOR > Paul Morrison
WHY SEE IT > Mr. Lovable Vampire himself steps up to the plate with the challenging role of playing Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dali. One could commend him for taking a project that would separate him from some of his Twilight fame, but he actually filmed this before he donned his vampire getup, so we're not sure if it counts.

BUDDY FILM MEETS DRUG HEIST

Next Day Air

STARS > Mos Def, Mike Epps, Donald Faison (aka Turk from Scrubs)
DIRECTOR > Benny Boom
WHY SEE IT > Really, it looks like it might be pretty funny, but our main reason would be because we are already going through Scrubs withdrawl after last night's series(?)/season(?) finale. More Turk and JD, plz!

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD & Blu-ray this week:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dexter: The Second Season
Wendy and Lucy

Beef up your Blu-ray collection:

Big
Event Horizon
Face/Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
From a Place of Darkness
Ghost Town
Grease: Special Edition
It Could Happen To You
Next
The Strat Pack: Live in Concert
There's Something About Mary
Top Gun
Tropic Thunder
Twilight: Special Edition
Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling

Opening May 1

2009-04-30T09:10:00.003-04:00

Wow, are we in May already? Good grief! If you're not spending the weekend at the ballpark of your choice, head to the theater for one of these films opening tomorrow...

SUPER MUTANT SHOWDOWN

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

STARS > That dude Dr. Cox hates (2 points if you get this reference), Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds
DIRECTOR > Gavin Hood
WHY SEE IT > Well, you know, the X-Men trilogy did okay, I guess... So, think of this as a prequel, and if this grosses as much as the previous ones did, expect more chapters about the beginnings of other mutants to be released down the road.

INDIE MOVIE EXCELLENCE

The Limits Of Control

STARS > Isaach De Bankol�, Tilda Swinton, Gael Garc�a Bernal, Paz de la Huerta, John Hurt, Bill Murray
DIRECTOR > Jim Jarmusch
WHY SEE IT > Because Jarmusch is a brilliant director, and you should see all of him films (start with: Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers and Coffee And Cigarettes). Check out our online film review for a more scientific explanation. Peep the trailer here.

REASON NO. 872 FOR MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY TO TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past

STARS > Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Emma Stone
DIRECTOR > Mark Waters
WHY SEE IT > Is it bad that we kinda wanna see this? Even though it takes its plot from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (and it is far from being Christmas-y outside)? Jennifer Garner fluctuates between cute and annoying for us, and outside of a couple of choice films (Dazed And Confused, The Wedding Planner), McConaughey is all muscle no meat. But still... there's something endearing about this trailer. Maybe good enough for an afternoon showing when the tickets are reduced-price?

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX!
Out this week on DVD and Blu-ray...

Bride Wars
Hotel for Dogs
JCVD
Legally Blondes
Nothing But the Truth
The Reader
Star Trek The Original Series: Season One
The Uninvited

And beef up your Blu-ray collection:
The Da Vinci Code/Extended Cut
In The Realm Of Senses/Criterion Collection
Star Trek The Original Series: Season One
What Doesn't Kill You

Opening April 24

2009-04-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

Not gonna lie: Not a lot's opening this weekend (at least not as far as wide releases go). I'm gonna go ahead and suggest that if you live somewhere like Cleveland where it has been in the 40s and raining on and off for the past week, and the weekend forecast is 75 and sunny, do yourself a favor and skip the theater in favor of a baseball game or a grill sesh. If you live some place where it's warm all the time, or some place where it's gonna rain this weekend, you could check out...

JAMIE FOXX IN ANOTHER BIOPIC

The Soloist
STARS > Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener
DIRECTOR > Joe Wright
WHY SEE IT > Foxx takes his ability to play other real-life people (as seen in Ray) to another level as Nathanial Ayers, a homeless musical prodigy. RDJ takes his buff, super hero bod to the streets as a hard-hitting (or is that hard-hit?) reporter, looking for a good story. Either way, early reviews are saying the performances are top-notch all-around, and who doesn't love a good biopic about a musician?

If you live in NYC/LA? Check it:
Tyson
Mutant Chronicles
The Informers

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX!
If you need a movie night in to recover from all the weekend sunshine, here's some stuff new to DVD and Blue-ray players this week.

DVDs
The Wrestler
Frost/Nixon
Caprica

Bolster Your Blue-ray collection
Hellraiser
The Last Word
Sin City
X-Men Trilogy

Opening April 17

2009-04-16T10:00:00.007-04:00

Welcome back to another week of movie-opening madness. Heeeeeere we go!

DISNEY & FRIENDS

17 Again
STARS > Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann
DIRECTOR > Burr Steers
WHY SEE IT > We're much more stoked for Mr. Musical Zac Efron's Disney-breakway role in director Richard Linklater's Me And Orson Welles (which will hopefully come out sometime). Until then, we're curious to see how he does opposite such comedic giants as Chandler Bing. Check the trailer (if you've somehow managed to miss all the commercials). Huzzah!

SUPER CUTE LITTLE KID + SUPER CUTE ELDERY PEOPLE = SUPER, SUPER CUTE TEAR JERKER

Is Anybody There?
STARS > Michael Caine, Bill Milner
DIRECTOR > John Crowley
WHY SEE IT > I'm pretty darn sensitive when it comes to films. I mean, I even get teary during those Folgers' "Home For The Holidays" commercials, and the insurance ones (or is it investment firms?) with that one Five For Fighting song. I mean, it doesn't take much. So the mere premise of this film (a 10-year-old boy bonds with an elderly magician--the always stellar Michael Caine--who just moved into the old folks' home the boy's parents run) already has me reaching for the Kleenex. I haven't seen it, so I can't say for sure, but I'm guessing from the trailer it's gonna be a feel-good cry fest. Pack accordingly.

