Gramophone’s Favorite Things

Sucker Punch: Wait, Is That the Girl from Lemony Snickets?

Ah! I'm so torn. Zack Snyder's work over the last several years has given him credibility. From Dawn of the Dead to 300 to Watchmen, he has created a small, but powerful body of work that has me wondering, does he get a pass on Sucker Punch? And, am I hanging my hat on those previous films too much? Do I like Sucker Punch just because I liked those? Am I going easy on it and making an argument for it being better than it probably is?

I should probably be impartial, here. However, I can't honestly say what's informing what I'm about to say about Sucker Punch. Is my inner fanboy purple-nurpling my cinematic sensibilities into a more favorable perspective on a movie that has some obvious and gaping holes?

OK, I think I've asked enough questions and should get on with it.

I can't truly say what Sucker Punch is about. It is bookended by a very simple story, but the middle of it, the meat of the tale that's being told, takes several huge and unreasonable steps toward a tapestry of metaphors that it's near impossible to connect them back to that original concept.

Baby Doll's (Emily Browning) wealthy mother dies. She has an abusive stepfather. She accidentally kills her younger sister while trying to protect her. She is committed to a mental hospital. To hide the truth, the stepfather arranges with an orderly (Oscar Isaac) to schedule Baby Doll for a lobotomy. She has five days in the institution before the doctor arrives for the procedure.

That's the bookend on the left.

Then we take a step away and rather than being in a mental hospital for young women, the story plays out in some psuedo-brothel, night club in a nondescript era, maybe the 1950s. Maybe not. Baby Doll is one of the new girls in the stable dancers, awaiting the arrival of the "High Roller" (Jon Hamm... Jon Hamm's John Ham... sorry, it's a reflex.)

Aware that the High Roller means trouble, Baby Doll hatches a plan to escape along with and aided by a few of the other girls, Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung). The plan is fed to her by an angel? Her subconscious? All I know is that it looked a lot like Scott Glenn.

Take another step back. When Baby Doll dances, the world shifts to a lot of what you see in the trailer. Apparently, her dance is something so provocative and salacious that we don't actually get to see it. Instead, we get to see the team of beauty badasses setting out on Scott Glenn-prescribed missions amid a ballet of hyper-stylized action, a look that has become a bit of a trademark for Snyder.

The story jockeys between the club and the... let's call them "dream sequences." And with each dream sequence the movie finds its strength, an exciting assault on the senses. It's a world without boundaries or restrictions or rules. Who's to say Amber can't hop in a futuristic, mechanical assault vehicle to bash through the lines of Steampunk Zombie Nazis. Knights, dragons, robots, and giant stone samurai? Why not? It works like levels in a video game. There's a goal and a boss for each level, and it ratchets up in difficulty as you go along.

It's wonderful eye candy. It unpins you from the cumbersome tale and lets you have fun. It's loud and exciting because it can be. That's Snyder's achievement here. He thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if..." and then he did it.

Wisely, the pace of everything is swift. You never linger too long on any plain of the movie before you're moving on. And, when you've had enough and your eyes are stuffed to the brim, it ends. Quickly. Calmly. Confusingly? The other bookend is set in place.

Hm... Yeah, I don't know.

The story is very thin and loose. It's almost irrelevant. But, you needed something propping it up and tying it together. I suppose it works well enough. Well, let me clarify that. It works well enough assuming you're able to divorce yourself from the need for narrative. If you can ignore the story and enjoy the ballet of absurd over-the-top-ness, you're gold. However, if you're looking for why's and how's and what's, then this might not work for you. If you're looking for a story that make sense, tip-toe pass Sucker Punch. It's likely not your cup of tea.

So, if Sucker Punch is a blended concoction of Zack Snyder's previous films, video games and music videos, I'm fine with that. And you know what, I think this gives me confidence in the reboot of the reboot to Superman that he's directing. I think this movie shows, if nothing else, he has vision and creativity. I've read that he's going to tone Superman way down from his other films. Obviously that makes sense. Still, the lesson is that Sucker Punch shows obvious passion for his craft. And, from Watchmen, you know Snyder knows how to marry that craft with a respect for the material.

