Favorite 11 Films of 2007

I don't write about films here all too often, since I do enough of that for class, but I'm as big a fan of lists (and There Will Be Blood!) as anyone else on the Internet. I'll probably be M.I.A. from blogging this weekend since I'll be covering the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for UCSB's Daily Nexus, so here's something to argue with/contest while I'm gone.

P.S. - Why yes, I did see Juno.

11) 2 Days in Paris (Julie Delpy)
Please don't confuse this with the similarly titled Paris Hilton, erm... video. Julie Delpy's Parisian film, populated by some of the world's most neurotic people, had me smiling with delight the whole time I was watching it.

10) The Darjeeling Ltd. (Wes Anderson)
I guess people are a little tired of watching Wes Anderson be Wes Anderson, because I haven't seen this film on too many critic's lists, despite the fact that it's on par with his best work.

9) I'm Not There (Todd Haynes)
Though the film has a couple of missteps and uneven points (which I mostly attribute to Richard Gere, fairly or unfairly), Cate Blanchett's performance was more than enough to tip this film over the line. I'm probably not as obsessed with Bob Dylan now as much as I was in high school, but I'm still a huge fan and this film is the perfect reminder of why people find Bob Dylan so fascinating (though people are quite right in saying this film's strategy of employing multiple actors to portray the same individual could be applied to anyone else).

8) Once
I was expecting to see the Irish equivalent of RENT when I saw the ads for this film, but the film's kind of like the anti-RENT.

7) Atonement (Joe Wright)
I'm not typically a fan of the British melodrama, as a genre, but Atonement's more a story about storytelling than Pride and Prejudice II.

6) The Lookout (Scott Frank)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt needs to be handed more roles so he can be appreciated by more people than just critics and teenage girls.

5) No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers)
I'm not sure how good I'll be at trying to explain this film. Like everyone else, I left the theater a bit confused by the ending the first time. My parents called me after they saw it (I had recommended it, and they like to see all the nominated films anyway) and kept telling me about how violent it was, and how there was nothing redeeming about it, which is completely untrue. What redeems the film? It's difficult to explain. I plan on writing something about that soon, because I believe the answer to that question is at the heart of what makes this film so great.

4) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet)
Finally, a film where Ethan Hawke tones down the obnoxiousness! The heist-gone-wrong, and the way the film lays it out (un)chronologically, cannot fail to engage. Questions are posed, answered and subsequently replaced by bigger and more frightening questions. And we get to witness Philip Seymour Hoffman's descent into madness.

3) Zodiac (David Fincher)
One doesn't typically expect much from a big-budget, star-filled crime thriller, but this film is so much more than that. The film is a portrait of unending obsession, chronicling the dead-end search for the real-life serial killer and the toll it has on the men involved in the hunt. Fincher's filmic techniques gradually intensify the audience's own feelings of paranoia and nervousness right along with the characters'. How horrifying was that basement scene?!?

2) There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson)
I wasn't sure how to react, after seeing this film. The film didn't instantly elate me, and it took some time for the brilliance of the film to fully sink in. This is probably because the film is structured in a way that is so different than the way most films are structured, and ends on such an ambiguous note.

1) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)
This little-seen, little-recognized film has to be the best thing I saw all year. Both the critically minded and entertainment-minded can enjoy this film equally, which is something I always take into consideration when watching a film. The performances are indescribably better than you'd imagine (Brad Pitt's a movie star, sure, but I don't know that I ever had supreme faith in his ability to act), and I'm pulling for Casey Affleck to get the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the titular coward. Also: Roger Deakins has got to be one of the best cinematographers working today (the man also did No Country for Old Men).

Other films I saw worth checking out: Persepolis (more for the amazing animation than the story itself), Margot at the Wedding (completely miserable, with some great performances), 3:10 to Yuma, Stephanie Daley (Amber Tamblyn really is as good as everyone said she was in this film), Interview (I hated it until the end), The Namesake, Grindhouse (well, Tarantino's half was enjoyable) and The Wind That Shakes the Barley (which would probably make my top 10, had I seen it more recently than a year and a half ago). Oh, and if I made a #12, it would be Eastern Promises.

