A scene from one of Miyazaki's older films: "My neighbor Totoro." The forest spirit Totoro, seen on the right, also made a cameo as one of the toys in "Toy Story 3."
By Jaren Jolley
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese anime filmmaker. If you aren’t the biggest anime fan, don’t worry neither am I, but with Miyazaki you are dealing with something so beyond predictable or categorical, that you are in complete rapture with every single one of Miyazaki’s films. Some of his most notable films are Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and Princess Mononoke. Miyazaki works in with a production and animation studio called Studio Ghibli. Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Each Miyazaki film works within a different niche and brings something entirely unique and different to the table, but there is a common “magic” that binds all them and makes all his movies so stylistically and cinematic pleasing.
Every single time you finish one of his movies you have a very warm, inspirational, and magic feeling within you. It’s nearly inexplicable, unless you view them yourself. Any doubts you have about the anime factor dissolve when you see the beautiful visuals, artistic touch, talented voice cast, and brilliant plot progression. You connect with the stories in such a personal way that the films become a part of you and you glom onto them until you’ve gladly squeezed every last bit of brilliant meaning out of them. You walk away with a greater sense of self, which is essentially the mark of a perfect or near perfect movie. All those factors are why Miyazaki has become one of my favorite filmmakers of all time.
Grimes sings her heart out. Image by Google.
By Jaren Jolley
-Grimes: The Canadian recluse Claire Boucher has made a very unique kind of romantic dark electro pop. It’s strangely simple and applicable music, but there is something so fresh and new to her sound that you are drawn to her. Her mousy and angelic voice is what makes the music so ethereal. Her newest album is called Visions.
-Julia Holter: With the release of her new album Ekstasis, Julia Holter makes an extraordinarily deep and multi-layered piece of music, while still feeling warm and comfortable to listen to. Using simple, but engaging piano and keyboard arrangements and minimal percussion, the focus lies on her voice, in which she creates a wonderful atmosphere with complex harmonies and beautiful runs.
-Lotus Plaza: Lockett Pundt, who is the guitarist and partial vocalist for the band Deerhunter, has his own solo project which, until 2012, hasn’t made much of an impact on music scene. But with the release of his new album, Spooky Action at a Distance, he creates catchy, guitar-driven, heavy indie rock pop sound, led by his melancholic and tired-yet-beautiful voice.
-Daniel Rossen: Daniel Rossen is no stranger to the music world, being one of the frontmen of the enormously popular band Grizzly Bear, Rossen has made his mark and shown people what he is capable of. In March 2012, Daniel Rossen released his first solo music, with the EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile, and revealed that he did not need a band to rely on to flush out his music. His music is reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s romantic rock, including several jazz guitar structures, and being held by his strong and vaudevillian voice, while still being completely stand alone. Daniel Rossen’s sound is complete unique.
-St. Vincent: St. Vincent (Annie Clark) isn’t necessarily a new band, but with her new album released last year Strange Mercy, she invented something completely new, beautiful, and ear-catching. Behind her wonderfully strong and gorgeous vocals lie a heavy overdriven guitar with superb riffs and trills. Blending electronic, heavy noise rock, folk, and delicate pop, Clark has essentially created a new landscape from which to hear music.
"Dragon Tattoo" is the American remake of the 2009 Swedish film of the same name directed by Niels Arden Oplev. Image from Clockworkmovies.com.
By Jaren Jolley
NOTE: This film is rated R. Director David Fincher had extremely high expectations to fill with his adaption of the international best selling novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and its Swedish film version from 2009. Fincher’s directorial credentials (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Social Network) make him more than capable enough to take on such a massively acclaimed piece of work. Coupled with an impeccable cast featuring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, and Stellan Skarsgard, Dragon Tattoo draws undeniable attention.
Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is a financial journalist and co-editor of Millenium magazine. When Blomkvist runs a story about a financial mogul that is inaccurate and is charged with libel. After having lost some of his credibility, Blomkvist is offered a job by retired CEO, Henrik Vanger (Plummer), to solve the case of his 16 year-old niece who has been missing since the 1960’s. Reluctantly taking on the task, he moves up to a remote island where the girl went missing. But before he is hired, a thorough examination is done on him by a brilliant but strange young lady named Lisabeth Salander (Mara). Having previously dealt with several personal issues and physical abuse, Salander joins up with Blomkvist, and the two begin to try a piece together to case of a missing girl 40 years ago; taking them on an adventure through intense situations.
The complex and powerful plot of this film as well as its stunning cinematography and setting make it one of the most enduring and captivating films of 2011. But the characters are the most important focal point of the film, specifically Rooney Mara. Mara dedicates herself to this role entirely with tattoos, piercings, and hair dye, and it pays off masterfully. This being her first major role, audiences will be impressed by her screen presence. Although this film can be disturbing at times, it’s to be expected when you take a visionary director and a dark story and fuse them into a gripping and intense product. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is stimulating in every cinematic sense, but if things of graphic nature deter you easily, I would not recommend it. To me, however, it is a remarkable picture on nearly every level. A total achievement.
Also to be noted, the score for the film was done by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and Atticus Ross, who worked together on Fincher's last film, The Social Network. Completely unique and engaging, the music helps bring the movie alive. Incredible work done by Ross and Reznor. The film even features a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. Give it a listen below.
By Jaren Jolley
The work of Billy Beane is one that some might not be familiar with, yet he did something for the sport of baseball that changed it forever. Moneyball tells his story. Beane (played by Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, takes a new strategy in the business of baseball that many find incorrect and just plain stupid. With the enormous help of a young economic grad from Yale, Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), Beane forms an entirely new roster for the Athletics, consisting of players that the MLB has completely disregarded and undervalued, creating an unorthodox yet stellar team. As Beane creates a truly unique and game-changing business model in the baseball world, he takes on the emotional toils of dealing with his new players, the head honchos of the baseball world, and his own demons from his past of being involved in baseball at an early age that alter his life forever. And the personal life he maintains with young daughter is a nice contrasting point from his hectic life, and helps Beane stay focused on what matters in life.
Although this film is about the Oakland Athletics’ advancements and its GM, it actually has little to do with the sport. The film relies on the powerful emotions and innovations of characters, the beautiful pace, and unfurling of the story. With direct, controlled, and modern direction/ cinematography that play off the characters’ frustrations, decisions, and joys, the film has you fully engaged throughout, making the movie truly innovative and fresh. A culmination of these cinematic variables makes Moneyball one of the greatest films of the years. Pitt’s enormous presence is felt on screen constantly, assisted by Hill’s innocence and stellar minimalistic acting. The style and plot have an appropriate sense of grandeur yet the viewer has a consistent feeling of accessibility, and although it revolves around this one character in his ambition and fragility, less truly is more. You’ll not want to miss this film. Extremely highly recommended.
 A zombie movie without the zombies. Image by Google. By Jaren Jolley
Cough, sneeze, and sniff. The three things you’ll be praying don’t occur to you when you walk out of Contagion. But make no mistake; this film is nothing to sneeze at. Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven through Thirteen, Che: Part One and Two) creates a shockingly realistic and frightening film.
Delivered by an immense ensemble cast including: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, and many others. Jumping from several points of view throughout the film, it gives you visuals for nearly any scenario occurring through the pandemic. If the riveting story doesn’t do it for you, the powerful and emotional performances certainly will.
Leaning on advanced pathology at times, you certainly never doubt the authenticity of Contagion. Wonderfully directed and acted, Contagion succeeds at the box office and in viewer's minds, evoking a fun and scary “what if” thought process. I loved it. Highly recommended.
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