So what's going on here? Well, the year is 1990. You've finally gotten a Genesis (or a Mega Drive, I suppose) from the toy store and your Nintendo has begun to collect a fair bit of dust. If it could talk (or sing) to you, what would it be saying right now?
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Thursday, September 30, 2010
I'm not gonna lie, I've had a little bit of a crush on Justin (the original teen crush Justin) and Jimmy for awhile. They're both kinda geeky-cute in a way that I dig. Last night on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon they performed a history of rap medley with The Roots that is most excellent.
LINK | Posted by KP on Thursday, September 30, 2010
I don't remember a time when The Rocky Horror Picture Show wasn't part of my life in some way. Every Halloween I'd stay up to watch it. I had a massive school girl crush on Tim Curry as Frank N. Furter (yes, this was problematic in more ways than one), and Magenta probably inspired too many bad dye jobs, but it still remains one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures. This week marks the 35th anniversary of the cult classic, and on October 19th, the whole shebang will be rereleased on Blu-Ray. Via the Rocky Horror fan site:
Boasting a newly-restored high definition transfer and 7.1 audio sure to make fans shiver with an-tic-i-pation, the anniversary edition Blu-ray truly brings the Midnight experience home wtih exclusive new content including Rocky-oke: Sing It!, Picture-In-Picture Shadowcast Performance, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Shadowcasting documentary, as well as exclusive new content including BD-LIVE: Live Lookup Powered by IMDb, Photo Galleries, as well as Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary and more. For a limited time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary will be packaged in a collectible 24-page book featuring legendary photography from Mick Rock, best known for his iconic shots of rock and roll artists. Rock served as the chief photographer on the film.
LINK | Posted by Chris on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
When I heard there was a burlesque show in production in Chicago based on Super Mario Bros. characters, I was extremely intriguied. So I tracked down the show's writer and director, MsPixy, for an interview:
Hello, MsPixy! Thanks so much for taking time to answer a few questions today. Why, you are quite welcome! It is my pleasure to do so.
You're a burlesque performer. How long have you been doing this? How did you get involved in this profession? I've been performing professionally for a little over 7 years. I've always been fascinated by burlesque striptease since I encountered the musical Gypsy as a young theater geek (I actually dressed as Gypsy Rose Lee for a Thespian Society banquet my senior year of high school. Yep, nerdy AND hot). My first few stripteases were quite unconventional, more "performance art" than classic burlesque, but when I co-founded the Belmont Burlesque Revue with Paris Green and Naughty Natanya in 2003, we set out to create a classically styled show, so I've been performing classic burlesque ever since!
Tell us about your first performance. Were you nervous? Did you bring down the house? My first ever striptease was shortly after 9/11. I was PISSED that so many large companies were using the resulting surge of national pride and outrage as a springboard for their advertising campaigns, so I put together a number for WNEP's The Gong Show in which I stripped while sexily singing the national anthem, and had slogans from all the companies who were using the disaster to their advantage written on each layer of clothing, as well as all over my body. At the end, I revealed the words "BUY IT" written on my butt.
It not only brought down the house, I won The Gong Show that night.
LINK | Posted by Chris on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Weezer will release a deluxe edition of Pinkerton on November 2, 2010. The two-CD Pinkerton reissue will contain the original ten tracks and twenty-five extra tracks.
While the prospect of twenty-five Pinkerton-era tracks might make your alt heart flutter, read the fine print before you scurry off to preorder the discs. A good portion of those twenty-five tracks are live or alternate versions of the album's tracks. Hell, eleven of the twenty-five tracks are live or alternate versions of "The Good Life," "El Scorcho," and "Pink Triangle," which admittedly, are Pinkerton's three strongest tracks. But I doubt anyone needs five different verisons of "Pink Triangle."
Here's the full tracklist:
DISC ONE
Tired of Sex
Getchoo
No Other One
Why Bother
Across the Sea
The Good Life
El Scorcho
Pink Triangle
Falling for You
Butterfly
You Gave Your Love to Me Softly
Devotion
The Good Life (Radio Remix)
Waiting on You
I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams
The Good Life (Live and Acoustic)
Pink Triangle (Radio Remix)
I Swear It's True
Pink Triangle (Live and Acoustic)
DISC TWO
You Won't Get With Me Tonight
The Good Life (Live at Y100 Sonic Session)
El Scorcho (Live at Y100 Sonic Session)
Pink Triangle (Live at Y100 Sonic Session)
Why Bother? (Live at Reading Festival 1996)
El Scorcho (Live at Reading Festival 1996)
Pink Triangle (Live at Reading Festival 1996)
The Good Life (Live at X96)
El Scorcho (Live and Acoustic)
Across the Sea Piano Noodles
Butterfly (Alternate Take)
Long Time Sunshine
Getting Up and Leaving
Tired of Sex (Tracking Rough)
Getchoo (Tracking Rough)
Tragic Girl
And yes, despite my griping, I'm sure I'll be purchasing the album.
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Some weeks ago I mentioned that Kevin Smith was going to host a tribute and Q&A on The Breakfast Club's 25th annversary and John Hughes. It happened last week and there's been some video posted from Kevin's talk here. You might have to do a birthday check because Kevin tends to be a little not safe for work.
The Huffington Post also had a nice picture of the reunited cast (minus Emilio Estevez because you know, he's totally too busy to attend and stuff) with a brief little interview.
I'd have loved to attend. Do we have any Brats readers who were there?
