Not A Young Man Anymore

Vivisection

2009-06-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

This review is about a romantic comedy.

Wait…Please don’t go.

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve sat through a lot of crap too but trust me this isn’t one of THOSE movies. You gotta remember that those two words can also be used to describe: Annie Hall, Harold & Maude, Buffalo ’66, Punch-Drunk Love & Chasing Amy.

OK. You’ll stay? Thank you. Here we go.

Sorry Zach Braff & Natalie Portman, you have both just been usurped. You are no longer the reigning hipster film couple. That title now belongs to Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deschanel the stars of the heartbreaking and touching (500) Days of Summer.

I could spend paragraph upon paragraph discussing the unconventional structure, soundtrack and alienating devices but what’s the point? Even without those elements this would still be a successful film. Strip everything away and it is still an emotionally true and heartfelt story. The film geek stuff is just icing on an already delicious cake.

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE!

2009-06-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

My lady and I recently re-watched Martin Scorsese's documentary on American Cinema. Dear Lord that man loves movies! High brow or low brow he loves them all equally. From the looks of the trailer to his new film it seems like he's getting the chance to get his B-Movie on. I can't wait!

A Tiger In Your Tank

2009-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last summer I had high expectations for Pineapple Express. I envisioned this magical melding of low-brow Cheech & Chong comedy with beautiful & nuanced mise en scene. What I got instead was this bi-polar over-long mess with sincere intentions yet few big laughs.

Though it is clearly no great piece of art, The Hangover succeeds in many of the ways that Pineapple failed. The title sequence alone shows more skill than Brett Ratner's entire filmography. And fear not - it's funny. Howlingly so. Filthy, dirty jokes done intelligently.

Hopefully this film will lead to Zach Galifianakis overtaking Dane Cook as America's #1 comic. OK. Is that asking too much? How about this: Hopefully this film leads to someone allowing Zach to headline his own film? It'll probably bomb with pop audiences but at least it will exist.

Bound For Glory

2009-06-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am very saddened to report that Oscar nominee & cult film legend David Carradine has died. He was 72.

I'll let the news sites relate to you the details of his passing. Here we just want to focus on the amazing career of a notoriously awesome and notoriously difficult actor.

I think part of the reason why this death is hitting me so strongly is the fact that I just watched him get killed two days ago in his cameo in Mean Streets. How can he be dead when I just watched him on my television machine? But I guess in the end that's what celluloid and DVD are for. As long as they're around he's not really dead.

I highly recommend honoring him with a triple feature of Boxcar Bertha, Death Race 2000 & Kill Bill Vol. 2

Mortgage Meltdown!

2009-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I honestly cannot remember the last time I was excited to see a horror film. Ever since Saw hit in 2004 horror films have grown increasingly more oppressive. Each film trying to out-do the next in terms of sadism and fucked-upedness. Now I’m not saying that films like this are evil “torture porn” and should not exist (I for one enjoyed both of the Hostel films) but what I am saying is a little variety never hurt anyone.

Thank God for Sam Raimi! After six years of being caught up in all things web-head, Mr. Raimi has returned to the genre that made him a star with subtly titled – Drag Me To Hell. If you like BIG scares, BIG laughs and people getting hit on the head with BIG anvils this is the movie for you. Yep that’s right – comedy in a horror film! Not since Slither have I laughed so much (with not at) a horror film.

Watching this film makes me yearn for more Raimi-horror. I want more floating possessed people, more geysers of blood and more 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88s. Unfortunately we’re gonna have to sit through another Spider-Man film before we get there. But at least it’s good to know that the home fires are still burning.

Palms of Gold

2009-05-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

This has definitely been an interesting year for Cannes. When the line-up was announced everybody was atwitter about the strength of the slate. Many legendary auteurs were represented.

Cut-to: the actual screenings.

Many of the films were reviewed as either so-so (or in the case of Antichrist absolutely horrible). The worm had turned and we were left with no stand-out film. So how were the awards finally doled out?

