The X-Men franchise has now grown so big that it may have lost both some of their original fans and momentum along the way. No doubt then that the intention of Days of Future Past is to restore faith in both departments. With returning director Bryan Singer, who called the shots on the first and second outing and only stayed involved as exec producer in some of the further installments and spin-offs. This one is without a doubt the most ambitious chapter of the story yet, featuring both the original cast and new members from 2011s First Class. With Singer the saga gets a much needed boost of intellect and cool which played a big part in making this the record smashing comic book in the Marvel universe. It’s the finest giant of the season so far.
This writer is ready to call it: Louis C.K. is the most original and creative comedian working in television today. With the fourth season of his clever and hilarious show Louie he proves that most sitcoms and high end cable shows don’t stand a chance against his revolutionary take on the genre. Having worked with Woody Allen himself since the previous season, it is fitting to repeat what this writer has called C.K. before – the Woody Allen of his generation. Smart, original and most important: emotional and shameless comedy.
After a short spell through the festival circuit David Gordon Green’s much anticipated new feature film Joe arrives on demand. Starring Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan (the breakout act from last year’s Mud), this is another stab at the dramatic side of things from director Green who’s been most notable for his comedic turns over the past years. It’s a lovely and well-made low budget picture featuring one of Cage’s finest performances of his career. His character and Green’s storytelling style fit each other wonderfully, creating a sober and focused tale of family, adolescence and violence. It’s certain to be an underdog, but perfectly capable of being one of the standout films of the year.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS MONTH:
As someone who always carries a healthy bit of skepticism whenever a new record from a passed artist is released it is with some relief that the new Johnny Cash album is such a treat. Out Among the Stars is compiled by Cash’s son John Carter Cash and features the Man in Black in between his highs and lows in the 80s when the recording of music was more for the sake of therapy than commerciality for Cash. Most pleasing is the quality of his voice, still strong but clearly influenced by his previous endeavors both on and off the stage. Both the fans and music historians will appreciate this, but best of all is that this album is good enough to introduce anyone to the great music of Johnny Cash.
After a successful debut album, a recognized follow up and a slightly disappointing third outing, one would not be surprised if London pop quartet Thirteen Senses joined the many bands that came before them in slowly disappearing into the abyss of acts that almost became what everyone hoped they would. Just for that it’s wonderful to see them have another go with A Strange Encounter, their first album in almost four years. It’s still too far apart from the highlights of their debut The Invitation from ten years ago to be considered a threat to the top of the charts, but it is a stronger effort than the previous Crystal Sounds. One for the fans obviously, and if this does turn out to be their swan song they can at least rest easy knowing that the appreciation rose as they stepped down.
The third album from indie darlings The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a welcome return after a longer period of little or no activity in the band camp. Days of Abandon is a recognizable and satisfying collection of pop and alternative rock tunes fitting for the season that is upon us. Their previous records were both upbeat and fast, but there is a whole new range of positivity around this album. And even though it may not be completely intentional is does make the outfit slightly more approachable and mainstream. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Check out the most recent single from the album, Until The Sun Explodes.
