Movies
"Captain Marvel"
Rating: 3/5 Stars
I think I am not alone when I say that I am tired of all the dialogue that has been around this movie. It's been rather hateful and not talking about the movie as a movie, but instead just complaining about its politics. I went into this movie with no expectations, and trying to keep any of the political conversation around it out of my head. And... well, the movie was okay. I wasn't really disappointed by it, nor was I incredibly impressed. I think "Marvel" being in the title of the movie is actually quite fitting, as this movie follows a lot of the tropes we've come to expect from this company, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. This film centers around Carol Danvers, who has lost her memory of who she was and has mysterious powers. When she literally crashes on Earth, she goes on a journey of trying to discover herself as well as find a dangerous weapon, along with Nick Fury. There are several things about this film that work great. One is Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. He's definitely the best element of the movie, continuing to be incredibly likeable. It is actually very interesting to see Fury as a young, somewhat naive agent rather than the hardened leader of the Avengers he is now. I liked seeing this side of Fury. The chemistry between him and Brie Larson is almost always really good. Ben Mendelsohn finally gets the chance to not play a character who is just a generic villain, and he shines. I've always felt this actor has unfortunate luck in being placed in bad movies where he tries his best to do well with what he's given. Thankfully, this movie isn't bad, and his character is pretty well-written. I liked Jude Law as well, as he clearly has fun sinking his teeth into the role of Yon-Rogg. I haven't heard people talking about his performance much, and I don't know why. It's not among his best, but he's still quite good here. Lashana Lynch gets a surprisingly weighty role as Maria, and perhaps has the most emotional material to deal with. She wasn't hyped up too much in the trailers, so her performance was a welcome surprise. It was also a treat to see Clark Gregg getting to reprise Agent Coulson on the big screen yet again. Another positive of this movie, I felt, was the theme. Now there's no denying the movie has a feminist theme, but I feel like it's presented in such a way where it's inspiring rather than insipid and obvious. There's some really good scenes in the movie that enforce this message, including a touching moment where Carol is talking to Monica, Maria's daughter. Marvel wanted to have a lot of this movie appeal to young girls looking for a superhero that looks like them and that they can look up to. I believe Marvel mostly succeeded on that front. Unfortunately, while the themes of the film mostly work, I feel like the titular character just doesn't. I LOVE Brie Larson as an actress- her performances in "Room" and "Short Term 12" still never fail to blow me away. However, I feel like either she is very miscast or her character is horribly written in this film- maybe it's even a combination of both. Larson just feels rather wooden in this movie, and doesn't exude much charisma. It seems like directors Ann Boden and Ryan Fleck don't really let this character have any emotionally charged moments, which feels ironic given the movie's message about emotions being a good thing. There are times when it seems like Carol is going to get to have a moment to be vulnerable, but the movie quickly takes that away from the audience. It's not like Larson is cringeworthy or makes this movie insufferable, but it just can't be denied, at least for me, that her turn isn't that interesting in the long run. This movie takes place in the 90's, and it puts all sorts of "relatable 90's humor" in your face whenever it can. This was the only part of the movie that annoyed me and felt like it was pandering. It was a little funny at the beginning with the reveal of Larson having fell on top of a Blockbuster building. But, the repetition of showing these 90's things and practically punching the audience's arm, saying "hey remember this?" got annoying very quickly. This is more of a nitpick than anything, but I also felt that the reveal of how Nick Fury lost his eye was pretty dumb. It didn't get me angry or anything, but it seemed like there could've been a better reveal than what they gave us. Overall, there's one word I could use to describe "Captain Marvel"- fine. It's not the one of the top Marvel films, nor is it one of the worst. Check it out for yourself, and try your best to keep all the political conversation surrounding it from influencing your opinion.
