As previously reported by Goon, Beck is releasing a CD composed entirely of remixes from his last album, “Guero” on December 13th. The compilation will be appropriately entitled “Guerolito”, and will include most of the remixes that also appeared on the limited collector’s edition release of “Guero” such as Octet’s “Girl” remix and a new version of “Broken Drum” by Boards of Canada. Among the new entries are tracks from the Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock, Mario C, Air, and most interesting of all, Islands, the new band featuring ex-members of Montreal’s The Unicorns. I’m not sure how I feel about all these remix albums coming out lately… they can be really cool with the right line-up of bands, but they also feel like blatant cash grabs. (Psst… have a listen to the Boards of Canada track over at Scissorkick!)

I never did see the first two Final Destination movies, but apparently they were surprise box office hits — which explains why now we have a third installment on the way. The movies are thrillers about people with premonitions of dying who try to cheat death only to find out it’s not quite so easy. The director of the first Final Destination movie, James Wong, returns to direct part 3. He previously wrote and directed a handful of X-Files episodes, as well as “The One” starring Jet Li. A teaser trailer is now playing on the movie’s official website, click below to check it out. Final Destination 3 hits theatres on February 10th, 2006.

Henry Rollins 25 Years of Bullshit Tour (Spoken Word)
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005 @ U of T Convocation Hall, Toronto

Another year, another visit from Rollins, and each time it seems we review the show here on Spacejunk. No surprises to come in this review, we’re generally a pretty pro-Rollins crew here, so let me just tell you how it went down.

Rollins spoke for nearly 3 hours. Since I started seeing him speak, I’ve been counting the number of times he takes a sip of water over that time period, and this time he had not one sip. Amazing.

The first half hour or so was Rollins going off on his political opinions. As much as he says he doesn’t want to be PC, he really is in a lot of ways, and goes overboard trying to explain himself. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a nice round of US-bashing and Bush impressions as much as the next Canadian, but he just doesn’t do it as well or as entertaining as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Al Franken, and others. Sure he’s up to date enough and he can get a couple good one-liners in, but really, this stuff is really only fun for people who don’t obsessively check out political boards for funny political news and notes.

Luckily though, unlike his last show, this was only a small portion of the event. The vast majority of the show was one of those stories only Rollins can tell, which is why people go to see him — he goes places and does things we can’t, don’t or won’t, and he gives you all the details. It was a story of Rollins’ trip on the Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok, a one week journey on a train in 40 below weather, where he had a terrible time, pretty much on purpose. Another story was about getting proposed to by a Pakistani cab driver in New York city, which has a bit of a downer ending. And to round it out, another tale of Rollins The B-list Actor’s Hollywood Adventures.

If you’re thinking of seeing Henry soon, here’s my advice: People who miss the days of Rollins reading poetry from pieces of paper and getting really down on the world should stay away. Those of you who, like me, were worried it would be a full 3 hours of Rollins’ preaching to the choir, will be entertained. He definitely does his best to give you your money’s worth every time. — Goon

Last Days (DVD)
Written and Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Scott Green

There’s no doubt that director Gus Van Sant has tackled some interesting and challenging projects thus far in his career. Although he’s known for a few mainstream hits like “Good Will Hunting” and “Finding Forrester”, his background also includes such groundbreaking indie flicks as “Drugstore Cowboy” and “My Own Private Idaho”. This is also the same guy who, for the sake of an experiment, did a shot-for-shot remake of “Psycho”, much to the chagrin of many film critics.

“Last Days” continues along in the same direction that Van Sant’s last couple of movies have taken. In particular it shares many similar qualities with “Elephant”, which was a fictionalized account of a high school shooting based loosely on the events at Columbine. In “Last Days”, Van Sant was inspired to tell the story of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in the final days before he killed himself. Once again he has taken a little bit of fact and a lot of his own speculation to create an unusual blend of truth and fiction. The level of authenticity that the movie manages to achieve, however, makes for quite a haunting and powerful film.

