"there will be blood" - by P.T. anderson

chaplin, hitchcock, hawks, curtiz, welles, and wilder.  coppola, capra, cassavetes and carne.  those are the names associated with the auteur film theory with the academics.  scorsese, scott (ridley - not tony), the brothers coen, rodreguiez, tarantino, altman and sayles are making names as the new auteurs.  what is an auteur?  it's complicated, but essentially it's the idea that the director, no matter the genre, is the primary vision or "author" of the film.   there will be blood, the latest film from director p.t. anderson cements his position as a true auteur film-maker.

anderson's catalog includes his break-out hit boogie nights, the sweeping magnolia, and the sleeper punch-drunk love.  his films have proved to be indicting commentaries on modern relationships and focus on characters who struggle to find community in a society full of characters who cannot find community.  

there will be blood is an adaptation of the upton sinclair novel "oil" set in the turn of the century, oil thirsty, western, wastelands.  it stars our generation's truest actor, daniel day-lewis as daniel plainview, an enigmatic "oil man" who along with his young son, canvas the west for families willing to let him suck the oil out of their land.  after a mysterious messenger leads him to what may be the oil strike of the century, plainview sets down roots in the middle of an agriculturally barren community, with promises of wealth, education, and amenities.  as with most stories, complications ensue.  

anderson's ability to put his imprint on a period piece that is so diverse from his usual thematic and stylistic stomping grounds is what reveals his rightful claim to auteur status.  he made the transition deftly to an epic adaptation of a world very different to the one he haunts.  to many, that is the exact definition of a true cinematic author.

that is not to say however, that the movie was not stolen by two of it's prime collaborators, because it was.  there will be blood in many ways was a character study, and without daniel day-lewis' steady, deliberate, and unflinching portrayal, we might not have had much of a character to study.  in some ways, and maybe because of the breadth of the story, we are not privy to the inner workings of plainview's character.  day-lewis however pulls of a remarkable feat by engaging the audience with his intensity and commitment to the role.  with a story that was at times uneven, and a cast that was simply not his equal, his performance should be celebrated.

anderson also benefited greatly from the craftsmanship of cinematographer robert elswit.  it was elswit who gave life to the barren surroundings and was constantly painting the portraits of the people and the land they inhabited.  in many ways, his work on this film was reminiscent of nestor almendros' work on terrence malick's days of heaven, considered by many to be a masterpiece of cinematography.  

anderson must be applauded for his inclusion of elswit and day-lewis.  part of putting your stamp on any collaborative piece of art, is choosing your collaborators wisely, and if one wishes to transcend to the ranks of auteur, it would be wise to follow anderson's lead in his choice of friends.

"brighter than creation's dark" by the drive-by truckers

it's been almost two years since the dbt's released a blessing and a curse, but our patience seems to have paid off.  brighter than creation's dark may well be the bands consummated masterpiece.  the promise they offered us in their first major label record southern rock opera has finally come to fruition.  dark gives us honest storytelling, about character's on the fringe of society, soaked in soulful musicianship, blistering anthems for those who may have lost their way a time or two, and a couple of lamentations that will only leave the hardest of hearts with dry eyes.

one of the trucker's greatest strengths has been the collaborative nature of their song writing.  patterson hood, mike cooley, and jason isbell have all taken their shots as lead tune-smith, and that has served them well.  unfortunately, isbell left the band and struck out on his own.  in his absence, bassist shonna tucker stepped up and filled the void, and offers one of the great surprises on the record - she can write and sing with the best of them.

the first five songs on the record are as good an introduction to these neo-southern rockers as you will ever get.  the first song, two daughters and a beautiful wife is an acoustic piece written by hood, from a dead man's point of view as he worries about the family he left behind.  death is a motif one will get acquainted with early and often around the dbt's.  3 dimes down is cooley's first contribution to the record, a well produced, groove machine about livin' hard.  the righteous path is quintessential truckers, dealing with the tension between livin' right and livin' true.  hood sings "trying to keep focused as we drive down the road / like we did back in high school before the world turned cold / now the brakes are thin and the curves are fast / we're trying to hold steady on the righteous path."  the next song i'm sorry huston, introduces us to tucker the singer/song writer.  it's a beautiful number highlighting new member and former star room boy john neff's slide guitar.  and then cooley show's off his willie-esque songwriting abilities with perfect timing.

everything the dbt's are about, is represented well on dark.  but this record, more than any previous, seems to be authored and executed by musicians who know exactly who they are, what they do well, and where they are headed.  they abandoned some of their pop-ier numbers, partly due to isbell's exodus, and they have embraced the production process a little more in support of the sound.  the 19 songs on the record are all thoughtfully laid out for our consumption, and sound as good as ever.

drive-by truckers on the world wide web

"who needs sleep?" directed by haskell wexler, asc

on march 11, 1997, after working a 19 hour day on the set of "pleasantville", assistant cameraman brent hershman was killed after he fell asleep at the wheel on his way home from set.  academy award winning cinematographer, and d.p. royalty, haskell wexler's "who needs sleep?" is an insiders quest to find out why the film industry continues to put it's work force at risk with unhealthy work hours, and who, if anybody, caries the moral obligation and authority to change the current work culture.  