I've been back in class for two whole weeks now, and I've already seen more films than I can keep track of. Avant-garde, early sound films, Hungarian films, films outside of class, films on TV... I take extreme pride in the fact that I haven't fallen asleep -- yet. My eyes are bloodshot, my hands are shaking and I'm kind of afraid I'm going to have to re-start my love-hate relationship with my drug of choice... caffeine.

Don't we have a right to be bitter? We take a whole lot of crap from everyone who tells us we picked an easy major. People who don't know a syuzhet from a fabula; philosophy majors who berate us for not "getting" The Butterfly Effect (heh, just kidding, philosophy majors, you probably hate that film just as much as we do); people who don't have to read page after page after page of film theory. People ask how you can spend 6+ months filming a 15-minute film. Yes, it sometimes feels like a masochistic major, but at the end of the day, I love it and don't mind having to watch an average of two or three films a day. I don't even mind reading what Alan and Gomery have to say about slapstick comedy.

The Ladybug Transistor: "Splendor in the Grass" [MP3]

My Morning Jacket: "Butch Cassidy" [MP3]

The Postal Service: "Clark Gable" [MP3]

Yo La Tengo: "Deeper Into Movies" [MP3]

Art Brut: "Moving to LA" [MP3]
What else are you gonna do before/after grad school?

New Pornographers:"Twin Cinema" [MP3]

Cat Power: "Mr. Gallo" [MP3]
I can't say I'm the biggest fan of this auteur, myself. But some people, Ms. Marshall included, seem to love Buffalo 66.

The Besties: "Western Song" [MP3]
You like John Ford, doncha?

Casper and the Cookies: "Duchamp's Camera" [MP3]
This one's perfect for me, this quarter, as I'm currently taking a course in experimental film.

Bob Dylan: "Motorpsycho Nightmare" [MP3]
This made so much more sense after finally watching Psycho.

Belle & Sebastian: "Like Dylan in the Movies" [MP3]
Kind of perfect, in light of the recent Todd Haynes film.

Math and Physics Club: "Movie Ending Romance" [MP3]

Radiohead: "Exit Music (For a Film)" [MP3]

My Little Ghost's Favorite Albums, Pt. II

Continued from Part I of My Little Ghost Friend's Favorite Albums of 2007, which listed numbers 1-10 (so much for suspense, right?), I give you numbers 11-20. Enjoy, bash, etc. And just remember - I've still got another 30 albums to get through, in addition to a list of albums I haven't listened to/haven't listened to enough to rank (gaah, how did I not listen to 2007's White Stripes, Son Volt, Tullycraft, Radiohead, Twilight Sad, Low, etc. albums in time?!?). How's that for pre-emptive defensiveness?


#11) Pants Yell! - Alison Statton
This album is so endearing... This latest Pants Yell! album is more than just cute, though.
"Tried To Be Good" [MP3]


#12) Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
Not quite sure why so many people complained so much about this album this year... I have to say, I honestly love every track on the record.
"Is There A Ghost?" [MP3]


#13) Club 8 - The Boy Who Fell From Heaven
Swedish indiepop... Hard to go wrong, especially when it's an album as pretty as Club 8's latest. Gorgeous and immediately enchanting.
"Jesus, Walk With Me" [MP3]

#14) Bishop Allen - The Broken String
So it wasn't that surprising, since we'd heard most of the tracks on EPs last year... I have to say, that doesn't bother me all that much. Aside from the strangely piano-devoid recording of "Corazon," the songs, to me, seem to have all improved a lot from their already wonderful EP forms. Besides, the EPs prepared us BA fans for the change in the band's sound from its first album, 2003's Charm School.
"The Monitor" [MP3]

#15) Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water
Any description I could write would probably make her music sound really conventional and boring... But please, please, please, just listen. She's worth it.
"Diamond Heart" [MP3]

#16) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
The Apples have still got it! And I'm especially fond of the fuzzy beauty that is "Sunndal Song," featuring vocals by Hilarie, who departed from the band after they made this record.
"Sunndal Song" [MP3]

#17) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
I didn't think I liked this album much when I first heard it. I was wrong. And it's just not fair one man can whistle like that. I cannot whistle at all.
"The Fiery Crash" [MP3]

#18) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
I had more trouble getting into this one than I did Person Pitch, but it still ranks pretty high. Sounds different each time I listen to it.
"Peacebone" [MP3]