In closing, I'll say this, whether you rush out to the theater or not, make sure to pick up the soundtrack. It's amazing. Love it. Bought it. Fantastic. If you go to the gym, get the soundtrack. It kicks ass. It's driving and ferocious and unlike the movie, it doesn't need a story.

-Tom

Dancing at My Desk

 

My office doesn’t have a door - kind of like a cubicle (with four walls and a ceiling).  I’m not looking for pity, seriously.  But, it makes jamming to music - one of the few methods of motivation - more difficult to do without forcing my co-workers to also rock out to my favorite music.  Luckily, though, there’s a solution.  (If there wasn’t a solution, this would be a pretty pathetic blog post.)  Headphones.  Ever since Apple released its first iPod, headphones have been the solution to independant music consumption.  Unfortunately, those little earbuds can get pretty uncomfortable after 8 hours at a desk.  My ears feel like they need some fresh air.  Maybe you like the feeling, and I’m not going to hate on you for it, but my ears were just not constructed to hold a piece of plastic for the duration of the workday.  

Enter the around-the-ear headphones.  I’ll probably get some flak for this, from my serious audiophiles out there, but I spend my day with the Dr. Dre Beats (Studio).  Sure, there are plenty of other options, but it’s a personal choice, and I love my Beats.  The music doesn’t feel like it’s being pushed into my ears, rather it just lives in its own space - that I happen to be a part of.

We had a headphone challenge in the Marketing Department, and while we all agreed that anything is better than the Apple earbuds, each of us found our own personal favorites: from the on-ear B&W P5s and Grado headphones to the around-the-ear noise-cancelling Sennheisers.  And while we were challenging the headphones, we weren’t rudely spreading our music throughout the office without care for the preferences of others.  And while there was discussion of the amount of bass and the highs and lows, what it really came down to was: Do I think my music sounds great, and am I comfortable wearing these?  And that’s what it should be about.  Honestly, I don’t care if you prefer your music to be bass-heavy, club beats, classical, or opera, just don’t force me to listen to it through your itsy-bitsy computer speakers.  The only thing that should show me you’re listening to your favorite music is you dancing in your chair at your desk.

 

-Kate

Take Your Sonos System To The Next Level

Do you have a Sonos system?  Are you in love with it? (Most people who own a Sonos System do tend to fall madly in love with it.)  Are you wondering how to take your relationship with Sonos to the next level?  You're in luck.  The Nova from Peachtree Audio creates amazing sound for all your music sources including those digital audio files that live on your Sonos, iPod, Computer, or other mp3 player.

Peachtree Audio understands that a tube amplifier adds a warmth and smoothness to your music.  In "audiophile-speak": The tube preamp lends smoothness and warmth to your music's high and mid-range frequencies while solid-state amplification delivers tight punchy bass. This high quality digital-to-analog conversion means smoother and clearer sound for your digital music.

Other features include an onboard headphone amp for enjoying private listening at work or just kicking back to enjoy some late night tunes at home. The stereo preamp outputs let you add an extra amp or a powered subwoofer.

The Nova features an open space in the back of the unit that will fit your Sonos® wireless music ZP90 digital music player, and will use its digital to analog converter (DAC) to convert the digital music stored on the Sonos to smooth and clear analog music signals.

-Miles

Encountering Paul

I've been living a lie. My name is Paul. There. I've said it. It's something I try to keep close to the vest, but I am one of those cursed people that goes by their middle name. I never really had a choice in the matter. It was my parent's decision and one that I have had to live with and be tormented by my entire life. It always pained me on the first day of class when the teacher would call out "Paul Rowe." 

 

"Yes. That's me, but please call me Tom, for no particular reason."

