Movies:
The native of Krypton and, in turn, the savior of Earth has returned to the big screen for a long-awaited re-boot. Zack Snyder of 300 and Watchmen fame has taken the helm of this Superman origin story, the timeless tale of family, home, and heart- and butt-kicking.
Lots of it.
Bringing an even larger scale of nerds by being even remotely attached to this film is none other than Christopher Nolan himself, helping to write and produce this alien epic. Clark Kent has always been different, and after 33 years on Earth, he finally discovers the story of his real parents, the martyrs of Krypton. Russel Crowe and Ayelet Zurer, as Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, gave birth to Kal-El, the first natural-born child of Krypton, sending him to Earth right before their home planet is destroyed. Injected into Kal-El's very cells are those of Krypton's ancestors, from the Codex, which General Zod escapes imprisonment to retrieve, and he will face all costs until he finds it...
... snatching animals off the ground for shits n' giggles.
Ok obviously the .gif is fake, but imagine how badly you'd need a new pair of pants.
As for the film itself, the crisp designs, the riveting score, and the talented group of actors tie it together for the perfect bundle for this modern audience. New to the role but not to the big screen, Henry Cavill charms as Clark Kent/ Kal-El of Krypton. He brings out Clark's shyness and his buried feelings of not fitting in. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner rock the screen as Martha and Jonathan Kent, humbly raising their adopted son to be not only greater as an otherworldly being, but as a human- as a man.
Michael Shannon is fierce as General Zod, although at some points he seems to be close to popping a blood vessel.
Or all of them.
Last but not least, I have to say my favorite portrayal of a classic Superman character, was that of Amy Adams in the shoes of the dedicated Lois Lane. She is snarky, striking, and passionate when it comes to her job of getting that hard-hitting story; Adams has tried hard over the years to land this role, and now that she finally has, I'm glad she didn't give up, because Lois Lane never would.
Trailer:
2. Mud - IMDb
Not as wide a release or big a budget as ol' Supes, Mud captures big issues in a small town with Matthew McConaughey as Mud, a homeless man who appears to show up out of nowhere, right into the hometown of two young boys, played by up-and-comers Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. Mud is a heartfelt film that carries a lot of deep subjects such as family issues, unlikely friendships, trust, murder, revenge, and... Girls.
I would have picked a different photo, maybe one where Tye Sheridan runs around punching EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IN THE FACE.
These two young boys come across this strange man who calls himself 'Mud.' They help him survive on an island not too far from town by delivering canned food to him, because talking to strangers and giving them all of your food is an amazing thing to do. No harm can come from that, right?
Of course not. Not at all.
But really- Mud teaches about true love and the trials and tribulations that come with it, especially if you just happened to have killed someone. McConaughey shines as the misunderstood runaway, and Reese Witherspoon shows what she's got as Mud's childhood friend and lover. All-in-all, this film is definitely one to check out. It does drag at points, but it's a movie that takes a lot from the smaller moments.
Trailer:
Music:
1. Black Sabbath - 13 - Official Website
The return of Black Sabbath has both fans of the band and fans of the Prince of Darkness trembling with excitement. It's been 35 years since Ozzy Osbourne fronted the popular metal band, and he's definitely still kicking with this return. This is the band's 19th studio album.
And starting forest fires, apparently.
Black Sabbath isn't what it used to be, and Ozzy isn't in his prime, but the album as a whole is a decent listen. Their single, God is Dead? reached #6 on the UK Rock Charts.
"I guess the eyeliner's still a thing."
I'd say this is a great reunion album. Tommy Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk put together instrumentals that take the listener back to the good ol' days, reminding the listener that this band is very instrumentally driven, and Osbourne's voice is backed up very well throughout the course of the album. Black Sabbath doesn't seem to be trying to be bigger or better, but they are showing us that they're not going anywhere anytime soon.
Video for God is Dead?:
2. The Civil Wars - The One That Got Away (Single) - Official Website
John Paul White and Joy Williams follow up their debut album Barton Hollow with the single for their new, self-titled album called The One That Got Away. With louder instruments and deeper tones and lyrics, this single is powerful and strongly emphasizes this duo's talent. It seems like this album will be a lot darker, packing more punch in each song than the last album, which focused more on the vocals than the instruments. Now, both work together to create something different, but The Civil Wars will always be super-talented and leave listeners wanting more.
It seems like Johnny Depp's singing career has taken off.
The Civil Wars caught me with their single of the same name as their debut album, and I've been interested ever since. They've announced a hiatus, but they're releasing the sophomore album anyway, slated for August 6.
Video for The One That Got Away:
Honorable Mentions:
Movies: The Purge- IMDb page
Music: Man of Steel Official Motion Picture Soundtrack - Hans Zimmer - Artist Website
Throwback: Koi No Yokan, the seventh studio album by the rock band Deftones - Band Website
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