BIG-TIME NAMES, BIG-TIME ACTION, BIG-TIME GIRL CRUSH

State Of Play
STARS > Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck
DIRECTOR > Kevin Macdonald
WHY SEE IT > Why not see it? It's got politics! Journalists! Intrigue! Murder! Suspense! Rachel McAdams! Forget Russell Crowe and Benny Affleck--I definitely have a bigger girl crush of Miss McAdams, and I'd happily see anything she's in. Decide for yourself.

ANOTHER SEQUEL. YAWN.

Crank: High Voltage
STARS > Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins Jr.
DIRECTORS > Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
WHY SEE IT > Uh, I didn't see the first one, so I really can't say. I can only imagine it has something to do with this, though:

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD (and now Blu-ray!!) this week:

DVDs

The Spirit
The Last Kiss
The Reader
Splinter

Add these to your Blu-ray collection

Mean Girls
8 Mile
The Thirteenth Floor

Opening April 10

2009-04-09T10:00:00.003-04:00

You know what's really awesome? Dumping a box of M&Ms (or Reeses Pieces) into a big tub of hot, buttery popcorn. That's food p0rn as far as I'm concerned. You know where you can get such a concoction? At your local theater, while you check out one of these films opening this weekend!

ROCUMENTARY

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil

STARS > The members of Anvil
DIRECTOR > Sacha Gervasi
WHY SEE IT > Because Lars Ulrich will come over to your house and sucker punch you if you don't pay homage to one of his favorite influences, that's why. Anvil, quite possibly the biggest Canadian metal band you've never heard of, inspired many bands with their early '80s speed-metal sound, but they failed to ever reach the heights of success as most of their imitators. Now, they've gotten the band back together for one last stab at infamy.

Plus, just watch the trailer. It looks amazing and hilarious and heartbreaking and triumphant all at the same time. Those are some heavy modifiers, if you know what I mean.

INDIE FLUFF

The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh

STARS > Sienna Miller, Peter Sarsgaard, Mena Suvari, Jon Foster
DIRECTOR > Rawson Marshall Thurber
WHY SEE IT > Because Sienna Miller and Peter Sarsgaard are both really, really pretty. But seriously, Miller and Pittsburgh did not play nice when this was being filmed in 2006 (!), so we're wondering if the time that has passed has been enough to heal wounds, so that P-burgh is one of the cities who will get a limited release of the flick this weekend? If you live there, let us know!

Okay, back to the film: It's based on a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning Michael Chabon and directed by the dude who did Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Uh, okay... Anyway, it's a coming of age story with lots of sexual confusion/curiosity, and you can check the trailer here.

ROGENISMS

Observe And Report

STARS> Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Collette Wolfe, Ray Liotta
DIRECTOR> Jody Hill
WHY SEE IT? Because writer/director Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way, Eastbound & Down) is just as funny as Judd Apatow (it's just a different kind of funny), so the poaching Seth Rogen for one film should work out splendidly. And if Paul Blart taught is anything, it's that the public enjoys laughing at mall security dudes...

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New this week on DVD!

Take a close look at the cover art for this DVD, and you'll notice that it's called Tim: 30th Anniversary Edition. This week's rental pick is dedicated to another Tim: 30th Anniversary edition. Perhaps you know him?

Opening April 3

2009-04-01T22:03:00.004-04:00

Another month, another round of movies! Here we go...

SNL PEEPS, THAT CHICK FROM TWILIGHT & THE KID FROM THAT SQUID MOVIE ALL WALK INTO AN AMUSEMENT PARK...

Adventureland
STARS > Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader
DIRECTOR > Greg "Superbad" Mottola
WHY SEE IT > Okay, so in case you are one of the two people reading this who aren't related to me or didn't go to school with me at some point, I grew up in rural Nebraska. Growing up, I wanna say at least three times but maybe as many as six or seven (Mom, can you clarify?) my family drove the five-ish hours to Des Moines, Iowa, to vacation at Adventureland. The fact that there's now a movie about a corny, rural amusement park called Adventureland justifies so much of my childhood (even if this one is supposed to take place in some exotic place like Pennsylvania or something). Back then, neither me or my brother were too fond of roller coasters (my dad didn't love them, either), so my mom would go on the roller coasters all by herself while we went on all the barf-inducing spin-y ones like the Silly Silo. (Only in the Midwest would you get in a ride shaped like a silo. F'reals.) I'm pretty sure she even rode the biggest one (the Tornado, pictured above) with a bunch of random high schoolers that felt bad that she was going on it alone. Oddly enough, my brother and I both now love roller coasters, and when he came to visit me in Cleveland last year, he made us wait in line for the front car on every single ride at Cedar Point (it was worth it).

If that personal anecdote doesn't convince you, then here's some scientific reasoning about seeing the film.

TESTOSTERONE SHOT

Fast & Furious
STARS > Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez
DIRECTOR > Justin Lin
WHY SEE IT > First off, this film is NOT to be convinced with THE Fast & THE Furious. Nor should it be confused with 2 Fast 2 Furious. The ridiculously clever title for the third (or wait, is it the fourth? I think there might've been a Tokyo Drift in there, too) film in this street racing empire once again pairs the meaty Vin Diesel with everyone's fave QB, Paul Walker. I mean, it's also probably got a lot of super tricked out rides (is that what the kids are saying these days?) and some super high-speed car races. If you're into that sort of thing...

WE'RE SUCKERS FOR ZOOEY AND THINK YOU SHOULD BE, TOO

Gigantic
STARS > Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman
DIRECTOR > Matt Aselton
WHY SEE IT > Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel are two of the most promising young talents in Hollywood. They've both got a whole bunch of projects in the works, and though this one is indier than thou, if you've got a hip theater, it's worth checking out for those two alone.

