The Popcorn Kids

posted by toyyg on Mon Jul 06, 2009 at 10:00am MUSIC MONDAY KETTLE - Summer Playlist

Suns out, time to break away and enjoy the summer! Whether you’re spending it on the beach, in the office, or anywhere in between, take this handy playlist picked by some of the The PopCorn Kids:

TOYYG: Gonna go all over with my picks. Here’s some things to try out and to twist up your usual favorites!

“It’s a Beautiful Day” - Pizzicato 5 - Japanese 80-90’s pop group. I love to bump this while driving up and down the PCH.
“Stupida Cancion”- Playa Limbo - I’ve talked about this group before, but I can’t get enough of this track. Something to relax to while sipping on something tropical.
“Seven Days in Sunny June” - Jamiroquai - Another laid back jam that’s muc different from their better known songs “Virtual Insanity” and “Canned Heat.”
“Vida Mia” - Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - Doug E. Fresh raps in Spanish, do I need to go further?
“Thong Song” - Sisqo - THE THONG SONG IS AWESOME AND I WILL NOT BE TOLD OTHERWISE. Honestly, the track you can play at a shindig that everyone remembers and thinks, “Whatever happened to that guy?”

DARIANE: I actually have a “Summer” playlist on my iTunes Library. Here are my picks, some obvious, others obscure:

“Island in the Sun” - Weezer — For those sandy beach parties, this one has a rhythm that’s fast enough to keep that volleyball game going yet relaxing enough for those working on their tans.
“Summertime” - Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff — This one is perfect for chillin’ poolside on an inflatable bed with cupholders filled with Coronas.
“Wanna Fly” - Vassy — For those Summer dance parties ‘round the block, this song features a fun beat and catchy tune. It’s similar to Quantic & Nickodemus’ “Mi Swing Es Tropical” which was featured on that iPod commercial with Salsa and Afro-Cuban dancers.
“Lovely Day” - Bill Withers — This is one to bump in your convertible with the windows and top down. With its funky beat and the smooth mellow sound of Bill Withers’ voice, the other cars who roll up next to you and smile.
“Dancing in the Streets” - Martha and the Vandellas — The lyric says it all: ‘Summer’s here and the time is right / For dancing in the streets’

BISKEEEE:

Lil’ Rob, “Summer Nights (listen)”: such a SoCal summer jam. Relaxed vato gangsta flow. Low rider sound effects. Throwback West Coast hip-hop beat. Yeah, summer’s here. Bump this in your ride or at a BBQ, you’ll feel sorta gangsta yourself.
Sublime, “What I Got” / “Doin’ Time”: actually the whole self-titled album is a summer classic, but I don’t have to tell you that. These tracks are just my faves. I would even venture to say you’re not really SoCal if you don’t have the self-titled Sublime.
Pennywise, “I Get Around” (listen): the Beach Boys get a punk rock reboot with this high-energy cover. It’s off the MOM 2: Music For Our Mother Ocean comp. Makes me think of tearing around Santa Cruz during high school summers.
Sugar Ray, “Fly”: basically Sublime-lite. Still a fun song.
Van Hunt, “Saturday Laughs” (listen): this song lingers sweetly like hot summer afternoon malaise. Vivid summer imagery, and all the lines rhyme with “laughs”. Maybe you’ve never heard of Van Hunt but give him a try.

CATMANABAT: Mine are pretty well-known, just those classic songs that defy boundaries of genre when it comes to the summer. These are the tracks that never leave my summer playlist, no matter what year it is!

“Summertime” by Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff bears repeating. Plus, when you start hearing this on the radio, it signals summer’s a-comin’.
“Santeria” by Sublime has that summer attitude dripping through. Everyone knows the words more or less, so it’s a great “sing along together in a car” ditty.
“Steal My Sunshine” by LEN is just a fun, pop tune. When else but summer would you be “frying on the bench slide in the park across the street”?
“Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies is like that background soundtrack to the days you were running around with other kids, buying ice cream from street vendors and crashing the mall/movie theater/a friend’s house for some chill A/C.
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding is good all-year long, but it has that breezy feeling perfect for the season.

