There aren’t a ton of movies out right now in the theater that I wanted to see, but the lady and I decided to go check out Taken with Liam Neeson. I’m sure you’ve seen the trailers for this one – you know, where the daughter is on the phone, about to get kidnapped, and then the kidnapper gets on the phone and Liam says, “I have a particular set of skills; skills that I have acquired over a long period of time,” etc. It’s actually a cool trailer. Ok, ok, so maybe, it’s not the coolest looking movie of all-time.

So, the first 20 minutes of the movie, we get the back-story…you know how this goes: Liam is a divorcee, looking to have a relationship with his 17 year-old daughter who just so happens to look like she’s 30. He used to be some sort of CIA guy, but quit that job because, gosh darn it, he’s a great Dad and the only thing that’s important to him is his daughter. Anyway, the daughter now lives with the mom and her rich-ass step-dad and she wants to go to Paris for the summer with a friend. Liam, being the protective and paranoid father that he is, thinks this is a bad idea, but ultimately relents. When she gets to Paris, she is immediately kidnapped and what do you know, Liam has to travel to Paris to kick some major ass. Look – it ain’t Shakespeare. In fact, it’s more like Rambo meets The Bourne Identity. (That’s what happens in Hollywood. When writers/producers pitch movies, they say, oh yeah, it’s like Annie Hall meets the Terminator.)

I’m not going to give the whole movie away or anything (not that it’s that hard to figure out just by watching the trailers), but I will say that I learned a few things from this movie.

#1 – 17 year-old girls (who look 30) run everywhere. This girl would run when she saw her Dad at her birthday. Run to go open her present. Run when she saw her friend at the airport. Run, run, run…It was as if I were watching a Will Smith movie.

#2 – Liam Neeson took out roughly 39 guys in the movie, all by himself…usually only using a karate-type chop to the neck. Note to self: learn this karate chop move asap.

#3 – The sex trade industry has really classed itself up. I had no idea they had top secret billionaire guys bidding on young women. How do you even get into one of those affairs? Are they just sitting around smoking their cigars at one of their business meetings and one guy is like, “Oh, we should buy some stock in Exxon, I think it’s the right move.”? And some other guy is like…”yeah, that’s a great idea; hey why don’t we go celebrate by buying some women at a secret underground place and spend millions of dollars on them? What do you say??”. (Please note that I do not endorse the sex trade business. Just want to make that clear.)

Overall, the movie was a bit cheesy. But if you are looking for a decent action flick that stars some 50 year-old dude beating the living crap out of people without so much as a flesh wound, then go see this movie.

RN

Mates of State Polyvinyl

Lawrence, Kansas. Not much going on there. Unless you’re husband and wife team Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel putting out quirky songs centered around synthesizers and drums. Then you’ve got a lot going on. Their catchy pop jams helped them land opening gigs for We Are Scientists, Death Cab For Cutie and Spoon. They’ve played Lollapalooza and had their songs featured in commercials. They’ve run down the entire modern-day indie rock checklist and crossed off all the necessary items. Accept them into your hipster collection if you haven’t already. They’ve earned it.

[audio:matesofstatefuneralsong.mp3]

-John

I caught The Battle for Tobacco Road Duke vs Carolina on HBO last night and I must say, I was kind of disappointed. I thought the music was bad and they just didn’t show enough of game footage or even truly capture the testiness between the players and even the fans. I felt like they really dropped the ball in who they decided to interview for the documentary too. I mean, why not have more than 30 seconds with Michael Jordan? Why not interview some famous (non-basketball) alums from both schools and get their take? I mean, they had some 24 year old kid on there that I hadn’t even heard of…ridiculous. I know they only had an hour but the show never quite connected with me. If you want to learn more about the rivarly, I highly suggest reading To Hate Like This is to Be Happy Forever by Will Blythe. It’s absolutely fantastic as it gives a great history of the rivalry as well as a true fan perspective.

- If you know me, then you know that I love two things in life. Hot tubs and Time Machines. Finally, there is going to be a movie combining both of my loves and it will star John Cusack and Rob Corddry. Oh, forgot to mention the title of the movie, Hot Tub Time Machine. That’s right…it probably took them .02 seconds to come up with that.

- Looks like all of you Arrested Development fans finally got your wish. I will say that seeing Gob one last time will be nice.

- Stop the presses! Andy Richter will be joining The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien when the show starts up this summer in Los Angeles. Yes, I’m was a huge fan when he was Conan’s side-kick. That In the Year 2000 bit was one of the greatest bits in comedy. (yes, that’s a stretch I know but it was pretty good)

- I’m not sure if you saw this or not but there was a funny British guy on that show Wife Swap a few weeks back. Evidently, his stint on the show created a huge buzz on youtube. He is just downright mean to this lady.