Special Lifetime Achievement Prize - Alain Resnais (who had the film "Les HerbesFolles"in competition)

Best Actor - Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Actress - Charlotte Gainsbourg for "Antichrist"

Director - Brillante Mendoza for "Kinatay"

Scenario (Best Screenplay) - "Spring Fever" (Lou Ye)

Jury Prize - tie, "Thirst" (Park Chan-Wook) / "Fish Tank" (Andrea Arnold)

Camera d'Or - "Samson and Delilah" (Warwick Thornton)

Short Film - "Arena"

Grand Prix (second prize)- "Un Prophete" (Jacques Audiard)
The Palme d'Or - "White Ribbon" (Michael Haneke)

Quite the diverse slate. Though I find Charlotte Gainsbourg to be a great actress and have yet to see Antichrist, I can't help but feel that the jury gave her the prize for putting up with director Lars Von Trier. And as if I wasn't already psyched enough for Inglourious Bastards, it now has an acting award to its' credit. Only here could you have a sadistic Austrian film win best picture.

Cannes you never cease to surprise me. Too bad ALL of these films will be ignored come Golden Globe/Oscar season.

This Is Not The Future My Mother Warned Me About

2009-05-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

As far as genres go, the action film is arguably the oldest (does documentary count as a genre?). Films like The Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery were trailblazers that pushed the limits of what the medium was capable of. Multiple shots, parallel action, etc. were all techniques pioneered in action films.

Unfortunately in the intervening years, action films have fallen behind the curve. Nowadays all the great innovations come from art films with action playing catch-up. The best example of this is McG’s latest opus Terminator Salvation.

While the film was still in production Mr.G (?) describe his ambition thusly: an action film shot like Children of Men. That simple statement sent many people's interest in the film from -5 to 2. Perhaps this film would amount to more than cinematic a get rich quick scheme. Sadly that is not the case.

While Señor G’s film is extremely successful stylistically, it is as empty as a Madoff investor’s bank account when it comes to content. What we get instead is an unfocused narrative about freedom (maybe?) and humanity (possibly?) filled with elements from other more successful action films. Giant Transformer robots, Road Warrior car chases and grease smeared little girl who wants to be Newt from Aliens.

Great sci-fi makes leaves audiences filled with questions about life, the universe and everything. This film leaves audiences wondering why Christian Bale thought this film was important enough to go ape-shit on a DP over?

A Decade In Front Of The Tube

2009-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

With the 2008/2009 TV season drawing to a close there is only one reasonable thing to do - make a list of the decade's best TV shows. Am I jumping the gun? Maybe but my feeling is that the exemplary serieses have already proven themselves, the shitty ones won't all of a sudden get good and new shows debuting in the summer or fall are too new.

In order to make the list a show must have lasted at least 2 seasons. Also, rather than declaring a single show the greatest I've picked 2 dramas and 2 comedies. In my opinion these 4 shows both reflected and defined the past 10 years. So without any further ado...

BEST DRAMA

Great art can take the specific and make it universal. By intensely exploring 5 years in the ghettos of Baltimore Maryland The Wire was able to make profound statements about crime, politics, media, addiction, etc. This show was able to take material that is usually relegated to the editorial page and make it riveting entertainment. Couple that with an amazingly talented ensemble of actors and you get a classic that will be remembered for years to come.

I have to admit that I was pretty late to the game on this one. I was being an elitist in assuming that nothing with that title could possibly be anything more than fodder for the Comic-Con crowd. When I finally started playing catch-up mid-way through season 3 I found that I was only half right. In addition to babes, bots & blasters there were also intensely relevant ideas in play. Torture, religion & terrorism. Not your usual sci-fi trifecta but it worked like fraking gang busters. So say we all.

BEST COMEDY

Combine two of the shittiest elements of post-millennial life (reality TV & Enron) and what do you get? One of the funniest and most quotable shows ever! So what if not a single character was sympathetic? People love to laugh at buffoons. The more self-aggrandizing the buffoon the better. Though the show died an unceremonious death after 3 underrated seasons the waves it started can still be felt in film & TV to this day. You're welcome Michael Cera!

Laugh for laugh this is the best thing going on TV currently. Industry insider shows never work. This is because very few people are actually inside, yet somehow this show has succeeded in bringing people inside its' weird fucked up little world. We want to go to there. Only this show could get away with having an Amadeus or Harry and The Hendersons themed sub-plot. God bless Tina Fey!

So there you have it. Discuss!