 

What does this have to do with the movie, Paul? Absolutely nothing. I just saw this as an opportunity to unburden myself of this deep, dark secret.

 
Anyway... Paul. The latest from the lampoon from the team-up of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They've covered the undead and action adventures. This time around they are twisting the alien invasion genre around on itself. 

 

Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) are sci-fi geeks. Having taken the pilgrimage to Comic-Con in San Diego, they set off on a tour of the United States' western theater of alien landing sites, the Black Box, Area 51, Rosewell, etc. Cruising through the desert in their sweet RV, they discover Paul. 

You'd think two sci-fi fanatics would be well equipped to deal with an alien encounter, but they aren't. 

Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen, looks like your typical, gray-skinned, big headed, big eyed, alien. It's an image we know well and for good reason. Paul tells the pair that the government has leaked his image through popular culture to ensure that should they ever run into him or anyone from his planet, they won't completely lose their minds. 

Paul enlists Graeme and Clive to help him escape the government facility that has been holding him since the 1940s, at first as a guest and later a prisoner. Having sent a distress call to his home planet, he must get to the rendezvous site. 

 

The trio--later a quartet when joined by God-fearing Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wigg)--are chased by Zoil (Jason Bateman), a Men in Black/FBI/CIA type, that is puppeteered by "the Big Guy." Think Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget as played by Sigourney Weaver. 

 

Paul brings the Pegg and Frost duo back to something much closer to Shawn of the Dead, or even their BBC sitcom Spaced (BOOM! That's geek street cred.) It's calm and charming. The comedy demeanor is sweet and comfortable. 

 

While Paul, the one with an American accent (hm), is brash and rude, there is still some affection there. It's pleasant. Where some comedies out there today, Hangover, Due Date, Step Brothers, anything from the Apatow crew, can be a bit of an assault on the funny bone, Paul, much like their other movies, is more of a caressing. 

 

And in similar fashion, the jokes lead up to some sincere feeling. Sure the characters are funny, odd, and goofy, but they are still human, even Paul. I don't think Paul reaches the emotional heights of Shawn of the Dead when Shawn's mother turns into a zombie and he must put her down. That was some tense stuff. Paul skirts that and doesn't linger too long before returning to a calm, steady funny. 

Beyond that calm and steady, Paul is sprinkled with comedic juggernauts Jeffrey Tambor, Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Joe Lo Truglio and Bill Hader. Each one is a delicious morsel while on screen, giving a nice balance Pegg and Frost's easy going. And of course there's Seth Rogen being Seth Rogen. I actually like him better as Paul. I liked not seeing him on screen. Not that I'm Rogen hater, but I'm just a little sick of him. His usual outlandishness is toned down while he's the voice of the alien. While there is plenty of crudity, it's not as over the top. It fits the space of Paul quite nicely. After all, Paul is from a highly evolved race. He knows a great deal more about the universe. But sure, no matter how evolved you are, a fart joke is still pretty funny.

 

For my geeks out there, Paul offers plenty of inside jokes for you to devour. It's littered with references and nods toward all manner of science fiction and pop culture. Sometimes I found myself laughing alone at some of the references. A few surprised me. "Really, no one got that that was from Aliens? Come on!" Others, caused me to shrink down a bit because they were embarrassingly geeky.

 

Paul's a fun movie. Do you need to rush out to the theater to see it? I don't think so. There's nothing there that won't play just fine on your TV at home. In fact, it might work better. I have the feeling that Paul is one of those movies that I will like better at home. It's something that I can have on in the background and pay attention to and enjoy in those moments when I lift my head up from my computer. Or glance back for a break from some sort of cleaning or household task. 

 

If you're a fan of Pegg and Frost, you're going to see it in the theater. Otherwise, I think you can wait for it to come home.

-Tom

The Travels of Kate's B&W Zeppelin

A few weeks ago my B&W Zeppelin got sick.  It had been about 5 years of using the Zeppelin nonstop: for my iPod & TV speakers.  Just like a car, sometimes electronics need a tune-up and that's what happened.  So, sadly, I packed it up, told it to "get well soon", and shipped it back to B&W for some good ol' fixin.

