Insomnia

Al Pacino. Robin Williams. Christopher Nolan. Wow, what a crew. I remember seeing this movie quite awhile ago, and I hated it. Now that I am actually able to pay attention to a movie that doesn't have lightsabers in it for more than 15 minutes, I get it.

Robin Williams as a villain is just plain creepy and Al Pacino as the good/bad cop chasing him down is actually a good fit. The movie is set in Alaska, and the whole 24-hours of sunlight thing makes for a very surreal and spine-tingling setting. This is The Silence of the Lambs if... well, if Christopher Nolan directed The Silence of the Lambs.

After seeing this movie, I have seen every one of Chris Nolan's directing efforts. And man, can that guy make a movie! Let's go down the list:

1. Following (1998) - Great indie flick. Only an hour long but definitely entertaining and suspenseful.

2. Memento (2000) - If you haven't seen this by now I don't know what's wrong with you. Guy Pearce's best movie since L.A. Confidential.

3. Insomnia (2002) - See above.

4. Batman Begins (2005) - Are you kidding me?

5. The Prestige (2006) - Hands down one of the greatest science-fiction/fantasy stories ever told. The way history and technology is blended with pure imaginative storytelling is absolutely fantastic.

6. The Dark Knight (2008) - See number 4 and multiply by 100.

7. Inception (2010) - One of my favorite movies ever made. It may be the greatest original story to ever hit theaters in my opinion.

Conclusion: Christopher Nolan is the greatest director ever and not even Scorsese or Spielberg can reach this guy's success rate. If The Dark Knight Rises turns out to be a total bomb (which I'm betting it won't), Nolan still has a 88% rate of success which is just stunning for a director.

Trailer for Christopher Nolan's Insomnia

The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing Dark Side of the Moon

I think the title pretty much says it all. If you like The Flaming Lips, you're probably going to like this. If you like Pink Floyd, you're probably going to like this. Not to mention the album cover is extremely awesome.

I'm not sure which band performs which parts, but when you're listening to an album with the depth of The Dark Side of the Moon it doesn't really matter. Pink Floyd made it very clear to us that the album is a whole. Even though it may be broken up into individual tracks for radio play and commercialization, the entire album is meant to be heard as one entity. That being the case, the Flaming Lips tribute to this legendary piece of musical art is spot on. Enjoy.

Any Colour You Like

Money

The Hudsucker Proxy

Here's another Netflix instant-watch gem that Adam and I discovered today. The Hudsucker Proxy is probably the only comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen that I can safely say I enjoyed other than The Big Lebowski.

Although this 1994 film bombed at the box office, it has a certain charm to it and its vaudeville/art deco flair is actually pretty cool. Not to mention Paul Newman's in it, and he's the man.

Scene from Joel and Ethan Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy

Ima Robot - Another Man's Treasure

If you were to listen to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and then immediately move on to Ima Robot's Monument to the Masses you would be very confused. Alex Ebert in Monument sounds nothing like the rock and roll messiah that he is in Edward Sharpe. In fact, the sheer party-friendly poppiness of the album alone might make you want to give up on music all together.

That said, Ima Robot's latest effort, Another Man's Treasure is quite amazing. Released in 2010, just one year after Edward Sharpe's Up From Below and four years after Ima Robot's Monument, the maturity and musical genius that Ebert emits is incomparable. Click the link below for a taste of David Bowie mixed with Talking Heads.

Ima Robot - Sail With Me

Dial M For Murder

I know I should have seen this by now, but I'm a little behind on older movies. As usual, Alfred Hitchcock presents a great thriller that hooks you from the very beginning. The man has yet to disappoint me.

Unfortunately, this movie was remade into A Perfect Murder which, judging from the majority of reviews I have read, doesn't even compare to the original. If you have nothing to do one night and need something to watch, Netflix has this wonderful film available to watch instantly.

Trailer for Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder

The Dears - Degeneration Street

This is an album that I have been listening to nonstop since the beginning of March. The Dears, an indie rock band from Canada, are a bit reminiscent of TV on the Radio but with little traces of reggae and far more riff-driven material.

Their album Degeneration Street was released February 15, 2011. Check out Omega Dog and 5 Chords from this outstanding album.

The Dears - Omega Dog

The Dears - 5 Chords