The main character in “Last Days” is actually a rock star named Blake (played by Michael Pitt), although he looks strikingly similar to Kurt Cobain. He is skinny and frequently slouches, although he is not emaciated quite to the point that Cobain probably would have been. His scruffy mop of dirty blonde hair is really what sells it, and with little in the way of close-ups, the illusion remains intact for majority of the film.

Pitt is believable and sufficiently pathetic in his portrayal of this strung out and mostly unintelligible junkie. The entire movie basically takes place in an old home surrounded by a large wooded area and river where Blake stumbles around in a haze, muttering to himself and trying to escape all the people in his life. There are some moments that come across as humourous, particularly Blake’s exchange with an unwitting Yellow Page salesman who stops by the house early on. But still it never becomes a parody of itself, we feel the isolation and loneliness underneath it all, and understand potentially how things have gotten this way.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the music in the movie. The songs played by Pitt during the film are fictional (ie. not real Kurt Cobain songs) although they sound dead on and lend weight to the movie’s emotional impact. One is an improvised noise jam, while the other is an acoustic song with anguished vocals that are almost eerie in their accuracy. I’m not sure exactly who should get the credit for the music, but Thurston Moore was the music supervisor for the film. (Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon also has an appearance in the movie as a record executive trying to talk Blake into rehab.)

With a movie about such an icon, you might wonder why Last Days isn’t more high profile than it is. The answer, I think, lies in Gus Van Sant’s continually non-mainstream approach. This movie is very slow, with sparse and muted dialogue. It’s more of a fly-on-the-wall perspective, just soaking up the vibe of Blake’s life. This movie isn’t for everyone. Scenes are sometimes spliced out of chronological order and replayed from different viewpoints, adding a bit of confusion and a dream-like quality to the events.

When you think about it, this movie could have been a complete disaster, and I think what Van Sant has managed to do with it is quite remarkable. On the one hand, it makes me wish we could see an official biopic of Kurt Cobain, but ironically, it would probably not be nearly as authentic as this fictional retelling of the story. Take it for what it is, I guess. If you’re a Nirvana fan you will probably appreciate this movie but I do think it’s a little slow for the average person. Either way, if you like Gus Van Sant’s work, you shouldn’t miss out on “Last Days”.

The DVD contains some behind the scenes featurettes, a music video (”Happy Song” by Pagoda) and a deleted scene. It’s also worth noting that the movie was shot in fullscreen, although the DVD contains a widescreen cut as well. — Sean

The Weather Man
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Written by: Steve Conrad
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis

The Weather Man is a breath of fresh air among this year’s flurry of horribly stale and predictable theatrical releases. This is a funny and touching movie about a guy who isn’t perfect. In fact, he’s really far from perfect. His name is David Spritz and he is a weather man for a Chicago TV station. His marriage has disintegrated as a result of his own selfishness and he is still struggling to be a good father. His son is in counselling for drug abuse, and his daughter gets teased at school. His father is dianosed with lymphoma and if that wasn’t enough, sometimes strangers throw fast food at him on the street.

Writer Steve Conrad is a new face among Hollywood screenwriters, but I have a feeling we’re going to be hearing a lot more from him in the future. This is a multi-layered and quirky story about the modern man and some of the various problems he may face throughout his life. In a way, it reminds me of American Beauty in the way that it attempts to examine many facets of people’s lives and extract meaning by peppering plenty of dark humour throughout. While it probably won’t win any Oscars, it’s exactly the kind of movie that we haven’t been seeing enough of lately. Certainly, it is a little unexpected to see Gore Verbinski (The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean) as the director here, but he proves that he can handle smaller, character-driven films just as well as big blockbusters.

One minor complaint I’d like to file right off the bat is that the trailers for this movie kind of spoiled some of the best moments for me. Which isn’t to say that they weren’t amusing the second time around, but I did feel a little disappointed because I knew they were coming ahead of time. On the other hand, I think this was probably a difficult movie to market and its unique sense of humour definitely needed to be advertised in some way.

