Pilot Scott Tracy - Flight 0713
(What Else?)

Some people may be familiar with the David Koresh look-a-like Causey, frontman of the now defunct Causey Way. However, they might not recognize the name Scott Stanton, the true man behind the Causey and his awesome ways. Stanton made a name for himself with some crazy antics such as branding a gun during some of the Causey Way’s live performances, and attacking audience members with his guitar. (which I happened to witness right beside me at their only Toronto show) Now he’s making yet another name for himself, Pilot Scott Cox-Stanton, frontman of new wave electro-punk band Pilot: Scott Tracy.

Fans of the Causey Way will be pleasantly surprised by this album. However, that can also be a bad thing. This album sounds so much like the Causey Way that it makes you wonder why they ever bothered breaking up. (Aside from the bad touring experiences.) The idea of the Causey Way as a cult was a great idea, and seeing the band perform in their white outfits was a cool experience. This time around, the theme of Pilot:Scott Tracy seems to be less focused. I guess it’s suppose to be an airline pilot and a stewardess. Definitely not as effect.

Looks aside, the music is pretty solid. Stanton squeals away with the same ferocity as his alter ego Causey, and the familiar buzzing keyboards are back as well. The album starts off with the song “Love Is An Animal”, probably the most Causey sounding track on the album. Probably the most stand out track on the album is the poppy Jules and Jean and Juliette, featuring keyboardist Tracy Cox-Stanton on vocals. The album was produced by Andy Baker, who also produced some of the Causey Way’s releases, and other related bands such as Servotron and Man Or Astro-Man?. In the end, this album in some way carries on the Causey Way legacy, but it also reminds us that it’s gone. Scott Stanton will always be Causey in the hearts of his followers, and this album is just more proof that Causey Is Awesome. — Jay C.

The Burdocks - I Have A Million Friends
(Out Of Touch Records)

There are still bands in Halifax? Wow, I had no idea. Last time I checked, it seemed they had all tried to make it big by setting up shop in Toronto. But apparently it is a mistake to assume that Halifax’s music scene has been completely milked of its talent, because there are in fact still bands there who are bringing the rock. Bands like The Burdocks, for example.

Listening to their first full-length album, “I Have A Million Friends”, serves as a pleasant reminder of the days when Halifax was a hotbed of great indie-rock acts like Sloan, Thrush Hermit, and Eric’s Trip. The lo-fi recording, fuzzy guitars, and pop hooks almost make me a little misty-eyed. The vocals sound like a mix of Jay Ferguson from Sloan and Mac McCaughan from Superchunk. The Burdocks also have a bit of the same 70’s rock edge that Sloan have been riding ever since Navy Blues, but they bring along a vitality and energy that Sloan are sorely lacking as of late.

Songs like “The Curse of MacDonald Bridge” and “School Television” are simply great pop rock songs, as fun as any of the songs that came out of Halifax in the 90’s. The trouble is, the band can’t quite maintain the same level of consistency throughout the entire record, and sometimes they take the 70’s rock jams a little too far. The song “Famous Last” makes me cringe with its high-pitched guitar and vocal wailing, while other songs just essentially seem sloppy. The stripped down production works against them here, because some of these songs could be more interesting if they had a little more oomph behind them.

Ultimately, “I Have A Million Friends” is the debut album from a young band that has a lot of potential. This record may not be an instant classic, but it does contain moments of brilliance, and I’m willing to bet that their next album will contain even more. Assuming, that is, they don’t sell their souls and move to Ontario anytime soon. — Sean

House Of 1,000 Corpses
Written and Directed by: Rob Zombie
Starring: Karen Black, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon

Rob Zombie is a true cult horror movie fan. His very stage name comes from his old band White Zombie, which of course is also a b-movie from the 30’s starring Bela Lugosi. His live musical stage show has been known for its awesome monster costumes and spooky atmosphere, and so it seems that he is the perfect man to bring back to theatres what has been missing for so long… a cheesy, over-the-top, gory slasher flick. He had a hell of a time getting House of 1,000 Corpses into theatres (no pun intended), as a number of studios consistently dumped the movie and delayed it due its supposed “extreme” nature. More than likely, they just didn’t know how to market it. Luckily, Lion’s Gate picked it up and saved the movie like they have saved many other controversial films in the past, such as Dogma.

Now that all the red tape has been eliminated, we finally get to see if the movie can stand on its own. Is it really as extreme and controversial as they say? No. Does that matter? No. However, I have to say that Zombie has definitely succeeded in doing what he set out to do, and that is creating a horror movie by and for horror movie fans.

There are a plenty of little tributes and references in it, although the most obvious influence has got to be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In House Of 1000 Corpses, a group of teenagers stop at a haunted house attraction off a deserted highway, and the owner Captain Spaulding tells them about the local legend of Dr. Satan. They go on a search to find out more about Dr. Satan, but after they pick up a hitchhiker and their car breaks down they find themselves stranded and trying to escape a family of crazy, murderous rednecks.