RN

There’s a new edition of Guess the Movie (online version) below, and to show you the ropes on how to really dominate such a challenging game the guys recorded a 5-minute flash of GTM. Think of it as a guide to unlocking your inner movie-trivia master. Marvel at Rhett’s flawless clues. Revel in the beauty of John’s deductive (and sometimes inductive) reasoning skills. This is truly a battle of epic minds that can only serve as a template for success, as you go forth and play on your own. Godspeed…

[audio:flashgtm.mp3]

Download: Flash – GTM

I’m thinking of a movie…you try to guess it in the comments section. The above picture is a clue.

If nobody guesses correctly, I’ll add another hint to the post. Good luck.

UPDATE: Ok, one really good guess so far and that’s JB’s guess of Leaving Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that’s not the correct answer but I at least wanted to single someone out for a solid guess. Alright, here is the hint: This movie is a “killer” black comedy that came out recently (in the last two years). I think someone will get this soon…

UPDATE II: Keep the guesses coming, no correct answers yet. Here is another clue, an Oscar winner (and a dude that walked by my cubicle when I worked at ABC) stars in this movie. So, let’s put the clues together shall we? A picture of “Alcohol Killer”, a recent black comedy movie, and now an Oscar winner that stars in this film. Good luck

UPDATE III: Sobchak – You have Guessed the Movie! You Kill Me is the correct answer. The movie that starred Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni, and Luke Wilson. Congratulations! Please make sure you tell all of your friends that you are the best (this week only though).
RN

A little thin on the Musings today because I’m kind of busy at work. The Oscars are this Sunday and John and I should be doing another podcast soon, probably a recap of the Oscars.

- This story about Shaq is awesome.

- Conan’s last show before he moves to LA will be on tonight. For my money, I think he’s the best late night talk show host around.

- My brother showed me this trailer of Seth Rogen’s new movie, Observe and Report… I just hope it’s not another Pineapple Express.

- I’m a little bummed to hear that Jessica Biel and Forrest Whittaker’s movie, Blue Powder will be straight to dvd. Not so much because I’m a fan of Jessica or Forrest, but because a friend of the show has like four scenes in that movie and I was hoping to see him on the big screen. Hopefully, this is just a rumor.

- Oh, for those of you that don’t work in Hollywood, you may not have seen this little rap about life as a Hollywood assistant.

RN

So, on my drive home from work last week, I immediately noticed this billboard (the picture above) with some photoshopped dude wearing a speedo. (please insert your own joke now) Anyway, I figured it was some sort of joke or something…similar to the Jackass billboard that they had up a few years ago in West Hollywood. Click here to check it out.

So, then I started daydreaming about a day when I would have enough money to play some joke on one of my friends in a comprimising picture and put them up on a giant billboard for all of LA to see. Man, that would be sweet. And of course it would say something really witty like…um…well, I have a few years to work on what it would say. But you get the idea.

Well, I finally figured out that this billboard is actually marketing Paul Rudd and Jason Segel’s new movie, I Love You, Man which opens up on March 20th. Anyway, the movie looks pretty good (please note that I think Paul Rudd can do no wrong) and I really just thought it was a clever way to market this film…b/c everyone likes dudes in speedos…EVERYONE.

RN

I convinced myself a few months ago that there is decent rap music in the world – I just have to go find it. And so began my quest to hunt down rap artists lurking in the shadows, crafting their rhymes by streetlight, and share their talents with the world. Now, you may be thinking, “hey man, there are tons of good rap artists out there – just turn on your radio”. False. There are like…two. Jay-Z and Kanye. And MIA – she’s good too. TI is ok and Lil Wayne is wildly overrated. Sorry, it’s a fact. However, do check out Lil Weezy’s blog over on ESPN.com – it’s awesome. With that being said, let me introduce some of you (some of you undoubtedly already know of the forthcoming artists) to some lesser known rappers who bring the goods much better than your mainstream hip hop heroes. Straight goods, to be exact.

Name: Charles Hamilton
From: NYC/Harlem
Label: Interscope
Featured on this site already: Yes – Weekly Music Spotlight
Sounds like: A young Nas, if he were one of the Beastie Boys
Style: Smooth, often sexual lyrics
Beats: *** out of 5 stars
Summary: Check him out in the spotlight archives first off, but he’s got a unique gift for creating unorthodox rhyme schemes and relies on a raw, “made-a-mix-tape-in-my-bedroom” style. Different from anything you’ll hear on the radio.