"The Hole in the Ground"
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I'm happy to say that yet another solid entry has been added into A24's quite stellar horror roster. It's nice to see this company continuing to give promising horror creators a chance at directing, and Lee Cronin fits that bill for "The Hole in the Ground". This film finds Sarah and her son Christian moving to the Irish countryside to escape Sarah's abusive husband. They quickly find that there's something off about where they are living, especially a sinkhole that ominously lies in the middle of the forest. Christian soon begins to show odd traits to Sarah, and she begins questioning whether he is really her son or not. There are plenty of things to commend about this film. The first 5 minutes of this movie are quite impressive in their own right. I love the cold open of the movie in particular, as it cleverly establishes through visual symbolism Sarah's insecurities about her son and whether he will be influenced by his abusive stepfather. There's also a really cool moment where Sarah and Christian are driving on a long road, and the camera slowly turns upside down, giving you the impression that the two of them are sinking into a dark abyss. It's a rather eerie shot, and perhaps the most creative moment of the movie. Even though the creepy old woman trope has been done to death, the way the movie presents that is quite refreshing. What really brings this movie up more than anything, though, are the performances that Cronin is able to get out of his leads. Relative newcomer Seana Kerslake is stellar as Sarah, giving an incredibly layered and nuanced performance. You can really feel for her as she's completely shouldering this burden of being a single parent and caring for her son. It also helps that she's not a complete idiot this film, actually recognizing almost instantly when her son seems to not be acting like himself. James Quinn Markey is also excellent as Christian. It's incredible how he's able to effortlessly transition from being sweet and cute one moment, and then becoming menacing and unsettling in quick succession. He was compelling to watch, and provided a nice counterpart to Kerslake. The chemistry between these two was so on point that it was easy for me to believe their bond. You rooted for them to overcome the things they were dealing with. This movie also often succeeds in creating an unsettling atmosphere. This is definitely a slow-burn film, but not too slow. And when things go off the rails, they go off the rails quick. The main negative of this film is that, story-wise, it can't help but feel cliched at times. It does have a lot of horror tropes that we are very used to: a creepy child, an old woman who knows the truth, flickering lights, jump scares, etc. This can make certain parts of the movie have a "been there, done that" feeling. This is especially true in the ending, which feels like it was copying too much off of moments from "The Descent". I couldn't help but notice influences from "The Babadook" as well. What does help this movie from feeling like just a cliched horror story are its excellent performances and the sometimes creative ways Cronin presents his scares. There's two particularly effective scares involving a car rearview mirror out of all things. I also can't deny that the ending of this film sent chills up my spine. Even though this movie can feel like a not-so-revolutionary horror flick at times, I'm not sure if it was trying to be. This film is still a solid showcase for another promising director, as well as two talented actors that I hope to see more of in the future. I recommend it!
Music
"You Are OK" by The Maine
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I was very happy to find The Maine with their release of "American Candy", which I still feel is their best. This band is incredibly consistent, always able to release albums that have distinct style and thematic arcs. The band's newest release "You Are OK" finds the group in a much more optimistic state than where they were at in "Lovely Little Lonely" (yet another stellar album from the group). This album begins on an excellent note with "Slip The Noose" a powerhouse rock track which expresses gratitude for a loved one saving lead vocalist John O'Callaghan from the brink of despair. It's a positively victorious track and a great way to set the mood for this album. "My Best Habit" is one of the most criminally catchy tracks I've ever heard, and has the classic Maine sound fans have come to love. "Heaven, We're Already Here" is certainly my favorite from the album, having an absolutely raucous and euphoric rock flair to it. The chorus is one of the most uplifting I've heard all year, and you can't help but feel elated when you listen to it. The song is musical bliss, and the way it reaches its climactic point is nothing short of incredible. "Forevermore" is the opposite of the coin as a low-key simplistic ballad, but it actually works being right next to "Heaven". "One Sunset" should please those who were fans of the bands older material, and "Broken Parts" has a touching message to it that goes along with its beautiful soundscape. "Flowers on the Grave" is almost 10 minutes, but never feels like it overstays its welcome. The song has some really great transitions, and ends the album on a poignant note with the lyrics "I was on the verge of breaking down/Then you came around". There aren't too many problematic points on the release. "I Feel It All Over" doesn't feel like it fits on the album, as it has a more spacey/electronic vibe to it. Most of this album is more straight up rock, so that makes this track an outlier. "Numb Without You" feels cliched, and was a bit of a weak lead single. It's not awful, but I don't find myself coming back to it much. Still, this album is yet another great entry by The Maine, a critically underrated group who more than deserve your attention.
Favorite Songs: "Heaven, We're Already Here", "Slip the Noose", "My Best Habit", "Flowers on the Grave", "Broken Parts"
Least Favorite Songs: "I Feel It All Over", "Numb Without You"
"TRAUMA" by I Prevail
Rating: 2/5 Stars
I really shouldn't have put my expectations for this album anywhere near the level I had them at. But I wasn't the only one. I Prevail really pulled a fast one on everyone with the singles they put out and then the album that ended up being the result. I still can't deny that "Bow Down" is an absolute throttling banger and easily the best thing the band has ever done. It's heavy and has a pretty compelling message about how the band won't sell out to what the industry demands. Unclean vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe and clean vocalist Brian Burkheiser are both great here. I also really like the song "Hurricane", which may be the most dynamically interesting song here. The chorus is pretty excellent, and the emotion the song has is palpable. The same goes for "Breaking Down" in its honest discussions about depression, along with "Let Me Be Sad". Unfortunately, the rest of this album ranges from generic to insufferable. For a band that preached about not selling out in their lead single, the rest of this album feels like radio ready pandering. "Paranoid" is only about 2 and a half minutes, and is instantly forgettable. It starts off a stream of tracks that are quite bad. "Every Time You Leave" is about as generic of a ballad as "Alone" was from the band's debut. I am sure that it's going to get plenty of radio traction, which is quite unfortunate. "Rise Above It" is one of the worst songs I've heard this year so far, with its laughable attempts at infusing EDM, rap, and metalcore. It's an absolute mess. The rest of the songs here all have pretty similar themes about how the band won't give in to whatever invisible force they're fighting against, and it becomes tiresome pretty quickly. It appears most clearly on "DOA" and especially "Gasoline", which clearly thinks it's being edgy by dropping a lot of f-bombs. I originally left this album lukewarm on it, but I came back more angry because of how clearly deceptive the lead singles were. This isn't worth your time, save some select tracks. I already thought I Prevail was generic from their debut album, and now this album confirms I probably won't be going back to them any time in the near future.