As you might expect, the best part of this movie are definitely the visuals. The costumes, the sets, the lighting, and even little details like the weird slogans on t-shirts. Zombie has created some pretty damn demented and memorable characters here, including Captain Spaulding, Otis, Grampa Hugo, and (my favourite) Tiny. I wasn’t a big fan of some of the colourized grainy inserts he used. They were annoying, but then again they were an important part of the chaos in the film. I just can’t help but think that at times the movie looked a little too much like a music video.

Speaking of music, the soundtrack was pretty good, but at points a little too loud. I’m sure this is how Zombie wanted it, but like most first-time directors he doesn’t know when to restrain himself. There is a lot of metal and hard rock, and a lot of it written by Zombie himself. “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” by The Ramones seemed a little out of place, but it’s likely Zombie just wanted to include the track because he’s a fan. There were also a few scenes where he tried the whole “Clockwork Orange” thing — juxtaposing pleasant, happy music (some golden oldies to be exact) and gruesome actions on screen — with mediocre results.

The actual story was pretty negligible, but the dialogue wasn’t half-bad. The movie had some classic one-liners, which are of course essential in creating a cult following (even if he did cop a few lines from a Spinal Tap song).

I feel it important to mention that House Of 1,000 Corpses wasn’t really all that “scary” per se. There were a couple good little shock moments, but overall it was just more bizarre than anything else. The scariest part of it all was just the thought that these characters and images came from another human being’s head. It’s hard to say if Zombie was actually trying to create a truly suspenseful atmosphere, but I think he was more interested in having a sense of humour in the movie (which was definitely the right choice, given the circumstances). Sam Raimi always said the reason he chose Evil Dead as his first movie was because horror movies can gain a huge following even when done poorly and with an obviously limited budget.

House of 1000 Corpses also wasn’t all that gory, despite what the trailers said, and in fact the effects weren’t very realistic at all. In some areas they tried to distort the picture so you couldn’t tell it was so cheesy. I think the final theatrical version of the film that Lion’s Gate released was edited to some extent, but I’m not sure what kind of stuff was chopped. I don’t doubt there will be a “director’s cut” DVD in the very near future.

This movie is a must-see for old school horror fans and b-movie geeks, and also fans of Rob Zombie’s music and artwork. The remainder of the movie-viewing public will probably see House of 1,000 Corpses in a different, much less favourable light. It isn’t the most amazing movie ever created, but it is still quite refreshing and it was a nice alternative from the rest of Hollywood’s current offerings. I daresay Hollywood is experiencing a bit of a revival in horror movies right now, which is a good thing. If only other directors had the same understanding of and affection for cult movies that Rob Zombie does, we would be in for a real treat. — Sean

The Flaming Lips - Fight Test EP
(Warner)

After a critically acclaimed album and a groundbreaking tour as the opening/backing band for Beck, the Flaming Lips are in a lot of peoples minds, cd players, and top ten lists. As a follow up to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the Lips have released an EP/Single for the song Fight Test. This is more than just a money making cd single, it’s a collection of rare cover songs, a remix of the single Do You Realize?, and two new songs! Not to mention there’s a multimedia section on the cd including a video for Fight Test and a trailer for the upcoming Flaming Lips movie, Christmas On Mars.

The stand out track on the album would probably be the cover of Beck’s “The Golden Age”. This song was one of the few highlights of Sea Change, and is even better with the Lips lo-fi twist. The other two covers include a slower, epic rendition of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and Radiohead’s “Knives Out”. The two new songs featured on the cd are the electro-heavy “The Strange Design of Conscience” and the bluesy “Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me), dedicated of course to Jack White of the White Stripes. Both songs are pretty good, however “Thank You Jack White” is a seemingly borderline novelty song. The remix of Do You Realize?? is a little less than expected. It’s pretty beat heavy and just uses cheap tricks to rearrange a song that was fine to begin with.

Finally the multimedia section of the cd is an added bonus. The video for Fight Test is pretty good, and the trailer for Christmas On Mars leaves me with many unanswered questions. Including “Was that the guy from Blues Clues?” The movie is suppose to come out next Christmas for those interested. Overall, this cd is sort of all over the place, but that’s okay because everything included on it is a bonus to what could’ve been a typically boring cd single that only a collector would want. — Jay C.

Matrix Reloaded
Written and Directed by: Andy and Larry Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett-Smith

As lame as it sounds, if there’s one thing that The Matrix Reloaded proves, it is that The Matrix has become the Star Wars for a new generation. I say this not because of a similarity in content but because of how rich and detailed The Matrix universe/mythology has become, how intimately it has connected with pop culture, and how much debate it has sparked among people.

We live in an era where technology is our greatest friend, and yet possibly our greatest enemy as well. This may be one of the main things reasons why the movie has such a wide appeal. It might also have to do with the movie’s assimilation of Eastern culture such as martial arts, Hong Kong action movies, and anime and manga with North American blockbuster standards. The Matrix has tapped into something inside all of us, and although computer geeks and martial arts fans may drool over it more than others, I think the movie speaks to just about everyone on one level or another. To some it is just a stylish action movie, but to others it is a profound philosophical debate. I can’t argue with either point of view, but whatever the case may be, you can be sure it’s in an league of its own.

