American Gangster - Ridley Scott (2007)

Although, I don't particularly like the title of the move, the film itself is a whole different story. Ridley Scott is usually good for an enjoyable movie experience and this one was no exception. It's the story of Frank Lucas, a drug-dealing gangster of New York in the early 1970s. The film also stars Russell Crowe as the cop determined to brings his drug empire down. It's very clear from the start that this isn't going to be the typical "cops and bad guys" movie. The film is presented from both sides and both characters come off as protagonists and likeable. It's ultimately up to the viewer to choose which side they sympathize with more; although there's another huge element that plays into the movie. A third major character, played by Josh Brolin, becomes the key to the film when all is said and done. The action scenes are well done, and most of the performances are very good. Chief among them is Franks, mother, played by Ruby Dee, who earned an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Crowe and Denzel Washington do what they have done their entire careers... turn in solid performances. The film is a bit longer than average at two and a half hours, but there's enough going on to keep the viewer interested throughout the duration. Overall, it's not incredible or groundbreaking by any means, it's still an entertaining work worth checking out.

What an Awesome Super Bowl

I, like many other people across the country, thought the Patriots would roll tonight, although we hoped they wouldn't. After a defensive battle, and two heroic touchdown drives, one by each team, the Giants came out of top and handed New England their first loss since the 2006 AFC title game against the Colts. 18 wins sandwiched in between losses to two goofy brothers from the south. It doesn't get any funnier than that. After all the crap we've gotten in the media the last few months about the success of "Boston sports" it was nice to see the pride and joy of Boston crash and burn on the world's biggest stage. I came into this Superbowl apathetic after last year's game by the Bears, but I'm pretty happy for the Giants after all is said and done. Now that both Mannings have won it all, can we get back to where we left off in the NFC Championship against New Orleans last year? Yes, I think we can. Bears in '08.

Wait. Who am I kidding?

I Don't Even Know What To Say

Seriously. I've never watched such a terrible game in my entire life so I'm not even going to bother writing about it.

The Darjeeling Limited - Wes Anderson (2007)

Wes Anderson's latest film is almost exactly like his others, but at this point, that's not a bad thing. All the classic Anderson elements are here. Estranged family relations, sibling rivalries, slow motion, strange props and witty, snappy dialogue. Although this film can't touch the Anderson masterpieces (Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums) it is a solid addition to an already very impressive filmography for Anderson. To me, Wes's previous film, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, felt a bit empty. I didn't feel for the characters very much and the film tailed off at the end. The Darjeeling Limited does not fall victim to any of these problems. The film's three main characters are all are genuinely interesting and they will keep you entertained for the duration of the film. A few gags are repeated throughout the film and yet they still bring the laughs every time. One of my favorite things about the movie is all the great supporting characters. Chief among them is the "manager" of the train, pictured above. The film also gets an early cameo from Bill Murray which is good for a laugh or two. Like all of his previous films, Wes relies less on the actual story and more on the actual film making to make the movie enjoyable. However, this doesn't mean the movie didn't have heart because that's certainly not the case. A scene at a native village intertwined with a flashback is especially moving. The ending is the only thing I wasn't too high on. It kinda seems like they couldn't figure out how to end it and left it a bit too ambiguous. I would have liked to have seen at least a little closure. Regardless, the flaws of this film are far outweighed by it's merits. I think big time Wes fans like myself will love this film while others who are less keen on the director may not care for it as much. But in my eyes it's worth of being next to No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood as a top film of 2007.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut album is a nice surprise, and a new addition to an ever growing group of bands who have become popular through the internet. Appearing on blogs, and spreading by word of mouth, the band was signed to a record deal and released their first album earlier this week. The album is instantly likable. The songs are fun, upbeat and catchy. I've had several of them stuck in my head all day after listening to it this morning while walking to class. It's a relatively short album at only 34 minutes, but that doesn't deter it at all. Vampire Weekend's sound is tough to pinpoint, but to me they sound like a combination of Spoon and a much more lo-fi Arcade Fire. The lead vocalist reminds me a lot of Britt Daniel from Spoon...with a little Caribbean accent that goes well with the sound of the music. It's tough to pick a favorite track (or even a least favorite) because the album is so even all the way through, however if I absolutely had to I'd go with "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." It's such a simple song, but it's infinitely catchy, especially the lyrics ("is your bed made? is your sweater on?"). Pitchfork has already received some backlash for giving this relatively unknown band a great review and significantly helping their career as they have done with other bands such as Tapes 'N Tapes and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. However, unlike those bands, I truly believe this album deserves the 8.8 Pitchfork gave it. It's a good listen and will almost certainly be on my top 20 end of the year list for 2008.