Three

2009-05-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Though I haven't seen a lot of Fellini I have seen 8 1/2 and I love it more than words. A beautiful film filled with so many startling images and ideas. If you haven't seen it yet I insist you must.

anyhow...

The film is titled 8 1/2 because within Fellini's filmography this was film number (you guessed it) 8 1/2. In 1982 the film was adapted into a Broadway musical cleverly titled 9. Now the cycle is complete and that musical has been made into a film. Here's the trailer:

It's kind of surreal seeing familiar images like la Saraghina in a similar yet vaguely unfamiliar way. Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) is definitely no Fellini but he's also no slouch either.

Some might give him flack for casting very few Italians in this film just like how he cast very few Japanese in Geisha. While I find this fact interesting I'll state that in the end all that matters is whether or not the film is good. Guess we'll have to wait till November to find out.

Worst comes to worst this film will make an interesting double feature with All That Jazz.

Warp Speed!

2009-05-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've tried to write this review at least 10 times and have had zero success. I've tried making it about franchise revival, I've tried to make it about the increased pop acceptance of all things nerd, I've even tried to make it about cinema structure. All of these have been miserable failures.

Maybe I'm trying too hard. Maybe I should simplify. OK Craig. I one sentence describe the new Star Trek movie.

Star Trek is...FUN!

Sure you can gripe about the fairly non-sensical plot, or how it plays fast and loose with the mythology, but in the end it comes down to that one word - Fun. This movie is one hell of a wild ride with a strong emphasis on character. Oh and did I mention all the people are pretty too?

For my money this is THE tent pole of the summer. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest you get your butt to a theater and strap in.

May you live long and prosper.

Super Scouts!

2009-05-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

From 6th thru 12th grade I your humble blogger was a Boy Scout. I even made it to Eagle. In order to get Eagle you are required to earn a certain amount of merit badges. Most of these come from a set list (First Aid, Citizenship in the Nation, etc.) but once you have earned all of the "required" badges you are then free to pick from a litany of other badges to fill the quota.

You can get a badge in beekeeping. You can also get one (I shit you not) in Nuclear Science. These Misc badges are there so that kids with far flung interests can get badges in things that they dig. Unfortunately for me there were only four badges to cover my interests: Film, Theatre, Photography & Art.

Oh how I envy the female youth of today.

The Girl Scouts of the Virginia Skyline Council have a Comics Badge!

What the fuck man? For years people have pigeonholed comics as a medium for emotionally stunted males, yet it's the ladyfolk who stepped up to the plate and made a badge for this legitimate American art form! The BSA needs to get their shit together and make one of these for all the (how do we put this?) "indoor kids".

Rock on Girl Scouts!

EXCELSIOR!

2009-05-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first Saturday of May. Do you know what that means?

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!

A few years back when the fist X-Men film was released, comic book retailers across the nation decided to seize upon the publicity by having Free Comic Book Day. The theory being that the film would cause millions of people to start jonsing for a comic fix and they (the retailers) would be there to scratch your itch. Well I guess it was successful because here we are nearly a decade later and it's become an annual tradition.

Last year Free Comic Book Day followed the release of the excellent Iron Man movie. This year we're not so lucky and are getting a reportedly less than stellar Wolverine movie. Oh well. They can't all be winners.

Shitty mutant movie aside - you should carve an hour out of your tomorrow to head on down to your nearest comic book retailer. What you don't know where that is? Shame on you! But you can always dial 1-888-COMICBOOK for a little help in that department.

Lots of cool publishers are releasing lots of cool special issues that are only available as part of Free Comic Book Day. I'm personally excited for the Love and Rockets sampler from Fantagraphics (though there will probably be none left by the time I get off work). Grrr.

In addition to the free books, most shops will also be hosting massive sales. With the economy as it is this would be the perfect time to but that trade paper back you've been eyeing. Or for those of you who aren't really comic book followers this is the perfect time to start. The first taste is free and the second taste could be 25% off. I'd like to see a drug dealer who could do better.

All joking and carnival barking aside - please come out and support this truly American art medium. You turned out in droves to see The Dark Knight, now it's time to turn out for the little funny books that first gave us the caped crusader.

