I Lost It At The Movies

There are three documentaries out this fall that I've just gotta see, all mixing a nihilistic attitude with fascinating portraits of artistic ambition.

One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur inspired an album by Shore Fire clients Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard, who are also in it; it's sure to make me want to get on the road again.

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within should be an intense look at the Naked Lunch author (fun fact: what legendary duo, now featuring our client, bassist "Ready" Freddie Washington, in their touring band, named themselves after an object in that novel?).

Watch the out-there trailer for a glimpse of a manic Iggy Pop:



And last, but certainly not least, is Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records, about the legendary SoCal punk label. Lots of great punk energy, premiering in LA September 10 and available on the 22nd in a limited-edition box set with a double-LP compliation of 31 loud-fast-rules songs and a hardcover, full-color book.

Look at this and just try not to slam dance at your desk:



I'm buying the popcorn!

Get Even Smarter

The movie version of Get Smart is out today, and while from the trailer it doesn't seem nearly as funny as the TV series written by two of the world's greatest comic geniuses, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, it will probably become one of those movie remakes I go to primarily because of the theme song, a list that has included The Jetsons, Mission: Impossible and Life of Brian. (The last is in its own way a remake of King of Kings, isn't it? And don't you find yourself whistling "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" right about now?)

The "Get Smart" TV theme was written by Irving Szathmary, who doesn't seem to have written much else. The movie music is credited to Trevor Rabin (yes, of Yes), and what I've heard of the theme arrangement makes me suspicious (too many strings, not enough brass). But I will sit with my popcorn and see if anything in the film can equal this classic opening sequence:

Iron Man Is "Institutionalized"

I really loved Iron Man, one of the better superhero movies ever. Great performances by Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Palrow and Terence Howard (and the best robot team since R2D2 and C3PO) and strong direction by Jon Favreau give life to a smart, action-packed script.

Music plays an important part in the movie, including the accidental destruction of a Bluthner piano, which horrified me more than the subsequent pulverizing of a mint-condition Lotus (and, in a production that features blatant product placement throughout, made me wonder, why not Fazioli or Bosendorfer?).

The song choices by music supervisor Dave Jordan, also responsible for Transformers and The Fast and the Furious, were excellent, especially Suicidal Tendencies' hardcore plaint "Institutionalized," used perfectly to express our hero's angst. (Yes, that is indie-film superstar Mary Woronov as the mom in the original video below.)



Wired's Listening Post blog has an excellent rundown of various kinds of Iron Man music, past and present. Who knew the Cardigans covered Black Sabbath?