DESIGN: 2011 In Music

Tracklisting:Disc 11. “Hanna’s Theme” — The Chemical Brothers 2:09 | from Hanna: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Back Lot2. “Polish Girl” — Neon Indian 4:24 | from Era Extraña; Static Tongues/Mom + Pop3. “Desire” — Anna Calvi 3:52 | from Anna Calvi; Domino Records4. “Someday” — Middle Brother 3:40 | from Middle Brother; Partisan Records5. “Solitude and Vine” — John Ralston 3:47 | from Shadows of the Summertime; Self Released6. “All the Sand in All the Sea” — DeVotchKa 4:50 | from 100 Lovers; ANTI- Records7. “Coeur d’Alene” — The Head…

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REVIEW: Life in a Day [2011]

“Because its a happy film. It has a happy ending” With its genesis coming from an idea to commemorate YouTube’s fifth anniversary, the enlistment of producer Ridley Scott and director Kevin Macdonald saw the concept expand into one of a feature film telling the world its own story of July 24, 2010. Culled from 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries, the filmmakers—most especially editor Joe Walker—crafted a tale from sunrise to sunset with the mundane shown beside the magical, inspirational, and unique. Time-lapse sights of swirling skies juxtapose against…

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REVIEW: The Devil’s Double [2011]

“What happens if I say no?” An intriguing subject for sure, Lee Tamahori‘s new film takes us inside Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror like never before. Using the life story of Latif Yahia, The Devil’s Double shows the sort of hubris at the heart of this tyrant’s stranglehold over the Iraqi people. Constantly a threat for assassination, the use of fedais (doubles) was a prominent practice in order to remain safe and protect the kingdom. Not to be outdone, however, Hussein’s son Uday found he could have some fun by…

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Posterized Propaganda January 2012: The Top 10 Movie Posters of 2011

“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” is a proverb whose simple existence proves the fact impressionable souls will do so without fail. This monthly column focuses on the film industry’s willingness to capitalize on this truth, releasing one-sheets to serve as not representations of what audiences are to expect, but as propaganda to fill seats. Oftentimes they fail miserably. With January 2012 poster selection leaving a lot to be desired—dump month movies don’t appear to get the same marketing budget as critical darlings—we’ve decided to better spend our monthly…

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REVIEW: Red State [2011]

“Even the Nazis think this guy is nuckin’ futs” As if Kevin Smith wasn’t polarizing enough on his own, the venture making Cop Out for hire bought more ill-will and the risky endeavor of self-producing an original horror only allowed a new genre’s legion of fans to add to the backlash. It’s weird because I always thought Smith was pretty universally loved between his seminal debut Clerks and cult favorites Mallrats and Chasing Amy. My circle of friends would stop at nothing to see his latest work in the theatres…

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REVIEW: We Need to Talk About Kevin [2011]

“He’s a funny little boy, isn’t he? But there’s nothing wrong with him.” Six words coming too late—We Need to Talk About Kevin. For mother Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), the sociopathic tendencies of her boy were prevalent since conception. But to her husband Franklin (John C. Reilly) their son was a happy, polite kid living life and getting into trouble like all boys his age do. Driving a wedge between them—a union bred from spontaneity and a lack of planning—Kevin appears to revel in the destruction he wreaks. Only letting…

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REVIEW: Bellflower [2011]

“I’ll eat some bugs. What’s the big deal?” When one thinks post-apocalyptic, images of desert wastelands, Wild West lawlessness, and a penchant for violence ring loud. We anticipate the end of the world leaving us in a void without order and the survivors having the ability to do whatever is necessary to survive. But what happens when we juxtapose these concepts onto the volatility inherent with the end of a romantic relationship? As real a ‘world’ to the couple involved—not to mention the friends choosing sides for war in the…

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REVIEW: Santa Claus [1985]

“If you give bigger kisses you get better hugs” Nostalgia is a funny thing. Films you remember watching so often in your youth begin to possess a certain aura of quality they can never come close to achieving otherwise. It happens most with holiday movies—Christmas especially. Memories of sitting around the television on Christmas Eve waiting for a night of sleigh-brought treasures with the family cultivate feelings of joy, happiness, and laughter. So when you start to equate those same feelings with the program you were watching at the time,…

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REVIEW: جدایی نادر از سیمین [A Separation] [2011]

“I’m the judge and I’m saying your issue is small” If there has been one film from 2011 that appears to have found universal appeal throughout the world, its name would be جدایی نادر از سیمین [A Separation]. Found high on many critic’s top ten lists, my anticipation to finally experience its mysteries built up until I could finally take it no longer. Expectations like these never end up being a good practice, however, because the hope almost always ends up too large to meet. When the film’s credits rolled…

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REVIEW: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol [2011]

“And I’ll catch you” I remember so much talk about whether or not Tom Cruise was being forced out of the Mission: Impossible series and how Jeremy Renner was cast to either replace him or be ushered in as the new team leader in subsequent films. Well, after watching Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and seeing ‘A Tom Cruise Production’ in big, bold white letters, I’m thinking it’s a pretty safe bet to say the franchise is still his to do what he may. Kudos to him if true, I’m…

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REVIEW: Winnie the Pooh [2011]

“I’m a bear with very little brain and long words bother me” Written in the 1920s by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard, Winnie the Pooh has been a children’s favorite for almost a century now. First adapted to film by Disney in the 60s and last seen in 2005’s Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, it is no surprise to see the Mouse House’s reworked animation department under John Lasseter reboot the franchise. Animated like I remembered it from my own youth, this new story decides to forego the allusion each…

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