Recommended titles for newbies to look at:

-Love and Rockets

-Y: The Last Man

-Watchmen

-Runaways

-Scott Pilgrim

-The Dark Knight Returns

-Persepolis

-Invincible

The Adventures of 100 Day Man & the Senator Formerly Known as R.I.N.O.

2009-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

As this week marks the end of President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office, every news outlet in existence is trying to find the best way to determine the success or failure of those 100 days. Some are basing their decision on the amount of legislation he has been able to get through congress, some are basing it on opinion polls and others are just looking for people who agree with their already predetermined views.

As far as I'm concerned debate is no longer needed after the following news broke --

Arlen Specter Switches Parties

Rush Limbaugh and his ilk can try to spin it all they want by saying that Specter has always been a R.I.N.O. (Republican In Name Only) and losing him to the dems is no big loss - but it is. As Senator Specter points out in his statement:

"Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats."

Simply put, he's switching parties because his constituents have. To remain a Republican would mean an almost certain defeat in 2010. This is immensely smart politicking on the Senator's behalf. He sees the tide turning. The times they are a-changin'. It is no longer 1980. In the past 8 years the Republican party has drifted too far to the right. As a result views that were once considered right-leaning are now left of the Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly wind tunnel.

The Republican party is like Dennis Hopper & Peter Fonda in Easy Rider - they blew it. They had the world by the short and curlies and lost it all out of sheer greed...and I for one could not be happier. Their loss is our gain.

To conclude

EAT IT SUCKERS!

Now I need to go finish reading Das Kapital before attending a gay wedding in that notorious bastion of socialist values known as Iowa so that I can help the terrorists win.

Sincerely,
Comrade Duffy

JUSTICE!!!

2009-04-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

FORMER ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE CARONA WAS SENTENCED TODAY!!!

"Back home, cats don't talk."

2009-04-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

This year is going to be a big one for the best animated feature category at the Oscars. We're going to have a new Pixar film (Up), a new Miyazaki film (Ponyo on the Cliff), Wes Anderson's animation debut (The Fantastic Mr. Fox), etc. and a creepy morality play from his good friend Henry Selick known as Coraline. Though in the end only three films will make the cut (I don't know why they don't open it up to five nominees) I'm going to go on the record and say that Coraline will make the cut.

Based on a book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline tells the rather simple story of a girl who doesn't appreciate the life she has. Of course we know where this is going. She'll somehow or other find her way to a world that fills all of her wildest dreams only to discover that there's no place like home. Tale as old as time. So what makes Coraline worth it then?

Henry Selick.

Henry Selick is a wizard like no other. Sure Monkeybone was a steaming heap but The Nightmare Before Christmas along with James and the Giant Peach are wonders to behold. Like no other he can take another artist's world (ie: Burton, Dahl & Gaiman) and make it uniquely his own. He can out auteur an auteur and that is no easy feat. Coraline is dazzling, funny and scary all at the same time. Few artists out there are able to strike so many chords.

Pixar already has awards up the wazoo as does the honorable Miyazaki-san. I think this year it's time for Henry to take his place among giants.

Thank You For Being A Friend

2009-04-25T16:26:00.001-07:00

Revenge of the Croisette

2009-04-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. A time of love and angst. Love for those crazy cineasts known collectively as "the french" and angst over the fact that I won't be able to attend their little film party. This year being particularly cruel because a mere 2 weeks after the festival ends - BECCA AND I WILL ACTUALLY BE IN FRANCE!

Le Sigh

Well anyway...I am of course rambling about the Cannes Film Festival. The creme de la creme of international film festivals. The place where all your favorite filmmakers show they're newest wares well before anyone else will ever get a chance to see them.

Le Sigh

This year's lineup is amazing. Here's a list of the films I'll be missing most at this year's festival:

In Competition

Abrazos Rotos by Pedro Almodovar

Antichrist by Lars Von Trier

Bright Star by Jane Campion

Enter The Void by Gasper Noe

Les Herbes folles by Alain Resnais

Inglorious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino

Looking For Eric by Ken Loach

Taking Woodstock by Ang Lee

Thirst by Park Chan Wook

Vengeance by Johnny To

The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke

Un Certain Regard

Mother by Bong Joon Ho

Push by Lee Daniels

Nymph by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Out of Competition

Agora by Alejandro Amenabar
The Imagianirum of Docteur Parnassius by Terry Gilliam

Midnight Screening

Drag Me To Hell by Sam Raimi

Special Selection

L'épine dans le coeur by Michel Gondry

ok.

