The King’s reign has ended. Lil Wayne has replaced Elvis Presley as the artist who holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 hits with 109 songs. Presley collected 108 between 1958 and 2003.
According to Billboard, Lil Wayne’s feature on the Game’s “Celebration” entered the chart at #82, breaking Presley’s record.
Lil Wayne will be releasing his 10th full length album I Am Not a Human Being II [Cash Money/Republic Records] this winter, with the new single “No Worries’ now available via iTunes. After its release, “No Worries” made it onto the “Top 10 Greatest Gainer at Rhythm and Urban formats” list.
You’ve got to love the warning at the front of Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body” music video:
Warning – No men were harmed in the making of this video”
And it’s a good thing Christina posted the warning as the video goes on to feature her murdering men in very vicious ways. Amid numerous costume changes into assorted body-hugging clothing, Aguilera offs good-looking guys without a sign of remorse.
“Your Body” is off Christina’s upcoming album Lotus available this November.
“Welcome to the island of misfit toys,” says Sam (Emma Watson) to Charlie (Logan Lerman), a smart, shy and troubled freshman struggling to fit in and make some new friends and who has just been taken under the wings of two seniors – Sam and her half-brother, Patrick (Ezra Miller) – in the coming-of-age-film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
It’s been a tough summer for Charlie who has still not fully recovered from a recent tragedy in his life. Desperate to try to turn things around and make his first year in high school a good one, Charlie makes every effort to connect with students but keeps finding rejection and insults at every turn. And then one night at a high school football game his fortune changes. Charlie meets Patrick and Sam who quickly take a liking to him and begin inviting him to tag along with them to events and parties.
It’s at a party while Charlie is experiencing the side effects of enhanced brownies that he reveals to Sam the details of the tragedy from the previous summer. Realizing Charlie has no friends, Sam and Patrick decide to welcome him into their circle of friends and look out for him.
Soon Patrick and Sam are teaching Charlie about music, having fun, first dates, and surviving high school while Charlie begins to fall head-over-heels for Sam. For the first time in a long time, he actually starts to enjoy life.
Charming, sweet and sentimental, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best coming-of-age films to hit the big screen in years. It has a strong cast with two stand-out performances in particular by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. Emma Watson delivers a wonderful performance as Sam, the good-hearted, slightly damaged new best friend and love interest to Charlie. She shows beautifully the empathy her character feels when she discovers Charlie is friendless, and subtly conveys her growing feelings of attraction to Charlie as she spends more and more time with him. The Christmas party scene where Charlie walks out in his new Sinatra-like suit (a gift from Patrick) and Sam’s eyes light up as she first starts to fall for him and doesn’t even realize it is exquisite. It’s a truly memorable performance by an actress who is one of the best of her generation.
Ezra Miller is perfectly cast as Patrick, the extrovert and leader of the misfit group who seems to be happy with who he is. He’s getting ready to graduate after this year but has his own deep dark secrets and demons to deal with. It’s a film-stealing performance that is responsible for most of the much-needed humor in the film.
Logan Lerman delivers a strong performance as Charlie, the shy, smart and awkward young man who’s desperate to make friends and run away from the tragedies of his past. It may be difficult, however, for the audience to accept Lerman, who is 20 portraying a 15-year-old. But he does have real chemistry with Watson and it’s their scenes together in the film that raise it to another level. The scene in Sam’s bedroom after the Christmas party where she learns Charlie has never kissed a girl and she becomes determined to be his first kiss – even though she’s interested in another boy – is tender, true, and perfect.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is extremely well-written, with crisp and realistic dialogue. It’s also almost perfectly paced. It captures the year 1991 flawlessly with the correct clothes, cars, and songs, even down to the book covers that existed back then of timeless classics like To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye. Perks is a very impressive accomplishment for first-time writer and director Stephen Chbosky (author of the book the movie’s based on).
Perhaps the only drawback is near the end of the film when it becomes very dark and disturbing, revealing Charlie’s second tragic secret. The movie’s tone and Logan’s performance seem a bit heavy-handed, but the filmmaker is able to steer the film back on course for the finale.
Funny, sad, and touching, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film that captures the love, pain, excitement, confusion, and friendship of the teenage years when everything seems both possible and impossible. It’s one of the best pictures of the year.
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman carry on a conversation in a car outside a prison in this clip from The Paperboy. And for those Zac Efron fans who are waiting for another High School Musical-ish project, The Paperboy is definitely not it. The Paperboy is rated R for strong sexual content, violence and language.
