Django Unchained is Tarantino's Second-Best Movie Ever

Django Unchained is a stunner. I never thought I would say that a Quentin Tarantino film is almost as good as his piece de resistance Pulp Fiction, but this one comes close.

Much like Pulp Fiction, this movie is not so much about the plot but rather about the dialogue that drives the masterful suspense and the scene after scene of purely tantalizing cinematography and episodic brilliance.

Chapter after chapter roll past and the viewer rarely wants the scene to end, but it always does, and Tarantino always leaves us wanting more. Even the most graphically violent scenes never overstay their welcome, which helps make them so enjoyable and some of them even downright hilarious (like when the southern lady gets swooped off her feet and out of the room by one of Django's righteous bullets).

Christoph Waltz, who was so captivating in Inglourious Basterds at "The Jew Hunter," is flat-out the actor of the year in this one. Forget Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. It's pretty safe to say that Waltz is the top master at delivering Tarantino's also award-deserving scriptwriting lines.

Jamie Foxx as Django and Samuel L. Jackson as an influential house slave are also great. Leonardo DiCaprio could be better as the wack-job slave-plantation owner Calvin Candie, but that said, perhaps I have too high of expectations for the actor, who may not be capable of being quite as evil as he needs to be in this part. (He's still pretty darn evil though.)

This is my movie of the year, and the second-best Tarantino movie ever.

***** out of ***** stars

Where Does Lincoln Fall Among Spielberg's Best Movies?

It's no stretch to admit that Lincoln is one of the best movies of 2012. And it focuses on one of the most important stories - the battle over the 13th Amendment - from all of American history.

But where Django Unchained, for example, is a relentlessly entertaining take on the battle over slavery, Lincoln feels more like something quite a bit drier, something produced for The History Channel. Something very serious, but a little less entertaining.

Daniel Day Lewis no doubt deserves the best actor award. Every word and story that comes out of his mouth as Honest Abe is mesmerizing.

Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, James Spader, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are each perfect for their roles. But in just two-and-a-half hours, there is really not enough room for any of them to become knowable or deep characters. It's a shame, and it shows how Lincoln's story really is more suited for a TV miniseries (or series) than for the silver screen.

**** out of ***** stars

So where does it fall into the pantheon of Steven Spielberg movies?

Honorable Mention: The Goonies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Color Purple, Men in Black, Amistad, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Flags of Our Fathers, True Grit, The Lovely Bones, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

15: Jurassic Park (1993)
14: Catch Me If You Can (2002)
13: Minority Report (2002)
12: Lincoln (2012)
11: Back to the Future (1985)
10: Cape Fear (1991)
09: The Blues Brothers (1980)
08: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
07: Austin Powers in Gold Member (2002)
06: Poltergeist (1982)
05: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
04: Shindler's List (1993)
03: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
01 (tie): E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
01 (tie): Jaws (1975)

What do you think? Is this the same order of your favorite Spielberg-related flicks?

Best Magazine Reads: Kate Moss May Not Be What You Think

I don't follow fashion closely. I've never thought much about Kate Moss before. She's always seemed to simply hang around and look all drugged out and anorexic with flamboyant rock stars.

Perhaps that why Vanity Fair's November 2012 cover story was such an eye-opener for me. The article is one the best of many magazine articles I read last year. It showed that Moss is actually not much of a druggie, is someone everyone wants to hang out with because she's so much fun, has boundless endurance and enthusiasm, has no qualms about taking nude photos (as this article's accompanying shoot can attest), doesn't suffer any fallout from taking said nude photos like most Playboy centerfolds do, and doesn't care much for fashion either. She simply lucked into it, has a natural talent for it, and keeps getting asked (decade after decade) to come back for more photo shoots.

The interviewer flies in very ritzy style all over the world with Moss. The piece reads a bit like a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous episode. And perhaps he, James Fox, makes her look way better than she really is, but he convincingly won me over to her.

I guess it speaks to my own style in that I go for the "unfashion" fashion model. Regardless, this is as good as magazine writing gets.

No Judd Apatow Fatigue with This is 40

At some point, Judd Apatow fatigue has GOT to set in. His list (see below) of producer, director, and writer credits arguably make him among the very top comedy minds ... not just of this era, but of all time.