One more time for emphasis...

LE SIGH!

Before I Was Cool

2009-04-20T15:08:00.001-07:00

Let me start out by saying: Nobody in 4th grade is cool. You may think you were but honestly look back at 4th grade - you were not cool. Trust me on this. But anyhow...

Back in 4th grade when I was busy being uncool I accidentally did something cool. And what was this inadvertently cool thing you ask?

I watched The State

And now that wonderful program is finally coming to DVD. They've promised this before but this time I think they mean it for reals.

The State DVD

So if you want to have any hope of being cool in the future you should start saving your milk money for this bad boy. It's more fun than a barrel of monkey torture.

The Craigterion Collection

2009-04-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a very Criterion week for me.

For those not in the know - The Criterion Collection is a fabulous company that acquires the rights to important/infamous films from around the world and releases them in super awesome DVD editions loaded with extras.

So why was the collection so prominent in my cerebellum?

(1) Last week Criterion announced that they would no longer be producing their spectacular 2-disc edition of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Ran. Like any self-respecting film geek I seized upon this as the perfect time to add that particular title to my collection before Amazon's back stock ran out.

(2) Today Criterion announced 3 new titles (Repulsion, Made in U.S.A. & 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her) that I am eagerly awaiting the release of in July.

So yes, a very Criterion week. The centerpiece of Criteriweek was me thinking of important/infamous films that are in need of the Criterion treatment. I came up with 5. This might be an ongoing series or it might just be this one time. We'll just have to see.

1. The Chelsea Girls

6 years before Deep Throat, this was the movie that built a bridge between the underground and the mainstream. High society people flocked "downtown" to get a little culture by watching Andy Warhol & Paul Morrissey's 3hr 15min, double projected epic! Criterion already has a history of releasing Paul Morrissey films (Flesh For Frankenstein & Blood For Dracula) so this should be right up their alley.

2. Johnny Guitar

Directed by Nicholas (Rebel Without A Cause) Ray, this film was worshiped by many of the men who went on to be known as La Nouvelle Vague. This is one weird little movie. Joan Crawford at her most butch and Sterling Hayden...well...being Sterling Hayden. 1954 audiences looking for a traditional western must have been thrown for quite a loop. Since Criterion has released more New Wave films than anyone else in the game, it would stand to reason that they would want to release one of the films that lead the way.

3. Crash (1996)

In a career spanning well over 30 years, David Cronenberg has produced more than his share of controversy. In the early days, that controversy was brought about through disturbing visuals. With Crash, it was the result of disturbing ideas. This essentially plotless film is the beautiful and frightening collision point between sex & violence. You'll never be able to look at a car accident the same way again.

4. Don't Look Now

Directed by Criterion favorite Nicolas Roeg, this mostly bloodless film is one of the creepiest and most beloved horror films of all time. A super-de-dooper edition already exists in the film's native England but here in Region 1 we are stuck with a lame "film only" edition. Come on! I demand a documentary on whether or not Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie were actually fucking!

5. Multiple Maniacs

Recently Criterion has started releasing hard to find black & white first films by respected auteurs (Gus Van Sant's Mala Noche, Allison Anders' Border Radio, etc.) so why not keep the ball rolling with John Waters' extremely hard to find first feature. It isn't fair that only a select few with the old VHS, have the privilege of watching Divine get violated by a giant lobster. Oh and did I mention David Lochary's miraculous moustache?

Wow this took a lot longer than expected. Maybe this WILL be a one-off thing.

To Know Him Is To Love Him

2009-04-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

The title of this entry is also the title of the fist song Phil Spector ever recieved credit on. Unfortunately for Mr. Spector, that title doesn't describe him in the least. Essentially everyone who has known him has hated him. He's mean and he's crazy. He also produced some of the greatest music of the last century but that doesn't changed the fact that he's now a convicted murderer.

GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL YOU FUCKING PSYCHOTIC!