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posted by catmanabat on Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 11:17pm

thedailywhat:

Hooray of the Day: According to Marty Day of Blast-O-Rama.com, The State DVD (due out July 14) includes a trailer confirming the release of the long-awaited Daria DVD in 2010.

Day says:

Popped in the first disc, and wouldn’t you know it, the DVD starts with an ad promoting Daria hitting DVD in 2010. I guess they’re following one ‘couldn’t be done’ release with another!

More details sure to come.

[via.]

Doesn’t it seem like ages ago when MTV was interspersing actual video playing with some quality programming? Fear not, children of the ’90s, for our favorite sardonic teen anti-heroine Daria is finally on DVD!

In a “sick, sad world”, this is delightful news.

Tagged: catmanabat reblog The Daily What Daria DVD

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posted by catmanabat on Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 01:42am Film Review: Away We Go

Away We Go is exactly what you think it is: an indie-ish flick tied together by a quirky premise and a slew of names. A sort of Garden State, if you will. I was curious to see if they put together the right roster— the “names” that are names for a reason, you know?

Considering director Sam Mendes’ other notable work (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), I didn’t immediately see how he could connect me to this story about a bedraggled couple searching for a place to call home. His other films marinate in the internal emotion of transition shots, the turns that jolt your heart out of your chest.

Written by husband-wife team Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, I also wondered how much pretense would be infused in Away We Go. Judging by their literary work, both are absolutely talented… yet I speculated that their post-modern verbosity might get tired after ten minutes on-screen.

These three creators came together and did exactly what I expected them to do, yet that somehow worked in this film. Their professionalism shone through, but they left the story well enough alone to let their amazing cast do the job of telling the story of this couple’s misadventures.

Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) and Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) are in their early thirties. By most accounts, they aren’t the most successful of people, but they definitely love each other. Now they’re having a baby and embark on a journey to find the right place to raise their child. Burt is a little flighty, while Verona keeps them grounded. They are both emboldened and humbled by the prospect of starting a family.

Rudolph and Krasinski have a very quiet, comfortable chemistry in this film. I’m used to Rudolph as this over-the-top character on Saturday Night Live. She breaks out of how we’re used to seeing her, and I’m now very impressed by her range. Krasinski didn’t go too far down the road from his role on The Office (playing the hopelessly lovelorn guy); yet it was nice to see him play oddball catch Burt, a fellow a lot less sure of himself than Jim is. The supporting cast members, such as Allison Janney and Maggie Gyllenhaal, were also solid.

There was a wrong way to do this movie: throwing in dramatic (yet hackneyed) twists or infusing the dialogue with more witticisms than any one cares to hear. I think the simplicity of the story, as well as the way it unfurls so naturally is the most refreshing aspect of this film.

I’m not straying from the critics/audiences on this one— there’s a reason Away We Go is getting rave reviews. It’s a sweet little reminder of the lovelier things in life we take for granted, and the idea that letting go of what you can’t control can bring you closer to home than you thought. Verdict: Popped!

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posted by dariane on Sun Jun 07, 2009 at 11:29pm HALF KETTLE: FILM REVIEW - Up!

Half of the Popcorn Kids attended a showing of Disney-Pixar’s Up. What’d we think?

ICHNOB:

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The first ten minutes were pretty much an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Ed Asner’s voicework in this film was exceptional.

Though I knew that this film would be very “adventure” influenced, I wasn’t prepared for that much adventure, and left the theater wanting more. I actually popped in my DVD of Raiders of the Lost Ark the next day to compensate.

