Taking On 2013: Top Tracks (Q1 Quarterly Review)

Sure it has only been a few months, but we are presently DEEP into the year marked on calendars with the number 2013, which also means that I have been listening to some stuff (not enough though), watching some other things (not enough though), playing some games (more than this time last year, still not enough), and even reading some books (or book, and even that up and down). Still! Time moves like the bare branches on the trees as mother nature refuses to take winter back, and since we are through the first three months that means it's time to begin Quarterly Reviews once more. And, as usual, we start off with the best tracks of 2013. I've linked to Youtube, and I'm continuing to update my longlist of considerations on this Spotify playlist, so subscribe to that to track everything. But that's enough set up, let us get to the damned list!

And I'm Sick And Tired Of Wondering What Your Presents Mean

Stoker (Park, 2013)

It's always interesting to see how an artist transitions from one medium to another, whether it be a painter stepping behind a camera or a novelist turning in to a screen writer. Yet with Stoker, director Park Chan-wook is not moving mediums but is actually breaking language barriers. If that isn't already a massive challenge to take on in what is the first English language film from the Korean visionary, then why not add in an extended metaphor of the physical and sexual awakenings that define the adolescent experience? If there's one thing that everyone can universally understand it would definitely the teenage psyche.

And Do It All Although You Can't Believe It

Spring Breakers (Korine, 2013)

I've never really been on a spring break before. Technically I guess I have since my college had a week a year that was called Spring Break, but I never went on trips. Actually, I probably have more vivid memories of MTV's Spring Break coverage as a kid than I do of my college spring breaks which tended to be occupied by paper writing. So as I entered Harmony Korine's latest fever dream of a film, Spring Breakers, there was a part of me that wondered if I would be too far out of my element. Thankfully all those years of MTV watching paid off though, but filtered through the kinetic, frantic party montages Korine creates a sense of clarity, a sense of dread. And it's in this storm that the genius of Spring Breakers emerges.

STATUS UPDATE - Updated

UPDATE - My keyboard seems to be working again, but I'll leave this up as a reminder to myself that things can always fall apart at any moment. So is the beautiful fragility of life. Can I build a future-proof (enough) gaming PC for between $600-$700? If so, please let me know what to look for in the comments section or send me an email because I definitely need to upgrade sooner rather than later.

Here's THe THing, my keyboard (as of rigHT now anyway) is noT working all THaT well. All THese inappropriaTe Caps are being used beCause THe leTTers are noT Typing rigHT now in lower Case. So, despiTe finally geTTing baCk in THe blogging swing (in THe proCess of reViewing SPRING BREAKERS, THE WIZARDS RETURN: ALEX VS ALEX, STOKER, and NO wHen THis sTarTed, so I Ceased doing so sinCe THere is no way I would reView/wriTe abouT THings like THis.

EiTHer way, I'm going To geT THis looked aT wiTHin THe nexT Couple of days. Hopefully iT Can be fixed, buT if noT THen I may end up upgrading To a beTTer lapTop or a lower end deskTop. We sHall see. PreTTy bummed ouT. Hope To be baCk soon, and sorry, To THose reading, abouT your eyes.

RiCH

Oscar Predictions 2013: Zero Hour

Well, it's that time of the year again where the Academy gets together to honor the most inoffensive underwhelming films of the year and give tangential recognition to the things that are kind of out there but not too out there Mr. Paul Thomas Anderson! As such, I sit down the day before the big ceremony to make my final predictions. Even the categories no one seems to care about. Go behind the politics, behind the machine, put all my analytic credibility on the line for a bunch of little statues. As usual, I have ranked the nominees in each category from most likely to win to least likely. So who will win? Lets find out!

13 For '13: Most Anticipated Movies

Okay, so I might be about a month late, but for the most part not too much comes out in January anyhow (though one should note that The Grey released in January last year and already we have seen Kim Jee-Woon's first English language film, the surprisingly enjoyable The Last Stand hit theaters along with the Chastain vehicle MaMa), which means that it's still perfectly acceptable to do a 2013 film preview still. Right?

Right.

In the past I have gone month by month, mostly in an attempt to not back load everything with what is sure to be a slew of high profile releases slatted for November and December, but including thirteen titles (and fourteen next year and so on) that has become less of a concern. Also a lot of these don't have release dates, so I'm kind of left just hoping they manage to get a distribution deal at some point. But others have dates. There's no particular order for these, just a collection of things I hope will be great. I've attached trailers in the write ups where trailers were available. Get excited!

Taking On 2012: Top Films

We have, after a long road, finally arrived at the end of the year known as 2012 in the world of culture. With supporting actors, actresses, and lead performances all taken care of I really only have the best collective works of the year to go through now. Am I completely done with the year on a personal level? Probably not, but sometimes we all have to move on. The long road calls, and we all have to walk the path in to the future (note: I did not see The Future in 2011 or 2012, so it won't be on this list. I really dropped the ball there). Some of these titles have links, which you can click for my full reviews.