Slow It Down

2009-04-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

Though Andy Warhol was arguably the most productive filmmaker of the 1960s, few of his films have been seen. This is because in the 1970s Warhol himself decided to stop allowing them to be shown. He liked the idea of them developing a mythos. Films that were talked about often but impossible to see.

Since his death in 1986 it's become a bit easier to see these films, but not by much. Some are available on murky bootlegs while the bulk are only shown in conjunction with museum retrospectives of the paintings. That's how I finally got to see a a handful of his infamous screen tests.

While it's true that the films are much more stimulating intellectually than visually, there is no denying a certain beauty in his imagery. Shot at sound speed and projected at silent speed, the nearly imperceptible slow motion helps to give great pomp and circumstance to even the most minuscule movements. Something is off but you can't exactly place it.

On Tuesday (4/7), Plexifilm is releasing 13 Most Beautiful...Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Tests. This is the first ever authorized release of a Warhol film on DVD. Hopefully there will be many more to follow. I personally would love to see a Criterion release of The Chelsea Girls.

Let The Wild Rumpus Start!

2009-03-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

This trailer looks soooooo beautiful. I cannot wait for this movie. We've gone too long without a Spike Jonze film and this looks to be well worth the wait. The studio has been worried about whether or not this film will appeal to kids. I don't even think it has to. Everyone who grew up with this book will be there opening day! I gotta go find a crown.

So Say We All!

2009-03-23T16:42:00.001-07:00

This past Friday brought us the series finale of Battlestar Galactica. By and large I really dug it. Just the right balance of explanation and ambiguity. Though I'm sad to see it go I'm also glad that it was able to end on its' own terms rather than through cancellation.

With Battlestar gone, TV is starting to look like a scary place. For my money the only truly great shows still on the air are 30 Rock, The Office and Chuck (go NBC!). Sure there's Gossip Girl, Reaper, Heroes and Criminal Minds but I don't NEED to watch them. Gossip Girl is fun trash with no depth, Heroes stopped being great long ago, Reaper I can take or leave and Criminal Minds is a standard procedural.

The apartment my fiance and I just moved in to doesn't have TV, and even once we get a converter box and such we won't have cable or DVR. In the past this would have been a sign of impending doom. Daddy needs his stories! But with the present decline in quality television, it's not that scary of a prospect. After all, I can still get all the worthwhile stuff on Hulu.

Goodbye Television. It was fracking great while it lasted.

Mad Love

2009-03-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

ROB GORDON: What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

Rob's right. Pop music is pretty fucked up. Check out this little ditty by the Crystals from 1962:

So many songs about insane, obsessive, abusive love. No wonder so many out there find themselves remaining in destructive relationships. I would not be surprised if Ms. Rihanna were to cover this in the near future. Part of me wants to find this type of music reprehensible - but it's just so damn catchy.

I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You

2009-03-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

Over my quarter century on this planet I've seen a good share of awesome live music. I've seen shitty bands rock and awesome bands suck. I've seen Radiohead, Lou Reed, New Order, Björk, Rufus Wainwright, Squirrel Nut Zippers, etc. In spite of all of this there is still one act left to see.

I seriously think that if Tom Waits dies before I see him live, the rest of my life will be pointless. Even the birth of my children will be a hallow experience for I shall know that they are being born into a cruel universe that denied their father the awe inspiring experience of seeing Tom Waits perform.

Did you hear that Tom?

COME BACK TO LA!

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Watchmen Movie

2009-03-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

9 times out of 10, trash literature makes for the best cinema. It is infinitely easier to add depth to something shallow than to subtract it from something deep. In order to fit a classic work into an acceptable run time something has to give. Apparently nobody told this to the makers of Watchmen.

Though the presence of brightly colored costumes and giant squids might lead you to believe otherwise, Watchmen is a dense, dense read. Its' ideas about love, war and heroism require time to digest. But in the filmic incarnation there is simply no time to digest anything. It's the cinematic equivalent of racing through the Louvre...with fight scenes!

OK. Now I know the above statement comes off pretty harsh, but believe me this isn't a call to gang up on Zack Snyder. The sequence about Dr. Manhattan's origin as well as Rorschach's psych evaluation are both devastatingly effective. You feel his reverence for the material in every frame. You can tell that he understands the ideas that are at play. He was simply crushed under the sheer volume of them.

