by DAVID KERN

When discussing Kathryn Bigelow’s critically acclaimed new film, The Hurt Locker, film critics - and cinephiles in general - have repeatedly taken the time to point out that it is not like any of the other, mostly sub par, war films that have taken on the controversial subject of the particular war in which we are currently engaged. However, I would argue that, except perhaps as a point of reference, such comparisons are mostly superfluous, perhaps even insulting to what might just be one of the finest war films made in recent memory. The Hurt Locker is a film about war, war in general, that is, and only about a specific war inasmuch as it takes place in a specific place and at a specific time. It is not a polemic for or against the war, the men who started the war, or even the men who wage the war. This is not a political film. However, The Hurt Locker is a film about war in general, about what war does to people, about what makes war horrible and terrifying and glorious and addicting all at once. It suggests that war is a drug and introduces you to the people who can’t escape it’s firm grasp.

Of course, since it does take place in Iraq, in 2004, Bigelow’s (Point Break) film is a thoroughly modern war movie about thoroughly modern warfare. It’s fast-paced, abundantly visceral and, naturally, action packed. From the opening shot (of a motorized bot exploring the rubble-filled streets of Baghdad for bombs) to the final frames, Locker is a film in constant motion, which is appropriate since it’s characters are never in one place for long, and when they are they certainly aren’t sitting still. Viewers discover quickly that staying still for long is dangerous, very dangerous.

Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (played superbly by Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are Army specialists (Delta Company) highly skilled at identifying and diffusing bombs and I.E.D.s. They are the best of the best and they are charged with providing safety and peace-of-mind for the thousands of soldiers who patrol the city’s streets, not to mention the many civilians who make their home there. Of course, that charge provides them with little peace-of-mind, even less safety, and very little thanks, especially when brash Staff Sgt. William “wild man” James takes over as squad leader. James, played with deep complexity by Jeremy Renner, has his own way of doing things, a way that makes sanity and safety extremely hard to come by for the careful Sanborn and the nervous Eldridge. Of course, James is good at what he does - great, even - and his way is law. Quickly Sanborn and Eldridge discover that that way isn’t exactly “by the book” and are faced with the difficulty of obeying orders with which they wholeheartedly disagree. Read the rest of this entry »

by DAVID KERN

Clearly the first half of 2009 has long since passed. However, good music is good music and ought to be declared loudly as such. An incredibly busy summer has restricted the frequency of posts here at Into the Hill, but after weddings, honeymoons, adventures and moves, we’re ready to get back at it. We apologize if you’ve missed us; we’ve missed you.

So here are my choices for the ten best albums of the First Half of 2009. I reserve the right to let an album climb this list by the time my year end lists are completed.

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10. Bob Dylan - Together Through Life.

I am shocked at the slight reception that this album has received. Granted, it’s not Dylan at his best, but it’s still a remarkable, creative, deep collection of personal, poetic songs. A slightly less amazing Bob Dylan album is still better than 99% of the music out there.

*****

09. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca.

This is one of the albums I expect to grow on me even more. It’s fanciful, moody tones are great fun and it’s weirdness is just enough of a challenge for the listener interested in listening closely. Seems to be a good example of aesthetic eclecticism responsibly approached.

*****

08. Devon Sproule - Don’t Hurry For Heaven.

Like her ‘07 debut, a lot of fun. However, this time around Virginia’s own Appalachian jazzist is more grown up, more impressed by what she sees around her and more nuanced in her approach. Title track is an old timey joy.

*****

07. Fanfarlo - Reservoir.

Slick, subtle and full of energy, this little known pop gem is a brilliant example of the kind of rock eclecticism that has become so popular - without allowing the galling, pretentious romanticism of many such albums to seep in too deeply.
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by DAVID KERN

Dangling somewhere on the fringe of the popular modern music scene, edging ever closer to the glitz and glamor of popular success, and yet seemingly opposed to all that said scene and success stands for, a new wave of so-called indie artists is setting forth a new pop aesthetic. Born of a sort of beatnik ilk, these artists are more concerned with cultural ethics and aesthetic accountability than the stick-it-to-the-man rebellion so pervasive in much of modern independent music’s most driven acts, let alone any sort of popular success. Distinctly anti-materialistic in their content, these artists borrow from the reactionary standards of traditional folk and Americana; abundantly focused on social, economic and natural justice, these artists are less angry than optimistic, less interested in freedom than community, and less interested in tearing down any sort of establishment as much as restoring an age-old but often forgotten one. Yes, these new musicians pay homage to artists and genres of the past, not forgetting their place in musical history nor even the substantial place of the artist in the larger culture.

Marked by ambiguous - if not altogether esoteric - lyrics and lush baroque harmonies that call to mind Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, boys choirs, and American church music, artists like The Decemberists, Animal Collective, The Arcade Fire, Midlake, Fleet Foxes, and to an extent Sufjan Stevens, have become the torchbearers of this so-called “freak-folk” revivalist movement. And now Grizzly Bear looks poised to shine brightly as the dawn of the century’s second decade draws near. Read the rest of this entry »

by DAVID KERN

Well, here we are.

First we were introduced to those three sub-par, so-called Star Wars “films”, then the re-birth of a new, younger Bond, followed by bold reconsiderations of Batman, Superman and a host of other superheroes (not that any of those films stoop to the low, low level of the Star Wars prequels) all of whom successfully breached the tech-savvy, heavily ironic, slightly jaded world that is early 21st century cinema. Now, arriving in warp speed, arrives a re-boot of the famous Star Trek franchise called, well, Star Trek - a thoroughly post-modern, visually bold and essentially re-defining take on a cast of characters long beloved by pointy eared followers the world across, or should I say, the universe across. Read the rest of this entry »

by SK PITMAN

Song to Woody - Bob Dylan (1962)

Only 2 originals graced Bob’s first album. Enjoy “Song to Woody”, one of these historic originals, as Bob exhibits some youthful hero-worship.
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by BRETT MCCRACKEN

The phrase “goodbye Solo” is never uttered out loud in Goodbye Solo, but in the film’s key scene it is the central sentiment. And it is conveyed in an old man’s eyes. It’s not really there, but it’s implied. And the same could be said for Goodbye Solo at large: it’s a film of remarkable restraint and subtle suggestion, where so many “points” aren’t hammered home as much as they are delicately positioned for us to coax them into place. It’s a rare film in the way that it knocks you down without ever having to so much as blow in your direction. Read the rest of this entry »