The fatigue hasn't set in yet with This is 40 (and it's not likely to in 2013, with Anchorman 2 on the way and almost guaranteed to be a smash).

Picking up where they left off in 2007's Knocked Up, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters continue as the happily married couple with typical mid-life issues.

His production of Graham Parker's album isn't going so well and her clothes shop has its own struggles. There are moments when This is 40 could be funnier, and it's certainly a little too long, but this is highly watchable entertainment.

Rudd and Parker are both impossible not to love. (Parker, whose 1982 song "Temporary Beauty," unfortunately not included in the soundtrack, is one of my all-time favorites. It's an MTV classic that is better than anything Elvis Costello ever did.)

With a slew of cameos, the best ones are Melissa McCarthy, Megan Fox, AlbertBrooks, John Lithgow, and Jason Segel.

***1/2 out of ***** stars

(The following list of Apatow's movies doesn't even count TV shows he's been involved with such as Freaks and Geeks, The Ben Stiller Show, and Girls.)

Year	Film
		Director	Producer	Writer	Actor
1992	Crossing the Bridge	No	Yes	No	No
1995	Heavyweights	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1996	Celtic Pride	No	Yes	Yes	No
	The Cable Guy	No	Yes	Yes	No
2004	Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy	No	Yes	No	Yes
	Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie	No	Yes	No	Yes
2005	Kicking & Screaming	No	Yes	No	No
	The 40-Year-Old Virgin	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Fun with Dick and Jane	No	Yes	Yes	No
2006	The TV Set	No	Yes	No	No
	Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	No	Yes	No	No
2007	Knocked Up	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Superbad	No	Yes	No	No
	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	No	Yes	Yes	No
2008	Drillbit Taylor	No	Yes	No	No
	Forgetting Sarah Marshall	No	Yes	No	No
	You Don't Mess with the Zohan	No	No	Yes	No
	Step Brothers	No	Yes	No	No
	Pineapple Express	No	Yes	No	No
2009	Year One	No	Yes	No	No
	Funny People	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
2010	Get Him to the Greek	No	Yes	No	No
2011	Bridesmaids	No	Yes	No	No
	Zookeeper	No	No	No	Yes
2012	Wanderlust	No	Yes	No	No
	The Five-Year Engagement	No	Yes	No	No
	Mansome[62]	No	No	No	Yes
	This Is 40	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
2013	Can a Song Save Your Life?[63]	No	Yes	No	No
	Anchorman 2[64]	No	Yes	No	No

Top 40 Albums of 2012

Nude Beach - II

One again, it was a great year for underground (for lack of a better term) rock music. This year's top albums include veterans like Paul McCartney and David Byrne. Punk legends like Dinosaur Jr., Soul Asylum, and Green Day. Side projects like Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Lightships from Teenage Fanclub, and A.C. Newman from The New Pornographers. Robert Pollard, with five releases by himself and his band Guided by Voices, continues his run of having a top 10 album for yet another year running. And the top 10 itself is loaded with exciting new bands that will surely give us lots of joy in the future.





To listen to these albums and many other honorable mentions, take a listen and subscribe to my Spotify playlist. In Spotify, search "Paul Mackie" and "Best of 2012."

40. The Men - Open Your Heart
39. Mystery Jets - Radlands
38. Lightships - Electric Cables
37. R. Kelly - Write Me Back
36. Paul McCartney - Kisses on the Bottom
35. JJAMZ - Suicide Pact
34. David Byrne and St. Vincent - Love This Giant
33. Jason Lytle - Dept. of Disappearance
32. Dent May - Do Things
31. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
30. New Multitudes - New Multitudes
29. The Shins - Port of Morrow
28. Shintaro Sakamoto - How to Live with a Phantom
27. Foxygen - Take the Kids Off Broadway
26. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
25. The dB's - Falling Off the Sky
24. Titus Andronicus - Local Business
23. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
22. Cardinal - Hymns
21. Lee Ranaldo - Between the Times & the Tide
20. Allo Darlin' - Europe
19. Yukon Blonde - Tiger Talk
18. Guided by Voices - The Bears for Lunch
17. Soul Asylum - Delayed Reaction
16. Best Coast - The Only Place
15. Green Day - Unos Dos Tres
14. Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
13. Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky
12. The Sea and Cake - Runner
11. Beachwood Sparks - The Tarnished Gold
10. Robert Pollard - Jack Sells the Cow
09. Weird Dreams - Choreography
08. King Tuff - King Tuff
07. Jeff the Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights
06. Family of the Year - Loma Vista
05. A.C. Newman - Shut Down the Streets
04. Pujol - United States of Being
03. Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
02. The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
01. Nude Beach - II

