Pop Culture Blog: Music, Movie and Humor
Leveraging low-hanging synergies outside the vertical fruit box since 1999.
Sigourney withdrew from the fishing protest when she realized she’d misunderstood what the pamphlet meant by “Save the Newts”.Trailer Park Boys: The Movie is set to become the top-grossing Canadian film of all time. And if that doesn’t happen, it will at least eclipse the current canon of FUBAR, Porky’s and Strange Brew as the most internationally accessible piece of Canadian celluloid out there. With Ivan Reitman (you may have heard of Ghostbusters) producing, Clatterburg’s motley crew of guttersnipes is poised for an accompanying distribution deal of the 7 seasons of hilarious TV shows. They are currently talking to three major networks – including Showtime. The stipulation so far has been that it has to be sold somewhere on cable so they don’t have to edit out all the swearing, which is why many feel it didn’t fare better on BBC America 2 years ago. Bleeps just aren’t as funny as creative lines like: “Knock knock, Who’s there? Fuck off“, obviously.
The soundtrack they’ve put together is impressive, and should make a mint all by itself. And, like on the TV show, Canadian musician cameos are in full-effect. “two already avowed Trailer Park fans, Rush’s Alex Lifeson and the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie — unrecognizable beneath cheesy moustaches — as a couple of gung-ho cops.” That is definitely worth the price of a ticket right there. I will post reviews as I find them over the weekend. Things are looking good so far, and don’t think there aren’t critics in Canada who’d love to see this movie fail. These reviews will be fair.
Toronto Star: *** – There is even time for a little character development — actual, almost heartwarming romance, even.
Ottawa Citizen: *** – The dignity is the surprise in Trailer Park Boys … most of the time. Julian is the large man who carries a constant glass of rum-and-Coke, even when he goes to the bar (“I brought this from home,” he explains).
Globe and Mail: ** 1/2 – Where it works, brilliantly on occasion, is at the edges (the best lines arrive as tossed-off asides) and in the performances of a cast who have lived with these characters long enough to capture them intimately, and to convey their strange blend of weirdness and familiarity.
I have been looking for an opportunity to remark upon how much I am truly looking forward to finally getting to see The Departed this weekend. Eager for early insider movie-nerd reviews (I’d only ever be able to pen an outsider movie-nerd review,) I found this. Holy South Boston scumbags, Batman.
“I usually only get dirty when I hate a movie so much, it makes me mad enough to do so. This is not the case with the latest Martin Scorsese masterwork The Departed. Oh no. Holy motherfucking shit, this movie rocks 18 different sizes and shapes of balls. Balls were rocked so hard, in fact, I think certain areas of the taint may have been injured. I walked out of this movie stumbling from exhaustion and with an awesome sense of uncertainty. How was I going to do this film justice in a review? Maybe I just did.”
Well done Marty. I can’t wait.
WARNING: This song will invade the recesses of your skull like one of those worms from Wrath of Khan. I am not kidding. Professional help may have to be sought, immediately. “Arguably, it takes a Swede (or in this case, three of them) to combine 1980s synth pop, Motown and noisy guitar rock to tasteful effect.” Swedish group Peter, Bjorn and John’s Young Folks has been accurately decribed as catchy and danceable – but nobody seems to want to mention the fact that repeated listens will have you clawing your eyes out in a cold sweat. Praying for something, anything, to replace it inside of your poor psyche. Even if that replacement is the Andy Griffith tune or theme from Bridge Over the River Kwai.
“This song starts off with surging, funky drums, addictive maraca shaking, crazy bongos and a pleasantly lo-fi bass-line; all this wrapped up in a whistling melody.” Look, I’m not going to argue with that. But you’re failing to mention the fact that I’ll have to be promptly straightjacketed to keep from stabbing my balls with a fish fork to eradicate it from short term memory. When you’re done mutiliating yourself you’ll also notice that the animated video which accompanies this audio from Satan is quite cute and well done. Enjoy, but make an appoinment with your favorite ‘happy doctor’ before listening.
You know you want to listen to the newest hockey podcast on the block. Talk about calling my shot last week. Remember when I said I’d probably lose or destroy my recorder before the end of the game? Well I most certainly did. But you can still listen to the tripe we laid down before we started drinking. And that’s probably a lesson we’re going to have to take to heart for the rest of our podcast ventures. I don’t think the 3rd period moosecall contest really had the replayability it seemed to at the time. Still, we had fun putting it together, and I think you’ll get a kick out of it.