2005 Also Ran Movies

"The Upside of Anger"

Set in the Detroit suburb of Toronto this movie was very odd. The lady's husband runs off and she spends a year going on a bitchy tear only to discover he's been dead in the back woods the whole time. Joan Allen struggles mightily to bring more to it than that but the script lets her down. Kevin Costner, funny as a washed up Detroit Tiger doing sports radio, is the one enjoyable part. His best line, which I use as often as I can, "I think you know my position on free food."

"Walk the Line"

This movie commits one of the cardinal sins of a biopic-making it's protagnist's story dull and taking away it's singularity. Just another drugged musician wrestling with personal demons and success was how this one came across to me despite the heroic acting efforts of Joaquim Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. They can play every instrument in the band but if the script is lacking...

"Broken Flowers"

After several movies of full of it I'm over the mopey Bill Murray. What rang absolutely true in "Lost in Translation" now just seems tired. I hope his next role has a little zing to it. And to praise this movie for celebrating older actresses just pisses me off. They are some fine actresses, of course they did great things with their small parts. I don't want to applaud people for choosing them, I want them to get busy using them more.

Favorite Movies 2005 Part 2

The rest of the list:

"A History of Violence"

David Cronenberg always gets under my skin. Although this one didn't do damage to my psyche like "Dead Ringers" there was still plenty to squirm about like that stairstep sex scene or the long, slowly unfolding scene with his brother (a terrific William Hurt). This one proved that Viggo can be more than a king.

"Crash"

A tricky one about race in America and human nature in general highlighted by loads of great performances-Ludracris, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillion all hit high notes in this one.

"Capote"

Philip Seymour Hoffman puts in a brava performance as the famous writer and raconteur in the process of writing his most famous book. As the viewer we see Truman as both artist willing to sacrifice everything for his art and as lonely gay man who was rejected by his parents. It's to Hoffman's credit that both are played equally well so we never completely hate him even when he behaves like a total parasite. Extra special bonus points for Carolyn Keener's Harper Lee who knew Truman so well she could totally call him on his shit.

"Junebug"

A funky fun indie about the familial sparks that fly when a good Southern boy comes home from the big city with a big city wife as bent on her career as her marriage. I liked what it had to say about being the child that lives away and how it's both pleasure and pain to go home again. My fervant hopes for an Oscar nod for Amy Adams for her fully charged performance.

"Good Night and Good Luck"

Substitute conservatives calling people unpatrioic for McCarthy calling people communists and this period picture suddenly becomes extremely relevant. David Straitharn played a great smoking Murrow leading one of those movie offices where you'd like to work yourself. Kudos to George Clooney (KY boy) for putting his money where his mouth is-I hope it comes back to him at awards time.

"The Squid and the Whale"

I liked this movie before I even saw it because I understood the title immediately but I can't say I enjoyed the movie though, because it reminded me of my own parents' divorce too much for me to ever be comfortable in my seat. Local fave Jeff Daniels is fantastic as the dad, Bernard,-my favorite line is when the dad is in the hospital and he sees in his son's eyes, the son who had previously adored him, that that will never be the case again and he offers, "You can borrow my signed copy of ______, as a present." That line sums it all up.

"King Kong"

Despite it's flaws-the two male leads, the too long running time (just because you CAN make a 3 hour movie doesn't mean you SHOULD)-I have to include this because I love Kong. Even the semi cheesy 70s Kong. Kong is one of the greatest leading men of all time and of all mediums. Ever since I saw the original at the bar in the Knights of Columbus hall (my mom had a weekend job there) I have had a huge soft spot in my heart for the big ape. Naomi Watts does a great job being in peril-she helps herself but isn't too modern-especially considering she was reacting to nothing a lot.

Liner Notes

My best of CDs are in the mail-if you're on the list you got one. If you're not, well, you can live vicariously through this blog or use it as a template to rip and burn your own.

Here are the liner notes:

Listen Up
Sam's Best of 2005

"Tonight We Go to The Show" David Manchel

Manchel played Little League with my boyfriend back in the day. In 2005 his long awaited CD "Welcome Back to the Same Old Me" was released adding this title to my vernacular. Everytime I'm going to a concert if someone asks how I am you can bet I'll be saying "tonight we go to the show". Thanks David!

"Cindy, It Was Always You" Steve Wynn

Regular blog readers know about this one already. Seperate from my personal history with it, I really enjoy the song on its own merits. My one problem is that since I got this CD at the same time as the reissued "Born to Run" sometimes when I'm singing it under my breath I sing "Wendy" instead of "Cindy". Oops.