U City's Walk of Fame is a Must-See St. Louis Highlight

It's always good to be back in St. Louis for the holidays. And we took a break from my mom and dad's festivities in Edwardsville, Illinois to head across the Mississippi River yesterday and visit Rachel's college friend Rachel Korenblatt.

After eating lunch with her family (eating has of course been a theme for the past few days), we strolled along my favorite St. Louis neighborhood, the University City Loop.

This used to be home of Cicero's, where my old band Birmingham Squadron once got kicked out for Dewey screaming at the soundman and my punctuation of jumping into Matt Beatty's drumset. I think our behavior led to us being one of the few bands not to get Cicero's complimentary pizza for performers.

Cicero's is no more, but Vintage Vinyl, one of the country's finest remaining record stores, remains. So does a book store, the Tivoli independent movie theater, and several clothes stores and coffee shops. Not to mention Blueberry Hill and Fitz's.

One of the most impressive elements of U City is the walk of fame. The amount of homegrown St. Louis talent is amazing and includes Vincent Price, Stan Musial, Harry Caray, Bob Costas, Robert Duvall, Miles Davis, Rogers Hornsby, T.S. Eliot, Tennessee Williams, and many more.

And a new feature since the last time I was in U City is the Chuck Berry statue (pictured). Jackson and I did a little duck walkin'.

You For Me For You. How About None of Them?

I saw You For Me For You a couple of weeks ago at the Woolly Mammoth Theater in Washington DC and almost immediately forgot the details of the play's content. So reviewing this now is mildly daunting.

But what I do remember is that it was about North Korea, which is, of course, an endlessly fascinating and mysterious place. Unfortunately, instead of taking any chances or being truly interesting, the show stuck to the script that North Koreans think Americans are the crazy ones and, conversely, their fearless leader has them set on the correct course.

Two sisters decide to escape from the country and their miserable lives, but the sister that is starving and unhealthy decides she can't leave. The other sister makes it to the U.S. and embarks on a relatively happy new life. She drops it all, however, as things reach a high point and returns to North Korea to reunite with her sister.

Sounds interesting, actually. But the story plods, the characters aren't particularly interesting, and the lack of chances taken by playwright Mia Chung makes it puzzling that this production seems to be so successful

I've been complaining about Woolly Mammoth's shows for a while now, and I really miss the stuff that once made this theater DC's best. Could it be that theater in general just kinda stinks these days?

*** out of ***** stars

Photograph by Scott Suchman

Best New Albums: December 2012

This is a new monthly feature recently introduced. You can stream all the albums mentioned here for free at this Spotify link, which I keep updated.

This month's list is dedicated to so many great 1990s artists still being around and still being relevant.

Best Album of the Month

Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky

Bringing all the elements of the best Dino Jr. albums (Bug, You're Livin' All Over Me, Green Mind, Dinosaur, and Where You Been), and adding a little bit of string and some Maurice Sendak-like cover art ... what's not to like? I'll buy any new music that J Mascis is associated with for the rest of my life.

Best of the Rest

Band of Horses - Mirage Rock
This album didn't exactly get a lot of love from critics who have grown cynically obsessed with Band of Horses being too likable for their liking. These guys are supposed to be semi-scary lumberjacks, right? Well, I'll just say it: I love the new, poppier direction that this set brings alongside 2010's Infinite Arms.

The Sea and Cake - Runner
This Chicago band is consistently one of my all-time favorites. You can put their music on in the background or you can throw on the headphones and sail away into wimpy, upbeat, jazzy blissfulness. I defy anyone to listen to opener "On and On" and not want to dig back into more Sea and Cake, like classic albums The Biz, The Sea and Cake, and Nassau.

Green Day - UNO!
Seems like there's been a lot of critical bashing of Green Day this year, but there's something to be said about a band releasing three albums in three months (this was the first). All three albums basically feature the same hooks that were on Dookie so many years ago. But darn if those aren't still delicious hooks.