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New this week on DVD!

Ricky Gervais Out Of England: The Stand-Up Special
This guy needs no introduction. But just in case, here are a few quick facts: He's the creator of your fave TV show (if your fave TV show is The Office); he's got an insanely contagious laugh; he wants to spend 90 minutes with you, beamed into your living room via your DVD player...

Seven Pounds
We're still not sure what this film is about, but Will Smith has plenty of mass appeal, so yeah. Rent it and see.

Slumdog Millionaire
Uh, yeah. Best Picture of 2008.

[Photos of box art forthcoming... Currently experiencing some technical difficulties...]

Opening March 27

2009-03-26T10:00:00.005-04:00

Movies. Check 'em out. This weekend.

"BASED ON A TRUE HORROR STORY" STORY

The Haunting In Connecticut
STARS > Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Ty Wood, Erik J. Berg
DIRECTOR > Peter Cornwell
WHY SEE IT > Well, the story's not really anything new: Family moves into old, creepy, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere (in this case, upstate Connecticut). Family finds an embaling chamber in the basement and loads of creepy corpse photos. Family realizes they've moved into a converted funeral home. Creepy things start happening, yadda yadda yadda. Except this time, it actually happened. Supposedly. In 1987. Check the trailer here and decide for yourself.

RAP-ROCK SPOKESMAN GOES "CINEMATIC MOMENT" ON YER A$$

The Education Of Charlie Banks
STARS > Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Chris Marquette, Eva Amurri, Sebastian Stan
DIRECTOR > Fred Durst
WHY SEE IT > Because Jesse Eisenberg looks like a mini Andy Samberg. What? That's not a good enough reason for you? Fine... Check out AP's online review, instead, or watch the trailer.

GET YER STOKED ON

In other movie news, Apple's got the exclusive trailer for Spike Jonze HIGHLY anticipated big screen version of the classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Do yourself a favor and watch it, asap. Then start the countdown to October 16...

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD this week!

Casual CoCa fans need not apply: This extensive box set (5 DVDs/4 CDs) contains four live DVDs, four live audio CDs, one documentary DVD, a 10x10 hardcover 48-page photo book and a 7-1/2" custom metal dragonfly. A scaled-down 2-disc version is also available if nine discs make you feel a little faint.

Embrace your inner child (and your love for hamsters rolling around in plastic balls), with this fun-filled romp with a super-powerful pup.

The latest installment of the Bond series comes shaken and blond. No surprises there, right?

Opening March 20

2009-03-19T10:00:00.009-04:00

I'm technically on vacation this week: Here's a slightly shortened guide to your weekend movie mayhem.

BROMANCE

I Love You, Man
DIRECTOR > John Hamburg
STARS > Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones
WHY SEE IT > If the cast alone isn't enough, check out the trailer to see if it changes your mind. (But can you really imagine anything more adorable than Paul Rudd man-dating his way to a Best Man?) Also, you can flip open the latest issue of AP and read an interview with Jason Segel to find out all about his experiences with full-frontal and fighting the Hulk. Or, check out copy editor Jennifer Grathwol's online review of the flick! Long story short: Go see this movie!

SEXY SPY THRILLER

Duplicity

DIRECTOR > Tony Gilroy
STARS > Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson
WHY SEE IT > Well, we already know the pairing of Owen and Roberts is golden (see: Closer). But these two are sure to bring a lot of fun and steam to a plot (ex-lovers con huge businesses to get money to live in paradise) that is pretty far-fetched. Plus, there's Clive Owen. What? Are you complaining that I've already posted a picture of Owen in this blog? You probably hate kittens and rainbows, too... Check the trailer here.

NIC CAGE PRETENDS TO BE AN ACTION STAR. AGAIN.

Knowing
DIRECTOR > Alex Proyas
STARS > Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne
WHY SEE IT > Nicolas Cage's film choices have been more than suspect ever since 1995's stellar Leaving Las Vegas. We'll give him a pass for Con-Air and Gone In 60 Seconds for their rad action sequences (and he was fab in Matchstick Men and Adaptation, too). But National Treasure? Ghost Rider? The sequel to National Treasure? But Alex Proyas, who directed The Crow, is in charge here, and the trailer looks pretty decent...

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New this week on DVD!

A punk band. A bus. And enough drugs to kill a horse. You'll never get a more "insider" view of everyone's favorite Fat Wreck Chords band. It'll make you laugh (and probably gasp) more than once.

Opening March 13

2009-03-12T10:35:00.003-04:00

Hola, faithful AP movie-o-philes (I may have made up that word). This week, we've got a whole slew of films opening featuring people who have had their lovely mugs grace the pages of AP in recent issues. Therefore, there are plenty of AP-Approved films to pick from if you're heading to the multiplex this weekend. And though this Friday once again falls on the 13th, we are happily free of any 13-related remakes. (Other horror remakes, of course, are available, but we'll get to that.)

QUIRKY FAMILY DRAMEDY

Sunshine Cleaning
DIRECTOR > Christine Jeffs
STARS > Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Clifton Collins Jr.
WHY SEE IT > If you've picked up your copy of this month's AP, you already know Sunshine Cleaning is our lead review in our Screening section. Brought to you by the producers of Little Miss Sunshine, Cleaning deals with the complicated relationship between two sisters (Adams and Blunt) who are in the business of, well, lets call it hazardous waste cleanup. We pretty much love Adams and Blunt in anything (Blunt's looking particularly emo here--in a good way!), and be prepared to be impressed with Clifton Collins Jr.--he's a scene stealer if ever there was one. See for yourself!