While my dear Zeppelin was being taken care of, I had the misfortune of having to listen to my flatscreen TV through its itsy-bitsy built-in speakers.  That first night of tinny, reverberating sound was miserable, and I even considered just not watching TV until my Zeppelin was returned to its proper place.  Because, what I've learned is: TV is just not the same when the sound isn't good.  In fact, the emotion (of my beloved dramas, and occasional reality show) vanished when the Zeppelin was off getting its tune-up.  I could hear the sound smashing into the hard plastic backing of the TV, and echoing back and forth.  I found myself playing with the volume, in the hopes that maybe turning the volume way up would eliminate the empty audio quality, but no, it just made it worse.  So, I attempted turning the volume down, to a barely audible level, in the hopes that maybe the tinny sound wouldn't be noticeable at such a low volume.  But, what I discovered, to my dismay, was that no matter what the volume, the audio quality was just flat out bad.

While I was without the Zeppelin, I discovered closed captioning, reading, the great outdoors, my love of cooking, and the fact that even my computer's built-in speakers had more richness and depth to them than the poor wanna-bes in my TV.  

So, when my darling Zeppelin returned, repaired and feeling well again, I was elated.  The most difficult part was getting it out of its box.  I could definitely have used a second set of hands, but the adrenaline of excitement was able to pull me out of the sticky situation (pun intended).  Once the Zeppelin was out of the box, it only took me about five minutes to set it up:

1. Plug into wall outlet.
2. Run cable from TV to the back of the Zeppelin

The only thing that stood in my way was the fact that the puppy had decided to get in the empty box to play, so subtract one minute for me chasing her out of the box, and placing the box up on the table.

Finally, the time had come to turn on the TV.  This was the moment I'd been waiting for.  There's nothing quite like hearing quality sound along with a crystal-clear picture.  And, my iPod, once again, has a place to spend time charging itself while playing some of my favorite music.  

-Kate

Battle: LA, More real than most movies set in Los Angeles

I spend most of my days sitting in a building where they filmed parts of 2007's Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. My window looks out on the streets where, in a half-hearted attempt to remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Kidman scurries away from people infected and controlled by an alien lifeform. It's a constant reminder of terrible invasion movies. For every Independence Day, there's an Invasion. For every Critters, there's a Critters 2 (or 3 or 4). For every The Day the Earth Stood Still, there's a The Day the Earth Stood Still.

 

The invasion genre is thick with winners and losers. It's been done so many times that it's hard to come up with some interesting or new twist that makes a movie stand out. I don't think any in recent history has stood out more than District 9. In that, the filmmakers did a superb job at making it feel real. They took the extraordinary and made it tangible. Accessible. Believable. I believe director Jonathan Liebesman has accomplished almost as much with Battle: Los Angeles.

 

 
Simple. Very simple. There's a global alien invasion. Call in the marines. It could have wandered off to the rest of the world, but Battle: LA's strength was that it stayed focus on a small group with a very small objective. Get to this location, and get the civilians to safety. By and large, that's the plot. They take momentary glances at the bigger picture ("scientists think they are here for the thing that they came here for"), but they don't get lost in the reasons. It's a glance, and you're back on the streets.

 

Aaron Eckhart (Core, The Dark Knight) plays U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Nantz. He finds himself with one last detail before his retirement. He's attached to Echo Company, 2nd battalion, 5th Marine regiment, offering support to the platoon's fresh Lieutenant, William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez). They are tasked with rescuing a stranded group of civilians before the Air Force bombs Los Angeles to halt the progress of the alien invaders... Wait. What? Alien invaders? Did you say alien invaders?

 

Yes. 