The Matrix Reloaded is simply put a hell of a ride… and that’s really what it felt like. More than just a movie, it has so much kinetic energy that it was almost a physical experience, but it gives the brain a workout too. In short, it’s a ride I’d like to go on again and again until I barf.

It’s difficult to compare Matrix Reloaded to the first Matrix movie, because the circumstances surrounding it are so different. There’s not much mystery because this time around we already know what the Matrix is. There are new questions that need answering though, and although it may seem like the Wachowski Brothers are rewriting something that was already a finished story, it’s exciting to have some new twists thrown in just when you thought you understood it all.

The plot itself is not very complicated: the machines have decided to launch their most potent assault ever, to finish off the humans once and for all. They are boring towards the centre of the earth where Zion, the last remaining human city, is located. The human camp is divided over whether to make their last stand against the machines, or whether to put trust in a prophecy put forth by the Oracle. Well, actually, there isn’t much of a division — Morpheus believes the prophecy but very few others do. Still, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar go against orders to consult the Oracle and set out to follow her instructions, hoping it will lead them to salvation.

There is another twist, however. Neo’s arch-nemesis Agent Smith has returned; somehow Neo’s last battle with him has freed him from the system and made him an independent entity who is basically a self-replicating virus. It’s a pleasure to have him back, and still calling Neo “Mr. Anderson” too. Hugo Weaving’s dry, sardonic delivery in this role is still just as enjoyable as it was in the first movie.

An enjoyable new character is introduced in The Matrix Reloaded, one whose arrogance and wit may even surpass Smith’s. Known as Merovingian, he is a French-speaking aristocrat who is apparently a powerful entity within the Matrix. Along with his wife Persephone, and his bodyguards, “The Twins”, they provide some of the most memorable moments of the movie, and I can only hope they will play a part in the final Matrix movie as well.

The main stars do very little talking for the most part, with the exception of Lawrence “Larry” Fishburne, who delivers a number of long-winded speeches and commands attention whenever he is on screen. I was thankful to have Keanu’s lines minimized because we all know the guy can’t act, but it would have been nice to have a bit more out of Trinity. Some of the new characters were underused too… Jada Pinkett as Niobe was an intriguing new face, but I understand she takes centre stage in the video game Enter The Matrix so perhaps that’s why we didn’t see more of her. One character that I didn’t particularly like was the Neb’s new operator, Link. Played by Harold Perrineau, he just seemed like a goofy Chris Rock, interjecting with lame comic relief and not much else.

The special effects in the movie are ramped up another notch, and I don’t have to tell you that they’re cutting edge and very impressive. Even though there are a lot of shots that are very obviously computer generated, it all moves so fast that you really don’t think twice about it. Plus there’s also the fact that The Matrix itself is all computer generated, so it kind of makes sense. The motorcycle chase scene was one of the most engaging and overwhelming movie sequences I have ever seen. I was very nearly ducking and moving my body as cars flew by the screen. The fight scenes, while still beautifully choreographed and executed, are not quite as jaw dropping this time around if only because we’ve seen it before. But it wouldn’t really be The Matrix without them now would it?

Thankfully though, there are other things in The Matrix Reloaded to be excited about aside from the action and FX. Things like the art design, cinematography, underlying symbolism, mythological references, and philosophical debates. There is plenty of stuff to geek out over, if you’re into that kind of thing.

This movie, like most second movies in a trilogy, does not stand alone, and ends rather abruptly with a “To Be Concluded” caption. I don’t see this as a shortcoming but I guess some people might, especially if they never saw the first one. Then I imagine you’d be prettydamn confused.But I like the fact that this movie doesn’t try and explain everything all over again. I like the fact that it doesn’t dumb anything down. There are suddenly all kinds of new questions and ideas to ponder. But are they valid, or are they just fluff? Do all these lengthy monologues mean anything or are the Wachowskis just waxing philosophical? Everything has a reason in the world of the Wachowski Brothers, or at least that’s what we’ve been led to believe. However, there are many things left unresolved at the end of this movie, and it will take a viewing of The Matrix Revolutions in November before one can truly judge whether or not they are satisfied with the story and logic of the film. The important thing is it doesn’t feel like Reloaded is an afterthought, a sequel tacked on afterwards just to make more money (even if that’s basically what it is).

As with a lot of fantasy and sci-fi movies, there will be people who cannot take the ideas seriously. They will laugh at the overwhelming darkness of the movie and all of Morpheus’ preachy diatribes. To some extent, The Matrix has become a victim of its own popularity, as the hype has created monstrous expectations and the merchandising has taken away from its credibility. The feeling of the first Matrix movie could not possibly be recreated here, and it takes some acceptance of that fact to embrace this new chapter.

But despite all the hype I feel like this movie exceeded my own expectations simply because of its depth and style. Sure it has weaknesses, but this is still a mind-blowing movie. As far as big budget blockbusters go, 2003 has a great track record so far. Let’s hope the trend continues, but more importantly, let’s hope November comes soon because that cliffhanger ending sure is a bitch. — Sean