Jason Lytle - Dept. of Disappearance
Remember that album The Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy? Lytle was the leader of that masterpiece, and if you liked that you'll like this ... and anything else he has ever been associated with. His music is kind of like Radiohead without the icky feels-too-important-not-to-like factor.

Robert Pollard - Jack Sells the Cow
Between his three Guided By Voices and two solo albums this year, this release might be my surprise favorite. It is very similar to his 2000s work with the Doug Gilliard-era GBV. Pretty brilliant and necessary stuff.

Dan Takes Lessons From Brother's Life ... And Mysterious Death

One of my best friends and the best man at my wedding, Dan Sullivan, is featured in an article by National Public Radio's DC affiliate, WAMU 88.5 FM. By reading the article, you will see that I know how to pick my friends ...

You can listen to the radio segment by correspondent/photographer Raphaella Bennin and view a slideshow of photos at WAMU.

-----

Tom Sullivan ran at life full force. His brother Dan approached decisions with deliberation and caution, so it wasn't uncommon for Tom to jab at Dan, telling him, "Stop being a wimp. Just go out and do things!"

In 2000, Tom had an impromptu conversation with a recruitment officer and joined the Marines. The career turned out to be a perfect fit for his personality.

"He just went at it full force," recalls Dan. "I mean, he went into boot camp; he got through boot camp. He loved the marines. He actually had the opportunity to quit before he was sent to Iraq, and he believed so strongly that the Marines was what he was destined and wanted to do, so he re-upped."

Tom went to Iraq in 2004, but while he was deployed, he started to feel sick. His blood pressure became elevated and he started to have gastro-intestinal problems.

"It was very debilitating," says Dan. "He would literally miss three or four hours a day having to be on the toilet." Tom returned to the U.S., but his health continued to deteriorate. He was in intense pain and he became so swollen that new friends didn't recognize pictures of him from a year or two earlier.

Tom's doctors couldn't identify the cause. They suspected Crohn's disease and then ulcerative colitis, but weren't sure. He saw more doctors, hoping someone could confidently diagnose him, and he began to carry around a backpack full of his medical records everywhere he went.

Even in the midst of his physical suffering, Tom maintained his enthusiasm for life. He got married and had a daughter.

Then, in February of 2009, Dan went to Tom's house to check on his brother, and found Tom's body.

To read the full story (and it's well worth it), go to WAMU.

Hitchcock is Not Perfect, Which is Not an Easy Thing to Do

 When I was a teen, I not only devoured just about all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, but I read several biographies about the man himself and became convinced he's the greatest film director of all time.

So it's safe to say I've been waiting a long time for the new movie Hitchcock. His life was ripe with fascinating details and the fact that he is so awesomely funny in a particular British, snooty, yet knowing, way seems to make this an easy home run.

Problem is: the movie doesn't dig very deep into the man's story, so it can't help but be at least a little bit of a letdown for a die-hard like me. Nevertheless, it's difficult not to respect the filmmakers' decision to explore a limited bit of the director's life instead of its epic scope.

I had forgotten that his wife, Alma (played likably and sympathetically by Helen Mirren), was such a big part of his creative force. The focus on the period around Psycho, which I still think is his best film, is also a winning choice. And the explanation of Hitchcock's passion and influence behind the production, the true story of Wisconsin sicko murderer Ed Gein, is interesting.

Anthony Hopkins should be a strong contender for lead actor. My only complaint is that his mouth and eyes make him look more like Hannibal Lecter than the basset-hound like Hitchcock. That said, Hopkins is just plain brilliant.

Two of the most memorable scenes are when he goes the extra directorial step to make Scarlett Johansson look terrified in her shower scene and when he proudly views the audience's faces as they light up with horror on opening night.

That's why the limited interaction between Hitchcock and Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Vera Miles behind the scenes is a part that the movie leaves a little too under-explored. When those interactions occur, it is spellbinding.

The movie no doubt wins most people over by the end, but a certain un-Hitchcockian mixed bag of suspense makes it difficult to call this movie perfect. And, with my bias, being less than perfect for Hitchcock is not an easy thing to do.

****1/2 out of *****