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Tuesday, September 28, 2010
When I heard that someone wanted to remake the classic John Wayne film, True Grit, I was kind of horrified. I mean, it stars John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper and is an American classic. Then I heard that the proposed remake would be directed by the Coen brothers and thought "Huh. Ok, well, that I might see then."
The first trailer was just released.
Did you recognize Matt Damon? I sure didn't. Will you see this remake? Or is it an abomination?
LINK | Posted by Chris on Monday, September 27, 2010
Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.
Artist: Boogie Down Productions Title:Criminal Minded Elite Edition Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue More information: The classic 1987 album remastered, fourteen 12" versions, and thirteen instrumental versions across three CDs
Artist: Ben Folds and Nick Hornby Title:Lonely Avenue Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth More information: Ben Folds and author Nick Hornby collaborate on eleven tracks
Artist: Soundgarden Title:Telephantasm Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue More information: Greatest hits, alternate tracks, live cuts, music videos, and a new track ("Black Rain") spread over two CDs and one DVD
Artist: Rob Zombie Title:Hellbilly Deluxe II Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth More information: Fifteen new tracks from the former White Zombie frontman
Artist: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Title:Telephantasm Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth More information: These thirteen tracks mark OMD's first new material since 1996
Artist: Ice Cube Title:I Am The West Release date: September 21, 2010 Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth More information: 15 new tracks from the once great rapper
Also this week: live Tom Tom Club and Yaz, new material from Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Seal, Rob Halford, Phil Collins, Bad Religion, and Gin Blossoms
LINK | Posted by Chris on Monday, September 27, 2010
Damn. I don't usually go for pop music, but this extremely awesome and seamless mash-up combines Britney, Michael, Taylor, Survivor (yes, some "Eye Of The Tiger!"), Snoop, Justin, with a few other acts. This song kicks much ass!
Check out "Miracles" by Norwegian Recycling:
Here's a list of the songs used:
Bruno Mars, "Just The Way You Are" B.O.B. feat. Bruno Mars, "Nothing On You" Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" Britney Spears, "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time" Jason Derulo, "In My Head" Justin Timberlake, "My Love" Lady Gaga, "Just Dance" Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love" Ne-Yo, "So Sick" Michael Jackson, "Black Or White" Snoop Dogg, "Sexual Eruption" Survivor, "Eye Of The Tiger" Taylor Swift, "Fifteen" Taylor Swift, "Fearless" Savage Garden, "The Animal Song" Snoop Dogg feat. Justin Timberlake, "Signs"
LINK | Posted by Chris on Monday, September 27, 2010
Quick picks: the new season of Austin City Limits starts Saturday, The Vaselines and Teenage Fanclub hit Fallon, and Kanye does SNL!
Here are the musical acts appearing on the talk show circuit this week. We compiled this list to the best of our abilities. Check your local listings and don't shoot the messenger.
Monday, September 27th Jimmy Kimmel Live: Randy Houser Last Call With Carson Daly: Never Shout Never (R) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: The Temper Trap Late Show with David Letterman: Runner Runner Lopez Tonight: Santana and Nas The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Zac Brown Band
Tuesday, September 28th Jimmy Kimmel Live: Maroon 5 Last Call With Carson Daly: Menomena Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Teenage Fanclub Late Show with David Letterman: N.E.R.D. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Train
Wednesday, September 29th Jimmy Kimmel Live: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Last Call With Carson Daly: The Morning Benders Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Blake Shelton Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Belle and Sebastian Lopez Tonight: Far East Movement The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Seal
Thursday, September 30th Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Avett Brothers Last Call With Carson Daly: The Japandroids Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: The Vaselines Late Show with David Letterman: Tired Pony Lopez Tonight: Seal The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Friday, October 1st Jimmy Kimmel Live: Usher (R) Last Call With Carson Daly: Los Campesinos! Late Show with David Letterman: Drake The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Kenny Chesney
Saturday, October 2nd Austin City Limits: Jimmy Cliff Saturday Night Live: Kanye West
(R) = repeat performance shows in red = our picks for the week
LINK | Posted by A Vapid Blonde on Friday, September 24, 2010
In this epic installment we get drugs, street fights, steroid scandals, drunk puking girls, elicit affairs and some hot street dance moves.
I swear I wasn't watching Jersey Shore. I didn't see any Bumpits or hookers.
So what was interesting about his episode? Not much, actually. Quickly, the university is pulling the squad's funding so instead of going the traditional route of competing for their spot which is very very expensive, they decide to put together a video audition. Alice, being the narcissist she is, decides that there is no way in hell they will succeed unless she is "on the mat" right where she belongs. Which is strange since from the very beginning all she is trying to do is sabotage everything. But her wrist is still all wonky, so she really can't do anything and this is when we realize (again) that Alice is one whacked out chick (with really amazing hair). She seeks the help from Jake, a football player who apparently knows where to score all the drugs a little broken cheerleader could ever want, and he lovingly tells her everything he is going to get for her. Just the usual cocktail of HGH, percs and vics, and by lovingly I mean he is probably going to want to get her drunk and shtoop her later. But instead, he just gets his ass kicked by a cheerleader and by cheerleader I mean Lewis "Does this look crooked?" Flynn kicks his ass and ends up spending the night in jail.
Through out all of this, I can't help but wonder how does Alice make her hair so perfect when she only has use of one arm? I can barely get mine to look smoother than the Scarecrow's hair and I have both hands and two feet if need be.
