Monday 12 April 2010

So what are you like alternative now?

So yeah, finally after months of waiting (I still can't believe I didn't cave and download this movie, we've had to wait so long for it to come out in the UK) I got to see Whip It this evening. And yeah, pretty good hur, ok a bit predictable but the lovely Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat and Kristen Wiig stole the show for me. For the record this is the first film in ages that almost made me cry, I'm not much of a softie honest.

So yeah, we now know I'm a wimp and that the film rocks, but what we really want to know is how indie it is, right?

1. Dialogue
Um yeah, no real name dropping there apart from a Stryper tee shirt mentioned a bit in conversation, Stryper were of course an 80's christian glam metal band, I have only heard of them because I've just finished reading a book about Christian Rock written by Andrew Beaujon who was in that band Eggs, they were good aye, better than Stryper for sure, I think Stryper had better hair and pyrotechnics though.



Oh yeah, and Bliss and Oliver have their first conversations talking about Little Joy who oh yeah feature Fabrizio Moretti. Oh wow Drew, that's subtle, get yr exboyfs band name dropped in yr movie to show yr just good friends. They interrupt a Jens Lekman track to put the record on too, that's so uncool.

Yeah so no real indie dialogue and they lose points for cutting the Jens track short, only 1 cardigan point.

2. Music Paraphernalia
Well yes apart from the aforementioned Stryper tee shirt, the puppy dog eyed indie boy that Bliss falls for is seen sporting a Daniel Johnston teeshirt. Though I knew he wasn't one to be trusted, when it came to swapping teeshirts and he wouldn't swap his DJ tee, but instead gave here some lame khaki shirt. If a boy wont lend you his Daniel Johnston tee, he can't be trusted - fact. I think they must have got the rights to that "Hi, How are you?" artwork as it was bleeding everywhere too!

I'm sorry to digress again, but yeah I had the good fortune to go see Daniel Johnston a week or so ago, sadly the freakbeat orchestra made it a pretty hard going, this was awesome though...



Well it's not every day that a Daniel Johnston tee is on yr cinema screen, has to be 4 cardigan points.

3. Band Cameos
a few here... Har Mar Superstar plays a coach, Juliette Lewis (well she claims to be a musician now, I remain sceptical) and Eve are all in the film. Oh yeah and Andrew Wilson, the older and lesser known Wilson brother is also in that, it's not a Texan movie without a Wilson bro, fact!
yeah, I guess that's 3 cardigan points

4. Soundtrack
Jens (three songs! indie!), Tilly and The Wall, American Analog Set, The Go! Team, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Raveonettes though they must lose points for playing Radiohead and Kids by MGMT, I must admit I love that song, but it always accompanies the most cheesiest cinematography, oh look the tune kicks back in and they have a big hug, it's almost like MGMT wrote it in mind that it was going to be played bloody everywhere!
So yeah, 4 cardigan points

5. General Indieness
Hella indie, but not cutesy, badass, indie kids don't normally punch other girls in the face and this could be the first ever indie sports movie (tho roller derby is probably the most indie sport right?).
I guess 3 cardigan points

So yeah, that's 15 cardigan points out of a possible 25, so yeah not that indie, hella good though, do go see it!

Before I go, check out this, indiepop darls Allo Darlin' being played on Beverly Hills 90210, awesome stuff!



If yr free this thursday (and you live in London of course) come see them supporting Hefner singer Darren Hayman at The Borderline, see you down the front!
Until then, hope you're having fun enjoying the spring sun!
Alicexx