‘Inglourious Basterds’ is a divine gift to movie lovers

Never doubt Quentin Tarantino. Not only does he know (I mean really know) and love movies, he knows how to make movies that people love. Inglourious Basterds is another Tarantino classic that does just that.

I always have a hard time describing what makes me enjoy Tarantino’s movies so much. There’s so much going on, so many historical movie references, that a reduced synopsis seems unfair. Here’s a description that might put things into better perspective. 

Movies these days just haven’t had that special quality. The quality I’m referring to has been around since the dawn of motion pictures – the mesmerized feeling early movie-goers had when the new flick in town was the place to be. Everyone was excited. Nothing was more important than absorbing every strip of film. People left the theater dreaming – women dreaming of being the next talented starlet, twirling outside the box office; men tilting their caps to emulate the slick leading men of the time.

It’s safe to say cinephiles have been underwhelmed lately. Avoiding any misplaced hyperbole, there have several recent films that impacted me this way. It just doesn’t happen very often anymore. Though, I’m glad I can add to that shortlist Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds – the first perfect film of 2009 and a much-needed movie industry jolt. 

The factor that makes a modern film admirable is the essence of being a gift from another time period –a time period when the old values of filmmaking dazzled audiences and made the timeless phrase “movie magic” not something to scoff at. Movie magic was honored. Now, it is too frequently ignored. Tarantino’s latest film understands the power of film and it shows in every frame, and it showed in the smile on my face when I left the theater. That’s what I call a truly gratifying, and altogether classic, movie experience.

                

The Walkmen – Live at the Guggenheim

The Walkmen brought three tracks (“In the New Year,” “On the Water” and “Red Moon”) off their latest album, 2008’s vastly underplayed, under-appreciated and overlooked You & Me, to the Guggenheim Museum in New York this past weekend. 

The Walkmen are making some of the most incredible music out right now, but they get limited credit for it. You & Me was last year’s best record and it was barely recognized. The reason? They don’t rely on gimmicks. They rely on great music, which, unsurprisingly, isn’t enough for critics and fans who salivate for the next hip act. Hey, maybe if Hamilton Leithauser dressed like the dudes from Vampire Weekend or MGMT, things would be different. Until that disaster, The Walkmen might actually win some new fans the right way.

Check out the performances courtesy of Ray Concepcion from Fader TV (via Stereogum).

                                                

Making Sense of “Town Hell” Meetings

Being a Culture Dweeb isn’t simply being an astute pop culture junkie. Culture also means knowing about the political world around you. So, politics will now be a part of this Web site, as it should be.

And the addition has come at a good time. The biggest issue right now in Congress and in crazed local town hall meetings is health care reform. It’s been discussed ad nauseam; the trouble is, not many outside of Congress have the facts right.

Rachel Maddow’s debunking of those responsible for most of the misinformation being spread about President Obama’s reform program is a fine place to start for those who want truth, not propaganda, fear-mongering and deliberate lies.

Radiohead Pays Tribute to Harry Patch

Harry Patch, who died July 25 at the age of 111, was the last surviving British soldier to have fought in WWI. 

His passing inspired Radiohead to record a song entitled “Harry Patch (In Memory of)” with all download proceeds to be donated to the Royal British Legion, a charity for all who are serving or have served in the British military. Set to a somber string arrangement by Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke’s usual haunting vocals, “Harry Patch” is a lovely farewell to a brave man.

You can read more about the track and give it a listen at Stereogum. The digital download can be found here.

The Decemberists, Neko Case and Fleet Foxes – Live at Newport Folk Festival

NPR has archived performances of The Decemberists, Neko Case and Fleet Foxes at the Newport Folk Festival held this past weekend in Rhode Island.

Check out The Decemberists’ set here , Case’s here and the Fleet Foxes’ over here.

Side note: You Ain’t No Picasso posted two new Decemberists tracks, “Rocks in the Box” and “Down by the Water,” that were performed at the festival but don’t appear on the NPR stream.

More Trailer News – Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson’s follow-up to 2007’s The Darjeeling Limited now has a trailer. Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the 1970 Roald Dahl book, is Anderson’s first foray into stop-motion animation but the film appears to uphold his signature style – most noticeably, the camera framing/movements, ’60s and ’70s flavored soundtrack, fun storyline and dialogue and Anderson regulars (Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Anjelica Huston). On top of this already incredible voice-cast are George Clooney and Meryl Streep as the leads. 

Now, I’m not a huge animation fan but I am a huge Wes Anderson fan, and this looks awesome. Not Rushmore-awesome, but still a must-see.

Coen Brothers’ Upcoming Movie – A Serious Man (Trailer)

Joel and Ethan Coen are primary reasons to still care about new movies. They always provide a break from the painfully mindless “films” that cash in at the box office week after week. In order to avoid giving these insults to cinema any more attention, I won’t mention examples.

The Coens consistently make intelligent, damn great movies, which are very hard to find these days. Expect the same when A Serious Man comes out October 2.

New Music from Yo La Tengo – “Here to Fall”

The indie legends have just released a video for “Here to Fall” off the forthcoming Popular Songs (via Pitchfork). The track offers somewhat of a new, polished sound from the band. Ira Kaplan’s warbled vocals, spacey atmospherics and backing strings create something fresh for a band who has been making solid music for over 20 years. 

The trio doesn’t make an appearance in the “Here to Fall” clip but several cool airplanes do.

The prospects for Popular Songs‘ September 8 release are looking very good. And if you’re not convinced, check out another Popular Songs offering – the organ-and-cowbell friendly “Periodically Double or Triple” – which sounds completely different from, yet similarly awesome to “Here to Fall.”

                                  

Washed Out

Over recent days, Gorilla vs. Bear, Pitchfork and Stereogum have been posting about South Carolina’s Washed Out (Ernest Greene). And for good reason. His laid-back tunes are killer and, as the large shore image on his MySpace demonstrates, Washed Out is all about creating summer vibes. 

The electro-drenched tracks now streaming at Washed Out’s MySpace conjure an ’80s-movie beach scene, without any of the cheesiness, layered with calming synth waves and echoes. The percussive “Get Up” (which sounds a little like the Pet Shop Boys), breezy and looped “Feel It All Around,” tropical-toned “New Theory” and icy grooved “You’ll See It” are perfect for folks who like their summer jams to be anachronistic.

Atlas Sound and Panda Bear Join for “Walkabout”

If there are two premier figures in the ambient/dream-rock/experimental/”sound you can’t quite describe” scene, they are Animal Collective’s Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Deerhunter/Atlas Sound frontman Bradford Cox. “Walkabout” is their first collaboration and it’s insanely awesome – a phrase commonly used when referring to these guys’ projects. 

Much like songs from their respective bands, it’s hard to place “Walkabout” into a genre. How about, it sounds like it comes from a world where the sun always shines and we all live in the ocean. I tried.

They shoot for experiencing music, not just listening. Man, this brilliant track has that for sure. Check it out at I Guess I’m Floating.

“Walkabout” is off Atlas Sound’s October 20 record Logos.

                                                       Bradford Cox

                                                        Panda Bear