All in all this episode was a little boring to me. I think I want to see more tumbling, less clothes, and a whole lot less of law school classes.
However I do want to see more drunk Savannah! Because obviously I don't think there is anything more riveting then watching a wayward Christian cheerleader getting all sloppy on her first real date.
In case you missed it, there is a Hellcats app for your iPhone. Ahem.
Oh look it's me as an angry cloven hooved Hellcat!
"The essence of what we've always wanted to do is to make a 'Bill & Ted' movie," he said. "We don't want to make a cynical 'here's Bill and Ted — you guys are our kids, now YOU guys go be Bill and Ted and the franchise can live for another 25 years!' It's not that. It's a straight up, what's the funniest and most surprising take on where Bill and Ted would be right now if we stopped back in on them? That's what we're doing."
Here's why I kind of love this: Keanu Reeves is a huge big gajillionaire star. After The Matrix, he could totally retire. And really, he hasn't done tons since then. I love that he wants to do this with his old pal, just for the sheer hell of it. I think mid-life crisis Wyld Stallyns rule.
Though, I agree with Winters, it's not the same without George Carlin.
LINK | Posted by the weirdgirl on Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sometimes you just want a good old fashioned concert that rocks and rocks it hard! That's what I found at the Honda Civic Tour, featuring Paramore, Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory, and Kadawatha. The concert as a whole had super high energy, a rapport with the crowd, and a down-to-earth feel. But one band stood out for me, and when you see band members flipping over each others' backs while they're still playing, how could they not? Drummer Cyrus Bolooki, from the pop-punk group New Found Glory, was kind enough to answer a few questions for Culture Brats. (I like him just for having the name Cyrus. And for being a drummer. Mmm, drummers.)
This was your second time on the Honda Civic Tour. How did you like it this time around? The Honda Civic Tour was awesome this year. Don't get me wrong, we loved every second of our time co-headlining the 2003 Honda Civic Tour with Good Charlotte, but this year's Civic Tour was very easy for us and extremely rewarding. The other bands on the bill were awesome and fun to hang out with, and everyone behind the scenes was super-professional and easy to work with. The biggest thing about this year's Honda Civic Tour for NFG was the fact that we were able to play in front of tons of new fans, both young and old, and the audiences all seemed to enjoy our music. That's something that's not easy to come by nowadays with so many bands/tours out there, so I think that NFG being on this year's Honda Civic Tour with Paramore, Tegan and Sara, and Kadawatha, was the best decision that our band could have made at this point in our career.
LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Thursday, September 23, 2010
Hello and welcome to Smacktalk, where each week we attackmock critique a music video or movie trailer. This week, we're taking a look at the video for Katy Perry and Elmo's smokin' new duet, "Hot And Cold." Hope ya love it!
Dufmanno: HELLO! Any viewers still breastfeeding are going to have a Pavlovian response right here.
Daddy Geek Boy: Actually Dufmanno, Katy seems a little more um… bound than she normally does.
Daddy Geek Boy: You know, Katy actually looks kind of like a Muppet.
Archphoenix: She does look like a Muppet. An empty-brained Muppet with really big expressive eyes. And big... uh, yeah.
Didactic Pirate: I already feel dirty watching this.
Daddy Geek Boy: I'm not questioning Elmo's sexuality, but if Katy Perry asks you to play, you say, "Yes!"
Dufmanno: No Katie, Elmo doesn't want to play. You are making him uncomfortable and he keeps having to avert his eyes from your magnificent breasts.
Didactic Pirate: If she breaks out the whipped cream spewing bra, I'm calling Child Protective Services. Or Childlike Monster Protective Services.
Archphoenix: I like that the VEIL is the only part of her outfit that's for dress up.
Chag: An Oscar-caliber performance: Angry Katy Perry!
Didactic Pirate: Oh. Oh. Oh. This is not ok.
Chag:Electric Company flashbacks! Make them stop! St! Op! Stop!
The Weirdgirl: Dressing up like a baby doesn't make you innocent, Katy. That ship has sailed.
Didactic Pirate: Elmo's up and Elmo's down! Or maybe Elmo just has a funny new feeling in his furry pants.
Dufmanno: Okay, is this a joke? A vigorous jogging scene in glorified lingerie? The high school soccer team used to sit on the hill while we ran laps DREAMING of this kind of bounce.
Daddy Geek Boy: It's this kind of scene that makes me really happy that my kids love watching Sesame Street.
Chag: You know, if they showed more pretty women running in low-cut dresses, I might still be watching Sesame Street.
Chag: Oscar with a cameo!
Chag: Or maybe he's checking out her ass?
Daddy Geek Boy: He's definitely checking out her ass. Oscar's a perv!
Dufmanno: The confused Dalmatian makes another appearance. I suspect he might be trying to put a stop to this.
The Weirdgirl: Should they be hanging out in alleyways like this? Oh wait, they just passed a recycling bin. That makes it OK. Not at all like those other women who hang out in alleys.
Didactic Pirate: "Elmo! Don't you want to play?" Geez, she's needy. Take the hint, Katy. Go back to Candyland.
Daddy Geek Boy: I've been playing a lot of Candyland lately and trust me, Princess Frostine has nothing on Katy.
Didactic Pirate: Actually, I think I like this version better than the original. Maybe she should put Elmo in her "Teenage Dream" video.
Daddy Geek Boy: Excuse me while I send my kids out of the room and watch this video again.