For years people will debate how the material might have been better served by flimmaker X,Y and Z but there's really no point. This is the movie we got so suck it up. Homeboy did as good a job as anyone could have. No filmmaker, no matter how great, would have been able to make a film that satisfied everyone (though I will admit that most anyone could have made better use of music).

Now let's put all of our petty grievances aside and unite in fear of the cinematic squid creature known as Uwe Boll who threatens to attack our collective good taste at any minute.

Catch you in the funny papers.

Volume II

2009-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Though it is not exactly chic to say among the cineastes, I simply have to say:

I LOVE KEVIN SMITH

He makes me laugh. Plain and simple. So suck it.

Anyhow...

Today it was announced that Kevin is set to direct a script he did not write. It's titled A Couple of Dicks, was written by Robb & Marc Cullen and is set to star Bruce Willis & Tracy Morgan. This is big news considering Smith once declared that he would NEVER shoot somebody else's material. Also this will be Kevin's first film without longtime producer Scott Mosier.

Ever since Zack & Miri Make a Porno underperformed at the box office Smith has seriously been re-evaluating his career and this appears to be a direct manifestation of that angst. I'm really eager to see how this turns out. I have the utmost faith in Smith. Hopefully this will be the film that shows people he's not just a writer. Homeboy grew up.

Rosebud

2009-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

FEMALE REPORTER: If you could've found out what Rosebud meant, I bet that would've explained everything.

THOMPSON: No, I don't think so; no. Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost. Anyway, it wouldn't have explained anything... I don't think any word can explain a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a... piece in a jigsaw puzzle... a missing piece.

According to Peter Bogdanovich, Welles' unreleased final film: The Other Side of the Wind, might finally get screened at this May's Cannes Film Festival! Mind you they've been making similar statements for years, but something tells me that it might finally be Orson's year. We will finally get to see/hear Welles' final statement as a filmmaker (dramatic pause) His cinematic rosebud.

*fingers crossed*

Feels Like The First Time

2009-02-26T17:22:00.001-08:00

For much of my young life the music I listened to was my parents music. Meat Loaf and Queen were two early obsessions of mine. It wasn't until middle school that I really truly found a band that I could call my own and that band was Squirrel Nut Zippers.

While other kids were discovering punk, I was discovering dixieland. Man you should have seen me in middle school with creepers, khakis, a pocket watch with a chain and buttoned up paneled shirts. I even took swing dancing lessons with my aunt at the local community college.

Eventually I grew out of the style (much to the dismay of my intended) but the music never left. It's so fucking good! And the band still ranks in my top 5 where they stand out next to names like Radiohead and The Velvet Underground.

So it is with great pomp & circumstance that I announce:

I've seen them twice before and it is always a great show. Especially when they bust out the projector and start rocking this little ditty:

So grease up that pomp, put on your dancing shoes and grab your best gal and bring her on down cause this is gonna be one hell of a party!

"It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what I feel. The dead are still dead."

2009-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

Most people already had an opinion about The Reader before a single frame of film had been screened. Whispers about behind the scenes politicking have been filling the blogosphere since early fall. Add to that the fact that many feel this film "stole" The Dark Knight's best picture nom and you have a pretty stacked deck. But in the end what is truly important is one simple question:

Is it best picture material?

My answer quite bluntly is NO. Now this is not to say that the film is completely devoid of admirable qualities. The cinematography is beautiful, the direction is assured and the performances (especially that of Kate Winslet) are astounding. So what is it then that trips such a potent blend of positives? One word - structure.

The latter half of the film is far superior to the first half. The first half is 100% exposition - a screenwriter's nightmare. Sure they have hot naked flesh to keep asses in seats, but other than that it is a rather hollow experience.

You can tell they knew this was a bit of a problem. The film's opening scene sets up a mystery in order to make the audience want to sit through the next hour, they even employ occasional flash forwards, but in the end it all results in making that first hour all the more agonizing. You just want it to be over so that you can find out what is going on at the start.

Once the film gets down to the brass tacks of dealing with the Holocaust and morality it becomes a whole new ball game. There are deep philosophical questions being addressed and I feel the film does an able job of grappling with them. There are no easy answers and that is what makes for great drama.