[audio:charleshamiltondown.mp3]

Name: Wale
From: DC
Label: Allido/Interscope
Featured on this site already: Hell yes, I love this guy – Weekly Music Spotlight and Best of 2008.
Sounds like: A forgotten member or the Wu Tang Clan, possibly related to ODB and the RZA
Style: Unpolished and fun-loving
Beats: *****
Summary: This guy is my favorite. Already talked him up a lot right here on the site, so I’ll leave it at that.

[audio:waledigdug.mp3]

Name: Asher Roth
From: Morrisville, Pennsylvania
Label: Universal Music Group
Featured on this site already: No
Sounds like: Eminem if he went to prep school
Style: Conversational – intricate lyrical flow
Beats: **
Summary: Actually not a huge fan of this guy, to be honest. The song below is ok and I figured just because I don’t really like him doesn’t mean you guys might not be down with him.

[audio:asherrothdeyknowasher.mp3]

Name: B.o.B
From: NC and/or Decatur, GA
Label: Atlantic/Rebel Rock
Featured on this site already: No
Sounds like: A better version of the Cash Money Millionaires
Style: Harder southern rap
Beats: ***
Summary: I think the most hardcore entry of the group by far. If you need to get your gangsta swagger on, check this guy out.

[audio:bobhaterseverywherewego.mp3]

Name: The Cool Kids
From: Chicago/Detroit
Label: C.A.K.E./XL
Featured on this site already: No
Sounds like: Those guys you knew in high school who were decent rappers -only much better
Style: Old school. The oldest.
Beats: **
Summary: A fix for those of you craving some 1980s rap stylings. Mellow tones and simple beats provide the backdrop for their rhymes of parties and tricked out bikes. The Cool Kids are all about flossin.

[audio:thecoolkidsbasementparty.mp3]

Name: The Knux
From: New Orleans
Label: Interscope
Sounds Like: Outkast – a little.
Style: Creative lyrics and songs made to take to the party
Beats: ****
Summary: Most of their tracks are clever and fun (even ones about getting shot in the hood) and make these guys a winner. I think The Knux will be the most popular group out of this feature.

[audio:theknuxbangbang.mp3]

So there it is – rap music that doesn’t suck. Some of you may be thinking that I ripped off this idea from the cover of XXL magazine a few months ago, but you’d be wrong. I had all of these guys on my radar before that issue came out (except fo B.o.B – so thanks XXL), so just slow your roll. Now, in honor of our newly elected president, I’ll close by providing a bonus track that features several of the artists you just heard. Respect…

[audio:charleshamiltonchangegoncome.mp3]

-John

Have you seen the blackberry pearl flip commercial? The “my butt just hung up on you?” (click above if you haven’t) I’ve seen it about a thousand times and it annoys the hell out of me to no end. In fact, I was over at a friend’s house for game night (yes, I know, I’m old and boring) and that actor guy from the commercial was there. If you can believe it, he was actually more annoying in person than he was in the commercial. So, whenever I see the commercial, I can’t help but think of that night and how damn irritating he was and then on top of that, the commercial is awful so it’s like a double whammy. Man, I have a tough life.

- Eastbound & Down – well I was a little disappointed in the first episode of this HBO series. I’m going to give it another chance but I only laughed once or twice during the whole thing. It certainly isn’t on par with Flight of the Conchords or Summer Heights.

- Ang Lee is now in talks to direct the adaptation of Life of Pi, the book by Yann Martel. This movie has been in the works for a number of years…we’ll see if this actually gets made.

- Yes it’s a bit morbid, but this game rocks.

- I’m so glad that America finally stood up and said no to the awful looking movie called Confessions of a Shopaholic. It bombed this past weekend…although, surprisingly, Friday the 13th crushed the competition. Click here for the top ten at the box office. I’m a little underwhelmed by any of the current movies out although the lady for some reason wants to check out Taken which really surprised me since she usually avoids action/thriller movies at all costs. But, I do have to admit, the trailer is pretty sweet.

- Test Screening of Johnny Depp’s Public Enemies went well.

RN

M83 Mute Records

M83 comes to The Spotlight all the way from Antibes, France. France? Again? I know, it’s like the fourth French act I’ve showcased on the site. What can I say? Maybe they’re turning over a new musical leaf over there. Anyway, the band is essentialy one guy, Anthony Gonzalez (very French sounding, I agree), and it formed back in 2001. It’s pretty much an electronica band, with light, soft lyrics that hover over much stouter guitar and synth rhythms and, like most electronica acts, they made a name for themselves by remixing established artists like Bloc Party, Goldfrapp and Depeche Mode. However, their fifth studio album has brought them the most acclaim, mostly because their rich sound is still present, but each track features a more traditional song structure. I saw these guys open for The Killers a few weeks ago, and even though I didn’t get to see their whole set, I will say they sounded great live and put on a unique show. Check out Kim and Jessie below.

[audio:m83kimandjessie.mp3]

-John