If you have any suggestions for upcoming SmackTalk victims, send them our way!
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Wednesday, September 22, 2010
I took my thirtysomething husband and male friend to see Easy A this weekend. Big mistake in that I wasn't thinking that the theatre would be swarming with giddy, screamy, tween girls.
I. Felt. Ancient. Also? I'd forgotten girls are LOUD. Seriously.
Anyway, cranky old lady griping aside, we all enjoyed the film. The premise is that Olive (played by the insanely charming Emma Stone, who was equally excellent in Zombieland) tells her pushy BFF Rhinannon (played by Hellcat Aly Michalka) that she ditched out on her pal to go out with an anonymous (made-up) college man. Rhiannon assumes that Olive had sex, wants details, and a nosy uber-Christian (Amanda Bynes) overhears this conversation, and spreads the story all over school. As rumors do, they blew up into ridiculous proportion. Olive's English class is reading The Scarlett Letter, so Olive decides to go all out and play up this ruined reputation. She wears corsets with red A's stitched on to them. She lets a gay friend have loud fake sex with her at a school house party so people stop beating him up for being gay. This kind of snowballs out of control and all kinds of losery guys want Olive to help them out too. Wacky hijinks ensue.
Now a word about the supporting cast. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson play Olive's parents, and it surprised me how well they both do screwball comedy. They were clearly having fun with the flick and they were fun to watch. Lisa Kudrow plays Olive's guidance counselor who is married to Olive's Hawthorne-teaching English teacher, played by Thomas Hayden Church. Did you ever think that Lowell from Wings would be the guy to have the breakout Oscar award type of career? Penn Badgley (who I'm told is on Gossip Girl) plays the Jake Ryan of the flick (but, you know, with less selling of his passed out girlfriend for date rape).
And speaking of Jake Ryan, the reason I bring this flick up on Culture Brats is the fact that at one point in the film, Olive mourns the fact that her life isn't like an '80s movie. She wonders where the John Hughes moments in her life are. (Incidentally, the film has a nice tribute to Hughes films at the end.) As the film rolled the credits, I leaned over and said to my friend "You know, that might be the closest thing the current teeny bopper generation gets to having their own Hughes film." He looked at me in horror. But you know, I honestly can't think of any films being made in the Hughes vein. Easy A deals with a lot of the same themes as a Hughes film, namely the viciousness of high school, and I can't think of any films in the past few years that dealt with these issues with humor and grace.
Another thing that struck me after the film was over was the fact that Hughes films often dealt with being the outsider kid that WAS still a virgin, while Easy A deals with the fact that NOT being a virgin is scandalous. Only sluts "give up the v card" in high school. I thought it was an interesting shift, though I'm not sure it's quite true to life. Regardless, the girls in the theater laughed loud and hard and walked out buzzing about the flick.
So Brats readers, can YOU think of any films made in the past ten years that might be Hughsian for a generation of teens? There have been some teen comedies, but I can't think of one that really resonates like, say, The Breakfast Club. One that teens can watch and think "that's ME they're talking about." Juno? Napolean Dynamite? I don't really think so.
LINK | Posted by DGB on Wednesday, September 22, 2010
I was struck by something as I watched the trailer for the final Saw movie:
It isn't the fact that the gratuitous mayhem is finally going to be coming to an end (unless the movie makes heaps o' money then I guarantee we'll be seeing Jigsaw again). It's that they're kind of beating us over the head with the 3D, don't you think?
There have been approximately 375* 3D movies released in the year since Avatar was released so I would wager that most movie-going audiences have seen a 3D movie. Yet a quarter of the trailer shows things coming off screen in a movie theater while an audience sits with the telltale Ray Bans strapped to their faces. At this point, is it really necessary to work so hard to explain the concept of 3D in a trailer? By definition doesn't 3D mean that things will, in fact, pop off of the screen?
It all seems to be a distraction to hide the fact that Saw 3D probably doesn't have much else going for it. I mean, I don't think people will flock to the multiplex because Cary Elwes is reprising his role from the original.
So just in case anyone out there is wondering what the "3D" means when you see it attached to a movie, it means that you have probably paid too much for your movie ticket.
*It took a team of mathematicians almost a quarter of an hour to make up this fact.
LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
For this week's Ranked!, we decided to follow up last week's look at the best movie soundtracks from the 1980s with our favorite '90s movie soundtracks. Did your favorite make our cut? Take a look!
13. Can't Hardly Wait 12. Batman Forever 11. The Commitments 10. Forrest Gump 9. Empire Records 8. Hackers 7. Trainspotting
LINK | Posted by Didactic Pirate on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Glee kicks off its second season tonight and I still can't decide whether or not I like it. On the one hand, those kids are ridiculously talented, and great with the big showstoppers. On the other hand... it's a serious cheese-fest.
To help me decide whether to tune in for the season premiere, I talked with an old high school friend of mine, with whom I share humble Glee club roots myself. She's since returned to our alma mater and become a choir director in our old music program. I asked her about Glee's impact on high school kids, her own favorite Gleek moments, and the danger of unsupervised Jazz Hands.
Ok, Ms. V. Let's cut right to it. You're a show choir survivor who later became a choir director at our old high school. That's gotta be a little trippy. The kids definitely love to laugh at me in rehearsals sometimes. I can't help but talk about how we did choir "back when I was in high school" – girls in sequined dresses, boys in silver jackets, and a lot of BIG hair. But at the time, we thought we were sooooo cool.
