Unyielding Commissioning Asks Frances to Lighten Up

The World is a Vampire. Our friends at Pitchfork are all fired up and pissed off about the fact that the new Smashing Pumpkins release will come with additional bonus tracks if you purchase it at Best Buy or Target or iTunes. The rub is that the bonus tracks are different at each retailer. Pitchfork's reaction is that this is a big FU to the fans and to indie record stores. I want to know where this fury was when Feist did the same exact thing two months ago. Because Feist is an up-and-coming indie darling, she is exempt from such indignation? Obviously, this trend will continue with more and more artists. And I highly doubt this is the band's idea. In the era of piracy, they are trying new things to get customers to actually purchase albums instead of stealing them. In my opinion, nobody has done this better than Tool, whose latest release had brilliant 3D artwork. Pitchfork's take is that the band's decision to do this "fully support(s) the extinction of the American independent record store at the hand of large, faceless, little-guy crushing big boxes." However, it's important to remember that this is a band whose last album was released via their website for free. If anything, they have given the fans plenty. I fail to see how giving fans extra tracks, again for free, is remotely close to waving a middle finger in their collective face. Nobody is going to buy three versions of the album because we live in the era of piracy. Can fans be blamed for sharing free songs? Anyone who really wants these songs will get them without spending a dime. I hearken back to a Smashing Pumpkins show at Metro back in 1993 when Billy Corgan directed the audience thusly: "Next time we release an album, you don't all have to buy it. Just have one person get it and copy it onto a tape and then pass it around amongst all of you." That may not be a verbatim quote, but the gist is accurate. Needless to say, I'm not boycotting this release over free tracks...

Do Bloated Ships Sink Faster? I was all prepared to see the typical Monday box office review exalting Evan Almighty for "winning the weekend." But much to my shock and amazement, the AP is taking the film to task for not besting its predecessor. Of course, I didn't watch the local news last night. If I had, I'm sure their headline would have been, "Even Mightier," or something equally insipid. For a film that infamously cost $175 MM to produce, a $32.1 MM box office in the opening weekend is not what they were hoping for. Despite the bad reviews, it's currently cruising along at a 6.9 on the IMDb, so perhaps they will get some decent word of mouth. But I would imagine Universal is already planning the tax writeoff... My take? Is this any different than Summer Rental? I mean, aside from the neighbor with the breast implants.

Speaking of Lousy Direction Jobs. Check out this feature in The A.V. Club. Ten Directors You Didn't Know you Hated. I guess since he's not listed, this must mean that everyone already knows they hate Brian DePalma?