Either way I am happy to report that the dry humour in the movie is plentiful and definitely one of the highlights. Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine are both great in their deadpan deliveries, and Cage’s narration especially sets the tone for the film. The thing is, it’s not necessarily laugh out loud hilarious. I had been expecting to laugh a bit more, but about halfway through I realized that The Weather Man isn’t really a comedy at all. And that’s when I started to really get drawn into the character of David Spritz and his numerous dilemmas.

Even though there are some ridiculous situations presented in the movie, there is a human element to it and some real emotions at work. The most impressive thing is that The Weather Man never falls into the trap of over-sentimentality. At every moment where you think it’s going to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, the movie suddenly throws you a vicious curve ball.

The excellent soundtrack keeps the tone of the film both upbeat and contemplative, while the cinematography is visually brilliant. In many ways The Weather Man has all the calling cards of an indie film, and yet it has a lot of big name players too. You know, if Nick Cage keeps making movies like this I think I could really get to like him.

I am guessing that not everyone will find this movie as poignant as it tries to be, but it’s hard to argue the fact that its funny, smart and thought-provoking. The Weather Man is as unique as I was hoping it would be, and despite being a little slow-moving, it’s definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. Take a chance on The Weather Man and leave your umbrella at home. — Sean

Doom
Directed by: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Written by: David Callaham, Wesley Strick
Starring: Karl Urban, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Rosamund Pike, Razaaq Adoti

Doom has earned its reputation as one of the most influential video games of all time, and if you haven’t at least heard of it, you’ve probably been living under a rock. It essentially pioneered the first-person shooter genre and conjured 3-D graphics that were more immersive than anything ever before thought possible. Years later, after seeing Doom rub off on other video games, and then in turn, having those video games influence other media, the movie adaptation of Doom serves as a grim reminder of just how mindless it was (content-wise, at least) in the first place.

Seriously, coming out of this movie I found myself wondering just how much more shallow storytelling can possibly get. Doom was always just a technical marvel, nothing more. Aesthetically and artistically it is completely devoid of anything inspired, cobbled together from an adolescent perception of the horror and sci-fi genres. If the original Doom game sometimes made people nauseous due to first-person motion sickness, this movie is likely to make viewers sick with its utter pointlessness.

Not that I really expected much to begin with. Video game adaptations have a horrible track record on the big screen, and well, it does star The Rock. In a way, this review can offer nothing more than what most other critics have already stated. However, I was surprised to actually find a few positive reviews in the media as well, mostly from people who were fans of the game and thought that this did the franchise justice. Well, it is these people who are perhaps indirectly responsible for what is one of the worst years for movies in recent memory. If “Doom” is all people need to be entertained, then you might as well kill me now because I don’t want to know where movies are heading next.

A group of stereotypical space marines get assigned to check out a research station on Mars. It is under quarantine because of some strange happenings in the area. One of the marines, John Grimm, is conflicted over the fact that his sister is stationed on Mars. Sarge (The Rock) advises him not to accompany them on the mission, but he makes a dramatic last second decision to go anyway. I was seriously feeling his internal struggle. (Not really.) Throughout the movie we get little hints of flashbacks of some disaster that happened to John on Mars… alas, it is never fully explained. I guess the screenwriters lost interest. As they arrive at the station, they encounter some scientists who have become violent, zombie-like creatures. Slowly marines start dying, and John’s sister works feverishly to analyze these monsters and find out what is causing their horrible transformations.

When it comes down to it, nothing really happens in this movie. The marines wander throughout dark corridors, stumbling across increasingly bigger and more grotesque monsters. The grey metallic environments are every bit as boring and dull as the levels in a Doom video game. I’ve never seen so many scenes strung together with the intentions of creating suspense that do the exact opposite. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak (”Romeo Must Die”, “Cradle 2 the Grave”) does not know the meaning of the word “subtle”. The nu-metal soundtrack that was pumping throughout most of this film pretty much eliminated any chance of sending shivers down people’s spine.