#19) The Crayon Fields - Animal Bells
So it's not cheating is this 2006 Australian pop masterpiece was released here in '07, is it? No? Didn't think so.
"Living So Well" [MP3]

#20) Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours To Keep
Something this simplistic shouldn't be so good. All the tracks are meant to be sung along with. Mr. Casablancas, watch out.
"Call an Ambulance" [MP3]

My Little Ghost's Best of 2007, Pt. I

I've been away so long! I've been preparing my list of the 50 albums I enjoyed most in 2007, and as it's gotten quite time-consuming, and the year's almost up, I'm going to post the albums in order without explanations all at once here, to keep things moving along. Don't argue yet: numbers 11-50 will be up within the next week! P.S. - I don't claim to be a music critic. While it's partially a "best of" sort of list, it also takes into account what I listened to a lot.


#1) PANDA BEAR: Person Pitch
Pining Brian Wilson enthusiasts, rejoice! I do appreciate Animal Collective's music, but I don't *love* it the way I love Panda Bear's 2007 solo album.
"Comfy in Nautica" [MP3]


#2) ARCADE FIRE: Neon Bible
This album is the soundtrack to my darkest nightmares. And I mean that in the best way possible. I never thought the band's sophomore album could possibly even come close to reaching Funeral, but for me, it's pretty close.
"My Body Is A Cage" [MP3]


#3) MISS ALEX WHITE AND THE RED ORCHESTRA: Space & Time
By far my favorite random discovery in 2007 -- static-filled, noisy, fuzzy rock from a lady who "understand[s] what it takes to be a man." I knew it would make my list from the first song...
"In The Snow" [MP3]


#4) JANA HUNTER: There's No Home
Jana Hunter's often lumped in with Devendra, but stylistically, this is much simpler. And less gimmicky (what, no reggae infusions, Jana?).
"Babies" [MP3]


#5) THE BESNARD LAKES: Are The Dark Horse
This one pretty much came out of nowhere.
"Disaster" [MP3]


#6) BASIA BULAT: Oh, My Darling
Oh, the handclapping gets me every time.
"I Was A Daughter" [MP3]


#7) THE CLIENTELE: God Save The Clientele
A really recent favorite that's been climbing up my list.


#8) SPOON: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Completely catchy and dependable album from one of the decade's most consistently catchy and dependable bands. Nothing wrong with that. I enjoy it more than I've enjoyed Spoon's past albums.
"Don't You Evah" [MP3]


#9) ELENI MANDELL: Miracle Of Five
Eleni Mandell, where had you been all my life? Apparently recording a slew of equally great albums.
"The Wings In His Eyes" [MP3]


#10) ST. VINCENT: Marry Me
I didn't want to believe the blog hype... Did indie rock need another beautiful songstress? I didn't think she could be as good as everyone said. Seeing her at Austin City Limits convinced me, though.
"Marry Me" [MP3]

5 Awesomely Good Soundtracks Accompanying Awesomely Bad (Or At Least Dully Mediocre) Films

Making a bad film doesn't mean you have to accompany it with a bad soundtrack. I suspect some of the filmmakers of the following films, in fact, got themselves in trouble by using wonderful, emotional, evocative music to cover plotholes, flawed scripts, bad performances or weak scenes, rather than using the music appropriately. Even soundtrack-making gods like Cameron Crowe fall into this trap on the occasion, he who so notoriously used music so appropriately and effectively in films like Say Anything or Almost Famous. I'm having some Internet troubles, so all the songs will be working by tomorrow.


Elizabethtown OST: Cameron Crowe makes some great films, and obviously he's got quite an ear for putting together soundtracks, as a former Rolling Stone writer. Elizabethtown, however, is a confusing film, seemingly cobbled together from the remains of four better, stronger scripts, full of utterly unbelievable characters played by actors clearly out of their element. Orlando Bloom in a film without dragons or elves or knights? Kisten Dunst with a (horribly wrong) Southern accent? Despite the actual film's ridiculousness, the film's soundtrack itself is adequate in telling the simple and emotional story Crowe was trying to tell: A story of a young man returning to the South for his father's funeral. It's got Elton John, Ryan Adams, the Hollies, My Morning Jacket (Jim James appears in the film as well!), Tom Petty... You're better off skipping this film and taking the soundtrack for a drive. BUY IT FROM AMAZON.

