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Toy Story 3

This weekend was a great one to be a movie fan. I saw the funniest movie of the year, the most exciting action film of the year and the sweetest, most touching piece of filmmaking of the year. And I did it all in the course of the 103 minute running time of Toy Story 3.

It’s become a cliche to sing the praises of Pixar year after year, as they clear hurdle after hurdle, extending the longest winning streak in Hollywood. Can they make transcendent entertainment out of a rat who can cook? A trash compacting robot? A man who lifts his house with balloons? Yes, they can, again and again.

And now this. How many third films in series not intended as trilogies have ever been any good? I can’t think of even one. Sequels to sequels are always cash grabs conceived not as artistic statements but as a way to beef up a studio’s portfolio. Can a third film about toys that talk really be creatively necessary, poignant and profound?

Yes, it can, again and again.

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Song of the Day #701: ‘Taxi Cab’ – Vampire Weekend

I’ve avoided highlighting any songs off of Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album Contra the past few months for a rather silly reason.

I do a ‘top ten songs of the year’ countdown at the end of the year and I don’t want to burn one of these great tracks now and be unable to feature it in December.

Because I know without a doubt that something from this album will be on my list of favorite 2010 songs. It’s a wonderful piece of work.

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Song of the Day #700: ‘Dark Eyes’ – Bob Dylan

One track on Empire Burlesque stands out as completely different in style and sound from the rest of the album. Most of the tracks feel very modern, but the final song — ‘Dark Eyes’ — sounds like it could have fit in nicely on Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan or another of his earliest recordings.

It’s a spare, haunting track that continues the trend of Dylan putting his most transcendent material in the last spot on the tracklist. Might as well go out strong, I suppose.

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Song of the Day #699: ‘When the Night Comes Falling From the Sky’ – Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan released a live record in 1984, the year after Infidels came out, then returned with an original album — Empire Burlesque — in 1985.

Empire Burlesque is another of Dylan’s most polarizing albums… I’m amused by how many of his releases are described as both his best and his worst by different fans. This is the last of the albums I bought to prepare for this series, and once again I’m glad I did.

I don’t rank it on either extreme — it’s a strong collection of songs hampered by some very dated production techniques, but for the most part the quality shines through.

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Song of the Day #698: ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade’ – Barbra Streisand, Idina Menzel and Lea Michele

[Note: Guest blogger Amy finishes off the week with Glee…]

As I mentioned in yesterday’s SOTD, I appreciate American Idol for the way it enables me to learn about and enjoy music with my children. This year, a new show has arrived on the scene that not only enables any viewer to enjoy music but uses it as a kind of transfusion for passion, humor, pain, courage. That show, of course, is Glee.

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