Trek On

Star Trek Into Darkness

Do not forget, don’t ever forget, that the creative team behind Star Trek: The Next Generation had four shots at making a good movie. Four shots, and like a poor marksman, they kept missing the target. One of the smartest shows on TV, a complex, weekly discussion of life, morality, and the spirit of exploration, and the best they could do were passable-to-bad action flicks. The same franchise that gave us (maybe) the greatest sci fi action movie of all time just could never make it work with a new cast. So JJ Abrams turned that shit around in 2009. He painted with broad strokes, brought back the original characters, focused on what everybody knew about the series. And it was good.

Somehow, the stakes are higher for the sequel. Yes, Abrams and the writers and the cast showed they could revitalize Trek universe and show us a rousing origin story, but with that done, would these new versions of the characters strong enough to propel a whole new adventure? And with the announcement that Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VII, would he be able to prove he’s ready to direct a big deal sequel, something he hadn’t done since Mission: Impossible III? If he screwed this up, a profound disturbance would be felt in the force.

He didn’t screw it up. At least, not in the ways that matter most. The poorly titled Star Trek Into Darkness picks up sometime after the last movie. Kirk (Chris Pine), made captain of the Enterprise by Tyler Perry at the end of the last film, is a capable, but reckless leader. That recklessness gets the better of him in an early sequence, and the movie sets out to prove that he deserves to be the man in charge of the Federation’s flagship. It’s not the most exciting direction for the movie to go in, but it’s nice to see that the writers were more worried about Kirk’s ability to fail upwards than even I was.

On the other end of the spectrum is John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch, you can tell he’s British because his character is named after two Beatles). He’s just a big ol’ jerk. And a terrorist, in perhaps the least interesting aspect of this story. He’s out there blowin’ stuff up pretty early on, and he is quickly made the Federation’s public enemy number one. So Kirk goes after him, as he is wont to do.

This is a slick movie. Like, damn. It’s also a movie that you could tear apart if you wanted to. There are more than a few moments when I found myself asking, why are they doing this? Why is this a thing? And the answer to those questions was always because it’s awesome. People can teleport, why take the shuttle? Because it’s awesome. Kirk’s really smart, why’s he always trying to fight dudes hand-to-hand? Because it’s awesome. The Enterprise is a space ship, and again, people can teleport, why is it underwater? Because it’s awesome.

The thing is, you could go back to any Star Trek and ask similar questions. Why the hell do only senior staff beam into dangerous situations? Shouldn’t they stay onboard, and, you know, lead? The problem might be glaring obvious in retrospect, but as long as a movie doesn’t leave you constantly befuddled, I think it gets a pass. For the most part, I was happy to be taken on Into Darkness‘ ride. I wish it was a smarter movie, because it’s Star Trek, and it should be smart, but it’s not made for me.

And yet… There are some parts that make me wonder. When the klingons take off their helmets, the reveal of their rigid foreheads only means something to the fans who are aware that the species didn’t always look how they look. Alice Eve is in the movie for two reasons: that shot of her in her underwear for the trailers, and her character’s name, which will mean something only to series fans. Otherwise, she does basically nothing, which is sad, because we’re supposed to want her on this crew. One character reveals something about his or her backstory that will only mean something as to the fans, in the actual story itself its nonsense. And there are parts of the ending that go too far in paying homage to the earlier films, trying to recreate moments that frankly this new series hasn’t earned yet.

But like I said, it’s probably not for me. They tried making Trek movies that worked for both Trekkies and peasant-folk, and it didn’t work. Star Trek is a big deal, and damn near everybody knows about most of the stuff this movie references, and they’ll feel giddy when they recognize it. Outside of the Trek context, this is a tight action movie that cherry picks some of the best ideas from recent hits like Inception and Skyfall and throws them in space. That sounds pretty fun, doesn’t it?

But seriously guys, what’s your beef with the transporter?

Vampire in Brooklyn

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

If you’re looking for an in-depth analysis of the 1995 Eddie Murphy classic Vampire in Brooklyn, look elsewhere. Instead, here’s something that’s almost as good. Modern Vampires of the City is the third release from Vampire Weekend, the indie pop foursome that’s getting harder and harder to classify. Lucky for them, that’s what makes them so great. Vampire Weekend’s sound has always been tricky to pinpoint. They started out a little Paul Simon-y, their second album was faintly electronic and now they’ve become something almost impossible to define because it’s like nothing we’ve ever heard. Modern Vampires of the City is an amalgamation of everything Vampire Weekend has done previously and then some. Ezra Koenig’s lyrics are more scholarly and insightful than ever, Rostam Batmanglij’s production is more ambitious, and the two Chris’ hold down an always steady rhythm section.

One of the most defining characteristics of Modern Vampires is its foray into baroque pop. Vampire Weekend had played with this classically romantic sound on past songs like “M79” but here it’s more refined. “Step” is a prime example with its sweeping elegance. There’s a great sense of maturity and growth on Modern Vampires but that doesn’t mean it can’t have fun too. It’s hard to think of anything more enjoyable than the oddly danceable “Diane Young”. Other songs like “Finger Back” and “Worship You” remind us that Vampire Weekend haven’t forgotten the playful punch of their first album. For an artist to grow and adapt without abandoning the sound that made them famous is quite an accomplishment.