 

No one is really allowed to process what that means. I'm sure there are other people in the movie that we never meet, talking heads on TV, that are able to think about it's grander meaning. However, the Marines have orders. There is no time to sit back and think, "Wow, aliens are real and this is actually happening." There's a fight. There are enemies engaging you. You have your orders. Get the job done. Again, it's simple, and we're in the fight with them. The audience isn't allowed to process it or think about anything outside of the boundaries of what's on screen. It moves so quickly and is unrelenting.

 

Some of the emotion was trite. Ham-fisted. Overdone. The battle weary Nantz. The new Lt. with a baby on the way. We've seen this before in plenty of movies. We've probably seen it before in other invasion movies. Yet, they don't let it get in the way of the movie. It's there to let you access the characters. Their stories are delivered in shorthand. "Yes, OK. I know this guy. I've met him before." 

 

Battle: LA is a case where the style is almost as important, if not more so, than substance. The look and feel of the movie; it's pace and it's demeanor are really what makes it top shelf.

 

When credits rolled and the lights came up, I almost jumped out of my seat. I looked around to get affirmation. I wanted to see other people with a similar "Wow! What a ride!" looks on their faces. I didn't get the sense there was similar enthusiasm. 

 

Maybe I was alone in my thinking. Maybe I'm overselling it. Still, I thought Battle: LA was one helluva ride. It pinned you to your seat and if it did actually let you up for air, it was only for a second. If you stripped away the cartoonishness of ID4 and replaced it with the jarring reality from Blackhawk Down, you get Battle: LA. 

 

If I'm the only one that thinks it's just that good, it's cool. I'm one of few people that worship Hudson Hawk. I'm fine with that. Still, if you're in the mood for an intense time in the theater, give it a try. At a very minimum, it's worth the price of of admission; and, perhaps, you'd find, like me, that it's worth even more.

 

-Tom Rowe

Gramophone Provides Needed Resources to Local Volunteer Fire Company

When the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Company (LVFC) was in need of an LCD TV screen to implement their newest situational awareness program, it was Gramophone who stepped up to the plate to donate and install the TV. As Brian Hudkins, president of Gramophone, says, "It was just the right thing to do."

The situational awareness program allows LVFC to monitor traffic, weather, and local alerts in real-time, which allows them to respond even more promptly to calls ranging from: Structural fires involving residences and businesses to medical emergencies and vehicle accidents to rescue situations, as well as providing assistance in non-emergency calls. "Many people think that our products and services serve only for entertainment purposes, but when implemented correctly, they also provide the functions of safety and security for both homeowners - and in this situation: firefighters!" Hudkins says.

So how does it work? Michael Walker, head of the Technology Committee at LVFC says, "We have software running in the background called VueTOO. VueTOO allows for viewing of multiple sources; just about any source of information can be displayed on up to 16 windows inside a single 'situation page' on our screen." For example: in one section of the LCD TV, viewers can see the video from local traffic cameras, while in another section, the current weather and other local alerts are displayed.

When a call is reported to LVFC, one of the first responses is to identify a route that will be the fastest and safest. The center of this response now revolves around the TV screen, which is displaying the video feeds. 

Ultimately, the LVFC will be expanding to incorporate Digital Signage into the Engine Bays as well as increasing the number of sources to allow for faster response times. Automation of other items is also in the works: from engine bay lights automatically turning on in response to a call to the Klaxon's fire lights responding automatically on the 2nd and 3rd floors as well. Walker says, "There are many complexities and costs associated with this 'bolt on' potential, and we will seek ongoing community support."

Cedar Rapids: Sweet and Stupid, Just the Way I Like Them

Cedar Rapids doesn't let you wonder for too long about what kind of comedy it's going to be.

When our folksy mid-west insurance salesman, Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), rendezvous with his former teacher/crush (Sigourney Weaver) for a little afternoon delight, it quickly tells you which comedy gear is appropriate: sweet, dope-ish and raunchy. 

