the best part about my dad inexplicably having a subscription to the premium movie network, starz? the fact that MALLRATS is in near-constant rotation. i could watch this movie, which i consider director kevin smith's best work by far, almost literally any time--whether happy, sad, exhausted, or anxious, it always finds some new way to entertain and resonate. maybe it's because of jason lee, whose quick wit and charm could only come from a highly-revered skateboarder, or maybe it's because i have independent crushes on all three of the film's main actresses, but i just really love this movie.
the movie follows two recently dumped friends, played by lee and jeremy london, as they haunt their local mall, bumming out and scheming to get back with their respective girlfriends. part of this involves wrecking the stage of a dating game show, which london's ex has agreed to be a part of. for this, the two employ kevin smith regulars jay and silent bob. MALLRATS' plot is far from revolutionary, and isn't even really all that good. instead, i am won over by the subtlties in MALLRATS; the little quips and jokes that are buried in the film like small nuggets of gold. of course, it also has its fair share of obvious slap-stick humor, but that actually tends to be pretty funny too (especially the scene where jay and silent bob take revenge on the mall's easter bunny-fuck.) for one reason or another, this movie always feels refreshing to me, even though it is clearly from the 1990's. cool.
predictably horrible trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eVo7aBze1w
MUSIC:
i wanted to pair MALLRATS with something a little more upbeat than previous fare. it didn't take long for me to figure out that i was going to write about THE STATE LOTTERY. i had the pleasure of seeing this band twice last month--once when my band played with them in maine and again when they came to connecticut. they sound like some rad combination of more typical salinas records fare (really good pop-punk like DELAY and P.S. ELIOT) and 70's BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, complete with full time saxophone and organ players. the songs are soulful, propulsive, and fun, and all of the people are really nice. they also give their MP3s away for free, so my job is made easier. i don't have to feel guilty either!
live, they are really tight, which is surprising considering members are all spread out across the united states. record highlights like 'stories' and 'geysers', both of which feature immaculate melodies and quality lyrics, really come alive in person; it was difficult for me to resist making a fool of myself dancing. the vocals are strained and passionate, the music bouncy and intricate. what's not to like? well, the record i bought was warped, but it only cost $8 and i'm sure they'd replace it if i asked, so i'm not about to complain. this record rules.
(that's the link that ifyoumakeit provides for this album. that website is cool, you should check it out if you haven't already)
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