LISTEN:
The Hollies: "Jesus Was A Crossmaker" [MP3]
Elton John: "My Father's Gun" [MP3]
Ryan Adams: "Come Pick Me Up" [MP3]


Garden State OST: This one's obvious, I know, particularly for that one quote that's probably the Shins' least favorite movie quote ever that's appeared in 90% of the articles I've read about them. I don't mean that Zach Braff's directorial debut Garden State is the worst film I've ever seen... I'd rather see smaller, ambitious projects like this being made than 80% of the studio fare that's being churned out today, but can we lay off on the melodrama just a little bit? Can we pick one or two horribly depressing incidents instead of creating an amalgam of unbelievable, interlocking tragedies? Anyways, though, Braff's got pretty decent taste in music. The soundtrack features artists like Colin Hay, the Shins, Zero 7 and Simon & Garfunkel, and is perfect for a rainy day stuck inside. BUY IT FROM AMAZON.

LISTEN:
Simon & Garfunkel: "The Only Living Boy In New York" [MP3]
Frou Frou: "Let Go" [MP3]


Good Will Hunting OST: A lot of people really love this film, but me? I really can't handle Robin Williams in too many roles. His drippingly treacly, sentimental, carpe diem performances make me want to scream. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Minnie Driver do what they can, pulling off strong performances in a rather formulaic plot, but Robin Williams is always in the background tormenting me. What the film does have going for it, uninterrupted by Mr. Williams, is a soundtrack chock full of Elliott Smith, featuring some of his best songs like "Say Yes," "Miss Misery," "Angeles." BUY IT FROM AMAZON.

LISTEN:
Elliott Smith: "Say Yes" [MP3]
Elliott Smith: "Angeles" [MP3]


Wicker Park OST: I don't remember what this film was about, but I remember sitting in the theater in awe of its awfulness. Like The Butterfly Effect, this film is meant to be a Serious, Mature Role for an actor nobody but 15-year-old girls could take seriously (in this case, Josh Hartnett instead of Ashton Kutcher), and like The Butterfly Effect, the result is less-than-thrilling. The soundtrack, however, hints at the audience the filmmakers were misguidedly aiming for: it's got songs and several rare tracks by Mates of State, Mogwai, +/- and the Shins, among other bands I enjoy. BUY IT FROM AMAZON.

LISTEN:
Broken Social Scene: "Lover's Spit" [MP3]
Mates of State: "These Days" [MP3]


Eagle Vs. Shark OST: Basically, this is what would happen if Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite had a baby in New Zealand. A really ugly, unfunny baby starring one of those funny dudes from Flight Of The Conchords (no kidding, I really love Conchords). The baby's got good taste in music, though: director Taika Cohen compiled a folky, eclectic soundtrack that features Devendra Banhart, the Stone Roses and M. Ward as well as artists who are from NZ. BUY IT FROM iTUNES.

LISTEN:
M. Ward: "Let's Dance" [MP3]
The Stone Roses: "This Is The One" [MP3]
Phoenix Foundation: ""Going Fishing" [MP3]

Album Of The Week: Caitlin Cary's I'm Staying Out

If you're not familiar with Caitlin Cary's work outside of her tenure in Whiskeytown (her 1990s band with Ryan Adams, among others), get thee to a record store (and if you're not familiar with Whiskeytown, I don't know what to say to you but LISTEN). Her albums have been consistently strong, proving that Whiskeytown's success wasn't all about Adams, though they've unfortunately slipped pretty much completely beneath the radar. I'm Staying Out (2003) is more of a traditional country album (which normally woudn't be my thing), and the beautifully written "Sleepin' in on Sunday" sets its tone -- a bittersweet ode to the quiet and fleeting moments of relaxation and solace found in modern fast-paced life. This is the musical equivalent of a security blanket. And I mean this in the best way possible. I'd take this baby anywhere.

