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

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

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

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.

It Must Be Magic

I still have to check the price when demonstrating the new Epson Ensemble HD Theater System. We installed this new all-inclusive package in our Timonium showroom less than two weeks ago, and to be honest, I was skeptical of what this system could offer for two reasons:

1. There's tons of ambient light in its new home (just to the left of our front entrance doors).


2. It's unprecedented level of affordability must mean it's lacking something.

With the touch of a single button, the motorized screen drops, the projector turns on, and a DVD starts with simplified audio and a surprisingly bright picture with great color. The system includes:

• an Epson HD projector


• 100" Motorized Screen


• Surround Sound System with powered subwoofer


• Receiver/DVD combo


• Equipment stand


• And, oh, let's not leave out all the needed cables, brackets, and interconnects with a one-touch RF remote.

I figured the system would cost $15,000, but I was wrong. This system is $5999. That's right, I'm not forgetting a 1 in front of the 5,999! Seriously, the only thing I would advise is to add a Blu-ray player with HDMI cable and installation by the Gramophone team (if you're not ready to set it up yourself).

We have sought and found a product that can provide you with a quality solution, which will allow you to enjoy a great home theater system while on a budget. Let it be our little secret. We won't tell your friends and family that you didn't spend three times as much as they will think you did!

Imagine the possibilities...movie nights with family and friends...extreme video game competitions...Rock Band anyone?

Looking for one more reason to make that dream of yours come true? As one of our client advisers how to get 12 months no interest financing on a theater package of your choice.

Andrew Davis

410-308-1650

Make This Year's Father's Day Stand Out From All the Rest.

With only 10 Days until Father's Day, these are some of our top picks!

It is almost impossible to write about the "Top Three Gadgets for Father's Day"  There are far more gadgets that Dad would love to have than just three.  How to decide? Headphones top our list of great Father's Day gifts, but there are also great iPod Dock solutions.  And we didn't limit ourselves to picking just three.  We'll let you figure out which of the following would make this year's Father's Day stand out from all the rest.

Better than a tie, but not quite a set of nice cuff links.

Sennheiser's line of headphones offers a great gift for dad for when he goes to the gym.  The adidas Performance headphones with volume control are portable, washable, and simply the way to go when it comes to athletic headphones. Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: The Sennheiser/Adidas PMX680s provide "Exceptional sound quality. Marvelous bass. Stays put securely. Water resistant and dog-proof."

Better than the really nice cuff links, but not quite his dream golf club set.

At less than $300, this gift is far better than a set of nice cuff links , but not quite at the level of a really nice set of golf clubs.  For the Dad whose music taste is stuck back in time somewhere, these headphones will take him back and let him relive those days -- without causing the whole family to cringe.

Looking for a review? Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: Heavenly Headphones Create Symphony Hall for Your Ears

Dad has an iPod?

Actually, this gift will be something an entire family enjoys...if Dad's the sharing type.  Starting at less than $400, you can get dad the B&W Mini-Zeppelin or the "big-daddy" of the two, the B&W Zeppelin.  These two are both iPod docking stations that are easy to use and have great sound quality. He'll love the fact that they have digital signal processing, digital amplifiers, as well as s-video & composite outputs. But in addition to that, they just make his music sound amazing. 

Don't take our word for it: Wired Magazine's Geek Dad Section says: "B&W Zeppelin: Still Soaring Above The Crowd After Three Years"

Dad Deserves Quiet Time.

Noise canceling headphones might just be the gift every dad has been wanting. Sennheiser's PXC310 noise canceling, collapsible headphones might just improve Dad's mood when the dog's barking, the baby's crying, and the kids are squealing with delight.  We won't tell if you use them every once in a while too!

 

Dad Wants To Spend As Much Time Outside As Possible (But he still loves movies...)

There's only one choice for this Dad: Epson MovieMate.  "Epson's MovieMate 60 combines an HD projector, A CD/DVD player, microphone unit, and stereo speakers in one portable unit" (And it comes with parental controls, so the kids can't watch movies you don't want them to see!

