1. The Barden Bellas ft. The Treblemakers, "Riff Off: Mickey/Like A Virgin/Hit Me With Your Best Shot/S&M/Let's Talk About Sex/I'll Make Love To You/Feels Like The First Time/No Diggity" (Pitch Perfect)
Pitch Perfect, Kay Cannon's comedy about college a cappella groups, has quickly established itself as a cult hit worthy of sitting alongside slumber party classics like Bring It On, Empire Records, and Grease. Personally, even the best a capella rendition of a song just makes me want to listen to the actual song. Of the various medleys and covers in Pitch Perfect, the sex song medley from the "Riff Off" sequence is the clear standout. And let's all just agree to put Rebel Wilson in everything from now on, OK?
Grade: B
Best YouTube Comment: "idk about anyone, but I got really excited when Ester Dean (Cynthia Rose) sang S&M…considering it's her song that she wrote for Rihanna" — Kaylaa1DAllstar
There's that moment at a crazy party when things threaten to get really out of control. Somebody knocks over the stereo, or gets too drunk and starts a fight, maybe drugs of a dubious origin enter the scene. Everyone theoretically wants the spark of danger — knowing that a topple into complete chaos might be imminent — but it's not always really as cool as it sounds. It can just be awful, as in the case of the Project X-inspired "spring break rave" in a Houston mansion that resulted in a fatal shooting as cops tried to break it up. (The gunman was not a cop, but a partygoer who shot somebody in the back of the head and then fired into the crowd before escaping on foot.) Whether this will end, or just encourage, the supposed trend of teens throwing Project X-themed parties in abandoned and foreclosed houses remains to be seen. Unlike warehouse events or punk house shows, the purpose of a Project X party isn't music or collectivism. It's pure nihilism and indulgence. Which is not to knock nihilism, indulgence, or teenagers. It's just to say that none of those things are as glamorous as they tend to be portrayed in movies or magazines. Parties that look like the craziest, most raucous shit of all time in pictures are often very boring in real life. (This kind of goes for people, too.) That's the dirty secret of party photography. What looks like the most fun ever in a photograph might actually be "fun," the forced appearance of pretending to enjoy something you know you are supposed to enjoy.
Hey, guess what? America still likes watching people party in movies. In its first weekend out, Project X — the Todd Phillips-produced epic party/found footage flick — made over $20 million, good for second place in the box office wars. It also got us thinking about the rich tradition of parties as depicted by movies. It turns out, after some heavy-duty analysis, that almost any cinematic depiction of revelry can be categorized into one of five primary movie-party groupings. These are generalizations, of course, which means not every movie party is a perfect fit for its chosen category. Some movie parties might easily fit into two or more categories; others may truly feel like sui generis creations. But as long as we don't get too bogged down in those pesky details, our five-category taxonomy is unimpeachable. So: Consult Grantland's Rough Guide to Partying in Movies, and never feel uninformed while living vicariously through fictional characters again! As a great man once said, “It's a party it's a party it's a party it's a parttty.”
Each week, marketers release new movie posters, many for films whose releases are still months away. But for those who know where to look, one-sheets can reveal studios' hopes and insecurities about their products. In this space, we will attempt to decode the hidden meanings of the week's new posters.
A Thousand Words
What the art says: Eddie Murphy is a 50-year-old porcelain doll (look at that skin!) and he’s going to get kidnapped. Either that or he’s an Occupy Wall Street protestor. Those are the only reasons someone has tape on his mouth, right? Turns out no. It also happens when a car salesman talks too much and is left with 1,000 words to say before he dies, as is the case in this movie. A prediction of what at least four of those words will be: “I’ll take the v-neck.” What the text says: There’s no one involved with this movie worth caring about other than Murphy. Sorry, Clark Duke. It’s not just the onscreen talent either. The writer’s latest credit is Jack and Jill and the director is responsible for 81 episodes of One Tree Hill. Not exactly brag-worthy. Tagline: “This March, Make Every Word Count.” Not sure if “This March” is a part of the tagline. We’re going with no. That leaves us with “Make Every Word Count,” which gets points for being totally accurate then loses points for be totally boring. In the end, 0 points.
Silver:Wanderlust’s plot is so simple that even if you turned the sound off on the trailer you’d still be able to piece together the narrative. But like any good comedy, it's all in the execution. Luckily here we have super producer Judd Apatow, director/co-writer David Wain (Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer), and a veritable who’s who of performers from the alternative (but now mainstream) comedy world. But for all this, Wanderlust’s trailer is not that funny. Let's hope this is just the marketers trying to paint the film as a broad comedy, and that Wanderlust delivers better than just trite R. Kelly jokes and recycled “awkward conversations while on the toilet” scenes.
Browne: Fun fact: I was in the library and had to watch this trailer on mute, and I still know exactly how this movie is going to play out. I'm surprisingly excited.