LISTEN:
"Sleepin' in on Sunday [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Caitlin Cary's website
Caitlin Cary's MySpace

Album Of The Week: Paul Westerberg's Folker (2004)

As a preface to this first Album of the Week, let it be known that my favorite kind of album is the kind that a reviewer might give a B instead of an A. There's something about these misunderstood underdogs that merit multiple listens for me, and these usually end up being my most cherished albums. Paul Westerberg's Folker (2004), is no exception to this rule. While critics gave this album fairly high reviews (most were just shocked he's still putting out decent albums), it pretty much seemed to slip right past most people. And hey -- I'm certainly no different than most people, in this regard: I'd probably never even heard of the Replacements back in 2004, much less Paul Westerberg. However, after falling hard for the Replacements' loud and brash and strangely melodic brand of rock and roll years after the band broke up (I guess I was about 2 or 3 years old at that point in time), Westerberg's music was the next best thing (and that's not to put the album down as second-rate, it's just that not many people top the Replacements in my book). The man's pop sensibilities have been evident (though obviously more subverted) all the way back to some of the band's earliest records, and on Folker, he's managed to craft the kind of classic-sounding rock album people just don't seem interested (or capable, maybe) of making anymore. There really isn't a bad song on the entire album (even those which have been written off as "filler" are insanely sing-a-long-able), which he recorded by himself in his basement in Minneapolis. There's something about the way Westerberg writes these folk-rock songs - he's a master at writing memorable choruses, remembering things with a wistful sadness that's still begrudgingly fond (see "My Dad"). I'd love more people to have the chance to listen to this album -- I'm so glad I found it.

LISTEN:
"Looking Up In Heaven" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Paul Westerberg's website

My Little Ghost Friend Halftime 2007 Report

Yeah, the first half of this musical year is over. It's been a pretty good year. My Little Ghost Friend brings you its 15 favorite (note: not necessarily a "best of" list) tracks released (in the US) in 2007 through June (meaning no White Stripes, New Pornographers, Bishop Allen, Spoon et. al). Highly subjective. Duuuuuh. Just of what we've managed to sort through and listen to so far. Lots to catch up on, of course. I know I neglect hip-hop. I gotta work on that. So, in no particular order...


Ryan Adams: "Pearls On A String (Live In Studio)" [MP3]
-->Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) MORE INFO


Eleni Mandell: "The Wings In His Eyes" [MP3]
-->Miracle Of Five (Zedtone Records) MORE INFO


Coconut Records: "West Coast" [MP3]
-->Nighttiming (Young Baby Records) MORE INFO


Agent Ribbons: "Chelsea, Let's Go Join The Circus" [MP3]
-->On Time Travel and Romance (Self-released) MORE INFO


Jim Bryson: "If By The Bridge" [MP3]
-->Where The Bungalows Roam (Kelp Records) MORE INFO


The Besnard Lakes: "Disaster" [MP3]
-->Are The Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar) MORE INFO


Modest Mouse: "Little Motel" [MP3]
-->We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic) MORE INFO


The Eames Era: "The Former Millionaire" [MP3]
-->Heroes and Sheroes (Self-released) MORE INFO


Frank Turner: "Sleep Is For The Weak" [MP3]
-->Sleep Is For The Weak (Xtramile) MORE INFO


The Dreadful Yawns: "Candles" [MP3]
-->MySpace (Bomp) MORE INFO


Beatbeat Whisper: "Lulu" [MP3]
-->Beatbeat Whisper CD (Bohemian Underbelly Recordings) MORE INFO


Jana Hunter: "Babies" [MP3]
-->There's No Home (Gnomonsong) MORE INFO


Kings of Leon: "Knocked Up" [MP3]
-->Because Of The Times (RCA) MORE INFO


Let's Go Sailing: "Heart Condition" [MP3]
-->The Chaos In Order (GR2 Classics) MORE INFO


The Parkas: "You And What Army"
-->Put Your Head In The Lion's Mouth (Saved By Radio) MORE INFO


Basia Bulat: "I Was A Daughter" [MP3]
-->Oh, My Darling (Rough Trade Records) MORE INFO


Amy Winehouse: "You Know I'm No Good" [MP3]
-->Back To Black (Universal) MORE INFO


Apples in Stereo: "Can You Feel It" [MP3]
-->New Magnetic Wonder (Simian Records) MORE INFO


Arcade Fire: "My Body Is A Cage" [MP3]
-->Neon Bible (Merge Records) MORE INFO


Glen Hansard and Marketa Iglova: "Falling Slowly" [MP3]
-->Once Soundtrack (Columbia) MORE INFO