CRAZY/DRUNKEN/BUDDY-FILM/ROAD TRIP COMEDY

Miss March
DIRECTORS > Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore
STARS > Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Raquel Alessi
WHY SEE IT > Zach Cregger (who appeared in last month's issue of AP)! Trevor Moore! You know them and you love them (or if you don't, you should) from The Whitest Kids U' Know. Now they've directed, written and starred in the feature-length Miss March. You know, it's just your basic, happens-to-everybody story: Boy wakes up from four-year coma; boy discovers his virginal high school sweetie is now a Playmate; boy goes on wacky, cross-country road trip to save her from herself. Hijinx ensue! Luckily, with Cregger and Moore at the helm, it really is funny... Watch the trailer, or check out the WKUK skit below:

REQUISITE HORROR REMAKE WITH THE BEST TRAILER MUSIC SINCE MIA'S "PAPER PLANES" FOR PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

The Last House On The Left
DIRECTOR > Dennis Iliadis
STARS > Garret Dillahunt, Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Riki Lindhome, Martha MacIsaac
WHY SEE IT > While horror remakes are always suspect, they usually fall into one of two categories: Unintentionally hilarious or scarier than shit. Because Wes Craven sat in as a producer and writer on this remake of his own 1972 version of the film of the same name, we're keeping our fingers crossed for the latter. It's got a good cast--including Martha MacIsaac (aka Becca from Superbad), who is featured in this month's AP. The thing that's really getting us excited is the music in the trailer: Swedish band Taken By Trees (who have a female singer) cover Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O Mine." Brilliant. Hear it for yourself:

CUE YOUR NETFLIX!
If you feel like staying in, these DVDs were all released this week, as well!

If you're in the mood for something a little heavy, this heartbreaking story of an 8-year-old son of a concentration camp commander who befriends a Jewish boy fits the bill.

Apologies to his agents, but he'll forever be "McLovin'" to us: Christopher Mintz-Plasse teaches life lessons to a couple of hard-headed energy drink reps (Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott). This had the potential to bomb, but it's actually really funny. We recommend!

The main reason to rent this? It was criminally overlooked at the Oscars, and you will be a better person for knowing about it.

Opening March 6

2009-03-05T09:40:00.001-05:00

Okay, this week's number-one, AP-endorsed film is pretty much a no-brainer. But if graphic novels aren't your cup of tea (hello, I know we can't all be fanboys/girls), then there are several other flicks out this week worth your hard-earned $9.50. Read on to find out...

IF YOU SEE ONE MOVIE THIS WEEKEND, SEE THIS

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Watchmen
DIRECTOR > Zack Snyder
STARS > Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson
WHY SEE IT > If you're familiar with the graphic novel, then you already know all about the hubbub surrounding the fact that only one of the novel's two authors is on board with the project. If you aren't hyperventilating over how true-to-story the film will be, then you can be excited about the fact that this film will be the biggest celebration of retired superheroes since The Incredibles. Either way, the effects are sure to kick-ass and it's got Denny Duquette from Grey's Anatomy for the ladies. Win-win? We think so!

And if you've been under a rock for the past month, watch the trailer here.

IF YOU SEE MORE THAN ONE MOVIE THIS WEEKEND, SEE ONE OF THESE

12
DIRECTOR > Nikita Mikhalkov
STARS > A bunch of Russian actors and actresses
WHY SEE IT > Loosely based on director Sidney Lumet's 1957 classic, 12 Angry Men, 12 is the story of a jury deciding what to do with a Chechen teenager charged with murder. The Russian version, under the direction of Nikita Mikhalkov, was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at last year's Oscars. It's finally getting a limited release in the U.S.--if you're down with sub-titles (or if you're not--why not try something new for a change?), we highly recommend it.

None of the clips online seem to have the English subtitles added, but this one is in a universal language:

Phoebe In Wonderland
DIRECTOR > Daniel Barnz
STARS > Felicity Huffman, Bill Pullman, Patricia Clarkson, Elle Fanning
WHY SEE IT > Two big reasons. First, the world doesn't have nearly enough whimsy since the cancellation of Pushing Daisies. This story of a troubled young girl (Fanning) finding her own way through the fantasy land created when her understanding drama teacher (Clarkson) hands her the lead role in her school's production of Alice In Wonderland is a complete breath of fresh air. Second, Elle Fanning is, indeed, the younger sister of the precocious Dakota. Elle's performance is spot-on and proves that talent may actually be in the genes... (Also, there is already Oscar buzz for Clarkson's performance. Stay tuned!)

See the trailer and a film clip here.

Opening Feb. 27

2009-02-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

In all honesty, there's nothing super exciting opening this weekend. So, we suggest if you want to go to the theaters, hit up one of the Oscar-nominated films you'd missed. If you're bound and determined to see something brand new, though, here are a couple that could stand in:

GUILTY PLEASURE

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
DIRECTOR > Bruce Hendricks
STARS > Uh, the Jo-Bros. Duh.
WHY SEE IT > First off, how often does a concert/band documentary make it to the big screen? Not often enough. Secondly, get over yourself and go enjoy some decent pop music while feasting on the (jailbait) eye candy. What? You could get the same experience going to the Grog shop (or your 300-cap venue of choice) to see pop-punk band ________. Why not go to the theater where there's popcorn and cushy seats?

STANDARD ACTION/CONSPIRACY FLICK
Echelon Conspiracy
DIRECTOR > Greg Marcks
STARS > Shane West, Edward Burns, Ving Rhames
WHY SEE IT > Well, the plot (West starts receiving mysterious instructions on his cell phone, and by following them realizes he's in the center of an international plot), sounds an awfully lot like the Shia LaBeouf vehicle, Eagle Eye. But if Shane West is more your cup of tea (we certainly loved him as dysfunctional Germs frontman Darby Crash), then this will be a nice little action/drama.

