The Turning Gate

Melty Brain - File under Entertainment.

Mental miscellany, Vol. I

Someone should drown Billy Corgan in a puddle for Zeitgeist, the pompous ass. Branding the latest Smashing Pumpkins album a let down would be a vast understatement. I’d always suspected James Iha was the best thing going for the Pumpkins, and Billy’s now confirmed it by dragging the band’s good name through the mud.

Keeping with music for a moment, the new Interpol record is what you’d expect it to be, Joy Division for the modern age. The Heinrich Maneuver is catchy, though, and worth a listen. Interpol may be predictable, but they’re one of the better bands in the new music scene.

The new Abra Moore record, On the Way, is also what you’d expect it to be. In the case of Moore, however, that’s absolutely brilliant. She sets a high bar for expectations and meets them again and again.

Chris Cornell‘s second solo album, Carry On, also scores high marks in my book, except for the interesting, but questionable inclusion of a cover of Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean (interesting the first time you hear it, irritating every other time). Still, it’s enough to make me glad Audio Slave has broken. I hated Audio Slave, and, after the excellent Euphoria Morning, never found them to be more than a hindrance to Cornell’s continued solo career.

One thing I’d love to hear from Cornell would be a cover version of Steve Winwood’s Can’t Find My Way Home. I’ve got a feeling Cornell could do incredible things with that song. (So, if you’re reading this Chris, please take it under consideration!)

Film. Die Hard 4 was surprisingly good. It requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but if you can give it the leeway it requires, you’re in for one hell of a ride. I certainly hadn’t expected ever to say this, but it might be the best of the 2007’s summer blockbusters.

Films I’m looking forward to, in order of expectation:

The Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson’s latest, “An emotional comedy about three brothers re-forging family bonds. The eldest, played by Wilson, hopes to reconnect with his two younger siblings by taking them on a train trip across the vibrant and sensual landscape of India.” The trailer is brilliant, the soundtrack is superb, and Anderson has a good track record for quirky, intelligent film-making.

Lust, Caution, from Ang Lee. I loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but hated his subsequent films, (the incredibly bad) The Incredible Hulk and Brokeback Mountain. Still, Lust, Caution looks to be excellent, and it’s got Joan Chen from Twin Peaks.

Dedication, by debuting director Justin Theroux. I watched the trailer by random whim and came away feeling pleased about it. And after Tim Burton’s Big Fish, I quite like Billy Crudup in lead roles.

And that’s got to wrap it up for now. I might have written other things, but I’m out of time for this.

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