Safe House:

Mr. Moviefone: I love Denzel Washington and you’ve all seen the trailer on the commercials. They really want you to know that he’s a rogue ex-op. You’ve also got Ryan Reynolds who’s this rookie CIA agent and he’s in charge of this safe house in South Africa. He just kinda sits there and nothing happens until Denzel Washington shows up. Now everybody wants everybody dead! That’s pretty much what goes on in this movie.

The bottom line is that Denzel Washington is just the baddest badass in Badass Town. The director definitely took some pointers from Tony and Ridley Scott. It is nonstop action. From the moment you sit down in the seat, there’s killing, there’s blowing up, there’s car chases – it’s relentless!  Someone could say “we’ve seen this story before, so we don’t care,” but here’s what you do care about – Ryan Reynolds.  He holds his own with Denzel Washington! I like Safe House. I’m in.

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Casey: I totally agree with what Mr. Moviefone said. It’s got such a solid cast in Washington and Reynolds, along with Vera Farmiga and Brendan Gleeson. I do have to emphasize the “we’ve seen this before” sentiment, but with those two onscreen, do we really care? It may not be the best action film this year, but it really is entertaining. It keeps you guessing as to who the bad guy is (for the most part), so that’s a plus too.

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The Vow:

Mr. Moviefone: It’s based on a true story. You’ve got a story about a woman who’s in a car accident, played by Rachel McAdams, who goes into a coma and loses her memory, so they (her and her husband, played by Channing Tatum) have to start over as strangers. He’s got to find a way to make her fall in love with him all over again.

Here’s the deal – in The Vow, Rachel McAdams loses all memory of Channing Tatum. I wish I could do the same. You have to understand something – this ain’t The Notebook, and he ain’t no Ryan Gosling, so why is he the flavor du jour? Channing Tatum has those crooked teeth, and those dead little eyes. What’s happening with that? I’m out for The Vow.

Casey: Ok… I know I’m a chick, but I’m not the chick-flick type. I’m really quick to roll my eyes and write them off. To be quite honest, this is actually watchable. I’m not saying it’s great, so don’t jump down my throat, but it has a lot of elements in it that really make you feel for the situation as a whole. (Channing Tatum is NO Ryan Gosling though! That’s for damn sure!)

He just wants to go about his normal everyday life with his wife. She can’t remember the last five years (and they’ve been together for four). The last thing she remembers is being engaged to someone else (played by Scott Speedman), and being a law student (before she gave it up to become an artist). Her estranged family comes back into the picture and pretends like a falling out never happened. I get it! It makes sense to me, so therefore I’m not opposed. It also TOTALLY beats the crapfest that is This Means War (directed by McG)! Steer clear of that one!

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island:

Mr. Moviefone: This is with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and he’s got those pecks poppin’. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is sort of another spin on the Jules Verne classic where Jonathan and his son go to find this island that’s very mysterious. If you’ve ever wanted to see Michael Caine riding a giant bee, this is it.

I was pissed going into this movie because I show up for the screening, they hand me these 3D glasses, and they’re not the big, light ones. They’re those heavy things that seem like underwater goggles or something, and I have to put them over my other glasses, so my head weighs about 50 pounds! Then the movie starts and the dialogue is horrible, and it’s a miserable experience. I think 7-10 year old boys will like the adventure, but everybody else is gonna pass.

Casey: This one I did not see. While I’m not necessarily opposed to The Rock, Michael Caine, or Josh Hutcherson (who I can’t wait to see in The Hunger Games next month), I just couldn’t find any reason to waste two hours of my life sitting through this. Giant CG bugs flying around just wasn’t gonna cut it!

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D:

Mr. Moviefone: If you want to see this, it makes you a bad person! This is the most universally disliked of all the Star Wars films. You’ve got JarJar Binks and the little boy.  If it sucked in 2D, don’t you think it will suck in 3D? I don’t get it. I can’t think of any reason to go see this again. I don’t think a ton of people are gonna go, but I may be wrong. We will certainly find out.

Casey: The movie is balls and 3D is balls. Two negatives don’t always make a positive and this is solid proof! No, I did NOT see this either. This is a George Lucas cash grab. I saw it when it initially came out in the theater the first time, and that was enough for me. Do yourself a favor and go rent The People vs. George Lucas. I can guarantee that it’s a better choice!

If you’re more like myself and enjoy the little indie films at local art house theaters, check out Kill List! It recently had a run at the Cinefamily on Fairfax, and is now playing at the local Laemmle theaters.

For more from Mr. Moviefone, check out moviefone.com and sixsecondreviews.com.

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Today’s last batch is truly amazing – I like all three of these songs a buttload. They’re all from Rodney (whom you can still hear on The Mother Ship of Roq Sunday nights from midnight to 3am playing whatever he wants to) and I hope they get added to the regular playlist soon enough.

RODNEY’S CHOICES

1. The Vaccines -  “If You Wanna”

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Rodney told me he LOVES this band from the UK; that they are a perfect blend of punk/pop.

2. Spector – “Grey Shirt & Tie”

This is the newest band of these three that Rodney chose with a wall of sound and this song is currently #1 on NME charts. This is my favorite of the three – I listened to it a few times in a row the first time he sent it to me and that’s pretty unusual.

