So I saw "Attack of the Clones" this morning. It's a ride, much more of an action movie than "The Phantom Menace" was -- better than the critics would say, not as good as "Empire" but basically accomplishes everything it should try to accomplish. The next episode requires a lot of plot support, so it felt a bit like Lucas was trying to smoosh four hours worth of movie into 150 minutes but he's never really been a master of pacing anyway. I don't know where the negative reviews of Hayden Christiansen are coming from, as he delivers as good as performance as one can expect with the movie's overwrought, Saturday serial dialogue. His work is far better than Mark Hamill did in any of his three films and the less said about Jake Lloyd the better.

What really made it entertaining was the detail. The opening sequence on Coruscant is unlike anything seen in the previous four movies; it's this close to being taken straight out of "Blade Runner." Later on in the movie we see the beginnings of the empire's plans from the original "Star Wars," added in almost as a throwaway line. And yes, Yoda whips out the lightsabre and kicks some ass. That was a nice one; I've been wanting to see that for almost two decades.

There's maybe one wink at the audience too many, definitely several puns too many but it's a solid work. Lucas even changes things up directorially, if only a little. It'll be interesting to see again and try to catch the little things I missed. If only I could get this damned movie piracy thing to work.
posted at 18:19

Punk bands get old, it's simply the way time works. Some deal with it by ignoring the fact that they're 20 years older than everyone coming to their shows -- Rancid, NOFX, the sad menagerie touring as Dead Kennedys -- and some, like Jawbreaker, deal with it by breaking up and starting new projects. This is how Jets to Brazil came to record 2000's most mellow guitar-poet record, Four Cornered Night.

The record's first 12 tracks, which never turn it up past four, lead up to the shout-out filled closer, "All Things Good and Nice." Singer Blake Schwarzenbach spends several verses rattling off the people and things he loves, including his whole family, everybody in the band, his piano and some stranger, ending each verse with some Tod A-inspired line like, "Even when you're wrong I think you're great," or, "Don't confuse the truth with your pain." It's nice to see a rock album hinging on a track that's all about words.
posted at 10:13

My favorite Sophie columns are the ones where she just happens to answer a question I was already wondering about. She does it again in this week's edition and I'll give you a hint: I'm not getting married.
posted at 09:24