I’m not going to really talk too much about visuals because it’s Pixar, and their visuals are awesome. The Disney Digital 3D worked very well in this film, and they didn’t have too many of the cheesy 3D effects we’re used to seeing. I also felt that the character designs closely resembled those found in The Incredibles. It probably doesn’t help that Brad Bird was a part of this film as well.

And it might have been because of the zeppelin and goggles, but I am in a huge mood to read/watch some steampunk. So if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to make them.

Verdict: Popped.

WHOSDAMIKE:

Engaging? Thoroughly. Endearing? Instantly. Effervescent? I don’t think that’s even a word.

But if you’re looking for the next film to call “Pixar’s finest,” then you need look no other way than Up. As others have mentioned, its opening montage is among the most finely crafted five minutes of any film. And so it is through watching the span of his life that we learn to love Carl Fredericksen, gruff and grumpy from the wisps of his silver hair down to the wear-and-scuff of his shoes.

The characters are, as always with Pixar, the film’s heart and soul. If Star Trek runs on nostalgia and lens flares, then Up’s lifted by Russell’s innocence and Carl’s screen-reeled sky-thumping dreams.

As much as both movies might rely on special effects and sweeping grandeur, the difference is that, with Up, you can almost feel the storyboards beneath every frame: the rough edges of torn notebook paper, the scattered criss-cross of the first character designs.

Up has everything I could have asked for in a story about an old man lifting his whole life into the sky. It’s honest, ambitious, and full of sweetness both bitter and pure.

Verdict: Popped! Like an over-full balloon! Of… love. And CG magic. And… uh… fun? Yeah.

Watch it, and in glorious three deez if you have the chance.

CATMANABAT:

The new Pixar movie, Up is largely held together by the interesting characters and the premise, but certain aspects of the film left me wanting a lot more.

This doesn’t have that much to do with the movie itself, but one of my favorite things about Pixar films are the shorts shown right before. Just as much inspiration and work goes into those shorter ditties as their feature films and I always look forward to what they come up with.

I saw Up in 3D. It was terriffic, though I feel it probably didn’t make a huge difference— people will still enjoy this in regular form. I always enjoy Pixar’s aesthetic, and the scenes of the house floating away on balloons were magnificent.

What resonated with a lot of people, myself included, is Mr. Fredricksen’s (Ed Asner) back story. I was honestly touched by his relationship with Ellie, and I was really impressed at how this explained his attitude and later decisions. I wish we saw a couple home scenes from Russell (Jordan Nagai) to get a better sense of what he was dealing with as well. It seemed like they glossed over the MIA dad situation, so the implied father-son tie between Carl and Russell came off a little forced. I did really love the idea of the protagonists being an elderly man and a little kid.

In true Disney sidekick form, Dug (Bob Peterson) is as loveable as he is loyal and provided some comic relief. All the characters were interesting… though I was thoroughly confused as to why Muntz (Christopher Plummer) managed to live so damn long. I left the theater wanting to see more action-adventure hijinks. I wasn’t expecting crazy Transformers-like stuff but I did think there was going to be more suspense. Maybe it’s because of all the summer action flicks have been spoiling me lately or the hype surrounding this film.

In the end, I don’t think Up was this tremendously moving experience some people are making it to be— but Pete Docter and Bob Peterson created a well-done, enjoyable film on all fronts and you can’t take that away from them. The number one thing that makes this movie (and most Pixar movies for that matter) work? Heart. It’s undeniable in Up, and it makes you smile from ear to ear.

Verdict: Popped!

Tagged: catmanabat collab film film review ichnob kettle review whosdamike

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posted by catmanabat on Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 06:24pm Free Castledoor Show: Every Monday in June

Castledoor is playing a “residency” at Spaceland in Silverlake every Monday until June 22nd. Check out the links for a sample of their music (and blog entries), then head on over to Spaceland on Mondays— it’s free!

Spaceland is located at 1717 Silverlake Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Tagged: Castledoor Spaceland catmanabat free show music

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