* The Hammer - As advertised. Adam Carolla still had his radio show when he made The Hammer, so as a former listener, I heard plenty about it not only as it was in production, but also the reaction from the show's crew, guests, and fans. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, and followed Carolla beyond his radio days and into his days as one of the Lords of Podcasting. I was a loyal listener for a long, long time before finally calling it quits a year or so ago, as I found that in a one-on-one context, Adam made for a shitty interviewer - the guy can't help but dominate the conversation and talk about himself. We're talking 80% of the time...which is fine for a radio show, but then why have guests?Anyway, I digress. Point is, I started to worry over the months about The Hammer that, with Carolla producing an small, independent film with himself as the star, that it would be 90 minutes of him riffing, or at least 75.
Fears assuaged. The Hammer is indeed the feel good, charming, and funny indie it was made out to be. Carolla is, by comparison, reigned in a lot, as much screen time is given not only to his non-acting, real-life friend/sidekick Oswaldo Castillo (hilariously unintelligible), but also to potentially up-and-comer Harold House Moore, in his first acting gig as a rival boxer. Jane Lynch even pops up in an extended cameo.
Being the small-time film that it is, it's clunky in a few spots, and the acting is spotty as well, particularly from Heather Juergensen, who plays the love interest (and produces as well). Nonetheless, The Hammer is more than worth your time.
* 44 Inch Chest - I'll be joining Steve and Brian of The Film Cynics (again!) this Sunday - for a full hour this time. We'll be reviewing this flick, amongst other things. So, all you Cabin Dwellers over there in Victoria, B.C. (so, Steve, in other words), listen in to CFAX-1070 on Sunday at 3:00 PM. For the rest of you, I'll be posting a link next week for your auditory pleasure (Steve and Brian sound a lot better than I do).
Music I'm currently obsessed with:
Somehow, I never listened to a full Muse album until Watchmen came out. It wasn't until after hearing "Take a Bow" that I thought it was time to give them a fair shake. Of course, it didn't take long at all for me to realize that I was already familiar with more than a handful of songs from them. Hell, I think all of the Black Holes & Revelations disc got radio play - I was just too thick to notice that I all of these songs that I kinda liked were all from the same band.
Fast-forward to this week, when I picked up my fourth CD by them, Origin of Symmetry. I count them as one of my favorite bands, and have at least one song of theirs overtaking my head every week. Can't wait to get some from this latest disc in there as well.
Book I'm currently reading:
Still none. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest ought to be arriving shortly...
7 people have chosen wisely: on "The State of the Cabins (5/26/10)"
The Hammer is a minor flick but you know, when the sidekick hits those recyclying bins in the truck driving beside Corolla I laughed and laughed and laughed. I also laughed alot when they got pulled over for going too slow. Not a great movie, but a nice way for the director to bounce back to indie comedy after Legally Blonde 2. Glad you liked it as well.
Muse is sex!! I've been listening to them, and only them, for, like, the past 4 months. Origin of Symmetry is far and away the best. The Resistance, the new one, is weak by comparison, but still damn fine. I don't know why, but they are the only band that I've listened to for this long that stays consistently interesting; I'm always discovering new layers to their songs.
Makes me wish they had written the score to Clash of the Titans. They might have made that movie bearable.
I added like six songs to my iTunes after you mentioned Molly's Chambers. Cannot thank you enough for that.
Mike - I didn't even look into the director - figured everyone involved was relatively new. That's an interesting note, and yeah, I would say so.
Sebastian - Black Holes remains my favorite thus far, though I dig the hell out of Absolution as well. I certainly like the latest, but would place it just below those other two. Hopefully, I'll have Origin up there after a few more listens.
Fitz - that's awesome! Which ones? I dig their 2nd album the most, but their first is pretty kickass all-around as well.
Sex on Fire, Knocked Up, Red Morning Light, Use Somebody, Revelry and Manhattan.
Hmmm...a bit too heavy on the newest album. You need some stuff like King of the Rodeo and California Waiting. Knocked Up is a sweet one, though.
I too have been an avid Carolla fan since he took over for Stern and I gotta say his film was surprisingly good. When people used to call in and praise it, I thought they were just kissing his ass but it was really good. I actually might put it on my FILMS YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO SEE post. The rating is ridiculous, as he has talked about ad naseum. And you are so right about him interviewing people. I like the way he does it because he goes through people's careers from their humble beginnings but he sidetracks on tangents a lot! I still listen but I have to take a break from time to time... his voice can get overwhelming!
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