"Catch My Disease" Ben Lee

This year my store went to DMX for our overhead listening needs which drives me crazy on a near daily basis. But I did hear one or two songs that I might have not otherwise discovered, "Catch My Disease" being one. Its infectious (get it?) good humor, handclaps and toy piano (I am such a sucker for toy piano) made it my summer song of 2005.

"Back to Me" Kathleen Edwards

2005 brought the second record from this ballsy Canadian rocker chick and there was no sophomore slump. Her Chicago show I saw was great even if I did get overheated and have to sit down like an old lady. I love the Canadian "sorry" in this song.

"Road to Joy" Bright Eyes

Though Saddle Creek had been recommended to me thousands of times it wasn't until 2005 that I actually got into Bright Eyes. I wasn't consciously resisiting it was just one of those things. "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" is a good CD though so I'll probably be back for more.

"Won't Be Home" (live) the Old 97s

This double live CD was total fun (if a bit muffley) and gives you a small idea of what a great band they are live.

"Let It Ride"
"If I am a Stranger"
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

In 2005 Ryan finally did what he had been promising to do for some time-release 3 records in a year."Cold Roses" the spring release, was my favorite. It was like happy, warm, mellow Whiskeytown. Adams still wears his influences on his sleeve but sounds more like his own man.

"Off the Record" My Morning Jacket

I was a MMJ fan before I actually liked their music because they are Louisville boys but with "Z" I actually started to like their music too. They also get big gameness points for appearing in "Elizabethtown", the worst movie of the year, which I hated though being a KY girl would seem to have hardwired me to like it. They must have known it was going to suck when that flaming bird was flying at them during the "Freebird" memorial service scene but there they are sticking it out. Good for you guys.

"Pineola" (live) Lucinda Williams

This is my favorite Lucinda song and I think it must be one of hers too because she has done it at every show I ever attended. This version wasn't as good as when we saw at her at The Michigan on the same tour but it's an excellent reminder of that rare, ebullient night of music.

"We Can't Make it Here Anymore" James McMurtry

McMurtry's "Live in Aught Four", the record before this one, was so great it was probably enevitable that the next would suffer in comparison. And it did, a bit. "Memorial Day" seemed like a PG rated remake of his R rated "Choctaw Bingo" and none of the rockin songs rocked out enough but "We Can't Make it Here Anymore" is classic protest McMurtry so I include it here.
Hopefully, he'll come to Michigan in 2006.

"Breathe (2am)" Anna Nalick

I know this one doesn't fit in the flow but I think it's a great song with some lyrics that really stick ("I don't love him/winter just wasn't my season"). Also one of my favorite album titles of the year, "Wreck of a Day".

"Arms of a Woman" Amos Lee

Another DMX discovery, Lee has a warm quiet voice that he uses to excellent effect. His CD is a great after work one for when you just want to be quiet. Some might say he's the new Jeb Loy Nichols.

"Kentucky Woman" Sun Kil Moon

From the "Elizabethtown" EP soundtrack (the one only sold in indie record stores) called "Songs from the Brown Hotel". The movie sucked but the soundtracks are good (some points were given for using Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up" and keeping the f bomb in.) This sounds like a missing track from Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts from the Great Highway". I might have also used a song from their 2005 cover record of Modest Mouse songs but I didn't have a chance to get know it well enough.

"Star, Star" the Frames

My boyfriend's big musical discovery of 2005, the Frames are the biggest band in Ireland, at least since U2 went global. (This record isn't from 2005 that's just when I discovered it. )




I also want to mention Lucerno's "Nobody's Darlings" which was excellent ovelooked record from 2005 that I did not get to know well enough to include. I also would have included "Girl" by Rhett Miller from the Beatles tribute album, "This Bird Has Flown", but I didn't have a copy handy.

Happy Listening!

The Bone the Universe Threw Me Today

Sometimes it's Monday, the very last day of the holiday season and you don't feel well. Your period has arrived with all it's accompanying joys and you're more than a little cranky at all the people who have the day off while you had to haul ass at 5am. (Since when is January 2nd a holiday anyway?) Your hair is totally out of hand, crying desparately for a haircut and your clothes-well, you don't own clothes that could help you out today, at least not that you could wear to work anyway. But then you spy it when trying to scare up some books for the front table. A new mystery anthology with a skeleton taking a jump shot on the cover- Murder at the Foul Line. "Wouldn't it be cool?" you think and then you see yes, he's in there. Your favorite crime writer has a newly published short story you didn't even know about. Sweet!

And then, suddenly, your day is a little bit better.