Be The Void: Thanks to Conan, Full Album Stream

If you don't already, today Conan gives you a big reason to really love him. He is streaming Dr. Dog's upcoming release (Feb. 7), Be The Void , at teamcoco.com/drdog . I don't know how long it will be up, so if you wanna take a listen you better run over there before it's too late. If you don't feel happy after the listen, you must not like puppies, rainbows or chocolate chip cookies either.

Music Video Monday: Happy-Fuckin’-Congratulations! It’s Modest Mouse and their fancy Satellite Skin!

For today’s Music Video Monday, I’ve chosen one from a band that I am currently missing:  Modest Mouse, Satellite Skin.  This one was released in 2009 from the EP No One’s First, And You’re Next and aside from the other seven songs on the EP we haven’t heard anything new since.  It’s a damn shame I tell ye.  A damn shame indeed.  I got into these guys late in their career, but have relentlessly enjoyed them ever since.  I’m not privy to the three year hiatus or even if they’re expecting, but then again I just happened upon them in the first place so who knows?  Maybe I'll be surprised with a full length album one day.

But enough of that jive, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty-fucked-up-awesomeness that is the Satellite Skin music video.  It’s a trip, like most of their videos, but kick-ass also, like most of their lyrics.  For a reason that I can’t quite point my finger on, both this song and video give me hope.  For what, I cannot say, but it makes me smile anyway.  Plus, it reminds of Cabin In The Woods and as I’m sure you’re aware the Hatch crew is on board to both watch and review this upcoming flick in April so stay tuned.  In the meantime, enjoy the video and let me know what you think.  Here's to a good week!

Favorite Scene Friday!: That Penis Had a Mole On It.

Sorry I have no excuse for being late with this and I'm not going to try to give you one. The Hatch went out last night and at one point we were talking about the word weiner in reference to a man' s junk, so it got me to thinking about this scene. It comes from Porky's, a movie that shaped my pre-teen years. Watching it again years later, I realized that there's no way in hell I should've seen this at 11-12 years old, but when the cats away.

If you haven't seen Porky's, I'll set the scene that preceded today's favorite. Ms. Balbricker, a burly PE coach at Angel Beach High, has just caught one of the boys sticking his "tallywacker" through a hole in the girl's shower room wall, but she let it, ...er him, slip away. Now she's trying to convince the school's principal to allow her to conduct a line up so she can apprehend the little pervert.

I hope you enjoy today's pick and if you haven't seen the movie I encourage you to check it out. There were probably movies before Porky's that centered around losing virginity, but to me it's the original American Pie.

Music Video Monday! Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer

A little while back, fellow exclamation point-using website Yahoo! posted their Most Epically Awful Videos of 2011. While none of those videos will ever make it onto MVM (well, maybe James Franco's - it's like rape-scene-from-Rosemary's Baby levels of terrifying and psychedelic), a video they mention as essentially being one of the best ever made is entertaining us today.

The video for Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" is a serious piece of work. Animation by the folks at Aardman Animations, dancing turkeys, and singing fruit faces are crazy enough, and that's all before the dancing starts at around the 3:30 mark.

According to Wikipedia, Sledgehammer won nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987, and it ranked at number two on VH1's "Top 20 Videos of the '80s". And Peter Gabriel had to lay under a sheet of glass for 16 hours while filming the video one frame at a time. Most of us regular folks don't even lay in our beds asleep at night for half of that time. Respect.

Happy Monday!

Favorite Scene Friday! In The Loop: The Crossest Man in Scotland

The U.S. is gearing up for a presidential election in November and we are being bombarded constantly with campaign commercials, ads, news articles, etc.  We're haunted by the rhetoric of each candidate...they are always with us.  At home.  At work.  In the car on the drive to work.  In the shower.  In bed at night.  Well...the shower and the bed may be taking it a bit too far, but you get my point.  We are essentially so harassed by this process that by the time November finally rolls around, most of the general public will just feel sick and tired of it all.  Any candidate you may have liked you don't like anymore.  You actually end up hating his face.  Because you see it ALL of the time!

