DVD Review: “The Hottie & the Nottie”
Rating: 13
With its pitch-black heart, a values system seemingly cribbed from prison graffiti and some of the most atrocious acting this side of a late-night chat line commercial, “The Hottie & the Nottie” induces dull nausea. That unsettled stomach comes from an insulting story and script, and is only mildly compounded by Paris Hilton’s presence. Yes, Hilton is not the primary cause of this film’s failure.
Joel David Moore plays Nate Cooper, a failing songwriter who became obsessed with Cristabel Abbott (Hilton) in elementary school, but her undying friendship with June Phigg (Christine Lakin) who has always had bad skin, bushy facial hair and rotten teeth, always got in the way. When Joel returns to Los Angeles after a bad breakup, he tries to reunite with Cristabel, but his object of desire refuses to date him unless June is fixed up with someone.
This is no mere “Ugly Duckling” story. Director Tom Putnam insisted on covering Lakin with atrociously exaggerated makeup, and in screenwriter Heidi Ferrer’s world, everyone is actively and verbally hostile to unattractive people, and Hilton should be held up as an aesthetic ideal. And, of course, Nate becomes smitten with June as her Maurice Sendak makeup comes off. Shrill, unfunny and embarrassing to watch, “The Hottie & the Nottie” is a strong argument for elective memory erasure, not plastic surgery.
Guestroom Records Music Chart, Week of May 9-16
1. Death Cab For Cutie
“Narrow Stairs” (Atlantic)
2. No Age
“Nouns” (Sub Pop)
3. Portishead
“Third” (Mercury)
4. El Perro del Mar
“From the Valley To the Stars” (The Control Group)
5. Four Tet
“Ringer” (Domino)
6. Beirut
“Gulag Orkestar” (Ba Da Bing!)
7. Cut Copy
“In Ghost Colours” (Modular/Interscope)
8. Neutral Milk Hotel
“In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” (Merge)
9. Spoon
“Girls Can Tell” (Merge)
10. Old 97’s
“Blame It On Gravity” (New West)
Video of the Day: Coldplay, “Violet Hill”
This is probably an alternative official clip, but Coldplay puts together an equally entertaining and disturbing litany of politicians of many persuasions and eras having too much fun for anyone’s comfort.
Courtesy: Pitchfork.tv
Countdown to Bad Vibes and Live Blogging: David vs. David vs. Staticblog, 7-9 p.m.
A gentle reminder: I will be live blogging the “American Idol” finale, that two-hour program-padding phenomenon that reinforces the attitude among network executives that no one really needs writers anymore, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Staticblog.
It’s my view that Simon Cowell either hates or doesn’t understand rock music, would rather deal with a compliant 17-year-old winner than a 25-year-old who has lived in the real world and called his own shots. We’ll see if I’m wrong, but currently I feel that Cowell gamed the show last night, and the outcome is about as certain as gravity.
Tulsa Wants a Cookie
David Cook
A few times a week, long after his morning shift ended at Tulsa’s alternative rock station, KMYZ-FM 104.5, deejay Chuck Stikl used to pull up a stool at the Rehab Lounge and talk music with the bartender.
The mixologist was a spiky-haired singer-songwriter who understood the music business, had a strong, resonant voice and worked hard at his craft, taking any club gig that could pay him $50 a night.
That bartender was David Cook, who will find out tonight if he is this season’s “American Idol” champion.
Stikl thinks that Cook, 25, could be the winner tonight, mainly because his style and sensibility seems more geared for long-term radio success than his fellow finalist, 17-year-old David Archuleta.
“I don’t really know if I’m sold on him (Archuleta) being a pop star,” Stikl said. “If it was ‘Broadway Idol,’ the guy would win hands down — the guy’s incredible. But I think his age kind of plays against him a little bit, and I think that plays to Cookie’s benefit, definitely.”
Stikl said he and Cook often talked about the music business, discussing the latest installment of record industry analyst Bob Lefsetz’ blog, and trying to chart the best route to success.
“He was always into the industry, into the business, so it’s not like he’s one of those guys who just popped up,” Stikl said. “He was always a guy who was always into it and driven, but always a super, super nice guy.”
Anticipation is heating up in Cook’s adopted hometown for the final “American Idol” episode, which airs at 7 tonight on KOKH-25 in Oklahoma City and KOKI-23 in Tulsa. Concert promoter and Tulsa radio personality Davit Souders said area musicians are showing interest in how Cook comes out and how it could impact the scene.
“Well, a lot of people like myself are excited to see our part of the world represented,” Souders said. “There’s always going to be some musicians that don’t aspire to head to a competition like ‘American Idol.’ But for every one or two of those, there’s about 30 that are very excited about it. Anybody else who is working and pushing their craft can appreciate all the elements it takes to go through that.”