To be honest, I don’t even see how Doom purists wouldn’t be offended by the liberties taken with the “story” in this movie. It’s not demons from hell they are fighting, but rather genetic mutants (just like in every other video game influenced movie in the past decade). Oh sure, there’s that obscure reference to Doom creator John Carmack that all the fans will love. I guess it might have been neat if it wasn’t a character whose name is spoken about 50 times throughout the film. Every time you hear the name “Dr. Carmack” spoken it’s like smashing you over the head with his ego trip.

But I guess if it doesn’t work as a horror movie, at least it can still be enjoyed as a big dumb action flick right? Nope. The Rock takes a role that could have been cheesy fun, and kills it by trying to be all serious and moody. The poor guy doesn’t even have any good one-liners, except for “Awww shit”, “Semper Fi, motherfucker!” and “Big fucking gun!”. While we’re at it, let’s just talk about the BFG, the coveted weapon that is supposed to give all the men in the audience a hard-on due to its overwhelming size and power. We get to see it used once, and then The Rock seems to forget about it for most of the movie. What gives?

The other gimmick in this movie is the first person action sequence, which is just as stupid as it sounds. I will say that it was executed well enough to pass for actual video game footage, but let’s be serious here. This is a movie. I don’t want to see a first person perspective of someone mowing down monsters. This creates absolutely zero excitement or suspense. Watching a first person action sequence is about as interesting as watching paint dry. And you know, just when I thought the movie couldn’t get anymore insulting, they had to go and throw in a superhuman Matrix-esque martial arts fight scene at the end to top it all off.

It’s like the people making these video games and movies nowadays missed all the notes from the original sci-fi/horror films that did things right. They just watched a few clips from the classics and figured they had enough to go on. Even if you just rip off Aliens, at least you should have something decent. But this is the problem… everything nowadays is about instant gratification. There’s no investment in story, no build up. You’re thrown into the action within the first 2 minutes and expected to somehow care about what you’re seeing. Do people actually think stuff like this is worthwhile? I mean, obviously the critics hated Doom, but are there real people going to this movie and coming out happy? If so, I find that seriously disturbing. Has the success of video games inadvertently “doomed” us to a lifetime of crappy filmmaking? I really, really hope not. — Sean

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel
(Mute)

Dave the Lighting Guy says in the movie “Orgazmo”, “I don’t want to sound like a fag or nuttin, but I think Depeche Mode is a sweet band”. Gay joke aside, I’ve always felt pretty much that way. I never really became a big fan until their greatest hits CDs came out, but I’ve always had an appreciation of the Mode to some degree even in my youth. That said, I’ve only heard their more recent, less appreciated albums “Ultra” and “Exciter” (the former I like, the latter not much at all).

So I can’t go and tell you that this is a “return to form”, or how it compares to “Violator”, but I can say that this is a quite catchy, enjoyable album from start to finish, with several potential singles that would stand up nicely next to their older material. Never does it really sound like a desperate 80’s band, probably helped by the fact that several successful bands, like The Killers, are kinda weezing in on that sound lately, and not even as well.

The lyrics on this album are pretty cheesy and morose, as Depeche Mode have always had, however since this is essentially a pop album everything lives or dies on the strength of its songs, and “Playing the Angel” delivers. Single “Precious” is now one of my favorite Depeche Mode songs ever, and “A Pain That I’m Used To” and “John the Revelator” are also great. A few songs, such as “Macro”, push the cheesiness a little too far, but it doesn’t hurt the flow of the album much.

So to any of you semi-gothy people out there who felt let down by the latest NIN album and need your fix of quality music with the words “sinner” and “pain” used liberally, “Playing the Angel” comes highly recommended. — Goon

North American Hallowe’en Prevention Initiative - Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?
(Vice)

I’m one of those people well suited to Hallowe’en. It’s a happy time for me, but with certain exceptions (some Ramones, Misfits, the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack), I can’t stand the music. Monster Mash? Ugh. They’re Coming To Take Me Away? Probably my least favorite song ever.

