Moviesfor Music Lovers:2011 EditionClick herefor the2010editionSome of these films premiered in the US in 2010, but didn't maketheir way to Seattle until this year, in which case I deferred to lo-cal release dates. Some missed the city altogether, in which case Icaught up via DVD, Blu-ray, or download. Altogether, I saw over250 titles, and wrote about most of them for Amazon, Siffblog, Line Out, and Video Librarian (the links lead to my reviews).Just as my 2011 music list revolves around post-punk, a post-punk vibe runs through many of these films. Animals also a-bound, as do animalistic human beings, like Ryan Gosling's Driver with his scorpion jacke

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Songs for Cineastes: 2011 Edition Click here for the 2010 edition. To clear upany confu-sion: Thisisn't a listof filmscores orsoundtracks. It's a list of music recommended for movie loverssuch as myself. Some independent film fans prefer mainstreammovie fare. Similarly, some art house aficionados prefer major-la-bel music. There's nothing wrong with that; I just can't relate to it(and try to avoid giving the Man my money whenever possible).If you share my taste in movies, there's a good chance you mightshare my taste in music. And to further clarify matters, I've drop-ped Swingin' from the title of these posts, i.e. Songs for Swing-in' Cineastes. I t

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December ReviewsThese are the reviews and other pieces I'm working on this month.Amazon DVDs: Griff the Invisible (with Ryan Kwanten), No Strings Attached (with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher),and Wayne Wang's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan [Blu-ray].Amazon Theatricals: Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo andA Separation (from the director of Fireworks Wednesday).Still playing (or yet to open): 50/50, Contagion, The Descendants, Drive, The Help, Hugo, Into the Abyss, Melancholia, The Skin I Live In.Armchair Commentary: Best Art House & International.KCTS 9: on-line original interview ("Grunge: Mem-ories of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney").Line

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