That's because we WERE so cool, duh. Did you watch Glee last year? I did. I DVRed it and watched some of the musical numbers several times.
What did you think of the Glee-ified versions of all those songs? Some were a little obnoxious. But as a teacher, I was really inspired by the talent in the cast, and how incredible some of those numbers were. Especially the show choir performances, right down to the choreography.
LINK | Posted by Chris on Monday, September 20, 2010
Laurie Everton is an '80s glam fan. Laurie Everton is an artist. Laurie Everton is a doll collector. Laurie Everton combines all three loves when she creates celebrity ooaks, dolls that she repaints, reclothes, and restyles to look like certain celebrities. She took a few minutes to speak with us about her unique profession.
Hello, Laurie! Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today. Hi! Happy to do it.
You create portrait ooaks. Can you tell everyone what portrait ooaks are? A portrait ooak is a one-of-a-kind doll made to look like a certain person (celebrity, or even someone's sister). Celebrities are the easiest because you can get all the pics you need. I have done people I've never met, non-celebrities. Those are harder because all I have to go by is what pictures the buyer has sent me.
Do you exclusively use Barbie and Ken dolls for your ooaks? If not, what other kinds of dolls do you use? I use Barbie and Ken alot, simply because you can play around with the facial features more. I also use the larger 16-inch Tonner dolls. I redo those too, but they are almost always actors and actresses. No rockers yet. The "Rockin' the '80s" series will be all Barbie/Ken size.
How did you get into this? What made you want to create portrait ooaks? I'm a portrait artist, been drawing portraits for years and years. This is the same thing, but different medium and canvas. I'm also a doll collector. I just combined the two loves.
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Monday, September 20, 2010
We reported some weeks ago that there's a movie coming out about the founding of Facebook. It's got a pretty impressive pedigree too: directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing), and has a solid cast.
What we failed to mention before is that Trent Reznor (NIN, How to Destroy Angels) was hired to score the film. And Trent's all about free music and stuff, so he's released a free 5-track EP from the soundtrack. If you want to check it out, head here. He's also worked a deal with Amazon in which you can buy the whole album, all 19 tracks, for $2.99 for a limited time (9/28 and 9/29) by going to Amazon.com on those days. There are tons of options for pre-ordering the soundtrack if you go to the EP link above.
There's also a new, interactive, trailer for the film embedded below. Nice to see the studio playing up the webbiness of the flick.
I'm still not sold on the film, which opens October 1. On paper it should be awesome but the trailers aren't killing it for me. How about you all?
LINK | Posted by Chris on Monday, September 20, 2010
Superchunk, Pavement, Robert Plant, and Primus all on TV this week? Crazy. What year is this?
Here are the musical acts appearing on the talk show circuit this week. We compiled this list to the best of our abilities. Check your local listings and don't shoot the messenger.
Monday, September 20th Jimmy Kimmel Live: Phoenix Last Call With Carson Daly: The Walkmen Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Superchunk Late Show with David Letterman: Chromeo Lopez Tonight: Daughtry The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: OK Go
Tuesday, September 21st Jimmy Kimmel Live: Band Of Horses Last Call With Carson Daly: Nas and Damian Marley Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Sara Bareilles Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Robert Plant Late Show with David Letterman: Maroon 5 Lopez Tonight: Michael Franti and Spearhead The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Sheryl Crow
Wednesday, September 22nd Last Call With Carson Daly: Alberta Cross Late Show with David Letterman: Tom Jones Lopez Tonight: Carlos Santana and India.Arie The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Methods Of Mayhem
Thursday, September 23rd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews Last Call With Carson Daly: Janelle Monae Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Pavement
Friday, September 24th Jimmy Kimmel Live: Primus Last Call With Carson Daly: La Roux (R) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: John Legend Late Show with David Letterman: Jimmy Eat World
Saturday, September 25th Austin City Limits: Them Crooked Vultures (R) Saturday Night Live: Katy Perry
(R) = repeat performance shows in red = our picks for the week
LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Friday, September 17, 2010
For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our favorite sitcoms from the 1980s. Enjoy!
15. Silver Spoons
14. Diff'rent Strokes
13. Married... With Children
12. Newhart
11. The Facts Of Life
10. Bosom Buddies
9. Head Of The Class
8. Who's The Boss
7. The Wonder Years
Get a custom package with these great DirecTV deals and never miss a favorite show!
LINK | Posted by Chris on Friday, September 17, 2010
We've made our opinion on M. Night Shyamalan pretty clear: there was a time when he made pretty decent flicks, but in recent years, his career has taken a turn for the worse. While you won't find me at a showing of Devil this weekend, I'd be there on opening night for No One Likes M. Night Shyamalan:
LINK | Posted by A Vapid Blonde on Friday, September 17, 2010
Part of me is waiting for Savannah's head to explode or at least pop off. I keep getting glimpses of the evil brewing inside of her that she is fervently trying to squash down. Wouldn't it be awesome if in one episode, Ashley Tisdale took that Sharpie of Enlightenment she runs around with and started telling it like it is? Alice would have the word "Skank" scrawled across her forehead.