So I was pleased to see this single, featuring, well… everyone. Contributors include a score of indie faves, including the Arcade Fire, Beck, Karen O, Smoosh, Feist, Devandra Banhart, Nardwuar, Les Savy Fav, and way way more. It even has a few members you wouldn’t expect, such as Stevo of Sum 41, Elvira and comedian/hipster David Cross.

“Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en” is a 6 minute, epic song, that without all the guest appearances sounds like it could have come from a number of these bands, but overall I think it comes down closer to the Arcade Fire in feel, with theirs and Beck’s vocals standing out the most. Just about everyone gets a singing part at some point, even Cross, and thankfully, the packaging includes a lyric sheet that breaks it all down so you know who’s doing what.

There is a shorter version of the song, as well as two remixes by Disco D and Th’Corn Gangg that are passable to a Basement Jaxx/M.I.A. fan, but really aren’t all that special. Still, at a decent price and knowing its all going to charity (UNICEF), this comes recommended. My only gripes are (a) the AMAZING music video wasn’t included as an enhanced feature, and (b) the douchebags at Vice HQ have been making the rounds trying to pass this off as a subversive slap in the face of Bob Geldof, when really it’s just a cute song. — Goon

Franz Ferdinand w/ TV On The Radio, Cut Copy
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005 @ Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto

First off, let me say, Ricoh Coliseum is a fine venue. Most seats are good seats, the sound is excellent and it’s an overall really good sized place for a show, somewhere between Varsity Arena and Maple Leaf Gardens. The stage is just the right size for a band to make good use of, and security is lax enough that the show doesn’t feel like sanitized rebellion.

Australia’s Cut Copy hit the stage looking like indie rockers, though their music is electro pop. I’m not too familiar with their music but I’ve enjoyed the few mp3s I’ve heard, as they are not too far removed from the Postal Service. Live they were energetic and enthusiastic, although I got a little anxious for them to leave the stage so I could see the band I came to see. Their last song, which I can’t identify at this time, was their best, and left a good impression on the audience, and myself, and I intend to listen to their album soon.

NYC’s TV on the Radio were out of their element here, too arty for the well, young and generally immature fans Franz Ferdinand attract more and more of as they become a bigger band. (Sorry to sound snobby, but there was a disconcerting amount of screaming girls here.) Regardless, they put on a passionate and unique live performance, with their strange vocal dynamics and thick wall of sound. Their slower songs, such as “Dreams”, “Young Liars” and “Ambulance” were their best moments, compared to the faster songs which are punkier and more organic live, less recognizable than on their somewhat mechanical album sound. Still, TVOTR left me wanting more, and I can’t wait till I get a chance to see them on their own terms in front of a crowd more suited to their style.

I wasn’t all that excited for Franz, since I’d seen them before, but the Scots impressed me with how much they’ve grown since I saw them last. I’m sure part of this was because I had seem them before at the dreadful Kool Haus, and this time they had a big light show, more energy, confidence, and a better variety of songs. They drilled through most of their material with a tight precision to their frenzied fans, and were not once boring. At a lot of shows, even when I’m enjoying myself I tend to check my watch, but here, it was over before I even knew it. The only disappointment for me was they didn’t play my favorite song on their new album, “Eleanor Put Your Boots On”, even though they did have an acoustic guitar and piano with them.

I had a great night. Great sound, good view, good music, and I hit my train home just on time. — Goon

Here’s more evidence of the increasing quality of TV and the respect that certain shows are getting from people in the film industry. Darren Aronofsky, acclaimed director of the films “Pi” and “Requiem For A Dream”, has signed on to direct an episode of ABC’s hit series “Lost”. He recently became hooked on the show while shooting his latest movie “The Fountain” in Montreal, and called to inquire about getting involved. I personally can’t think of a director who would be better suited to the show’s dark and mysterious tone (well, okay, maybe a few…), and I’m looking forward to seeing if his own visual style will enter into the picture. No word yet on what the episode will be about, although it is expected to air during May sweeps. Man, when are we going to get to see a trailer for “The Fountain” anyways? I can’t wait for that either.