Every week, we list our recommendations of new music, books, comics, movies and TV to check out. This is Recs in Effect:
We're going to be taking next monday off (as we love our country and freedom and Jesus and why don't you feel that way you godless hippie bastard?). So this recommendation covers the next two weeks.
New Comic (June 28th)
This one is a blind recommendation. BUT! It is by Charles Soule. Charles Soule wrote one of my favorite graphic novels of 2009: Strongman. Strongman was an excellent, funny, sad, well-paced story that blended the inherent ridiculousness of luchadores with familiar trappings of a noir missing person case. Due to his excellent writing, Soule has become one of those people whose work I will always support, buying sight unseen (see Eric Powell, Brian K. Vaughan, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, James Jean). Anyways, 27: First Set is the story of a musician who encounters rock's infamous '27 Club' - that is the group of talented musicians who die at the age of 27. I'm sure it's a great genre-blending mash-up of fun, nerdiness and inventive approaches to well previously trodden territory.
New Movie (June 28th)
Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition on Blu-Ray
Yes, the extended version of the trilogy is ridiculously long. But it does have a lot of cool added stuff - Mouth of Sauron, anyone? - and if I had to choose a version to watch, it would be this one. All of the scenes looking and sounding their best. Plus you might as well start geeking out for The Hobbit now.
(Also being released - Sucker Punch, Bloody Birthday, The Warrior's Way)
New Movie (July 5th)
This movie is pretty stupid. I mean that as a compliment. Like the Crank movies before it, Hobo with a Shotgun starts with a basic premise, a ridiculous concept, and then wallows in the filth of its raucous action. It has a great score, so excellent Troma-level gore/make-up, an amazing performance by Rutger Hauer, and also there's the Plague. It's worth checking out if you're interested in a fun, dumb movie that shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for filmmaking and for reveling in the excitement of seeing a dream come true...with beheadings and synth music.
(Also being released - Up, Wall-E, Ratatouille and The Incredibles on deluxe DVD/Blu-Ray editions and Miike's 13 Assassins)
New Music (July 5th)
Brian Eno, Drums Between the Bells
Brian Eno has been involved with some of the best music of the 20th century - Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talking Heads, David Byrne - and his own solo work has been particularly great as well. Hell, the guy invented the Microsoft sound - you know, the sound you forever associate with having to restart your PC after seeing the Blue Screen of Death. Maybe not the best association there, Brian. In any case, there's not much else coming out in music for the next few weeks (Limp Bizkit's latest, anyone?), so might as well recommend the latest from this auditory pioneer.