Given this predicament we're all suffering, I decided to provide some political comedy on this Favorite Scene Friday.  This is a scene from what I hold to be the best movie about politics.  Ever.  In The Loop is vile, hilarious, outrageous and lots of other things, all at once.  But what it is more than anything is pretty damn honest.  The fact that Armando Ianucci takes that level of honesty and makes it nothing short of hilarious is what makes this British film, well...brilliant!

In The Loop is all about communication - using your words, and using them wisely.  It shows the crisis that can result from one seemingly innocuous, fairly ambiguous comment.  "War is....unforseeable."  Let the chaos and hilarity ensue.  And if there is anyone in this awesome movie who uses his words well, it's Jamie MacDonald, the Crossest Man in Scotland.  In this scene we have Malcolm Tucker, who raises the meaning of "grumpy" into the stratosphere, taking new government drone Toby in to meet Jamie.  Now...on with the "Oxbridge pleasantries..."

In the words of Malcolm Tucker...fuckety bye!!!

Music Video Monday!: Chuck D Had a Dream

In recognition of Martin Luther King Day, today’s Music Video Monday is brought to you with a little history lesson. It’s 1986 and the outgoing Arizona Governor has created the state’s MLK Holiday. However, in January 1987 the newly elected Governor, Evan Mecham, keeps a campaign promise to end the recognition of the day as a paid holiday for state employees. A decision that was first supported by Arizona Senator John McCain, but later reversed after all of the negatives started to roll in and he realized that his reelection was more important. I’ll stop there because this is about the music and not politics.

The decision led to protests, cancellations, boycotts, the state's loss of the 1993 Super Bowl and the 1991 song, “By The Time I Get to Arizona”. The song, written by the rap group Public Enemy, had a video as controversial as the band itself. It depicted the killing of a cop and the assassination of Arizona officials, including Mecham. MTV refused to show the video because of it’s violence. My how times have changed, now the same network has no problem showing drunk ass, fist pumping, self proclaimed guidos beating the shit out of people, but I digress. Yes, I know that depicted killing is much worse than street and bar fighting, but both are equally impressionable.

Eventually, like the other 49 states, Arizona would recognize the holiday and for that act of “fighting the powers that be”, I want to thank Public Enemy. I will do my best to enjoy my Monday off by listening to music and I just might put my black leather fisted glove up in the air while I listen to some of yours. Happy Monday and Enjoy!

Escape by Drinking the Star Wars Juice: Young Adult

Young Adult follows Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), a writer of a young adult book series who returns to her hometown to win back Buddy (Patrick Wilson), her high school sweet heart. Mavis is the kind of person that would leave for a long trip with a one-night stand still sleeping in her bed, name her dog Dolce, and type gibberish on her phone just to look important and busy. And she also doesn't mind that Buddy is now happily married with an infant daughter. She’s the saddest and most delusional character I’ve seen in a while.

Wikipedia

The film starts with crying and we quickly see that it’s coming from a reality show on Mavis’ TV. Trashy reality TV shows up in this movie a lot, acting as a kind of supportive beam running through the film’s structure. Self-obsession is definitely a theme here.

This beginning is one of the most mundane I've ever seen, featuring Mavis waking up, feeding her dog, and playing video games. The film in general actually features a lot of banal activities and highlights quite a few fast food restaurants and mega marts. All this seems to set up one of the film's central tenets – our culture can be seriously boring and depressing.

The film's title is spot-on – Mavis begins to regress the moment she hits the road for her hometown. She listens to the same song over and over again on her trip and we learn later that it's a tune that she and Buddy used to make out to (among other things). Granted, Mavis doesn't really need to regress that much, as aspects of her personality show that she never really grew up in the first place. There are a few scenes of her chugging from two liter soda bottles, and it reminded me of Will Ferrell's Buddy from Elf, another character that never really grew up.

Shortly after getting to town Mavis runs into Matt, (Patton Oswalt) a former classmate of hers who was brutally beaten in high school for supposedly being gay. Matt now has physical impairments and walks with a crutch. He's a great mirror for Mavis – his physical limitations reflect her emotional problems perfectly. The two form a friendship of sorts, and Oswalt's scenes are some of the best in the film.