KOKI-23 reporter Carrie Netherton is in Los Angeles, filing reports in front of the Nokia Theatre, site of the “American Idol” finale. Netherton said Cook reportedly will be collaborating with a surprise guest on tonight’s episode.
“He did say that he’s really excited about a duet he has on Wednesday,” Netherton said. “He won’t say who it’s with — they always have those surprise guests, but they never tell us who they are. I have some guesses, but I don’t know. Maybe Lionel Richie? Or Our Lady Peace, or maybe Chris Cornell? I don’t know — it could be anybody.”
With all the mystery and excitement surrounding the final round, Stikl said that Cook is probably the most surprised.
“I don’t think he really expected to be winning this thing,” Stikl said. “I think he thought, ‘Well, that’s cool — I’ll get some exposure and then I can go out and do my thing. And as the weeks went on, I think he started to realize, ‘Oh my goodness, I could win this.’”
Music Review: Scarlett Johansson, “Anywhere I Lay My Head” (Rhino)
Rating: 65
Because Scarlett Johansson is an actress whose notoriety as a singer is mostly tied to the “Saturday Night Live” skit “Deep House Dish,” her debut disc of Tom Waits covers, “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” is being met with outsized hostility. In truth, Johansson lent her vocals to a classicist tribute to 4AD records’ gauzy Gothic aesthetic, sequenced by 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell and produced by TV on the Radio’s David Sitek. If it had been credited to Watts-Russell’s This Mortal Coil, “Anywhere I Lay My Head” might be heralded as a work of resurgent genius.
Because of the preponderance of aural haze, Waits fans will likely find little to love — songs such as “Fannin Street,” “I Wish I Was in New Orleans” and “Falling Down” are just frameworks for Sitek’s atmospherics. In these multi-tracked ethereal settings, Johansson’s vocals never have to rise above dreamy, Liz Fraser-like vagueness, and “Anywhere I Lay My Head” is suffused with it. For many fans of 4AD artists Harold Budd or Dead Can Dance, this could be a major selling point.
As such, “I Don’t Want to Grow Up” is the true standout, a lush dance track worthy of Cocteau Twins’ more energized moments, and with its clanging garbage dump percussion, “Green Grass” is most redolent of Waits’ work. Johansson supplies just one instrument in Sitek’s orchestral synth cacophony, which must make “Anywhere I Lay My Head” puzzling for celebrity watchers who probably thought they would be getting nothing but propulsive club mixes from “ScarJo.”
— George Lang
Countdown to David vs. David vs. Staticblog: 1 day
As I’ve been flog-blogging you for the past couple of days, I will be live blogging the two-hour “American Idol” results show from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. So this is the opportunity for you to remember me as I was: semi-young, full of life, and optimistic about the future. You can recall with fondness that lad when you see the ashen and bereft specter I’ve become after this live blog. Cheers!
“City of Ember”
The above widget is from the latest fantasy film from Fox Walden, “City of Ember,” starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Saoirse Ronan and Toby Jones. This is the first time I’ve embedded a widget (that sounds really filthy, now that I’ve looked at it a few times), so we’ll see if WordPress explodes.
Random 10 for May 20, 2008
1. Miles Davis, “So What.” This is the leadoff track from Kind of Blue, widely recognized as one of the definitive albums in jazz and featuring John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans. Everyone talks about supergroups in rock ‘n’ roll that are rarely actually super, but Kind of Blue is like the gods jamming on Mt. Olympus.
2. Common, “The Light.”
3. Primal Scream, “Come Together.”
4. Kate Nash, “Men’s Needs.”
5. Chris Letcher, “Deep Frieze.” South African Letcher lands somewhere between Neil Finn and The Flaming Lips in terms of his melodic sensibilities and sonic preferences, which is some fairly precious real estate.
6. Band of Horses, “Detlef Schrempt.”
7. My Morning Jacket, “Bermuda Highway.”
8. Oranger, “Crones.”
9. Eric B. & Rakim, “Follow the Leader.”
10. Ladytron, “Destroy Everything You Touch.” Straightforward glam-disco track is accompanied by a surrealist video worthy of Bjork — it’s as if Mira Aroyo and Helena Marnie are part of the mountains in a Guo Xi painting. Ladytron’s new disc, Velocifero, comes out next month.
Video of the Day: Battles, “Atlas”
Your basic, matter-of-fact video featuring Battles performing in a glass box floating through space. As math rock goes, this is calculus — listeners either dig it the most, or they smack themselves repeatedly on the ears, trying to dislodge the munchkin/oompa loompa hordes marching on their brains.
Courtesy: Pitchfork.tv