January 30 - Illinois at Michigan State

Well, it wasn't in the least bit pretty, but a win is a win. The final score of 51-41 represents how sloppy this game was. A very physical contest with lots of fouls and not much run and gun from either team. But again, the Spartans prove they can beat you in a variety of different ways. The previous two contests were high scoring, with the Spartans running up an down the floor for easy scores. This game was a grind; each possession took up a great deal of the shot clock. They also found a way to play through horrid shooting from nearly everyone and foul trouble from several key players. Illinois, on the other hand, showed why they are only 2-7 in Big Ten play. Their defense was effective, holding MSU to only 51 points (20 in the first half). However, their offense may be the worst in the Big Ten this side of Northwestern. They couldn't make free throws to keep them in the game, and for the most part, they shot worse than the Spartans did. Just three years removed the National Championship Game, the Illinois program has crashed back to earth, and it couldn't be any funnier to me. I'd tell the Illini to have fun in the NIT at this point, but they're not even good enough to make it there. See you in Champaign in a few weeks, boys.

As for the Spartans, this win marks the best 21 game start in 109 years of Michigan State basketball. That's right, better than both of the national title winning teams and all six final four teams. It's obviously still early, but i like the tone that sets as we delve into deeper and increasingly more important games. This weekend it's in State College, PA to take on the hobbled Nittany Lions. After that it's Northwestern at home. Then the schedule gets much more challenging. But it's good to know this team has put itself in position to win their first regular season conference title since 2001. Tomorrow is the first game between any of the three ranked Big Ten teams as Indiana takes on Wisconsin in Madison. Since Indiana is still undefeated in conference play, I'll be rooting for Bo Ryan and his horrible team. Hope it's a good game.

Also, happy 53rd birthday, Tom Izzo.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

Stephen Malkmus's first three solo records were nothing short of fantastic. He had built on the success of his band Pavement and in some ways taken it to new levels. While it's not commonly agreed upon that his solo career has exceeded his achievements as the Pavement frontman, it's hard to argue that they pale in comparison either. Real Emotional Trash is his fourth record, a follow up to 2005's Face the Truth. Although it was a fairly good record, something about the record left me somewhat dissatisfied. The middle of the record really dragged and brought the album as a whole down a peg. With Real Emotional Trash, it is the complete opposite. The middle tracks are among the best, including the mind-numbing ten minute title track. The album as a whole most closely resembles 2003's Pig Lib, which was a bit more "jammy" and less pop oriented than his debut or Face the Truth. "Baltimore" and "Hopscotch Willie" have some great solos reminiscent of previous tracks like "Animal Midnight" or "1 Percent of One." My personal favorite track is "Out of Reaches" because it blends every great element of the album into one song. Some great instrumentation and a nice tune with classic Stephen Malkmus lyrics. One of the little things i noticed that seems to make a big difference in enjoying this album is the track order. The short songs are intermingled nicely with the longer ones making for a great listen the whole way through. For example, the long, solo-filled "Baltimore" is followed immediately by the short, more pop-oriented "Gardenia." The highlight of the album for many people will be the grinding ten minute title track. Starting off slow and mellow, it elevates to a face-melting solo and right back again. Overall, the album has something for anyone who likes good music. It's very early into the year, but in my eyes Real Emotional Trash is the early frontrunner for album of 2008. Just another chapter in the impressive career of Stephen Malkmus.