Tim works for BrownStar Insurance, a mom and pop agency somewhere out there in the middle of the country. The un-timely--and very David Carradine--death of their ace salesman, leaves big shoes for Tim to fill at the annual ASMI Conference. Having never attended the conference, Tim's one charge from his boss (Stephen Root... "they stole my stapler") is to bring home the coveted Two Diamond Award. 

Commence with the fish out of water. Tim hasn't been on a plane before and certainly hasn't traveled to a mega-metroplis like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It's the big time that he finds when he arrives at the motel and conference center and he is swiftly taken under the collective wings of ASMI vets, Dean "Deanzie" Ziegler (John C. Reilly), Ronald Wilkes (Isaiah Whitlock Jr... That's Clay Davis for my Wire fans), and Joan Ostrowki-Fox (Anne Heche). 

Work conferences can be dreadful. What do you ever take away from them? Woeful speakers giving presentation while you try to consume even more woeful food. It's really just an opportunity to network with colleagues and the faces you don't normally get to see.  Sure, that usually involves tearing it up at the ham-fistedly named hotel bar and causing a little ruckus. 

While Tim aimed for the straight and narrow, focused steadily on the Two Diamond Award, Deanzie took it upon himself to show him said ruckus. The hair comes down and the spurs go up. Much of the movie is the John C. Reilly show. He's a tornado of lewd jabber, descending upon poor little Tim. He's a hilarious and ridiculous version of "that guy." You know the guy: He's there for the party. And if there is no party, he's grabbing a drink, putting a trash can on his head and making one. 

Deanzie's insanity and absurdity is well balanced with Tim. He is sweet. He believes in what he's doing. There is a moment in the movie where he talks about the people that sell insurance and manages to make them sound noble. When disaster strikes, representatives from insurance companies are among the first on the scene. They help people get back on their feet. Tim idealizes everything: insurance, his hero-coworker (according to Tim, his death was an accident), his "relationship" with his former teacher, and the hooker hanging about the motel. 

That mix of innocence, carried very well by Helms, and gutter-mouth, wielded with sheer artistry by Reilly, make for a very funny movie. The jokes come easy, and there's nothing that should catch you off guard. It's just funny. Sitting between the post-Oscar blitz, where there is seldom joy to be found in the cinema (Winter's Bone...fine film. AGONY!), and the smash-you-in-the-face action of the spring/summer movie season; it's great to have a simple, stupid laugh. It clears the air.

-Tom Rowe

Tom Rowe is a passionate Baltimorean that is passionate about Baltimore. Raised between the General Cinema Perring Parkway, Senator, and the few theaters along York Road, Tom spends his time between movies exploring the city's culinary scene, collecting comic books and the associated paraphernalia, bemoaning never-ending home renovations, and googling words to make sure that he's spelling them correctly (example: paraphernalia). You can follow @thefrontrowe on Twitter or visit www.thefrontrowe.com for futher ramblings.

From The Desk of Guest Blogger: Mick Lee from Z104.3

 

Being a radio DJ I think it would be pretty obvious, but I'm a big music/audio dude. And, I get so excited at the thought of even stepping foot into Gramophone's huge showroom….so when I heard about Peachtree Audio's musicBox, I wanted to be one of the first to try it out! My friends at Gramophone set me up with one to try last month, and it was hard to let it go when the month ended. Such amazing audio quality (which is typical with all of Peachtree products). 

It's sleek, shiny, and small enough to fit on any shelf….but packs a punch with clarity and volume. With the iPod dock on it, I was able to connect my iPod and iPhone (yes, the tech geek that I am has both) instantly and enjoy music at any moment of the day. Great to just chill, or for background music when I have friends over. Even cooler was that I could connect my HDTV to it for amazing sound from my favorite shows and movies. Good stuff. 

Definitely head to the Gramophone showroom to see it for yourself! Oh, and don't forget to bring your own iPod so you can put it to the test!

- Mick Lee (from Z104.3)

*Note from the Gramophone Team: It's on display for a limited time only, so swing by before March 31st!