Favorite Songs: "Bow Down", "Hurricane", "Breaking Down"
Least Favorite Songs: "Rise Above It", "Every Time You Leave", "Paranoid", "Gasoline", "Low"
"Sucker Punch" by Sigrid
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Apparently this is the year for me to find pop artists that are incredibly refreshing and original. For as much as I enjoy Billie Eilish's debut, I may like this one even better in some ways. Sigrid is an incredibly charismatic and likeable artist: just watch any of her music videos and you'll know what I mean. I really like how this album combines a sense of classic 80's pop with modern pop, and it does so effortlessly. The title track and opener gives you an immediate indication that this album is going to be quite fun, as Sigrid is clearly having a ball talking about this unexpected relationship she's suddenly in. "Mine Right Now" brings the 80s pop vibes in full force, and it's hard to not like it. Lead single "Strangers" still remains to be my favorite on the album for its unbelievably catchy chorus, as well as the way the booming synths make this song irresistible to not nod your head along to. There's also a sort of rap-sing segment in this song that works really well. "Don't Feel Like Crying" has Sigrid doing a clever subversion of expectations on pop tropes, as she talks about how she will have to face her feelings on a hard break-up at some point, but she doesn't really want to right now. I like that the song is able to have fun while revealing a more vulnerable side to her. More heart-wrenching vulnerability appears on "In Vain", a song where Sigrid really lets the raw side of her vocals come to the forefront. I love how raspy her voice is on the track, as well as the powerful lyrics: "Should've known, but I got stuck here in your arms/But you hold onto me like you're holding your demons/As we lie in the dark". It's pretty haunting. Other highlights include the victorious "Don't Kill My Vibe", the fun video game references that appear on "Level Up", and the jaw-dropping closer "Dynamite". There aren't too many moments here I really dislike. I suppose "Business Dinners" doesn't quite work in its execution, though the concept is interesting. "Never Mine", particularly in its chorus, is too repetitive for my taste and is probably the weakest link on the album. However, the good moments here really shine, making this release have a good possibility for being in my top releases of the year!
Favorite Songs: "Strangers", "In Vain", "Don't Feel Like Crying", "Sucker Punch", "Mine Right Now"
Least Favorite Songs: "Never Mine", "Business Dinners"
"The Valley" by Whitechapel
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I have said many times before that I try to avoid talking about genres I'm not as informed on. That doesn't mean I'll be open to other genres, but sometimes I don't feel like the right person to talk about them. Deathcore is definitely one of those genres; I know that I'll automatically be biased against it because the amount of screaming in it is usually too much for my taste. However, this new Whitechapel album is often a different case. This album is incredibly heavy, probably one of the heaviest albums I've listened to in quite some time. But here, the heaviness almost feels weirdly accessible. This album also has a decent helping of clean vocals. Thankfully, unlike Suicide Silence's disasterpiece, Philip Bozeman proves to be an incredibly capable clean vocalist. This is very apparent on my favorite song from the album "Third Depth". The chorus here sent chills up my spine with some beautiful singing. The guitars here are blistering, and the drumming just sent my jaw dropping. Even though this album probably won't end up on my list, this song in particular could end up in my favorite songs of the year. "Hickory Creek" is an entirely sung track, and stands out as a unique moment in this album. It's gorgeous. This album is deeply personal to Philip as it details his relationship with his abusive stepfather, and how his stepfather being horrifically abusive to his mother led Philip to having thoughts of murdering him. This album can be a quite dark experience, and a hauntingly honest one. This is obvious right from the opening moment "When a Demon Defiles a Witch". This song made me tear up a bit in its closing moments. The heavy songs here are just unbelievably brutal, especially songs like "Forgiveness is Weakness" and "Brimstone". I actually ended up liking both of these tracks, even though I didn't expect that to be the case. "We Are One" is another highlight for me, with the guitar work here being some of the album's best. Now like I said before, deathcore can be a bit too much for me at times. This is true for me in the album's closing moments. I just couldn't get into songs like "Lovelace" or "Doom Woods". Still, I liked this album way more than I expected. Other non-deathcore fans should check this release out, too!
Favorite Songs: "Third Depth", "Hickory Creek", "We Are One", "When a Demon Defiles a Witch", "Forgiveness is Weakness"
Least Favorite Songs: "Doom Woods", "Lovelace"
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