In this episode, we realize that Savannah is not as happy-go-lucky as we would have thought. That she is also a rebel, much like Marti, and that she too has a difficult home life since being banished by her parents for the horrifying act of changing colleges! Oh, the nerve of our little innocent God-fearing cheerleader, the nerve! Her family seems like a bunch of selfish, self-righteous, close minded-asses, leaving little doubt about Savannah's decision to basically run away from them. Savannah's sister is the captain of the rival cheer squad from Memphis Christian College and in a divine act of God, she falls off the top of a people pyramid and suffers some kind of injury that results in a hospital stay and a prayer circle that just so happens to be during the Hellcats' rescheduled competition time. So Savannah does what any good squad captain would do: she skips the prayer circle and leads the Hellcats to victory! What? Of course they win because if they didn't the season would be over, right?
Moving on to plot hole number two that I mentioned in the first episode, that hole has been corked up and sealed shut. Alice doesn't have a scholarship to Lancer, she has The BOD (Bank Of Daddy) so she can be as manipulative and conniving as she wants to be to get back at Marti. Tsk tsk, Alice! Don't you realize this kind of behavior never works? Marti's mom, Wanda, shows up sober and tells Marti she looks like a tranny with all that make up on and tries to lick it off or something like that but in the end this just brings them closer to reconciling so in reality Alice is like a family therapist. Oh and Lewis "Does this look crooked?" Flynn is more then just a pretty boy, he's on to you Alice. He realizes what you tried to do by unnerving Marti and he doesn't like it. So while he and Marti do the bump and grind at the celebratory after party, you can sit there in the corner with your broken wrist and scheme all by yourself.
I would say the only thing that could have been better about this episode is that the Memphis Christian College cheer squad needed shorter skirts. Having them actually cover their butt cheeks was highly inappropriate.
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Friday, September 17, 2010
Yesterday Chag wondered why there was so much hate for 4 Non Blondes' song What's Up. I'm not really sure, but I know that when I hear the song, thanks to an old co-worker of mine, I laugh because of this bit of Internet genius:
I hope it's now ruined for you too. Is there anything that He-Man can't do? (Don't answer that.)
LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Thursday, September 16, 2010
Hello and welcome to Smacktalk, where each week we attackmock critique a music video or movie trailer. This week, we're taking a look at the video for Travie McCoy's "We'll Be Alright." Hope ya love it!
Chag: Less obvious product placement, please. Maybe next time he could just sing, "Buy a Mini Cooper!" (0:08)
Dufmanno: This is the third best car commercial I've ever seen. (0:09)
The Weirdgirl: There isn't anything more wholesome or cheerful than a Mini Cooper! (0:09)
Chag: Ain't no party like a mattress party! (0:15)
Dufmanno: Chag, call me silly but wouldn't the home they are visiting come with a mattress or two? Why lug your own when there are plenty available? Also, did they just drag it out of the back of the Mini Cooper because, you know, REALISM! (0:15)
Dufmanno: Is it a bad thing that I feel seething resentment bubbling up this early in the video? He's too smug for my tastes, especially since I can hear Supergrass right behind me breathing heavily. (0:18)
The Weirdgirl: My goodness he has a hairy neck! Oh wait, those are tattoos. Hairy-looking tattoos. (0:25)
Dufmanno: Most parties I've been to that start like this result in broken bones, hurt feelings, and unplanned pregnancies. You all need to wipe those smiles off your faces and get grim. (0:34)
Chag: Was that Andrew W.K.? (0:36)
The Weirdgirl: Skate ramp and sliding glass doors. This will end well. (0:47)
Dufmanno: Silly sting adds fun to any evening. (0:57)
The Weirdgirl: Pervert eyes. Lovely. (0:59)
Dufmanno: Travie's pinky finger looks wonky. And by wonky, I mean crooked. (1:06)
Dufmanno: Silly string ruins evening by dissolving in Solo cup of beer, resulting in toxic mixture of unknown chemicals that escape, form hazy cloud, and turn everyone into undead. No, never mind, it only spoiled his drink. (1:09)
Chag: Dufmanno, I like your vision for the video much better. (1:09)
Dufmanno: I like the skate ramp? I'm trying to stay positive. (1:15)
Dufmanno: So many ways to go here. First off: the ta-ta flash, while no longer obligatory in the music video, does still have some redeeming qualities. Second, the young lady on the left with the Cruella de Vil inspired black and white hair looks like a Barbie I had in second grade who had the upper portion of her skull on a pivot so you could rotate between brunette and blond. (1:17)
The Weirdgirl: Pervert eyes #2. I officially hate this guy. I am feeling a lot of anger... maybe it's something subliminal? (1:20)
Chag: Right back atcha, dude. (1:27)
Dufmanno: The guy in the shower with his girlfriend is patriotic. I love a good show of American pride. (1:38)
The Weirdgirl: Pervert eyes #3. Oh my god, dude, you need to get arrested in a public bathroom somewhere. (1:38)
Dufmanno: Wild Stallions on the shower curtain. (1:43)
Dufmanno: Let's move it outside to the pool where wet clothing and drunk people eventually result in nudity and group sex. And NO, I don't know this from experience. ( 1:54)
The Weirdgirl: Now that's a good way to ruin a bike. Did your parents buy that for you? GET A JOB! (2:00)
Chag: Sparklers? Really? (2:10)
Dufmanno: Look at my HAIR!(2:16)
The Weirdgirl: Well, NOW it's a party, because that guy did a backward flip! (2:28)
Dufmanno: That guy is attempting a gratuitous crotch grab in SLOW MO. (2:35)
Chag: A mattress to jump on, silly string, sparklers, and a pinata? Is this a douchebag hipster shindig or a birthday party for my kid? (2:40)
The Weirdgirl: Both. At least half those girls are underage. (2:40)
Dufmanno: Don't be hatin', Chag. You never outgrow the wonder of sparkly things, jumping high in the air, and recklessly smashing the hell out of objects hanging in front of your face while blindfolded. That sounds like a bad S&M session. (2:40)
Dufmanno: EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL! I told you no good comes of water and intoxication. (2:45)
Chag: Underwater lesbian makeout sessions! Just like every party I attended in high school! (2:57)
Dufmanno: I knew the girl on girl action was coming. (2:58)
Chag: Knew it was coming? Or HOPING it was coming? (2:58)
Chag: You know, if these are the kinds of parties he throws, I hope he never becomes a billionaire. So freakin' bad. (3:03)
Dufmanno: Wow, that ended abruptly. Almost like we were made to sit through that crapfest with no payoff. (3:10)
LINK | Posted by archphoenix on Thursday, September 16, 2010
I was out shopping and ran into something that made me say "Noooooo." Urban Outfitters is carrying... Members Only jackets! Seriously. I love the comments on the site - the UO market is way too young to remember these - James Dean? Really?