3. Nada Surf – “Looking Through”

These guys have been doing quite a few shows lately (including at the always cool Amoeba in Hollywood) and had a brilliant (even though some people didn’t get it and hated it) cover of Depeche Mode‘s “Enjoy The Silence” recently.

As Rodney says, they’re still filled with “great riffs and hooks.” He’s also still playing “Teenage Dreams” on his show often.

Up on stage he’s fierce. He sings his heart out, dances around, and commands the crowd to get down on the ground in a way I haven’t seen a frontman do since Fred Schneider (the B-52′s) circa “Rock Lobster.”

Fitz, who’s described the band’s sound as “soul-influenced indie pop,” shares vocal duties with the insanely talented Noelle Scaggs. (Her voice is incredible, but what might be even more impressive is the fact that she still has her hands and thighs intact. She relentlessly pounds on both with a tambourine over the course of their live shows, leaving some people in the crowd–me–with lasting sympathy pains.) Together they sing about relationships, heartbreak and past loves in an infectious style, with lyrics that offer better advice than what you’d get from paying money to see a relationship therapist. You can’t help but think that the writing process for Pickin’Up the Pieces was Fitz’s own therapy session, as he’s the band’s primary songwriter.

James King (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

And don’t get me started on their one-man horn section, James King. This dude has one talented mouth.  He goes back and forth between saxophone, flute, trumpet and I’m sure a bunch of other horns (but since I’m not a horn aficionado I can’t be certain) with such ease.  Meanwhile, I still can’t play “Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder. It’s possible, and I know this to be true because I’m totally guilty, to spend the duration of their show just staring at him in wonder…like, ‘how in the world do you do that?” F.A.T.T. is rounded out by bass player Joseph Karnes, keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna and drummer John Wicks.  Each fantastic in his own right. The combination of this six-piece is a sight to behold.

The first time I saw F.A.T.T., at 2010′s Lobsterfest in Long Beach, they won the entire lobster-hat wearing crowd over during their killer one-hour set.  They’ve since toured extensively, graduated to much larger venues and will be adding Coachella to their impressive resume in April, where you will want to position yourself as close to the stage as possible.  And be sure to wear your dancing shoes, cause you will dance ’til you can’t dance no more!

Pros:  Amazingly awesome experience that will leave you a huge fan, if you’re not one already.  Cons: Beware of sympathy pains in your hands and thighs, and wear sunglasses if you’re going to stare at James King for long periods of time.  There’s really no need to freak him out, he needs to stay focused on all those damn horns!

Don’t miss Fitz and the Tantrums at Coachella - Sunday, April 15 & Sunday, April 22.

Ending up at an unmarked warehouse, inside of what looks like a meat locker, he joins the band and launches into their current single “Baby Come Home.”

Add a ballerina, flying confetti and mylar balloons and you’ve got yourself a performance that any Bush fan will enjoy.

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Stay tuned Monday for highlights from our exclusive Pre-GRAMMY’S party with Bush happening tonight from The GRAMMY Museum in Downtown LA.

More Bush

[Photo Gallery] Bush At Saint Rocke,…

[Gallery] Kevin & Bean’s Bush…

[Photo Gallery] KROQ Epicenter…

Rome has released a video of him sitting on the couch with his guitar doing an acoustic version of “You Better Listen” from the band’s latest album Yours Truly.

More Sublime with Rome

[Music Video] Sublime With Rome “Take It Or Leave It”

[Photo Gallery] The Unity Tour Featuring 311 And Sublime With Rome

[Watch] Rome Ramirez From Sublime With Rome Performs “Same Old Situation” Acoustic

Photos from the first day of GRAMMY round tables at the Staples Center including Aubrey O’Day, Esperanza Spaulding, Kat Graham, Lou Ferrigno, Joe Jackson, Afrojack and Kool & The Gang. Photos by Cody Black.

Today they’re looking at the tracks up for Best Rock Song, and there’s some heavy hitters in competition. Read on to see what their scrobbles predict.

Nominated are “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons; “Down by the Water” by The Decemberists; “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” by Coldplay; “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead; and “Walk” by Foo Fighters. With a combined scrobble count of over 9,000,000, there’ll be plenty of music fans eager to hear which track emerges victorious.

The Decemberists seem outside bets with the least-popular track, followed by Foo Fighters then Coldplay. Out of all the nominees, it’s British folk rockers Mumford & Sons who provide the shocks: with 2,930,823 fewer listeners than Radiohead overall, their track “The Cave” still pulls in 165,912 more listeners than “Lotus Flower.” We’ll have to see if the GRAMMY goes to an established artist, or a track that’s come to represent an incredible rise for a new band.

Tune into the GRAMMYs at 8pm this Sunday Feb 12th on CBS. In the meantime, hear all the nominees on GRAMMY radio by clicking below.

They have a video out for their single “Little Talks” and will soon be in Los Angeles for a couple shows.

But, a word of advice, maybe don’t watch this video on acid. You may get stuck in a very strange trip.

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Of Monsters and Men will be playing at the Troubadour March 20th and 21st.

3/20 Los Angeles @ Troubadour — Tickets
3/21 Los Angeles @ Troubadour — SOLD OUT

Their album My Head is An Animal will be released in North America on April 3rd.