PAGE 5
INSIDE Ilf 1 ■ HOOK, LINE AND SINKER ... Tim Burton reels in a winner with warm "Big Fish." PAGE 7 ■ GOTTA KEEP 'EM SEPARATED ... Aging Offspring stray further from decent music PAGE 6
THE BEST OF
ALBUMSIA/rOVIES
JfcrH BJLT -JL LOST IN TRANSLATION
rtTTTFAOT
OUTKAST
SPEAKERBOXXX & THE LOVE BELOW
Even apart, Dre and Big Boi present the
isame brilliant, crowd-pleasing aesthetic
where the past and the future of hip-hop meet.
Big Boi’s Speakerboxxx gives audiences the
most personal and open glimpse of the duo’s
less conspicuous half. The Love Below is Dre’s
Frankenstein monster: part Prince-ly throw
back, part Pink Floydian concept album.
There’s a reason the duo’s respective lead
singles locked down BET’s “106 and Park” and
MTV’s “TRL” at the same time. They’re just
that good.
THE SHINS A s , current keepers of the indie rock throne, the Shins faced I
CHUTES TOO NARROW dilemma of how to improve on The Daily Tar Heel’s
2001 album of the year. Their response? Chutes Too Narrow,
which, while being a more textured and consistent listen than
Oh, Inverted World, retaines all its predecessor’s charm. I
RADIOHEAD HAIL TO THE THIEF
The Oxford quintet has stayed in its Computer funk, but with
this sixth release there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel —a
mix of tense, moody feelings with a long-absent gallows humor that
becomes apparent after the first listen. JH
Thief sees Radiohead more or less comfortable with the idea of being a
“guitar band.” If only lead singer Thom Yorke would pretend to enjoy it.
THE WHITE STRIPES ELEPHANT jM
Cold and brooding, but seething with barely buried f I
anger, Jack White is the classic Byronic hero in
tight red leather pants. Despite Meg White’s elementary
drumming, Elephant redefines garage rock with its min
imalistic production, rough edges and raw feel. It might not
sound that pretty, but that’s where half its appeal lies.
THE WRENS THE MEADOWLANDS
For a much-maligned teenage wasteland, New Jersey has produced an amazing crop
of talent. Not the most recent but one of the most deserving acts is The Wrens, an aging
group of earnest rockers making an epic effort at stardom with The Meadowlands, a sprawl
ing set of sincere rock tunes that both soar and run thicker than Jersey sewage.
THE POSTAL SERVICE GIVE UP
Before rejoining his Death Cab for Cutie bandmates later in the year, Ben Gibbard teamed
with Jimmy Tamborello to create this endlessly enjoyable slice of electronic pop. I
Highlighting Gibbard’s plaintive vocals and Tamborello’s deft use of synthesizers, Give Up
is a great album for the simplest of reasons it just makes you want to keep listening.
• JSHr ■vd
COURTESY OF RCA
KINGGEEDORAH TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER
MCs don’t come more versatile than MF Doom. The man behind a handful of V—/
decent releases dropped two huge LPs in a year chock-full of throwaway commercial
rap, masquerading as Viktor Vaughn on the dark Vaudeville Villain and offering up infec
tious rhymes on the intergalatic throwback concept album Take Me to Your Leader.
BELLE & SEBASTIAN DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS
he gentle gang of Glasgow hipsters toe-tapped back to form with its best album in seven
years. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is a precious pop stone, all ironic asides and lovesick
laundry lists. Humbly reclaiming the group’s spotlight, singer-songwriter-heartbreaker
Stuart Murdoch shines, finally proving himself that rare man among Morrisseys.
ZWAN he Smashing Pumpkins spiraled to a disappointing death as lead
MARY STAR "*■ s * n S er Billy Corgan experimented with gothic tunes and makeup.
OF THE SEA Swan’s Mary Star of the Sea is the story of his redemption. Having found
God or something like it Corgan’s new project is his lightest, bright
est and most hopeful work yet. Unfortunately, Zwan already has broken
up, thanks to Corgan’s weirdness, so it could also be the last.
Diversions
Ml ' .