The main reason to see Young Adult is, of course, Charlize Theron. She plays a troubled, depressed, alcoholic perfectly and a scene near the end where Mavis completely unravels is powerful, painfully awkward, and a little funny. Mavis is truly a horrible person, but Theron somehow makes you wish the best for her. The film just kind of struck me as a meditation on the worst parts of life, however, and Theron simply couldn't save it.

Favorite Scene Friday (the 13th)! A New Beginning

Considering today's date, I wanted to post one of my favorite clips from one of the Friday the 13th films. I couldn't find it, however, so I decided to bring you two clips from one of the worst installments in the series! You can thank me in the comments section.

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is pretty shitty, but it does at least foreshadow Jason's return in Jason Lives with the dream sequence below. The clip picks up right after two local yokels discover Jason's grave and dig it up to...what, really? Anyway, little Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman), one of Jason's few survivors, is watching from some nearby bushes.

Reawakening Jason
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning — MOVIECLIPS.com

And I'll leave you with a scene from later in the film, after the young-adult Tommy Jarvis has settled into a group home for troubled youths. Moral of the story - don't talk to disturbed people who are chopping wood, even if it's to offer them chocolate.

I've Never Really Chopped Wood Before
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning — MOVIECLIPS.com

Happy Friday the 13th!!!

A Peek Through the Hatch: Moonrise Kingdom

I doubt I'll get around to posting my list of what I'm looking forward to in 2012, but Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom would undoubtedly be on it. JoBlo has posted a trailer for the film courtesy of Apple and it puts a big smile on my face. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton - both of whom have never been in an Anderson pic before (right...?) - seem right at home in the director's new film. And I take it as a good sign that one of Anderson regular Bill Murray's lines - the last in the trailer - made me laugh out loud.

Now Hear This!: Delta Spirit, Arctic Monkeys & Some New Releases

Although I’m a couple days late with this, I still want to pass along some sweet news about the San Diego quintet Delta Spirit. In March, they’ll be hitting the road in support of their March 13th self-titled release. As you may know, I recently saw them perform in December as the opening act for My Morning Jacket. It was pure Delta Spirit, energetic, emotional and exciting. They put on a great show, mixing the old with a slight taste of the new. However because they were only able to play seven songs, I was left wanting more. Thankfully the music gods have granted my wish. They’ll be rolling into Atlanta on April 7th at a club called The Masquerade. I look forward to hearing a full set and after a few listens, the opening act WATERS has peaked my interest as well. Here’s a link to their tour schedule http://deltaspirit.net/tour and if you still don’t trust my musical taste check out Grandpa, he can’t be wrong.






On Monday, AM released the video for the fifth single (fourth official), "Black Treacle", from their 2011 album Suck It and See. It's the third installment of what seems like a story about a shady character played by AM drummer Matt Helders and his girlfriend/wife. "Black Treacle" follows the videos from the title track “Suck It and See” and the b-side song “Evil Twin”. I’ve included the trilogy below and make note, “Black Treacle” is set to be released in two weeks, January 24th, with the track “You And I” by Richard Hawley and The Death Ramps (a.k.a. Arctic Monkeys).








New Releases
Lana Del Ray - Lana Del Ray EP
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lana-del-rey-ep/id493396110
I hear and see her appeal, but I still don’t totally get her. From what I’ve read, she keeps getting a lot of shit for being a fabricated, silver spoon brat, but you know what, I say fuck it! Don’t hold it against her because she had an in. You know you’d do the same if you got the chance. I know I would. Thanks daddy, as I cash my first six-figure check. Any who, iTunes currently has her single “Born to Die” for free. Check it out here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/born-to-die-single/id493395960

Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fallen-empires/id480035632
Man these guys came out strong with the hits “Chasing Cars”, “Run”, “Signal Fire” & “Chocolate”. “You Could Be Happy” still fucks my shit up every time I hear it. I guess being called the poor man’s Coldplay eventually had an effect. There isn’t really a song that jumps out, but I hope this effort will get them back in the game. Here are my suggestions: lead track “Called Out in the Dark”, “In the End”,” The Garden Rules” and “New York”

The Maccabees - Given To The Wild
http://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/given-to-the-wild/id483599717 - Ireland iTunes
Evidently this album is already being called the album of 2012. I think you'd agree with me when I say it’s a wee bit premature since it’s only the second week of the new year. I wasn’t all that impressed with their debut or follow up, but I should at least take a listen to the album of the year right? Hell I just heard Adele’s “Someone Like You” for the first time last week and now I know why she got so much love in 2011. Here are my suggestions: “Child” and “Heave”.