best known for lensing such canonical films as "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" and "who's afraid of virginia woolf?", wexler has also made a name for himself as an advocate.  "who need's sleep?" was a seven year task for wexler, which includes interviews with everyone from script supervisors, electricians, gaffers, and their families, to informal chats between wexler and union heads, cinematographers, and stars like julia roberts and billy crystal.  haskell's "godfather"-ish status in the industry, affords him access, candor, and authority to explore the topic.  he himself has been a party as both a crew member, director, and producer on film sets where long hours were the norm.

after hershman's death, many in the industry, both above and below the line, publicly cried for reform.  wexler's long-time friend, academy award winning cinematographer conrad hall, even went as far as to lead the movement by drafting a statement of reform that he wished to be adopted by the american society of cinematographers, the IATSE unions, and the screen, writers, and directors guilds.  the amazing thing is, that despite unanimous consent, there was a reluctance to agree for civilized work practices, such as a 14 hour work day.  motion pictures may be the only industry where the workers are fighting for a 14 hour work day.  

wexler asks the questions that many are afraid to ask, for fear that they will not be hired on future projects.  in the twilight of his career, wexler seems intent on not only leaving behind a beautiful catalogue of work behind him, but a legacy of reform.  the film does not whine or complain, teach or stump, but instead is a brazen behind the scenes look at the brokenness of one of the most glamorous industries in the world.

12 on 12 off website

haskell wexler's personal website

some good records of '07

ranking art is not my favorite thing to do, but it is fun to look back on the records that came out this year and ponder their significance. this year there were some great records. even while the major labels and the radio conglomerates peddled their hard to swallow and forgettable idols, internet and community radio (like radio paradise) spread the gospel of good music to those with open ears and open hearts. there was some good new music from legends levon helm and neil young, both of whom will never wallow in irrelevance - dinosaur jr. proved j. mascis is in fact a guitar god - and the bad plus' record "prog" is a must listen simply because they define their own genre of indie-jazz. there were some original new voices this year, like dr. dog, the national, and amy winehouse. there were also a couple of notable misses this year. son volt's "the search" didn't seem to come up with anything new. steve earle's "washington square" seemed to take steve into new and unproductive territory. that being said, here are my top ten records of the year... plus one. and also, spoon's "ga ga ga ga ga" was really good.

+1 - neil young "live at massey hall 1971" - it's not really from '07, but it's an incredible document from mr. young's archives.  i've listened to a lot of neil solo and acoustic, but this one has cowgirl in the sand.  it's always fun to listen to artists when they are on the verge - and that's where this re

cord takes us back to.

10 - okkervil river "the stage names" - will sheff sounds like he's finally gotten comfortable with his voice, and the songwriting is taught and sharp.  john allyn smith sails is an ironic answer to the beach boys' sloop john b.

9 - rilo kiley "under the black

light" - there are many among us who believe jenny lewis to be the sexiest trick in shoe leather, and to not disappoint, rilo kiley's latest effort is a record about sex.  but somehow, she doesn't make it sound like something anyone would want to have.  this record is a sleazy romp with a disco beat.  i'm not certain of how "blacklight" will stand up in their catalog, but for now, i sure enjoy listening to it.

 

8 - band of horses "cease to begin" - is it possible to be aggressive and laid back at the same time?  i don't know if band of horses can still be considered southern since they now reside in seattle, but you can almost smell the magnolia's listening to their newest record.  great harmonies and churning hooks propel this record beyond their peers.

 

7 - various artists  "i'm not there" original soundtrack - eddie vedder, sonic youth, calexico, john doe, yo la tengo, iron & wine, jeff tweedy, mark lanegan, the hold steady, and cat power are among the many covering dylan.  'nough said.

6 - the new pornographers  "challengers" - this record is not nearly as manic as "twin cinemas" and earlier efforts, which one might equate to saying there aren't as many drums in the latest "stomp" show.  their manic energy has been a keystone to their sound.  but challengers grows around mid-tempo songs that are as contemplative as anything on the market.  

5 - nina nastasia & jim white "you follow me" - nina nastasia shares the credit with jim white, the dirty three drummer, not the "searching for the wrong eyed jesus" jim white.  what results is a pensive, sleeper of a record with an impeccable rhythm.  the only draw back is that it's only 31 minutes long.  leave 'em wanting more i guess.

4 - bettye lavette "the scene of the crime" - after bettye's incredible come back, the joe henry produced "i've got my own hell to raise", bettye decided to go for the jugular.  crime scene was recorded in muscle shoals and produced by the drive-by truckers' patterson hood, with the truckers and legend spooner oldham backing her up.  the result is a hungry and dirty soul record that should leave most listeners in the fetal position.

3 - iron and wine "the shepherd's dog" - sam beam shed his sleepy, dreamlike meanderings, and awoke with a new, bluesier, grinder.  he didn't loose his almost loop-able guitar riffs, or his grown in dirt aesthetic, but he did make an exciting record with as much groove as the stones.  he also didn't loose his beard.

2 - wilco "sky blue sky" - the first studio output featuring the new lineup was a head scratcher.  jeff tweedy and company composed some of the most subtle complexity imaginable.  there is a real sense that they are masters of their craft, restraining themselves for the good of the whole.  and by whole, i mean the whole damn world.  

1 - arcade fire "neon bible" - arcade fire from montreal, shows exactly what a band that only obeys themselves is capable of.  they do what they please.  a haunting record with diverse instrumentation, stylized vocals, and obscure lyrics, bible never falls into the trap of being too hip, or too important.  instead, they simply challenge listeners to follow the soundtrack to their minds.  the greatest example of indie art in a long time.