'Tron: Ares' Review

We have a new Tron film. It stars Jared Leto. Nine Inch Nails did the soundtrack. I saw it in 3D. I reviewed Ares for Screen International.

Some Thoughts on 'The Girl in the Spider's Web'

What are "soft reboots"?

How did The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo construct its awesome title sequence?

Why does The Girl in the Spider's Web have a One Perfect Shot problem?

I answer all that, and more, over at MEL.

The History of 'Broken,' the Notorious Nine Inch Nails Promotional Film

I haven't written for Revolver in five years, so it was fun to be reunited with my old editor Brandon for this piece, which is tied to the 25th anniversary of the release of the Nine Inch Nails EP Broken. Trent Reznor wanted to do a promotional film in connection with the album, but the resulting video was so upsetting he decided to shelve it. That wasn't the end of the story, though. My appreciation of this horrifying artifact is available here.

trent reznor and atticus ross - in motion

If I had to list my 10 happiest film moments of the year, I think one of them would be Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross winning the Oscar for their exceptional score to The Social Network. It's an example of an acclaimed songwriter (and his longtime collaborator) easily transitioning to movies without losing an ounce of their creative spark. If anything, Reznor's work has gotten stronger in the last few years, which I attribute to him realizing he can't be the angst-ridden young man anymore. Regardless, here's a little "In Motion" for your Friday.

trent reznor and atticus ross - on we march

On Nine Inch Nails' most recent records, specifically The Slip, some of the best songs were the instrumentals, which were lovely yet menacing. So it shouldn't be any surprise that Trent Reznor's score for The Social Network is pretty stellar. (Hat tip to Atticus Ross who collaborated with him on the music.) If you've seen the film, you'll recognize this track almost immediately, I'm betting. And since I've been busy with other matters and haven't had time to formally review the movie, let me just say, yes, it's excellent, just like everyone else says.