For less than $700, you can create your very own drive-in movie theater, have a karaoke night, watch a slideshow of family pictures, and more on a picture that can be 120"!

Want to know more about it?  The Today Show featured it!

Dad Hates Digital Music, But It's Time He Move Into the 21st Century

He needs the Peachtree iDecco. Hands Down. The best thing to do is experience the difference it makes in taking the flat sound of digital music and allowing it to breathe and have depth again.  Certainly, you can read reviews. Or, you can just come in and see how simple it is to make your digital music sing!

Dad Needs To Relax In His Very Own...Motorized Chair.

Sometimes Dad just needs to take a seat.  Oh, and this seat will make him feel like a king!  This chair is available in more than 20 colors of high grade woven fabric, and 25 colors of top grain, aniline leathers. With cupholders for his favorite drink, possible snack table, and cushions that will force his body to relax.  Don't go with the La-Z-boy, go with the VIP line of seating that offers so much more!

Dad Loves The Kids And Wants To Spend Lots of Family Time With Them

Is it time to splurge on Dad & the family at the same time?  Spend quality time with Dad while letting him win Wii Golf, snuggling on the couch as a family watching the latest blockbuster, or cheering on your favorite sports team on a 100" screen.  If this sounds like the perfect gift for Dad, they you'll want to check out the Epson Ensemble HD Theater System.  For $5999, it's an all-inclusive investment in Family Time, and what better time to start that investment than Father's Day?  The teenagers just might stay at home to watch movies with the family every once in a while too, but we won't make any promises on that!

We could offer so many other great ideas, such as:

• the portable, wireless, outdoor speaker Dad can take with him anywhere (tailgating included!). Oh, and it links right up with his iPod!
• the outdoor tv for the Dad who loves watching baseball and early season football, but also wants to be outside with the kids!

You want more? Give us a call. Stop by.  We want Dad to be thrilled!

Going Outside: my new project

This is the year, the year we make the great outdoors even greater.  We love music, and we're excited by the idea of outdoor television and movies.  Our challenge now is making the space fit you and your family.

   


We provide all sorts of solutions and ideas for you to peruse, from our online gallery to our state-of-the-art showrooms.  Let us help you design your great outdoors.

Are these some questions you have?

• Do I want to include a Sunbrite weatherproof TV?
  
• What type of speakers do I want?  Do I want them to fit right in with the surroundings?  Madison Fielding Planters could be one option, but then there are the Speakercraft Rock Speakers. 
  
• Of course, there's always the question of sound quality: James Landscape Series or B&W weatherproof speakers?
• What about if I want to have a party and want to play my music outside the patio?  Should I look into the quality, portable, wireless speakers by Soundcast to use during those times?
• Do I want to go back inside to control the outdoor system?  There are several systems that I could use outside (that are also weatherproof) so I wouldn't end up running in and out of the house: Crestron and Control4 are two of them.
  
• What about when a party goes into the later hours and it gets dark outside?  Should I go with lighting control?  Color Kinetics looks like a great idea, but I'm still not sure.

Let's work together to make this year, the year of the great outdoors!  Give us a call or stop by to speak with sales representatives, designers, engineers & programmers to see what they think is best for you!

Timonium 410-308-1650

Columbia  410-381-2100

Stewart Filmscreen’s New Retractable Screen Blends in Any Décor

No true home theater system is complete without a big screen: a projection screen that can display images larger than any television screen can compete with. Now you can get all the benefits of the big screen without the aesthetic drawbacks. Stewart Filmscreen’s new Cabaret Screen is an electronic, retractable screen that features a sleek and attractive screen housing that integrates fully into your existing décor. The screen housing can be customized for a variety of finishes, colors and even fabrics to match the surrounding décor to ensure that when your screen isn’t in use, it isn’t obtuse.