AND ALL THE REST...
If you're into martial arts, check out Andrzej Bartkowiak's STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI for some guaranteed amazing fight sequences. +++ If you live in New York City or L.A. and have a thing for Harrison Ford (who doesn't?), his new project, CROSSING OVER, has a limited opening this weekend. Also starring Sean Penn (Mr. Oscar 2008 himself) and Ashley Judd, the film takes on the tensions of illegal immigration.

Oscar Prediction Extravaganza

2009-02-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

This week, B-Roll is taking a detour from upcoming releases to focus on this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. In honor of the Oscars, we figured we'd make our own predictions (some based on thoughtful analysis, some based on favoritism, and some based on wild guesses) and see how we stack up Sunday night. Print out your own ballot and follow along at home. Bring on the red carpet!

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

Best Picture
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Frost/Nixon or Milk. Both political. Both featuring actors portraying real people. Both with incredible scripts and leading men up for "Best Actor" Oscars. It's a toss-up in our book.
Who'll probably win: Slumdog Millionaire. While we love director Danny Boyle and thought there were many redeeming qualities about this film (it's beautifully shot, deliciously colorful, the soundtrack kicks ass and we totally love the Bollywood dance sequence in the credits--not to mention it's a pretty good story, too), we're not sure it's as complex as the other nominees. What's harder? Reconstructing fact, or doing journalistic fiction? We're not sure, but we won't be that bummed if Slumdog takes home the gold.

Best Director
David Fincher/The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard/Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant/Milk
Stephen Daldry/The Reader
Danny Boyle/Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: This year's class is a really quality group of directors, and we'd be more than happy to see any of them take home the trophy. While Howard is probably the most "mainstream," he's worked on enough interesting projects to keep him cred-worthy. In the end, though, I'm going with Gus Van Sant.
Who'll probably win: Danny Boyle. We think the Academy just might be enamored enough with this portrayal of India's poverty (and feeling some guilt over the excess of Hollywood--anyone remember Crash?) that it'll take home two of the biggies.

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins/The Visitor
Frank Langella/Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn/Milk
Brad Pitt/The Curious Case Of Benjamin Buttom
Mickey Rourke/The Wrestler
Who should win: Mickey Rourke. Hands down. In a case of art imitating life, Rourke's film career and his character, "the Ram," in The Wrestler are painfully parallel. Rourke turns in a poignant, subtle performance and forces the audience to back him--even though he doesn't deserve any of our sympathy. Plus, the Academy needs to make up for screwing him out of a nod for Sin City.
Who'll probably win: Mickey Rourke. We're hoping the late release keeps him fresh in voter's minds. But Pitt and Penn are also potentials (though Pitt had a lot of help from CGI), and Langella could be the sentimental favorite. Still, we feel it's the year of Mickey.

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway/Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie/Changeling
Melissa Leo/Frozen River
Meryl Streep/Doubt
Kate Winslet/The Reader
Who should win: Anne Hathway or Melissa Leo. Both turned in incredibly raw and emotional performances. I cried in both films. Not that that's saying much for me, but still...
Who'll probably win: Angelina Jolie. The Academy loves her. If Winslet had been nominated for Revolutionary Road instead, we'd go with her. I think Streep's gonna get shut out.

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin/Milk
Robert Downy Jr/Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman/Doubt
Heath Ledger/The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon/Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Heath Ledger. I mean, I don't think anyone's gonna argue that he wasn't genius as the Joker. It's too bad it's the same year, though, because it would be super cool to see RDJ win for a comedy, which the Academy almost always ignores...
Who'll probably win: Heath Ledger. Ironic that he's up against Philip Seymour Hoffman again, the guy that got the statue the year Ledger was up for Brokeback Mountain. The Academy will make amends, though a lot of good it will do Ledger now. But I think that even if he were still alive, he probably wouldn't care about the award too much, though...

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams/Doubt
Penelope Cruz/Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis/Doubt
Taraji P. Henson/The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei/The Wrestler
Who should win: Marisa Tomei. For all the same reasons she won for My Cousin Vinny: She steals the scene every time in what little screen time she gets.
Who'll probably win: I don't know what way the Academy will go... I feel like the two nominees from Doubt will cancel each other out, and Henson's performance in Button isn't really memorable. Cruz was excellent, but a little charicature-y. Maybe they'll go with Tomei, too.

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kun-Fu Panda
WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E. This is a no-brainer.
Who'll probably win: WALL-E. The Academy knows it's too wussy to put an animated feature up for Best Picture, so they'll try to play nice here.

AND ALL THE REST...

Art Direction
Toss up between Button and The Dark Knight; though Revolutionary Road was really great art-wise, it was very subtle.

Cinematography
Roger Deakins didn't get to finish The Reader because it filmed for too long and he was previously committed to another project (hence the dual credits for that film), but he's amazing (other credits include Revolutionary Road, There Will Be Blood, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford). He should have it in the bag--if it were any other year. We're going with Anthony Dod Mantle from Slumdog, FTW.

Costume Design
RevRoad, as the dark horse...

Documentary Feature
Man On Wire

Documentary Short
Smile Pinki

Film Editing
Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film
Waltz With Bashir

Makeup
The Dark Knight (dude, the Joker? C'mon). Button has a good shot, too, but so much of what they did was CGI, too. Still. They made Brad Pitt look pretty damn young (and insanely hottt).

Original Score
Slumdog Millionaire (the composer is a pop god in India)

Original Song
One of the two from Slumdog. M.I.A. is golden!

Short Film, Animated
Oktapodi

Short Film, Live Action
Auf Der Strecke

Sound Editing
Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Mixing
No one knows what this even means, so the best bet is on the Best Pic nod, and like I said before, I think the Academy will go with Slumdog.