I will say that Modern Vampires of the City may not feel as instantly approachable as the first two albums. It’s an unusual sound at first but if you have a pulse you should be able to adapt. I also miss the brevity of past Vampire Weekend songs but I’d sacrifice that any day for better songs. You know you love an album when you eagerly look forward to the next time you sit down and listen to it all over again. Ya Hey!

Favorite Tracks: “Diane Young,” “Step,” “Ya Hey”

Obsessongs: “Roadrunner”

As I spent this past weekend in Boston, one thought that kept going through my head as I wandered around the city was, “Man, I can’t think of the last time a really great band came out of Boston.” Sure, there where some good ones that rose out of Beantown’s underground scene in the 80’s (Mission Of Burma, Dinosaur Jr., Pixies), but beyond that, I’m kinda drawing a blank. Anyways, The Modern Lovers may have been Boston’s first great underground band, which back then was another way of saying they were just unsuccessful. Still, they managed to craft a song that for me embodies the timeless bond that teenagers form with rock music, and also serves as a nice tribute to the state of Massachusetts.

Song: “Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers
Album: The Modern Lovers
Year: 1972
Written By: Jonathan Richman

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R.I.P. Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen: 1920 – 2013
I’m shocked that I didn’t hear about this earlier. Ray Harryhausen was one of the greatest special effects artists of his time. As one of the top pioneers in stop-motion photography he brought countless fantastical creatures to the screen. From his early years as an assistant to Willis H. O’Brien (the animator behind King Kong) on Mighty Joy Young to his monster laden cult classic Clash of the Titans thirtysomething years later, Harryhausen captured the imaginations of many. I’ll always remember him best for Jason and the Argonauts (1963), a film that Tom Hanks once declared: “The greatest movie ever made.” It’s got Hydras, Harpes, a giant statue monster and who could forget the skeletons? When Todd Armstrong faces off against those bony bad guys set to the music of Bernard Herrmann, I get chills.

It’s disappointing that stop-motion has become somewhat of relic, but in a way that only makes Harryhausen’s work more special. It was a different era where effects work was done not with computers but with one’s bare hands. I have a lot of admiration for the patience and attention to detail Harryhause had. So much so in fact that I’ve decided to do a written Top Ten Tribute post to Harryhausen next week. Be on the look out for “Top Ten Harryhausen Monsters” though it wont be easy picking a winner.

T3 58: Top 10 Ways to Give Up

Sorry there wasn’t an episode last week, we had some plans and then they fell apart and we just, kind of, gave up. We’re pretty good at that, actually. You see, in life, you have to make choices. Choices about how you feel about yourself and how you present yourself to society. And we’ve all made certain concessions at certain times. That line might be rigid, but we’ve all tried to find some flexibility in it before, and most likely failed. That said, listen to this episode to find out some of the most atrocious ways you can throw away your self respect.

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Savage Yo’ Self

Savages – Silence Yourself

Getting excited about a debut album is a phenomenon that is completely alien to me. The order of things seems to usually be that a band releases an album or two, you like what they’re doing, so you get all amped up over the idea of what their next album will be. But thanks to the almighty power of the internet, I’ve been obsessing over this London all-female four piece for about the last month. I suppose from the moment I heard the kitchen-sink brutality of their first single “Husbands”, as well as skimming through endless YouTube videos that did a decent job of capturing the band’s live intensity, I was hooked. This of course has led me to be reminded of the phrase “hype is double-edged sword”, since I could’ve easily been setting myself up for disappointment. But fortunately, Silence Yourself is one of the most commanding debut albums I’ve heard in quite some time.

I’m sure this is something I’ve complained about before, but I really do miss the “rock band” dynamic in modern music. And by that, I mean that it seems like we’re living in an age when it’s so easy for these one-man solo projects to be recorded all in the comfort of one’s bedroom, and thus losing that personal element of collaboration. Savages however are a band in which you see each member completely feeding off of each other’s energy, and creating something that is so much more powerful than the some of its parts. But that’s not to say that these parts aren’t remarkable in and of themselves, as the muscularity of the drums and bass-playing is downright ferocious, and gives the guitar-playing the freedom to indulge in all kinds of flights of noise-filled fancy. All of which is complemented nicely by the simplicity of Jehnny Beth’s lyrics, which do much to drive home the almost primal nature of this band.

I suppose there are plenty of things that you could knock about Savages, such as the fact that they’re just pulling from a bunch of well-worn post-punk influences (Joy Division, Public Image Ltd., Siouxsie, blah blah blah). But honestly I’ve never cared too much about those bands, because they never really transformed those dark and brooding sounds into something quite as exacting and intense (I seem to be using that word a lot) as Silence Yourself. You could also rag on Savages for taking themselves a bit too seriously, considering the side of this album’s cover features the band’s somewhat overwrought personal manifesto, which decries the constant distractions of modern life. But that seems irrelevant, since this is a band that is able to own up to their goal of demanding your attention in the face of all these distractions. It’s not music that merely aims to be played in the background of your casual internet browsing. It’s there front and center, and I just find that really refreshing.

Favorite Tracks: “Shut Up”, “She Will”, “Husbands”

On Defiance

As Colin pointed out in his surprisingly thorough write up of “Landslide,” there haven’t been a lot of posts lately. One of the reasons for that is I’ve been spending my time not playing through a bunch of fun new video games, but instead focusing entirely on the trans-media event (my words, not their’s) that is Defiance. And since it’s a MMORPG and a TV show on the Science Fiction (or “SyFy”) network, I thought maybe you guys have no idea what this is. So I’ll tell you.

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