The Plot:
A sexually and racially charged film noir from Oscar®-nominated director Lee Daniels (Precious), The Paperboy takes audiences deep into the backwaters of steamy 1960s South Florida, as investigative reporter Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) and his partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) chase a sensational, career-making story. With the help of Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) and sultry death-row groupie Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), the pair tries to prove violent swamp-dweller Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) was framed for the murder of a corrupt local sheriff. Based on the provocative bestselling novel by Pete Dexter (Mulholland Falls, Rush), The Paperboy peels back a sleepy small town’s decades-old façade of Southern gentility to reveal a quagmire of evil as dark as a Florida bayou.
Hitting theaters on November 21, 2012, the cast also includes Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, and Dash Mihok.
The Plot:
Life doesn’t always go according to plan…Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything — his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat’s parents want is for him to get back on his feet – and to share their family’s obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he’ll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.
If the 21st century has been about anything up to this point, it’s been the acceptance and celebration of nerds and geeks. What once was considered the exclusive domain of social pariahs rocking slide rules, 12-sided dice, and coke bottle glasses have become the mainstream. See the Lord of the Rings, Comic-Book Movies, and Glee for exhibits A-C.
Falling right in line with activities that weren’t often described as ‘cool,’ ‘rad,’ ‘hip,’ or whatever term your generation prefers, there’s a cappella singing. And yet, despite any initial desire to label members of that subculture socially inept, Pitch Perfect infers that this is what the cool kids are doing and despite my own inability to warble out a decent tune I had a tremendous amount of fun watching them all ‘do their thang’ … wait … that reference is dated … whatever.
In the film, Anna Kendrick is a wannabe DJ/Music Producer only in college to satisfy her father’s wishes. She finds herself being accepted in the campus’ all-female a cappella group and when she isn’t falling for a member of a rival all-male group (Skylar Astin), she’s learning to bond with the women on her squad. It’s ironic that the film itself makes a point of saying how films are too predictable when you should already be able to describe the last 5 minutes of this film based on what you’ve read in this review, but sometimes formulaic is okay.
One could probably write a thesis marking the similarities in plot structure and character archetypes between this and Bring It On (no, seriously). However, as an unabashed admirer of the Rancho Carne Toros Cheerleading team, this all worked in favor of Anna Kendrick and her cohorts. Sometimes a simple underdog story with stunningly obvious character development, trite metaphors meant to sound deep, and a resolution you see coming before the opening credits roll is simply comforting – like chicken soup for the cinematic soul … wow … that was lame … please forgive me.
What I’m saying in a far too roundabout way is that while I generally wish for and give praise to unconventionality and breaking with Hollywood Happy Ending Syndrome in favor of portraying more realistic scenarios, it’s also nice to watch a movie simply because it’s fun. And if there’s one word to describe Pitch Perfect, it’s fun (I saw this twice already and would go back for more). Whether it’s the very funny actors elevating an already funny script, or the terrifically conceived, produced, and performed musical renditions – the film rarely stops being pure entertainment from start to finish. As long as cheesy setups and a cappella singing are within your capability to be enjoyed, this will surely be worth the price of admission and it will be making it onto my Blu-ray shelf when the time comes.
GRADE: A-
Pitch Perfect hits theaters in limited release on September 28, 2012 and expands on October 5th. The film is rated PG-13 for sexual material, language and drug references.
The thought of writing an entire review out of order in order to play with the theme of writer/director Rian Johnson’s new time travel film was enticing. I enjoy mixing things up once in a while (like allowing readers to “jump” around the Jumper review). However, that kind of tomfoolery is best left to movies not interesting enough to warrant serious discussion. Looper manages to present a remarkably detailed and smart story that remains clear and understandable despite characters zipping back and forth in time.
In the interest of allowing people to enter the theater spoiler-free, all that I’ll lay down plot-wise is that the film is about a man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who carries out hits for an organized crime syndicate that transports their victims backward in time to make disposing of the evidence easier, earning the hit-men the revised title of “looper”. When it comes time to kill his older self (Bruce Willis) to “close the loop” (since time travel itself is illegal), things go awry and the plot expands from there.
The performances are all well measured, highlighted of course by Gordon-Levitt. He doesn’t so much impersonate Willis but adopts subtle mannerisms and vocal cadence, which are augmented by make-up and prosthetics to create an entirely believable connection between the two. What differences are inherent in being 30 years his junior, via the ambition and brashness of youth, only accentuate his interactions with fellow loopers, a single mother (Emily Blunt), her son (Pierce Gagnon), and his boss (Jeff Daniels).