14- 1 1 TJ
* I
m\
THE STROKES room on fire
Maybe they aren’t the next saviors of rock,
but The Strokes do a damn good job pre
tending to be. The Strokes’ sophomore LP, even ||
without the production assistance of Nigel
Godrich, is as quick, catchy and well-written as their pre
miere. Though they might not have grown much, it does
n’t really matter if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
JAY-Z, THE BLACK ALBUM
MANITOBA, UP IN FLAMES
MY MORNING JACKET, IT STILL MOVES
www.dailytarheel.com
yjiL /~vT
PPSSk >r pr JMgggpv
LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING
A n exclamation point on what eventually will go down as the crowning
0 H of epic filmmaking of our time. Ridiculously bold, unapolo-
BB getically bombastic and— most remarkably brimming with real heart,
it’s the first digital blockbuster made by an actual, ambitious auteur. Credit
m Peter Jackson for making the world think, if only for a few hours, that hob
bits, elves and evil elephants could not only be cool, but great. It’s high time
to give away that King of the World hat James Cameron’s been wearing.
COURTESY OF LA FACE
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
T'Vespite rotting flesh, exposed skeletons, thieving pirates
■l—'and poor hygiene, Johnny Depp still emerged from
this film as the sexiest man alive that’s for all the ladies.
For the men, there’s fast-paced action, sword fights, drunk
enness and cleavage. This is how pirate movies are meant
to be made, proving once again that Peter Pan is a punk.
I/'~\nly Quentin Tarantino, the perpetual purveyor of retro-cool, KILL BILL
could make such a sharp mix of camp and excessive eye-candy. VOLUME I
Pushing the envelope with its anime sequences, Hong Kong film
allusions, eclectic soundtrack and blood-spattered fight sequences,
this slashfest is a cut above the majority of its action competition.
The package even comes with a cliffhanger: framing for “Volume II.”
SCOLD MOUNTAIN
Tt had all the makings of a disaster: questionable casting, delayed production
-Land curious on-location filming. Despite the signs, the film adaptation of
“Cold Mountain” managed to keep the power of the book with near- “Lord of the
Rings” success. Renee Zellwegger’s potent performance drives the human side of
a movie that also touts sweeping shots and a plethora of quirky cameos.
/I 21 GRAMS
Tf you’re willing to buy into this film’s nonlinear storytelling technique, you’ll
H ~i .be rewarded with an emotional story and some of the finest acting in recent
\JF memory. Sean Penn and Naomi Watts shine as usual, but it’s Benicio del Toro
whose performance lingers longest after the final tortured frame.
FINDING NEMO
TT That might be the final nail in Disney’s traditional
* animation casket, Pixar produces another gem
with the winning “Finding Nemo.” In the spirit of past
pictures like “Toy Story” and Dreamworks’ “Shrek,” the
film has humor that appeals to both children and the
adults who are forced to tag along.
As family films go, this is the catch of the year.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
T> ristly, grumpy and bitter, the biopic of Harvey Pekar makes a surly hero of the mun-
Odane cartoonist and professional misanthrope. Weirdly and wonderfully blurring the
lines between the real world and the film world the best of the comic book movies it
bursts with more personality than anything else this year.
ith “Mystic River,” Clint Eastwood directs his best film since MYSTIC
1992 s Unforgiven and Sean Penn turns m one of his two T)Tf7T7r>
unforgettable leading performances 0f2003 (see #6). This adapta- * LR
tion of the Dennis Lehane novel was a stark exploration of how child
hood tragedy can change three lives forever. Don’t believe the critics who
say the movie moves too slowly this film requires and rewards patience.
IN AMERICA
ally Jim Sheridan went big softie with his Irish immigrant drama, based large
ly on his own family’s struggle to survive the late ’Bos in Hell’s Kitchen. Sweet
but not syrupy, full of sentiment without sentimentality, the film packs an emo
tional wallop without the expected dose of contrivance. So truly heartfelt it hurts.
HONORABLE
MENTIONS
COURTESY OF FOCUS FILMS
28 DAYS LATER
SCHOOL OF ROCK
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
(The Sailq (Ear Uwl
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2004
Sofia Coppola’s second film is a neon
masterpiece an ethereal blend of
jet lag and surreal, bustling cityscapes.
Her Tokyo is vibrant, but the film is
fueled by its sense of quiet intimacy and
subtle, yet powerful, performances.
A prestige piece for Bill Murray and a
launching pad for youngster Scarlett
Johansson, their awkward, platonic pseu
do-romance is at once comic, believeable
and heartbreaking.
r> -
COURTESY OF TOUCHSTONE PICTURES
COURTESY OF PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS