Tag Archives: Voice

‘Zombieland 2’ Director Giddy About 3-D Zombie Splatter

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

“I think it’s cool to see stuff fly at your face. The idea of zombies splattering into the lens is exciting for me,” Reuben Fleischer tells MTV News. By Eric Ditzian Jesse Eisenberg in “Zombieland” Photo: Sony Pictures When MTV News caught up with Reuben Fleischer last week, he was hanging out in a dusty junkyard outside downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was hardly a glamorous day on the set of a studio picture, but that was where Fleischer had chosen to make “30 Minutes or Less,” his follow-up to the $75.6 million-grossing “Zombieland.” But, as he oversaw some wacky pyrotechnic displays at the junkyard, he was thinking about the direction for “Zombieland 2” and shared some of his thoughts with us. First off, Fleischer confirmed he’ll shoot the sequel with 3-D cameras, rather than use a controversial post-production process. “When it comes to 3-D, I feel pretty strongly that you should shoot it in camera,” he said. “I feel like it just looks so much better. If you’re going to make a 3-D movie, go ahead and make a 3-D movie. I would definitely, if we do ‘Zombieland 2,’ make it in 3-D and want to shoot it in 3-D.” While no stars yet have deals in place, Fleischer said “all the cast is excited to return,” including Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Jesse Eisenberg, who also stars in “30 Minutes.” Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are currently at work on the script, and Fleischer said they’re exploring multiple scenarios, from a plot that picks up shortly after the conclusion of the first film to one that begins further into the future. Regardless, though, “Zombieland 2” will likely explore pre-zombie days as well. “One of the fun things about ‘Zombieland’ is it jumps all over the place in terms of the storyline,” Fleischer said. “It’ll go to before zombies to after zombies and all around those worlds. What’s fun about the sequel is we have freedom and flexibility to show different periods. We might have scenes before the zombies, or we might have some months after, or potentially stuff further down the road. Through the voice-over and the way the movie is structured, we can really explore all different sides of it.” “Zombieland 2” was announced as a 3-D film back in December, when the heady glow of “Avatar” began to consume all of Hollywood. In the months since, many 3-D films have failed to connect with audiences and a sort of 3-D fatigue has set in among many moviegoers. Yet, Fleischer is not worried about backlash, nor does he agree with what James Cameron said recently about how “Piranha 3-D,” a new horror movie, “cheapen[s] the medium.” “I love 3-D” Fleischer said. “I have a hard time saying when it’s not done well, because I have almost a childlike experience watching 3-D. It’s just so cool to me when stuff comes out of the screen. That may sound na

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Inconvenient Truth: 10 Times More Hate Crimes Against Jews Than Muslims

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

If you believed the media, you would think that hate crimes against Muslims was a growing epidemic in America. Just Monday, the New York Times had a front page story hysterically noting a “torrent of anti-Muslim sentiments and a spate of vandalism.” “The knifing of a Muslim cab driver in New York City has also alarmed many American Muslims,” wrote Laurie Goodstein in the second paragraph of her article titled “American Muslims Ask, Will We Ever Belong?” Unfortunately, as Michael Doyle reported on August 28, the most recent data concerning hate crimes in this country paint a very different picture than what Goodstein and others in the media have been dishonestly portraying of late: Hate crimes directed against Muslims remain relatively rare, notwithstanding the notoriety gained by incidents such as recent vandalism at the Madera Islamic Center. Jews, lesbians, gay men and Caucasians, among others, are all more frequently the target of hate crimes, FBI records show. Reported anti-Muslim crimes have declined over recent years, though they still exceed what occurred prior to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. In 2008, 105 hate crime incidents against Muslims were reported nationwide. There were 10 times as many incidents that were recorded as anti-Jewish during the same year, the most recent for which figures are available. The San Francisco Examiner broke those numbers down a little further: According to the latest hate crime statistics available , there were 1,606 hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias in 2008. A closer look: 65.7 percent of them were committed against Jews. Against Muslims? 7.7 percent. Another interesting data point: 4.7 percent of hate crimes in 2008 were motivated by anti-Catholic bias. Another 3.7 percent were anti-Protestant. So from a raw numbers perspective, there were more hate crimes against Christians in America in 2008 than there were against Muslims. Given our large Christian population, it’s true that each Christian is far less likely to be victimized, but the numbers still show that religious haters have not been singling out Muslims. Some data provided by USA Today last November also helps to put this in perspective: The number of attacks on blacks increased 8% to 2,876, accounting for seven of every 10 race-motivated crimes. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased 3% to 1,297,although the number of people victimized went up 13% to 1,706. So, in 2008, the last year such statistics were available, there were 2,876 hate crimes against blacks, 1,297 against gays, and 1,055 against Jews. Yet, with only 105 such disgusting acts committed against Muslims, America’s media want you to believe this nation is Islamophobic. Consider their premise as you watch the following video of a pro-Palestinian rally that took place in Washington, D.C., Friday (h/t Right Scoop ): Imagine the wall-to-wall, 24 hour media coverage that would ensue if rabbis at a pro-Israel rally spoke with such vitriol about Muslims. On the flipside, filmmaker Oliver Stone in July said America’s “Jewish-dominated media” prevent Adolf Hitler from being portrayed in his proper context. The prior month, the historically anti-Semitic Helen Thomas said Jews should go back to Germany or Poland and “get the hell out of Palestine.” A month before that, Comedy Central’s website offered an astonishingly anti-Semitic video game wherein one character said, “You lied to me, Jew producer.”    A month before that, a report was released showing that anti-Semitic acts around the world had more than doubled in 2009 reaching levels never seen since figures started being kept on such things, and our media almost totally ignored these disturbing findings.  Yet America’s an Islamophobic nation – don’t you ever forget it!

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Inconvenient Truth: 10 Times More Hate Crimes Against Jews Than Muslims

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NPR Compares Palin, Gingrich to Historic Anti-Semites, Sympathizes with Former CAIR Publicist

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

National Public Radio is strongly urging America to get over its apparently rabid case of Islamophobia. On Sunday night’s All Things Considered  newscast, anchor  Guy Raz played audio clips of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin opposing the Ground Zero Mosque, and then launched into how much this resembles historic anti-Semitism: In his column today, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof points out that in 1940, 17 percent of the population considered Jews to be a menace to America. Almost every ethnic group in this country has gone through a period of transition when they had to fight to prove that, indeed, they were Americans. Rabiah Ahmed and a group of Muslim leaders thought their community had to do the same today. So this week, they launched an online video campaign called “My Faith, My Voice.” What Raz does not point out is that Rabiah Ahmed is a former publicist and prominent national spokesperson for the Council for Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), a group named as an un-indicted co-conspirator in a terrorist funding case. Raz didn’t so much conduct a news interview with Rabiah Ahmed as much as he joined her in condemning the sad and bigoted state of America today:    RAZ: Rabiah, how did it get to this point, you know, where, in a sense, you’re stating what should be painfully obvious, that people who practice the Muslim faith in America are Americans just like anyone else ? Ms. AHMED: You know, it is sad that it has to be said, but it’s necessary nonetheless because this rhetoric, these anti-Muslim feelings, they’re not just coming from the usual right-wing or agenda-driven circles. Polls indicate that these fears are widespread. They’re in the hearts of average Americans, moderate Americans. And that’s what’s so concerning about this. In the post-9/11 climate, there was anti-Muslim backlash, but it wasn’t so open. It wasn’t so hostile, and it wasn’t so widespread. And whatever the Muslim community has been doing in the past 10 years, it’s been a good effort, but for some reason, it’s not achieving its goal. RAZ: Do you think, as a society, we’re in the midst of maybe a passing storm, you know, something that we will look back on in 10 or 20 years from now and wonder how it ever came to this ? Ms. AHMED: I hope so. I hope it is a passing storm. I hope that it’s just a matter of time where Muslims are seen as part and parcel of the society. You know, if we look back at our history, other communities have faced this kind of discrimination or these kinds of feelings, and they’ve been able to overcome. But it’s not going to happen by itself. The Muslim community is going to really have to reach out in different ways, you know, through interfaith relations, through public service announcements, through whatever way that people can contribute and try to address these issues because if it’s not done, then there’s a potential of it just getting worse. RAZ: That’s Rabiah Ahmed. She’s one of the people behind a new online video campaign called “My Faith, My Voice.”  Rabiah Ahmed, thank you so much. Ms. AHMED: Thank you for having me. The “My Faith, My Voice” organizers claimed they are absolutely unaffiliated. But is Ahmed or her Mirza Public Relations firm being paid, and if so, by whom? NPR’s anchor didn’t care enough to ask, at least not for the public. Before this sympathetic exchange, Raz explained “In a few moments, we’ll find out why Muslims in one grassroots movement have decided to remind their fellow Americans that, well, they’re Americans too.” But first, he found some American Muslims who found the current rhetorical environment is endangering their safety: HUSSEIN NAGAMEA(ph): My name is Hussein Nagamea. I have no time since my immigration to the United States felt that I was unsafe in this country until now, recently. BARBARA KHANDAKAR: I am careful about who I talk to in public, not so much just talking to them, but other Muslims that I greet, I don’t automatically go say, hi, assalamu alaikum, because I don’t want to draw attention to myself that I’m Muslim or that they’re Muslim, just in case someone out there might be crazy. ZIYA NASIR: You kind of feel afraid that everyone thinks that way, you know, everyone who’s not Muslim believes that. That is probably the most frightening out of everything. So this is how it works at taxpayer-supported radio. If you’re non-Muslim and think Muslims are endangering your safety, you’re a bigot. If you’re Muslim and you think non-Muslims are endangering your safety, you’re handed a microphone and a pat on the back.

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NPR Compares Palin, Gingrich to Historic Anti-Semites, Sympathizes with Former CAIR Publicist

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Paul Conrad Dies at 86 | Pulitizer Prize-Winning Political Cartoonist Made Him One of Leading Provocateurs | Helped Push The Los Angeles Times to National Prominence

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Political cartoonist Paul Conrad dies By James Rainey | 12:52 p.m. His fiercely confrontational cartoons made him one of the leading political provocateurs of the second half of the 20th century and helped push the Times to national prominence. He was 86. ' Paul Conrad dies at 86; Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist helped bring The Los Angeles Times to national prominence http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-paul-conrad-20100905,0,3650589,full… . PART ONE… By James Rainey, Los Angeles Times September 4, 2010|12:52 p.m. Paul Conrad, whose fiercely confrontational editorial cartoons made him one of the leading political provocateurs of the second half of the 20th century and who helped push the Los Angeles Times to national prominence, has died. He was 86. Conrad died early Saturday of natural causes, surrounded by his family at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, said his son David. Conrad won three Pulitzer Prizes, a feat matched by only two other cartoonists in the post- World War II era, while both thrilling and infuriating readers for more than 50 years with an unyielding liberal stance, rendered in savage black and white. Mayors, governors and presidents cringed at the prospect of being on the business end of Conrad's searing pen, while many Southern Californians made him their first stop as they sifted through The Times, the newspaper that was his principal home for nearly 30 years. While many other cartoonists angled for whimsy or the easy one-off, Conrad “specialized in hair shirts and jeremiads and harpoons to the heart,” former Times Editor Shelby Coffey III once wrote. The cartoonist, loud and often profane in person, viewed himself as a champion of the common man and relished combat with those he saw as protectors of the rich and privileged. His most prominent and enduring foils came in the person of two California politicians who rose to the presidency, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The scandal-plagued Nixon named Conrad to his “enemies list” — a designation the cartoonist described as one of his greatest honors. Former Times Publisher Otis Chandler became accustomed to his breakfast being interrupted by either Reagan or wife Nancy, furious that the then-governor had been depicted, again, as dimwitted, mean-spirited or out of touch. “Conrad is … more than a legend in cartooning and an institution in American journalism,” Doug Marlette, one of many cartoonists inspired by that work, once said. “He is a force of nature; you measure Conrad on the Richter scale.” The author and essayist Pete Hamill called Conrad “a voice. And the voice is his alone: alternately savage, compassionate, brutal and ironic.” Conrad rose to prominence in a post-World War II era when many newspapers were at the height of their power and when he and other widely syndicated editorial cartoonists — including Herbert L. Block (Herblock), Bill Mauldin and Pat Oliphant—held a particular grip on the American psyche. Just before his death in 2007, the onetime editor of The Times' editorial pages, Anthony Day, worried that the skittish and contracting newspaper industry would no longer support a “genius” like Conrad. “It's easier to not make trouble,” Day said, “than to make trouble.” And Conrad loved making trouble. His righteous indignation was guided by a modest Midwestern upbringing, an abiding Catholic faith and what one chronicler called “a fanatic heart.” Many journalists like to talk of the imperative of afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted. Conrad embraced the credo with abandon. “Don't ever accuse me,” he liked to say, “of being objective.” CONTINUED… added by: EthicalVegan

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Bruno Mars Is ‘100 Percent’ Done With Debut LP

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The B.o.B, Travie McCoy collaborator won’t reveal his Doo-Wops & Hooligans guest stars. By Jayson Rodriguez Bruno Mars Photo: MTV News Bruno Mars is a busy man these days. The upstart singer/producer has been promoting his EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, writing and producing hits for others ( Cee-Lo’s “F— You” ) and hitting the stage left and right with collaborators like B.o.B and Travie McCoy . The Hawaii-born Mars also found time to finish his forthcoming debut album, tentatively titled Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The project is “100 percent” done, the “Nothin’ on You” singer told MTV News, adding that the set is influenced by his live performances. “Every time we go into the studio we got to think about, ‘OK, we’re gonna perform this song.’ We think, ‘How are we gonna keep these people’s attention?’ ” he explained. “So throughout the whole song, it never stops. It keeps moving. And we always flip up our show. Whenever we do our shows, you might not hear the album version. You’ll get the live version.” The singer’s freshman album has no release day as of press time, and he’s not revealing much in terms of details. He gave only a small hint regarding one of the guests on the project: “They have dreads.” “I got Whoopi Goldberg on my album, y’all,” he said, joking. Although the singer is enjoying his recent success, earlier this year he remarked how long his rise to the top has actually been. “The journey wasn’t short at all — it was trial and error and trial and error,” he said. “It was just back and forth, man. But once ‘Nothin’ on You’ blew up, I had these songs in my back pocket, and the label thought it’d be a good time to give people a little taste of what they’re gonna get with the album. The EP came together real nice; you’re gonna get a nice effect of what’s in store.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Bruno Mars Related Artists Bruno Mars

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50 Cent Gives Up Twitter To Work On Album

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

MC says he won’t tweet until September 6 to work on The Return of the Heartless Monster. By Mawuse Ziegbe 50 Cent Photo: MTV News 50 Cent’s Twitter followers are going to have to find other ways to amuse themselves this weekend. The MC says he’s giving up tweeting to pen his next effort, The Return of the Heartless Monster. “Ok ladies and [gentlemen] I’m writing my new album. I will not be on twitter again till Sept 6,” Fif wrote Wednesday (September 1). “This album will be a classic,” added the MC, who announced the album title on Twitter . 50 has been putting in work on his new material. Swizz Beatz recently told MTV News that he has been in the studio with the G-Unit boss, after 50 reportedly shelved much of the dance-music-friendly sound he originally envisioned for his upcoming music. While the arrival of Kanye West and his multifaceted musings on the micro-blogging website has sparked major fanfare from fans and the media, 50’s missives have ramped up in both frequency and ridiculousness over the past few weeks. Some days, Fif has been introspective and candid, sharing the inner-workings of his subconscious with followers. “Just woke up I had a dream I put stars On my head like baby [of Cash Money]. then I was at church they told me take my hat off I said I just wanta pray lol,” 50 typed Sunday. “That’$ crazy why wa$ baby on my mind. oh I wa$ looking at old xxl magazine$ la$t night. anyway$hout out to baby I know that [hurt].” Other times, the Queens MC has added his voice to the public discourse about the state of the economy, and even doled out advice to our increasingly embattled president. “Obamas ratings are down cause he didn’t include pimpin and hoein in stimulus package. Good hoes would boost male moral and fix the recession,” 50 asserted Saturday. The “Baby by Me” rapper later added, “Sh– I should run america. first thing I’d do is cut my taxes then tell yal chill the f— out ima get to the rest of the problems. You know me and george bush was born on the same day july6. Speaking of birthdays everybody on twitter should send me just 1 dollar cool?” The Before I Self Destruct rapper has even mused about his tough childhood. “My aunt sylvia didnt like me growin up cause she was the baby till I came,” 50 also wrote Saturday. “We had roaches so she put roach spray in a bowl and kill my dog.” Of course, it wouldn’t be 50’s Twitter page if he didn’t take a swipe at the competition. “I just looked at kanye page what the f— kind a spaced out tweets are those,” the MC typed earlier in the day. “F— that I aint never looking at that sh– again.” Although 50 has built an empire on his super-tough persona, the MC has conceded that his words may be a wee bit harsh for his Twitter fans. “Look man I’m sorry I’ve been cursing,” 50 said. “But f— that sh– I gotta express myself, bitch.” Will you miss 50 on Twitter? What are you looking forward to on his next album? Chat in the comments below! Related Artists 50 Cent

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50 Cent Gives Up Twitter To Work On Album

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Orange HD Voice call hands-on

Posted on September 1, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Engadget gets its hands (or ears, rather) on Orange’s HD Voice-enabled Nokia E5. By engadget Tags : call , cellphone , e5 , featured , features , hands-on , hd , mobile , nokia , orange , phone , smartphone , uk , voice

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Orange HD Voice call hands-on

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Demi Lovato Says Frankie Jonas Has ‘Swag Like Justin Bieber’

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘He’s the biggest rock star of all of them,’ Lovato says of the youngest JoBro. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: MTV News When fans tune in to “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” this Friday, they may be surprised to see that the fourth Jonas brother, 9-year-old Frankie, has a part in the sequel to the hit 2008 flick “Camp Rock.” And co-star Demi Lovato says that the kid has some swagger. “He’s the biggest rock star of all of them,” she told MTV News. “He’s got swag like Justin Bieber and he rocks out like Mick Jagger, so he’s kind of a combination of the two. He’s kind of like the ultimate rock star. Watch out, Justin Timberlake!” While he may be as cool as Bieber, the Bonus Jonas says that of all his brothers, he most relates to Joe . “We never bully. We never even fight. We just have little bickers,” he said. “I’m most like Joe because I’ve been a role model with him ever since we lived in Wyckoff, New Jersey.” And much like Joe, Frankie would love a career in Hollywood. “I would like to pursue my acting career and do a little music in the middle,” he explained. Having now starred in “Camp Rock 2,” lent his voice to “Ponyo” and made appearances on “JONAS,” it seems Frankie is well on his way to catching up with his brothers in the fame department. However, he still needs some encouraging words from his superstar brothers to keep him focused on his way to the top. “I’m feeling great because it’s awesome [to be here]. It’s my first live action [film] and to have my brothers with me is way more exciting because they make you feel more comfortable,” he explained, adding that they’ve given him some great advice. “They’ve given me a great one that my dad gave to them and they passed on to me during the filming of ‘Camp Rock.’ It says, ‘Live like you’re at the bottom, even if you’re at the top,’ ” he explained. “Remember where you came from.” Are you looking forward to seeing Frankie and his brothers in “Camp Rock 2” on Friday? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Exclusive Clips From The Fall’s Most Anticipated Films Related Photos Fall Movie 2010 Preview Week: Exclusive Photos Related Artists Demi Lovato