Visual Effects
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Adapted Screenplay
Frost/Nixon

Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky (which was criminally overlooked in a bunch of other categories)

Okay, a bunch of that was just somewhat-educated guessing. Don't worry, I'll keep score and let you know how I did...

2009-02-12T09:45:00.006-05:00

Opening Friday, Feb. 6

2009-02-04T13:32:00.010-05:00

Hello, loyal readers. Starting this week, I'll be taking a look at the films debuting every Friday, sussing out the Good, the Bad and the Bratty, so you know where to spend your hard-earned dough at your local multiplex. Opinions reflected in this column are those of myself (or, more likely, my film-nerd brother), and not necessarily those of AP. Please feel free to disagree. In the comments. Everyone loves comments!

Opening tomorrow:

GUARANTEED LAUGH-FEST
Fanboys

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

DIRECTOR > Kyle Newman
STARS > Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, David Denman
WHY SEE IT > Despite the fact that this film was supposed to come out about 17 years ago (okay, actually in 2006), and it's only now seeing the light of theaters, we're still stoked. Actually, it might be better that it waited, because now people like Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogan and Kristin Bell are household names thanks in part to their direct relation to Judd Apatow & Co.

Anyway, set in 1998, Fanboys traces the story of obsessive Star Wars fans who sneak into Skywalker Ranch, desperate to find the first Star Wars prequel so their terminally ill friend can see it. Expect lots of laughs and plenty of late-'90s cliches. Man, the '90s were great...

MOST EMO-EST
Coraline
DIRECTOR > Henry Selick
STARS > (voices) Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Keith David
WHY SEE IT > Coraline might be marketed to the YA set (that's "young adult" in lit-speak), but given that it's directed by Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, we predict a lot of cross-over audiences. Based on the wildly popular book by Neil Gaiman, it's the classic story of watching what you wish for--especially when your family's involved. Plus, it's sure to be a hit with fans of dark, eerie stop-animation.

CHICK FLICK PICK
He's Just Not That Into You
DIRECTOR > Ken Kwapis
STARS > Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, that dude from the Mac commercials
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT > You probably shouldn't if you have a Y chromosome (unless you have some serious groveling to do for screwing something up with your girlfriend). Based on the novel of the same name by Greg Behrendt (and made infamous on a Sex And The City episode), He's Just Not That Into You details the trials and tribulations of dating in a world where people would rather have their noses buried in their iPhones then hold a real conversation with the person sitting next to them. Are we all screwed? Head to the theater to see for yourself...

CULTURE CLUB
If you want to properly fill out your Oscar ballot this year, make sure you check out the listings at your local indie theater (i.e. Coolidge Theater in Boston, Cedar Lee in Cleveland, Film Streams in Omaha, etc.) Starting this Friday, theaters across the country will be showing the short films (both animated and live) that have been nominated for an Oscar this year.

Here's the lineup:
ANIMATED
La Maison en petits cubes
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

LIVE ACTION
Auf der Strecke
Manon sur le bitume
New Boy
Grisen
Spielzeugland

These usually don't stay in theaters for too long, so don't miss your chance!

WAIT FOR THE RENTAL
Push
DIRECTOR > Paul McGuigan
STARS > Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Chris Evans, Nate Mooney
WHY YOU SHOULD WAIT > It's got a hot, young cast, so if it's eye candy you're after, then by all means... Otherwise, we're not really sold on the script (the characters' names alone make us groan: Dice Man? Bouncer? Hook Waters? Pinky Stein? Sounds like bad Cartoon Network) and besides, you can watch Heroes for free on NBC.

AP snow day!

2009-01-28T11:21:00.002-05:00

Cleveland is in the middle of blizzard No. 87 this winter (okay, so it's probably only the second or third big one, but still), and the office ended up getting a snow day. Not until I was already on my way, of course. I figured it would be easier to keep going in the direction I was going then to attempt to get back up my driveway and into the garage (which had been quite challenging leaving in the first place).

However, some people have the right idea when it comes to AP and the cold weather. This pic was sent the other day by our publicist friend over at Glassnote Records, Eddie. AP + Snuggie = A Match Made In Cold-Handed Heaven...

Oscar snooze

2009-01-22T15:15:00.004-05:00

The 81st Oscar Nominations were announced this morning, and I gotta say, the Academy plays it safer and safer each year. It's pretty much at the point (and has been for a while) where they're as meaningless as the Grammys. That doesn't mean, of course, that I won't still try to see as many as possible in time for the ceremony. Anyway, here are just a couple of my concerns/complaints/comments:

-The Reader? Really? Where did that come from? I'll admit, I haven't seen it yet. But from what I was hearing, it's pretty terrible. But somehow it racked up a Best Picture nod, and Kate Winslet got her Best Actress nom for this film, and not Revolutionary Road (which is what she won her Golden Globe for). Weird.

-Four actors needed to be nominated from Doubt? I realize two of them are Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who could sneeze on camera and get the noms, but really now, four? I always think it's too bad when two actors from the same film get nominated in the same category (Amy Adams and Viola Davis are both up for Supporting Actress for Doubt). I guess if they deserved it... But then people like Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) get the shaft. Doesn't seem right...

-The Academy failed to put an animated film up for Best Picture. WALL-E would have been the perfect precedent-setter. At least it's still nominated for animation...

-The Wrestler didn't get a Best Pic nom. Mickey Rourke better clean house in Best Actor, or I'll be bummed.

-13 nominations for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button? I enjoyed the film; it was thoroughly entertaining (and young Brad Pitt was in A River Runs Through It-hottness level, so the makeup people should def win), but I'm not sure it needed 13. I mean, Titanic it ain't.

-Speaking of Titanic, for personal reasons, I would've liked to have seen a double-nom for Kate & Leo for Revolutionary Road. Guess they're gonna have to pair up again in another 10 years--third time's a charm!