A Belated Music Video Monday! Ryan Adams: Answering Bell

I must apologize for the lack of a Music Video Monday! yesterday.  I was an irresponsible blogger.  I was out of town for a big work meeting, running on less than four hours of sleep.  None of this is meant to be an excuse, as I know our love of music and movies must come first.  But I at least wanted to provide an explanation for neglecting my blog duties!  Now, on to the music. 



If you're a regular reader of this fine blog, then you know that several of us are pretty serious fans of Ryan Adams.  To honor the fact that I will FINALLY get to see him live soon (a big event for me), I wanted to post one of his videos.  It wasn't hard to decide which song to post.  The talented Mr. Adams has made many albums, but not so many videos.  In fact, I could only find official vids for two songs.  To say he's low-key may be the understatement of the century.  Ryan is a songwriter's songwriter.  He writes music because he loves music.  I don't think he places too much emphasis on much else.  But I was very happy to find that of the two available, one video was for one of my favorites of his - Answering Bell.  From the 2001 album Gold, this track features vocals by Adam Duritz of Counting Crows.  Adam joins Ryan in the video as well.  There is also a pretty random appearance by Sir Elton John.

I hope you enjoy this track and, if you do, I hope you'll get to know Ryan and his full music catalogue.  You will not regret it.  He is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time, and his talent doesn't stop there.  In fact, this is the man who covered one of the best Oasis tracks and managed to do it BETTER than the original band.  This was even acknowledged by Oasis.  You can check out Ryan's haunting version of Wonderwall here.  Happy Tuesday, everyone!

“These Videos are Trying to Imitate The Thing, Garry.”

I have yet to see The Thing remake prequel but something (probably the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score) tells me that it sucks. The film reemerges on DVD and other home formats on the 31^st and I’ll check it out then. 

Wikipedia

If I get bored waiting, I have a few Things (never gets old) I could watch, inspired by the classic Carpenter film. Hell I should probably just watch these videos for an hour and a half instead of the prequel.

The Thing Redub

If you’ve never seen this video you’ve been denying yourself some serious comedy concocted by the folks at Sequential Pictures. Who knew that Carpenter’s flick lends itself to funny, altered dialogue so perfectly? My favorite part is when the Benny Hill song kicks in. Another highlight is the exchange around 1:26. Check it out, assnoses.

John Carpenter’s The Thing: The Musical

No belly laughs for me with this one, but this video set to lyrics by jonandal.com is still pretty good.

♫I could be anyone, so watch those hands, Doc – ouch!♫

The Thing Cast Watches the Prequel

I originally saw this video - created by Nick Bosworth - on JoBlo. It’s put together really well and very clever – I didn’t realize how often the film’s characters watch TV/computer screens.

I love Wilford Brimley’s subtle nod of disapproval at 1:53 and the thought that the prequel is so bad it makes him go mad with rage. There’s only one other thing that upsets Brimley that much, and it’s diabeetus.

Pingu’s The Thing

This video's been floating around the web recently and it finally compelled me to put this post together.

It’s really well done and brings its own brand of cute and creepy to familiar scenes. Check out leehardcastle.com for more claymation craziness.

Favourite Scene Friday! Close Encounters of the Third Kind: First Contact

Feast your eyes on to the escape hatch!'s first guest Favourite Scene Friday - our first guest post in general in fact!  