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Mandy Moore’s ‘Tangled’ Heroine Not ‘Typical Disney Princess’

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘She’s very independent,’ actress/singer tells MTV News of new Rapunzel. By Kara Warner “Tangled” Photo: Disney While the fall-to-Thanksgiving film season is usually rife with Oscar bait, it’s also prime time for releasing family films. One such movie is the highly anticipated “Tangled,” Disney’s updated and traditionally animated take on Rapunzel, starring the vocal talents of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. Kicking off our Fall Movie Preview, we bring you a delightful chat we had with the ever-gracious and lovely Moore, during which she discussed non-typical femmes fatales, singing in front of a 65-piece orchestra and Levi’s powerful pipes. MTV : How is Rapunzel different from the typical femme-fatale characters? Mandy Moore : She’s not the typical femme fatale or the typical Disney princess even, because: A) She doesn’t know she’s a princess. I think she sort of has this inkling that something isn’t quite right in her life, [but] she’s just really sort of motivated to find out what else is out there beyond this crazy tower she’s lived in for 18 years. Having said that, she’s very independent, she can take care of herself, and she’s definitely come up with really entertaining ways to keep herself busy. MTV : Is the Disney take on Rapunzel the same as the original fairy tale? Moore : Pretty much. She has an overprotective mother who tells her she’s not missing out on anything, and it’s a big bad world out there and it’s too scary and dangerous and she’ll be eaten alive, literally, if she decides to venture out into the world. MTV : What was your reaction to Disney changing the film’s original title, in an effort to lure in more young boys? Moore : I think I was initially a bit taken aback, only because people know the story of Rapunzel, so when you say you’re working on “Rapunzel,” it’s sort of a no-brainer, you don’t have to explain it to people. But as the title sort of sunk in, I understood the decision behind changing it. The movie is so great and so cute, and people are going to see the trailer and know what the story is about. I guess you sort of have to leave it up to the brains at the top. They know what they’re doing. MTV : What can you tell us about this particular story? Can you tease any romance? Moore : She sort of comes face to face with this stranger who precariously ends up in her tower, and he’s very handsome [and] he knows it. He’s quite the ladies’ man, if you will. Somehow, they get roped into going on this adventure together and start to see a different side of one another, and potentially a romance ensues. There’s [also] a few musical moments. MTV : What was that experience like, recording with legendary Disney composer Alan Menken? Moore : That was fun. I’m definitely the quintessential girl who grew up watching “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” and the like, so it was probably one of the coolest things I’ve done thus far, being in the studio with Alan Menken and a 65-piece orchestra. It was such a moment in time. I kept telling myself: “Just be in the moment. Remember this. You’re going to want to think about this for years to come.” It was really magical and sort of everything you’d want a Disney animated experience to be. As one of the players involved, I was like, “Oh my God!” … To watch it all come to life, because so much of your job — you’re looking at storyboards, you’re having things explained to you, but there’s nothing tangible to see or get, it has to form in your imagination, which is one of the slightly taxing parts, but also the most fun — to get to be a kid again and go into the depths of your imagination and play around. This, being there with the orchestra and hearing the score sort of come to life and what the feel of the movie was going to be at different parts was like, “Oh, OK, now I really get what we’re doing.” So that was definitely a moment for me. It was the first time I met Zach [Levi]. MTV : Does Zach actually sing in the film? Moore : He does, and he’s amazing! Oh my God, we had one rehearsal before we went into the studio, and I was so interested [in him], because they wanted to cast actors in the roles who could also sing, and I had no idea that he sang, and it turns out he’s like a big musical-theater nut and had that in his background. He has a beautiful voice, but he has the perfect voice for something like this. He’s such a sweet guy, and he’s so funny in the movie, but I think his voice will astonish people, like, “Wow, where did that come from?” From the saucy Jessica Alba in “Little Fockers” to James Franco’s grueling journey in “127 Hours,” the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films’ biggest stars. Check out everything we’ve got on “Tangled.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Weezer’s Hurley: Get Back To The Good Life