And while the other adults all do a nice job, the surprise standout is the young child actor, Gagnon. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything really without being a jerk, but his performance won’t be soon forgotten. It’s clear the end result was aided by good editing and directing, but once you see the film, you’ll see why this little kid stands up to the seasoned collection of actors around him.
Back on the technical side of things, Johnson has once again taken a genre and given it a fresh update. For those who haven’t seen his debut film, Brick, you have your homework assignment; he adapted the film noir genre for a high school setting brilliantly, and the sheer intelligence in the script and direction was evident immediately. His sophomore effort The Brothers Bloom got a great review from a writer on SoberingConclusion.com but is far less universally acclaimed (I like it but don’t love it), so it’s okay by me if you don’t rush to see it.
With Looper he is treading on some familiar ground (Twelve Monkeys and The Terminator most obviously) but he tweaks and bends it well enough that everything feels fresh and vibrant. Time travel films have a way of making things so convoluted as to make the head spin, but Johnson is able to make everything as coherent as possible and uses the framework of the scientific concept to effect an utterly engaging story. Even more impressive is that he follows through on the threads loosely woven at the beginning as they tighten up towards the end, with both major and minor characters. And like Children of Men, you shouldn’t discount any detail no matter how small.
The other key technical element that elevates the film to such high stature is the editing by Bob Ducsay. Sure, there’s the flashy side of it because you have to cut together all the time jumps, but each scene is smartly packaged; the angles and options to move between close-ups and wide shots are well chosen. And then there’s the basic fact that Johnson and Ducsay have assembled a movie about time travel that plays like a linear film, which is astounding on its own, and they don’t fall into the trap of relying on the factor of creating some repeating time loop just because it’s cool.
So before I start talking about something that will end up ruining the experience for anyone reading this, just know that if you can handle bursts of violence (which extends to more than one child in the film), enjoy a smart screenplay accompanied by good acting, editing, direction, and production design, Looper is the film 2012 has been waiting for. This breaks a very long streak for me and earns the first A+ I’ve given out since 2010 (Drive was soooo close and I’ve gotten a lot pickier in the last few years). It’ll be in my Top 10 once this year is all said and done without question, and is more evidence that there are still young directors out there poised to keep the tradition of filmmaking as an art form rather than a cash grab alive and kicking.
GRADE: A+
Looper hits theaters on September 28, 2012 and is rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content.
Mavis (Selena Gomez), Griffin the Invisible Man (David Spade), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Wanda (Molly Shannon), Murray the Mummy (Cee Lo Green), Dracula (Adam Sandler) and Frank (Kevin James). Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation
Reviewed by Kevin Finnerty
“This is Hotel Transylvania, all of our monster friends are here,’ says Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) to his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), who wants to leave the safety and security of their giant home/hotel to see the world on her 118 birthday in the animated comedy Hotel Transylvania.
The entire monster clan has shown up to party and celebrate Mavis’ 118 birthday, including Frankenstein’s Monster (Kevin James), The Werewolf (Steve Buscemi), and The Invisible Man (David Spade). Another reason for their appearance at the hotel is to avoid at all costs any humans who hate and fear all monsters.
But when a young human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) accidentally stumbles onto the hotel and thinks it’s the greatest tourist attraction he’s ever seen, Dracula goes into overprotective mode to keep him away from Mavis. Mavis immediately finds him intriguing, and daddy Dracula must hide the fact that a human has invaded his beloved hotel, which he created as a haven for all monsters.
Hotel Transylvania is a funny and silly film that, unfortunately, runs out of steam and laughs a little more than half-way through. The voice talents are very unimpressive, not even trying to sound like the classic, iconic monster characters they are bringing to life in this Monster Mess.
The first 40 minutes of the film are by far the best, with laugh out loud one-liners. The slapstick humor works well as the guests arrive and Dracula shows he’s a control freak as he struggles to make every monster’s stay a frightful delight. Even when the human Jonathan first arrives at the castle and is too stupid to be afraid (he doesn’t realize the monsters are real), the film still has plenty of laughs.
However, once the romance between Mavis and Jonathan becomes one the main focuses of the film and Dracula’s tragic past is revealed, the film loses almost all it’s fun and humor and drags on to an uninteresting and predictable ending. Coming up short on laughs and having an overlong, boring, and uninspired ending, Hotel Transylvania will have both adults and the children in the audience wishing they had never checked in for the film.
GRADE: C-
Hotel Transylvania hits theaters on September 28, 2012 and is rated PG for some rude humor, action, and scary images.
Boys Like Girls has set a December 11, 2012 release date for their upcoming album, Crazy World. Produced by lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Martin Johnson, Crazy World marks the platinum-selling group’s third studio album.