Not all of the nominations are bad though. Here are some things I'm stoked for:

-Josh Brolin and Robert Downey Jr. up for Best Supporting Actor for Milk and Tropic Thunder, respectively. Brolin was near-perfect, but man, I'd love to see the Academy honor a comedy for once...

-Waltz With Bashir (which AP features as our lead film review in the issue that's out now) is up for Best Foreign Language Film.

-Slumdog Millionaire! Stoked for director Danny Boyle and A.R. Rahman, who was responsible for one of the most engaging soundtracks/scores. (It was nice that MIA's "Paper Planes" was used in the actual film, and not just the trailer--we're looking at you, Pineapple Express.)

-Mickey Rourke!! He got completely ignored for Sin City (which should've been his big, bad comeback), so better late than never.

Anyway, we'd love to know what you think about the noms. Who are you rooting for? Who got left out? Let us know!

Side note: Anyone else notice that the nominations were announced on the one-year anniversary of Heath Ledger's death, who's up for Best Supporting Actor for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight? (As pointed out to me by our production director, John). Conspiracy theorists are go!

LOST boys (and girls)

2009-01-21T15:56:00.003-05:00

I don't know if it's a travesty or a testament to the freedom afforded to American citizens, but I know people who are more excited for the Lost premiere tonight than they were to wake up this morning with a new president officially in place.

To me that's pretty sad. But then again, my feelings on Lost are no secret...

I might be more apt to watch the show if the episodes were cast with dolls, instead of real people:

But then again, I don't watch Heroes, either...

Here's my plea to my coworkers who are obsessed-much (ahem, Tim and Scott)--please keep the re-caps and analytical conversations on the other end of the office. Unless you want to hear me complain more than normal.

Name change, anyone?

2009-01-18T17:45:00.003-05:00

So, I get some seriously weird e-mails in my work account. I'm not even talking about the garden variety spam that everyone gets. I mean honest-to-goodness press releases about some weird stuff.

For example, here is the subject line of one I received yesterday: LASIK Surgery for "Barack Hussein Obama"
Hmm, okay. Usually, I just delete right through these kinds of messages. However, I've been wearing glasses since I was 7 (and got contacts when I was 13), and LASIK has been a dream of mine ever since the episode of The Newlyweds when Jessica Simpson had the procedure. (Ah, Nick and Jessica. The good old days.)

Now, in honor of the inauguration Tuesday, this company is supposedly giving away FREE LASIK to anyone named Barack Hussein Obama.

Can someone with experience please let me know how long the name-changing process takes? I mean, would it be worth it to switch over, get the surgery, then switch back?

I don't even know if President-elect Obama needs corrective eyewear (let alone LASIK), but if he does, he should probably cash in on this offer. I know I would.

Either way, let's file this under marketing gone awry.

Winter Wonders

2009-01-15T17:03:00.002-05:00

There's a bunch of snow in Cleveland. Like, a lot. And more on the way. Today we actually got a little break in the precipitation and the sun was out. It's amazing how much warmer 9 degrees F feels when there's blue sky to go along with it.

Anyway, winter is maybe not the most obvious inspiration for music (or, well, maybe that one AFI album proves otherwise...)

Regardless, I can't name too many "snow" songs off the top of me head. But earlier today, Scott brought a CD into my office by a band called Blizzard Of 78. First off, he was slightly offended that they would name themselves after a Nada Surf song. But I assured him that that was "Blizzard Of 77." He left the disc with me anyway, because the press release says for fans of: "My Morning Jacket, Wilco and Nick Cave." (I believe his quote was, "This should've been mailed to you.")

True. And I'll try to get around to listening to it as soon as I'm done working on some pieces for our upcoming 100 Bands issue. I promise.

But the whole conversation did remind me how much I love that Nada Surf song. Check it out below:

Then shortly afterward, I was talking with our art director Christopher about the band I'm From Barcelona, which led to a convo about our mutual love for Matt Pond PA, which led me to remember (with some help from CB's iTunes Genius), that I heart big-time Winter Songs, and saw Matt Pond play on that tour and it was amazing. (I miss going to shows at the Paradise in Boston!)

So maybe I have a lot more chilly music than I realized. What about you? What's frosting over your iPod this winter? (Besides, you know, the actual weather.)

Whipped topping

2009-01-11T21:36:00.002-05:00

Considering Cleveland is buried under a foot of snow (literally), somehow all I can think about is ice cream sundaes (and sledding, but that's another story). Every good sundae needs some whipped cream on top. But since I'm trying out this whole "healthy eating" thing as part of my 2009 resolutions, I decided to go for a more "metaphorical" Sunday sundae.

So. Here's a vid to serve as the whipped cream to your weekend. If you like Wilco. And Radiohead. (That should include you.)

And Stereogum explains:

We got a rare glimpse of Phil Selway singer-songwritering at one of the 7 Worlds Collide shows in Auckland this week. As mentioned, the series yielded something just as rare and even more bloggable in Jeff Tweedy's take on "Fake Plastic Trees." And here it is. The world-collision quota is nearly fulfilled by this performance alone: Jeff on vocals, RadioEd and Phil on their respective instruments, Johnny Marr on his. (The footage is sorta crappy, but you can also make out BTW Liam Finn playing the role of Jonny, which would make sense 'cause this whole party series is papa Neil's baby.) As you'd expect from a makeshift band comprising 40% of Radiohead and 100% of awesome, it's a very faithful and dynamic cover, all big guitars and perfect sound swell for "She looks like the real thing..." Also not surprising but great to hear -- Jeff gives good Thom.

The performance is in conjunction with the reprise of Neil Finn's 2001 all-star live album 7 Worlds Collide, all the musicians were in New Zealand to record the followup. Jeff's a new addition to the team. Good one, too. Expect the 7 Worlds Collide Part Deux this year.