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Band’s latest seems haunted by their seminal Pinkerton album, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery The cover of Weezer’s Hurley Photo: Epitaph There is a moment right near the beginning of Weezer ‘s umpteenth album Hurley when Rivers Cuomo declares: “I’m not kidding anymore.” It’s a fairly loaded statement, considering he’s spent much of the past decade doing what could charitably be described as “joking around,” releasing a string of albums each a little more confounding (and a little less satisfying) than the last. To wit: The last truly solid Weezer album (the so-called Green one) was released nearly four months before 9/11, and since then, Cuomo and company have gone progressively further off the rails. Maladroit featured just two songs that cracked the three-minute mark, and even then it felt too long and convoluted (mostly because Cuomo spends a portion of it taking thinly veiled jabs at his fanbase). Make Believe saw Cuomo unsheathe his arena-rock dreams, which is how we ended up with the talk-box solo on “Beverly Hills.” 2008’s Red Album is probably best known for its cover (on which Cuomo sports a cowboy hat and mustache) and the part where MC Rivers gets busy on the mic. Raditude is most notable for the dog on the cover, the bizarre fascination with partying and the Lil Wayne cameo. It’s been a rather grizzly stretch, and one couldn’t be blamed for thinking that perhaps Cuomo had embarked on some Kaufman-esque anti-comedy spree, mostly because the jokes he was telling were all pretty bad. And while it may seem unfair to rehash the past, there are two reasons I’m doing it here. First, when you’re talking about a band with a star-crossed history like Weezer’s, discussing history is sort of inevitable. It informs every opinion you have about them, for better or worse. And second, because on many levels, Hurley (which drops September 14) is about nothing but the past. It is a very backward-looking thing, full of nostalgia and worry and the kind of itchy buzz that once powered this band. And therein lies the charm. Of course, there’s the first single, “Memories,” which Cuomo himself said would appeal to fans of Weezer’s “super-raw, emotional stuff” (i.e. Pinkerton ) and is full of lines that recall the halcyon days “when Audioslave was still Rage” and the band’s blurry, pre-hiatus period, when journalists prodded and the band “didn’t know what we were doing half of the time.” There’s the whinging guitar work and harmonies of “Ruling Me,” which make it sound very much like a Blue Album B-side. “Unspoken” is, in its best moments, like a really killer demo from one of Cuomo’s Alone albums. And, really, the entire concept of “Smart Girls” — Cuomo awkwardly pining for untouchable beauties (untouchable, in this instance, because they only exist on Twitter) — is what drove the entirety of Pinkerton, when you think about it. And sonically, the majority of Hurley seems haunted by that album. Guitars growl and grow acne, Cuomo pushes his voice to the verge of cracking, and even during its prettier moments — the chiming bells that kick off “Trainwrecks,” the distant piano that opens “Run Away” — there’s a gawky undercurrent to the proceedings. Of course, all that awkwardness does lead to some rather unfortunate moments, most notably on “Where’s My Sex?” which goes over about as well as a song in which a 40-year-old man uses socks as a metaphor for coitus could be expected to, and the aforementioned “Smart Girls,” which sorta recalls the Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.” if Paul McCartney had bad posture and spent his days tweeting. Overall, though, Hurley succeeds because it’s the record on which Cuomo decides to stop kidding around and tries to recapture some of his old magic. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s certainly better than anything they’ve done in a long, long time. Anyone can have a bad decade, but the past is the past. Unless, of course, the goal is to make history repeat itself. And that’s OK too. Are you excited that Hurley conjures up memories of Pinkerton ? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Weezer

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Weezer’s Hurley: Get Back To The Good Life

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