A Crazy World EP is already available, and the first single off the album (“Be Your Everything”) was just released.
“Crazy World takes you to a different place,” said Martin Johnson. “That was the point. Everything is so hyperactive and the digital distractions can be overwhelming. Step aside in this Crazy World and experience the things that truly matter.”
Boys Like Girls is currently co-headlining a tour with The All-American Rejects. For a list of dates, visit boyslikegirls.com/events.
Details on Boys Like Girls [Courtesy of Columbia Records]:
Since 2006, Boys Like Girls have sold over 1 million albums and 8 million tracks worldwide including 3 platinum and 2 Gold-certified singles. Crazy World is the band’s third full-length album following their Gold-certified self-titled debut in 2006 that produced the platinum single, “The Great Escape,” and the 2009 release of Love Drunk, the album that spawned two platinum-certified singles including “Two Is Better Than One” that featured Taylor Swift.
Boys Like Girls is Martin Johnson (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Morgan Dorr (bass/backing vocals), Paul Digiovanni (lead guitar), and John Keefe (drums).
2012 has largely been devoid of films with the ability to truly connect; to capture a slice of life so poignantly and so sincerely as to feel more like a memory than a movie. The Perks of Being a Wallflower does just that, taking a place right at the top of the year’s best cinema.
Some of that hyperbole may be due to the rush of adrenaline, nostalgia, and regret coursing through my veins so soon after seeing the film for the first time (I foresee multiple viewings and a Blu-Ray on my shelf eventually). Hell, this made such an impact that I’m going to read the book … yes, I’m going to READ!
My faith that the book will be even more of a powerful experience comes from the author writing the screenplay and directing the film himself. Stephen Chbosky managed to create a script that develops a true sense of what a high school clique feels like, developing multiple characters and weaving both home and school into the mix, all well under a two-hour runtime. And sitting in the director’s chair, Chbosky didn’t fall prey to cloying close-ups or overstepping his bounds visually, allowing the story to speak for itself.
Of course, to make the film work you also need the writer/director in sync with the cast and everyone else on set. Going hand-in-hand with the direction is a marvelous job of editing by Mary Jo Markey; organically pushing back story elements experiences by the main character to the forefront when necessary and making them feel very dreamlike, rather than obvious exposition. The soundtrack is another key element that elevates the cinematic experience; dropping in music across multiple eras but also weaving in songs from when the movie is subtly presented. Like Donnie Darko was a love song to the ’80s, The Perks of Being a Wallflower presents the ’90s without making some grand announcement, and for anyone who was in high school during that decade, there will be a familiarity that only sucks you into the story and its characters even more.
Using all of those elements to their benefit, the actors all deliver spot-on performances. Logan Lerman has a tricky balancing act to perform from start to finish and pulled it off brilliantly; shading the character with innocence, guilt, warmth, rage, shame, and vulnerability. Working off of him beautifully in more ways than one is Emma Watson, who dove headfirst into her character and made me forget all about being Hermoine Granger until well after the credits had rolled. Ezra Miller almost steals the show, portraying the wisecracking ringleader of the clique. Being both the comic relief and one of the key emotional touchstones is far from easy and he made the gay teenager archetype too often played solely for cheap gags feel real and honest.
The obviousness of Joan Cusack in a minor role towards the end of the film is one of the few choices that fell a bit flat. Pretty much everything else had me scrambling for my collection of mix-tapes as soon as I started the car to drive home and shortly after getting there, this review came to be. Read however much you need to into the subjectivity laced in every sentence of what’s on the screen in front of you. As a film critic, all I need to know is that my words have tipped the balance for anyone on the fence; whether that puts your butt in a theater or keeps you away, I’m just happy that saying ‘yes’ to as many movies as I have to means that I get to see films that really speak to my sensibilities that might not have been on my radar otherwise and hope my words can do the same for some of you.
Obviously, I fell headfirst into the story and I thought about being objective but sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Some movies are meant to be dissected and quantitatively analyzed, some are mindless popcorn munchers, and once or twice a year something this heartfelt comes along. The Perks of Being a Wallflower should be able to reach any demographic from high school on up; but for those of you who were entering college in the mid-90s and had a small, select group of friends who were your entire world until life got in the way, I really recommend seeing this with at least one good friend and implore you to just let go.
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman carry on a conversation in a car outside a prison in this clip from The Paperboy. And for those Zac Efron fans who are waiting for another High School Musical-ish project, The Paperboy is definitely not it. The Paperboy is rated R for strong sexual content, violence and language.