I was trying to remember the tagline that went along with them so I did some digging and found this classic piece of art:
When you put it on, something does happen: you become TOTALLY AWESOME. I'm so tempted to check eBay for that rockin' teal jacket. How about you? Did you have a Members Only jacket? Would you buy the plain black one from Urban Outfitters?
Full disclosure: I love lists, and I hate lists. What exactly makes a song one of the "worst songs of all time?" Yeah, a lot of obvious offenders make the cut ("Achy Breaky Heart," "Who Let the Dogs Out?," that annoying song from Friends), but some of these songs aren't so bad, some are even kind of good, I thought. I'll cop to having questionable taste sometimes, but "MMMBop" is a pretty good pop song, and I am a stealth defender of Nelson. (I met them once. They were nice enough guys.) Most of the songs were just... forgettable. I mean, I had forgotten a lot of them ever existed -- for good reason. (Thanks AOL for pulling Snow's "Informer" from the depths of my psyche.)
Conversely, Pitchfork's editors released their 200 Greatest Songs of the 90s. You can say what you want about Pitchfork's lists being too snobbish, or too rooted in indie and punk, but compared to others, theirs is pretty varied. When you're dealing with a decade that produced both Depeche Mode and Outkast (numbers 15 and 16 on the list, respectively), there's a lot to chose from, and they did a good job mixing pop, punk, hip hop, and rock.
LINK | Posted by the weirdgirl on Wednesday, September 15, 2010
You know what I thought I would be cool? A 99 Luftballoons t-shirt. (Because that's how I shop, right? I get an idea in my head and I just assume it will be out there for me to find.)
LINK | Posted by the weirdgirl on Wednesday, September 15, 2010
You may think that like many '80s child stars, Strawberry Shortcake ended up in the predictable downward slide of partying, substance abuse, and panty malfunctions. But you would be wrong! Strawberry and her fruity shorties have been relaunched! Twice.
That's some career reinvention!
She was relaunched in 2003 with a new TV series and an updated look. Then, after a flurry of controversies amid hardcore fans who apparently have nothing better to do than argue the validity of character hair color changes and animal companions, Strawberry Shortcake was again relaunched in 2010 with a whole new set of DVDs and another new look. (I hope those fans are making it through these trying times OK.)
Frankly, I missed the first relaunch, even though I had noticed that Strawberry Shortcake was showing up on a lot of pajamas. When I heard there were new movies available I decided to check them out. With my son, I watched two of the latest Strawberry's DVDs, one from the first relaunch's design but released this year (Berrywood Here We Come), and one from the current cgi-friendly era (The Glimmerberry Ball).
They both made me hungry, but the first relaunch designs made me more hungry. There was a lot of frosting going on. Plus, those girls were a little more glammed up for my tastes, but my son really enjoyed their antics. (You'd think that the 'Cake and her cohorts would be the ultimate in eww-girl-cooties but apparently fruit-themed dessert is engaging to everyone.) The latest design reminded me more of the original cartoon being set back in the village with berrykins doing berrykin crap, but had less singing and dancing than the Berrywood movie. Both DVDs were chock full of Wholesome Values.
In general, I thought they were cute and I was surprised at how much my son engaged with the movies. So if you've been nostalgic for Strawberry Shortcake, don't worry she's still around.
Now if they would only sell her fruit smelling pens again.
LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Tuesday, September 14, 2010
For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our favorite '80s soundtracks. Enjoy!
29. Back To The Future 28. Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure 27. The Blues Brothers 26. Rattle And Hum 25. Some Kind Of Wonderful 24. To Live And Die In L.A. 23. Tron 22. Say Anything 21. The Breakfast Club 20. Trick Or Treat 19. Vision Quest 18. Eddie And The Cruisers 17. Ghostbusters 16. Good Morning, Vietnam 15. Fast Times At Ridgemont High 14. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan 13. Batman 12. Stand By Me 11. Beverly Hills Cop 10. Sid And Nancy 9. Cocktail 8. Top Gun 7. Less Than Zero
LINK | Posted by Heather on Tuesday, September 14, 2010
There are few '80s evening television shows that stuck with me. I watched Remington Steele (and got scared witless, but that's another post.) I watched Knight Rider but who didn't, right? You totally got out the tape recorder so you could record the sound while you were gone, right? No? Damn. I didn't think my brother and I were that weird.
