TODAY’S FILM

Resident Evil, dir. Paul W. S. Anderson (2001)

Depending on who you ask, Resident Evil is either a horror film, a comedy or a mess. I believe it’s all three, but that doesn’t mean it sucks. I honestly think that the story (and the universe) of the Resident Evil games are super cinematic and could be rendered amazingly in film. It’s a shame the producers here instead opted for a completely different plot, with new characters, and keeping only the zombies. Of course, this pissed off a lot of people, but this action-packed B-movie has a lot going for it. The set pieces work, Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez KICK ASS big time and you get your occasional jump scare. It never takes itself seriously and is all the better for it. I can’t find it streaming anywhere, and while you certainly can get it on physical media, I personally would hope to stumble upon it on late-night TV and have a blast, really. That’s how I first watched and it was amazing.

TODAY’S RECORD

Dying to Say This to You by The Sounds (2006)

Bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s, The Sounds seemed to have only one goal: get you dancing your pants off. After a solid debut, they hooked up with Jeff Saltzman (who co-produced The Killers’s new wave effort Hot Fuss) for a follow-up – the result is a bloody revelation. Amping up everything that they got right the first time around (killer hooks, larger-than-life beats, sexy lyrics), they made a party record for the ages. “Song with a Mission” states their case loud and plain and it’s one hell of an opener, but the best moments here come right after: “Queen of Apology” sounds like Sleater-Kinney gone synthpop, “Tony the Beat” is an electronic fest of sexual come-ons and “Ego” is an infectious send-up to an attention-seeking lover. Endlessly replayable, you and your Friday night deserve this record. Play it on Spotify.