Bon appetit!

Aziz! Scrubs! Yes!

2009-01-07T22:04:00.002-05:00

So, the new season of Scrubs premiered last night--on its new home, ABC. Woo! (If you missed it, they replayed it tonight so you could have caught up.) I'm a pretty big fan of this show (I got seasons 4 - 6 for Christmas this year), but I'm also not a fan of really awesome things over-staying their welcome. I'd rather see something I love go out on top. Regardless, I was still hopeful that a new network and some new John Dorian facial hair would keep the comedy coming.

My fears were pretty much put to rest as soon as I saw Aziz Ansari (of Human Giant fame) was playing one of the new interns. This dude is freakin' hilarious, and I think it will be fun to watch him in prime time. If you're not down with Scrubs, but want to see what I'm talking about, here's the first five minutes of the show. Aziz comes in around 1:20:

Funny, right? He's even funnier later in the episode, but you'll just have to head to abc.com to see for yourself. I suggest you troll YouTube for some of his stand up, too. Check out his stories about Kanye and M.I.A., especially.

Last plug for '08. Swear!

2009-01-06T19:47:00.004-05:00

So after getting back to the office and perusing my iTunes and stacks of CDs precariously balanced in various places around my office, I realized that I left three key releases off my 2008 Soundtrack entry. (Which you should check out if you missed--it's got loads of jams!)

Also, in response to a commenter, I purposely left off a few discs (Gaslight Anthem, Anthony Green), because even though I did quite enjoy both of those releases, there are a few other editors (ahem, Scott & Jenn and Tim, respectively) who were way more obsessed-much with those releases, so I didn't want to take away from their love. :)

Anyway, here are three more to cap off your 2008. And then, I'm officially totally and completely SO over last year.

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST SOUNDTRACK

THE STREETS/EVERYTHING IS BORROWED

FURGIVE DURDEN/RAZIA'S SHADOW: A MUSICAL

Sing it proud

2009-01-04T19:33:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a pretty big advocate against karaoke. Well, lemme rephrase: I'm against singing karaoke, though I get a big kick out of watching others do it.

I'm pretty tone deaf, have no real concept of my pitch and can't really hold a note. Good thing I write about music, huh? But seriously, I can stand up and speak in front of hundreds of people without batting an eyelash. Ask me to put a tune to it, and I'd rather hide behind the podium.

That said, my brother got this for Christmas, and it's pretty freakin' fun:

I will admit that he schooled me on most tunes (and our younger cousin Sam then turned around and embarrassed both of us big time when he was over at the house), but I did hold my own on Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and the All-American Rejects' "Move Along." I am infinitely better at karaoke when I already know all the words. (Big revelation, I know.)

That said, I may be slightly more tempted to take the mic next time I am around karaoke. If either of those songs are on the playlist. And if several other people agree to sing with me. And I've had a margarita or three.

But I realize most people really enjoy belting it out, rock star style. So if you fall into the brave category, what's your favorite karaoke jam? Maybe you'll inspire me to get over my fear...

My 2008 Soundtrack

2008-12-28T17:16:00.003-05:00

The opinions expressed in this blog entry are those entirely of the author (Rachel) and do not necessarily reflect those of Alternative Press Magazine, Inc.

Now that we've got that out of the way, these are the albums that got significant face time in my iTunes this year. Because I tend to have really bad music-listening habits, I can't promise that any of these discs got more spins than Mermaid Avenue throughout this year. But as new music goes, these were the jams in my world.

(Disclaimer: I'm doing this without my iTunes in front of me and am terribly afraid I'm leaving out a couple of obvious ones. Lemme know what you think I'm missing!)

Without further ado, here they are, in chronological order:

JUNO SOUNDTRACK

MGMT/ORACULAR SPECTACULAR

VAMPIRE WEEKEND/VAMPIRE WEEKEND

NADA SURF/LUCKY

THE MATCHES/A BAND IN HOPE

SHE & HIM/VOL. 1

PANIC AT THE DISCO/PRETTY. ODD.

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN/PERSHING

FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS/UNDERDOG ALMA MATER

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE/NARROW STAIRS

MATES OF STATE/RE-ARRANGE US

FLEET FOXES/FLEET FOXES

MY MORNING JACKET/EVIL URGES

KATY PERRY/ONE OF THE BOYS

3OH!3/WANT

CONOR OBERST/CONOR OBERST

OKKERVIL RIVER/THE STAND-INS

KINGS OF LEON/ONLY BY THE NIGHT

DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS/DRUNK LIKE BIBLE TIMES

BEN FOLDS/WAY TO NORMAL

JACK'S MANNEQUIN/THE GLASS PASSENGER

RYAN ADAMS/CARDINOLOGY

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS/WHEN THE WORLD COMES DOWN

Happy Holidays from Minden, The Christmas City

2008-12-23T12:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm not technically in Minden. Yet. But if the snow in Milwaukee cooperates, I will be home by 10 p.m. CST tonight! Fingers crossed for speedy snow plows and de-iced planes! :)

That being said, I am literally going home to "The Christmas City," which is my hometown's nickname. Every year (for a really long time) the courthouse in the center of our "downtown" square is completely decked out with Christmas lights. There's a parade, and the Christmas Pageant is performed on three sides of the courthouse lawn the weekends leading up to the holiday. All in all, it's a pretty fun place to spend the holidays. Not to mention my family, friends and dog Chloe are all there.

Anyway, here's a little preview of what you'd be seeing if you were coming home in my suitcase:

AP's shutting down its doors today for the remainder of the year (woohoo holiday break!), but make sure you keep checking in on the web in between family, food and presents. We're not entirely turning off the gears...