Taking On 2012: Top Tracks (Q3 Quarterly Review)

With the winds of autumn blowing in, with them also comes the final portion of the year. And as the end draws closer that means that it's about time to start recapping the year so far. Following up the previous list of top tracks from the beginning of summer, some changes have already occurred as even more exciting albums on the horizon promise other changes in the future. Be sure to click on the track names to listen to all these great songs and check in with the first two Quarterly Reviews of tracks to see the changes.

I Know Your Anger. I Know Your Dreams.

The Master (Anderson, 2012)

Growing up I remember that every so often in English class we would do a unit on speeches. Generally it was tied in with Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream Speech," though there were others that tended to be used as well. Actually when I was student teaching and even when I was co-teaching I used speeches as a focal point of lessons. These master orators have, even before the technology existed to record what was being said, had their words preserved for generations to heed. Somewhere, buried beneath these moments in time, is a theoretical common spring of humanity that allows them to remain relevant. But is this timelessness locatable? Is it even true?

If you read my most recent Top 97, you would notice that sitting atop that list is Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 masterpiece There Will Be Blood. As such, it was with great anticipation that I approached The Master, a fictional re-imagining of the Scientology movement coupled with the journey of a returned WWII veteran who finds himself wrapped up in this movement's early days. But, as tends to be the case with Paul Thomas Anderson's films, it's rarely just about what's on the surface.

He Went To Get The Hanging Judge, But The Hanging Judge Was Drunk

Lawless (Hillcoat, 2012)

Criminal behavior has always been a source of inspiration for the cinematic well for many years. Some of the most beloved contemporary films focus on gangsters and lawbreakers. So when you tell me that John Hillcoat, director of The Proposition and The Road, is making a movie taking place in early 1900's Virginia with a star studded cast of critical darlings (and Shia LaBeouf) one would expect the results to be great. But sometimes when approaching the wrong side of the law, as we do in the aptly titled Lawless, there's the chance that all the thrills can come at the expense of engaging characters or relationships. So does Hillcoat construct a beautiful tapestry of criminal redemption or does he deliver little more than wasted potential?

NFL Season Predictions - 2012

Though it's clearly not a regular feature, I am a pretty big fan of football and would like to write about it just a little bit. As such, this isn't going to be a massive breakdown but more of my casual observations about the season to come and how I think everything will shake out. I actually did this last year and was mostly okay with my predictions. This year they will be better. Or, you know, I hope they will be better. So before the first game kicks off I'd like to set a few things in stone. Or at least digital ink. And, without going any farther, if you're expecting Tebow's boys to make the playoffs, well, there's always next year.

Top 97 Films (Part Four)

It is that time of year again, the one where I take a look over all the films I love and update my Top 97. Much like last year's list this one doesn't have a ton of new additions, but there are some notable shifts in positioning throughout that add a bit more clarity to my love of cinema. Unlike the other years though I'm going to try something new and start from the top, working my way down. If I like how that goes I'll probably just do every year. And without further delay, let the countdown begin!

Forward Thinking: Movies (Fall 2012)

After spending some brief time looking at five albums on the horizon I think it's only fair to give the same treatment to film because there's just so much slated to come out that will potentially kick so much ass. Compiling this list I had a hard time sticking to just five releases, but in the spirit of arbitrary self-imposed limitations I figured it would be a constructive exercise to attempt to limit myself to that number. Keeping it to five allowed me to be realistic as well, not having to include films that very likely will only show in a few theaters at a time or could slip in to 2013 because of crowded release slates. I'll attach a trailer to each title, so just give that a click and watch some awesome clips. There's so much reason to be excited, and here's just a taste.

Forward Thinking: Music (Fall 2012)

As the big fall releases start to pile up I think, as a means of prepping before the final series of Quarterly Reviews start being compiled and posted before the year end awards are given, it's useful to start looking ahead to what the fall has to offer. As such, welcome to what I hope will be a new series that pops up every few months around Processed Grass where I survey the landscape so to speak. Take a look at what is on the horizon. What releases I will be buzzing about by year's end, what looks interesting, what to monitor. And since 2012 has been such a fantastic year for music I figure that it's best to start there by looking at my five most anticipated releases for the rest of the year.