Today's scene comes to us courtesy of Ruth from splendidandlovely.blogspot.com and it's an awe-inspiring piece of Spielberg's classic alien encounter flick Close Encounters of the Third Kind.   
Ruth's blog has a great feature on classic trailers. You can also visit her on Twitter - @RuthElizabeth_R. 

It's so hard to narrow down my favourite movie scenes of all time, but I can never go past this scene from Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

Wikipedia

I have my Dad to thank for introducing me to this film. I was only fourteen at the time, and I was right into Star Trek - I was watching the films over and over again, and he came home with the DVD one day and said something like "Here, this is a really good film. Can we watch it instead of Star Trek again?" I'm so glad he did that. 

We pick up this scene just after Roy Neary, who has been plagued by his desire to understand his alien encounter the entire film (to the dismay of his family, who believe he's become unstable) has literally climbed the Devils Tower, under a strange compulsion he just can't explain. Of all the people who have been touched by the strange experience, he and Jillian (Melinda Dillon) are the only ones to have made it this far, Jillian drawn by the desire to find her son Barry, who is missing. The initial contact with the aliens was successful, and the government team, led by Claude Lacombe (Francois Truffaut in one of his few acting roles) are congratulating each other on their success, when the mothership appears - everyone is awed by its size and majesty, having thought that contact was over. They play the five tones that the aliens have been transmitting to them, and this is the result. 

The film has been slowly building to this moment from the opening, and this scene entrances me every time I watch it. The music is just incredible for one thing - it makes me feel incredibly alive. The look of joy on everyone's faces - Richard Dreyfuss and Truffaut especially - is a mirror for what the audience is made to feel. There is such a sense of optimism and hope radiating that I can't help but smile. This is probably one of the few films out there that deals with "first contact" between humans and aliens in a positive manner. It takes the view that if aliens exist, it doesn't mean they have to be hostile. This kind of joy is missing from a lot of cinema nowadays (J.J. Abrams rediscovered it in Super 8) and it's something that I miss and crave at times (not that I was around when this film was released, but it's nostalgic all the same!).

The music ends here on a rather ominous note (Jaws theme anyone?) and so ends my scene, but if possible what follows is just as amazing. It's a great film and this scene is definitely - if not my favourite ever - in my top ten.

Music Video Monday: A Little Bit of Romance to Start off 2012, Why Not?

I’ve been thinking a lot about “love” lately.  What is it really?  Is it necessary?  Isn’t it funny when …?  You know, shit like that.  So for today’s Music Video Monday (it’s really Tuesday, just kidding, it’s Tuesday night) I’ve decided to spice up your life with one of the first songs ever written by The Doors.  “Indian Summer” is one of the greatest love songs ever written.  What makes it stand above most others is its simplicity.  The lyrics are so matter-of-factly intense that it’s hard to choose another lyric that displays what you’re really feeling without being too cheesy. 

Take for example the Flight of the Conchords; remember those dudes?  I do and they still make me laugh.  In episode 4 of Season 1, Bret writes a song for a girl that he likes and asks Jemaine to listen and give notes.  What results is a hilarious “Would you really do that?” interrogation.  It’s still one of my favorite scenes from the entire series and the song, when performed for the girl, is one of my favorites.  Check it out:   

My point is simply this:  a lot of love songs reveal tasks and feats anything but unattainable for you, me, the fucking singer, or anyone else.  Sure they can be metaphors, but come on, let’s leave the cheese at home, huh.  I don’t need to hear how you think your love is as strong as Superman because it's not and you’re not, asshole.  Just tell the boy/girl that you love him/her, add some guitar, maybe some bass, a lil drum or a ukulele, just don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.  Jim Morrison and co. aren’t and weren't anyone or thing other than who they are and were and that’s one of the many reasons why I dig them.  When I first heard this song, I got goosebumps.  The haunting atmosphere mixed with the yearning of love comes off like a short, dreamy whisper revealing, to whosoever may be listening, what the world is really all about:  lonely fleeting moments.  Cure that and you’ll be happy to sing the blues.  Enjoy:    

And because we here at the Hatch have been fucking up with our MVMs and FSFs as of late (it’s mostly me, I admit) I’ve decided to treat you to yet another lovely song.  Happy New Year!