Music | Sounds of Summer 2010 | PASS

In K2's spin machine for summer '10: 

• Massive Attack Heligoland
• The Untouchables Wild Child
• Teddybears Soft Machine
• Devo Something For Everybody
• DJ Champion Chill 'Em All
• Thomas Dolby Amerikana (EP)
• Gram Rabbit Music To Start A Cult To
• Nortec Collective Tijuana Sound Machine
• Life Unofficial Season One TV Soundtrack
• 2010 Bestys Unofficial Movie Soundtrack
• Broken Bells Broken Bells
• Civil Twilight Civil Twilight
• DJ Shadow Endtroducing
• Go West Futurenow
• Killing Joke Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell
• Metric Fantasies, Grow Up and Blow Away
• Silversun Pickups Swoon
• Anberlin New Surrender
• Benjamin Diamond Out of Myself, Strange Attitude
• Dick Dale Spatial Disorientation
• Robert Plant Mighty Rearranger
• Martini Ranch Holy Cow
• The Carl Stalling Project Music from Warner Bros. Cartoons 1936-1958
• Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
• Lamb of God Wrath

TV | The Big C | Pass

See comments for Weeds, but slightly less risque. But, this time she's not a widow and she's got cancer (also explored in Weeds).

Movie | Men Who Stare At Goats | Fail

Pointless, but original movie that follows a journalist researching a secret military operation that explores psychic abilities. Clooney adds nothing and McGregor's accent is distracting. I just found it all rather boring and lame.

TV | Weeds | Pass

Another modern over the top cable drama. This one's about an upper middle class widow making ends meet by selling drugs. Lots of sex, foul language, excellent acting and clever plot twists.

TV | Sports Night | Pass

Classic half hour TV show about a sports news broadcast team. Hyper rapid fire dialogue with a great cast. Slightly dated now.

Movie | Paul Blart: Mall Cop | Fail

A stupid plot, dialogue and poor acting don't do this flick about a mall cop any favors. The jokes fell flat and the only fun to be had is about halfway through, when the action picks up. Not worthy of Kevin James.

TV | Kids In The Hall - Death Comes To Town | Pass

I made the mistake of watching this out of order and didn't like it at all. But, once I went back and started it at the beginning, I loved it. I found it to be extremely clever, working their previously created characters into a surprisingly engaging plot.

Movie | The Ghost Writer | Fail

All the elements of a superb movie don't add up in this one. The plot is a major letdown, going nowhere. I was really looking forward to this one, too. Boring and the tension builds up to...zero.

Movie | Pineapple Express | Fail

Rogan is not a leading man. Besides that element, this is a knockout cast. Unfortunately, their talents are never utilized in this stupid movie that only has a few laughs. Occasionally, some of the old Cheech and Chong magic is realized, but not much.

Add Aptow to the list with Tarantino of movie director/writers that I will go out of my way to avoid in the future. Fail.

Movie | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | PASS

A most definite Pass! This superb animated kids' movie is inventive, creative and all around super fun. A must see story of a young inventor's creation that has gone out of control. Good emotional content, plot, character development (though Caan mumbles through the entire production) and animation. Great for kids and adults!

Movie | Capitalism: A Love Story | Pass

Excellent and frightening. Whether you agree with Moore or not, there are some truly insidious things going on and putting our heads in the sand isn't going to help anything. A sober and depressing, with occasional laughs, must see and a Pass.

Movie | The Joneses | Pass

Excellent drama (with a few sad and humorous moments) about a family that moves into an upper middle class neighborhood. On the surface, everything seems perfect... too perfect.

Don't worry, this isn't a horror movie. It's a superb commentary on our modern society. I can't tell you any more about it without giving it away, but this is a really good movie and worth seeing. David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Gary Cole and the rest of cast are perfect.

This newbie director/writer is worth watching for upcoming projects.

A definite Pass!

Movie | The Box | Pass

I've been looking forward to whatever comes next from Richard Kelly, the creator of the superb Donnie Darko. After the fiasco of Southland, which was such a mess, he redeems himself...somewhat. The Box comes off as an episode of The Twilight Zone, without a lot of depth. Diaz' fakey accent bugged me and I don't understand why it was set in the 70s. Was it because of the Mars/NASA stuff?

But, overall, it was worth seeing and a slowly boiling, suspenseful film. A Pass.

Movie | Red Dead Redemption | Pass

This 25 minute short contains the first act of the video game Red Dead Redemption. There's plenty of action, the visuals are interesting and the characters have the possibility of fleshing out in entertaining ways. But, like most video games, the movie is ultimately less than satisfying. Still, if you love the modern Western, this is one to put on your list to see. Same director as The Proposition (which was great) and The Road (which has to be one of the most depressing movies ever). A disappointingly weak Pass.

Movie | Surveillance | Fail

I just couldn't get into this rather gruesome crime drama, from David Lynch's daughter. The violence was too over the top for me and I never finished it. It could be good, if you like that sort of thing, but I don't know.

Movie | Casshern | Fail

Really worked hard at being out there, cutting edge, cyberpunk. Failed because they forgot to write an interesting plot. All eye candy and all fluff.

Movie | Azumi | Fail

Boring and didn't catch my interest. Never made it past the first half hour.

Movie | Planet 51 | Pass

Cute enough animated role reversing comedy about an astronaut who lands on an alien planet and finds that he is the alien. Lots of clever movie references, but low on the humor. It could have been better, but wasn't a waste of time.