Our total favorite was The Dukes of Hazzard. It was an unhealthy obsession that traveled long into college. My nickname was Roscoe. As in P. Coltraine. If you don't get it, then you need to just bypass this post. Coo Coo!
With a theme song written by THE Waylon Jennings, it has to be an awesome rednecky show, right?
Daisy had a sort of unhealthy and strange relationship with her cousins. There were way too many celebrities heading through Hazzard County. Coo Coo!
There were a load of detours on that show, too. It's amazing that such a small town could be found on such a major highway with so many detours! Coo Coo!
I love The Dukes of Hazzard. I can admit it. It's unhealthy. I have email addresses related to the Dukes. I have Christmas ornaments related to the Dukes. I have issues.
Culture Brats is intelligent, witty, and insightful commentary on pop culture from the '80s to today. The children of the '80s are reclaiming pop culture!
Hello, MsPixy! Thanks so much for taking time to answer a few questions today. 
Weezer will release a deluxe edition of Pinkerton on November 2, 2010. The two-CD Pinkerton reissue will contain the original ten tracks and twenty-five extra tracks.
Artist: Boogie Down Productions
Artist: Ben Folds and Nick Hornby
Artist: Soundgarden
Artist: Rob Zombie
Artist: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Artist: Ice Cube
On this week's Culture Brats Radio, we played songs from '90s movie soundtracks. In case you missed it or just want to reminisce, here's the playlist:
In this epic installment we get drugs, street fights, steroid scandals, drunk puking girls, elicit affairs and some hot street dance moves.
I'd read a rumor on a gossip site last week, but now MTV's movie blog is confirming: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are working on a Bill & Ted 3! Said Winter: 
Sometimes you just want a good old fashioned concert that rocks and rocks it hard! That's what I found at the Honda Civic Tour, featuring Paramore, Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory, and Kadawatha. The concert as a whole had super high energy, a rapport with the crowd, and a down-to-earth feel. But one band stood out for me, and when you see band members flipping over each others' backs while they're still playing, how could they not?
Dufmanno: HELLO! Any viewers still breastfeeding are going to have a Pavlovian response right here.
Daddy Geek Boy: You know, Katy actually looks kind of like a Muppet.
Chag: An Oscar-caliber performance: Angry Katy Perry!
Didactic Pirate: Oh. Oh. Oh. This is not ok.
Chag: Electric Company flashbacks! Make them stop! St! Op! Stop!
The Weirdgirl: Dressing up like a baby doesn't make you innocent, Katy. That ship has sailed.
Didactic Pirate: Elmo's up and Elmo's down! Or maybe Elmo just has a funny new feeling in his furry pants.
Dufmanno: Okay, is this a joke? A vigorous jogging scene in glorified lingerie? The high school soccer team used to sit on the hill while we ran laps DREAMING of this kind of bounce.
Chag: Oscar with a cameo!
Dufmanno: The confused Dalmatian makes another appearance. I suspect he might be trying to put a stop to this.
Didactic Pirate: "Elmo! Don't you want to play?" Geez, she's needy. Take the hint, Katy. Go back to Candyland.
I took my thirtysomething husband and male friend to see Easy A this weekend. Big mistake in that I wasn't thinking that the theatre would be swarming with giddy, screamy, tween girls.
For this week's Ranked!, we decided to follow up last week's look at the best movie soundtracks from the 1980s with our favorite '90s movie soundtracks. Did your favorite make our cut? Take a look!
Glee kicks off its second season tonight and I still can't decide whether or not I like it. On the one hand, those kids are ridiculously talented, and great with the big showstoppers. On the other hand... it's a serious cheese-fest.
Hello, Laurie! Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today. 
We reported some weeks ago that there's a movie coming out about the founding of Facebook. It's got a pretty impressive pedigree too: directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing), and has a solid cast.
On this week's Culture Brats Radio, we played songs from '80s soundtracks. In case you missed it or just want to reminisce, here's the playlist:
For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rank our favorite sitcoms from the 1980s. Enjoy!
Part of me is waiting for Savannah's head to explode or at least pop off. I keep getting glimpses of the evil brewing inside of her that she is fervently trying to squash down. Wouldn't it be awesome if in one episode, Ashley Tisdale took that Sharpie of Enlightenment she runs around with and started telling it like it is? Alice would have the word "Skank" scrawled across her forehead.
You may think that like many '80s child stars, Strawberry Shortcake ended up in the predictable downward slide of partying, substance abuse, and panty malfunctions. But you would be wrong! Strawberry and her fruity shorties have been relaunched! Twice.
They both made me hungry, but the first relaunch designs made me more hungry. There was a lot of frosting going on. Plus, those girls were a little more glammed up for my tastes, but my son really enjoyed their antics. (You'd think that the 'Cake and her cohorts would be the ultimate in eww-girl-cooties but apparently fruit-themed dessert is engaging to everyone.) The latest design reminded me more of the original cartoon being set back in the village with berrykins doing berrykin crap, but had less singing and dancing than the Berrywood movie. Both DVDs were chock full of Wholesome Values.
29. Back To The Future 
There are few '80s evening television shows that stuck with me. I watched Remington Steele (and got scared witless, but that's another post.) I watched Knight Rider but who didn't, right? You totally got out the tape recorder so you could record the sound while you were gone, right? No? Damn. I didn't think my brother and I were that weird.