So why not just cut out that whole first part and make the film focus on the latter half? Because it's necessary. As dull as that first half is, it provides us with essential information towards understanding what occurs in the latter half. So what then could have been done? Should this film not even have been attempted?

No. I think there's a great film laying in there somewhere. It just needed some more time in the editing room to figure out all those structuring problems. Too bad someone rushed it through post. Oops! There I go bickering about studio politics.

Mahalo

Baadasssss!

2009-02-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back at the New York Comic Con MTV hosted a panel to determine the Top Ten Movie Badasses. Since then a lot of hip celebrities have been posting their lists on their blogs. Since I like to consider myself a celebrity (in my mind) I will now bestow upon you all my personal list of Cinematic Badassery:

Walker (Point Blank)
John McClane (Die Hard)
Ellen Ripley (Aliens)
The Bride (Kill Bill Vol 1)
Lee (Enter The Dragon)
Pike Bishop (The Wild Bunch)
Doc Holiday (Tombstone)
John Shaft (Shaft)
Blondie (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
Gny. Sgt. Hartman (Full Metal Jacket)

You are now free to return to your regularly scheduled lives.

King of the Jews

2009-02-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Though he didn't make my list of living filmmakers (cause he only has two under his belt) I do love me some Judd Apatow. I absolutely agree with all of those people out there who list him as the heir apparent to Woody Allen.

And today we have the premiere of the trailer to Judd's newest film Funny People.

In my opinion it looks pretty good. Great laughs while at the same time letting a little more drama creep in. I'm interested to see how people react to this. It is definately not The 40-Year-Old Virgin but it is absolutely the next logical step in his evolution as a filmmaker. This and Inglorious Basterds are definately my most anticipated films of the year.

Mahalo

Ciao Middleman!

2009-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Yet another brilliant and funny TV show has bitten the dust. According to The New York Post's Pop Culture Blog, ABC Family has decided to pull the plug on Javier Grillo-Marxuach's pop savy series.

This show was brilliant in so many ways. It was funny, filled with great pop culture gags and had an ass-kicking latina for a lead. I still need to pick up the comics on which it was based. Le sigh. I hope all of the talented people behind this show are able to find work that makes use of their awesome talents.

Let us at least take comfort in the fact that the season will soon be coming to DVD as well as a comic book realization of the unfilmed season finale.

Farewell Middleman - we hardly knew ye.

25 Storytellers

2009-02-20T12:06:00.000-08:00

Entertainment Weekly recently made a list of the 25 greatest working directors. Lots of talented people on there and lots of “what the fuck?” James Cameron? Fella's only now making his first film in over a decade!

I’m gonna take this opportunity to come up with my own list of 25. EW limits their list to working directors. In my opinion this means their current films have to be of a consistent quality. No skating by on past glory. Sorry Woody, sorry Godard. Here (in no particular order) are the names that can get my ass in a seat:

Martin Scorsese

Steven Spielberg

Pedro Almodovar

Paul Thomas Anderson

Allison Anders

Clint Eastwood

Darren Aronofsky

David Fincher

Guillermo Del Toro

Alfonso Cuaron

Joel & Ethan Coen

Quentin Tarantino

Stephen Soderbergh

Wes Anderson

Jim Jarmusch

Lloyd Kaufman

Spike Jonze

Werner Herzog

David Cronenberg

Gus Van Sant

Spike Lee

Wong Kar-Wai

John Waters

David Lynch

Kevin Smith

Photobooth Beauty Queen

2009-02-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am a huge Andy Warhol fan. Though he could be rather aloof to many and a dick to some I still appreciate the works he created with both film and paint. I even named my photo "company" Pink Cow Photography after my second favorite Warhol creation. So what is my first favorite?

By and large I am not a fan of Warhol's portraits. Yet if I were a billionaire I would buy this painting. I love everything about it. The vibrant colors, the goofy poses, the patchiness of the silk-screen. In spite of the mechanical apparatus(es) used to create it (ie: a photo booth and silk-screening) it contains more life than many/most expressionist works.

So why am I writing about this painting? Because it's subject, arts patrol Ethel Scull, died today at the age of 79. As sad as that news made me - looking at this painting makes me happy.

You can read more about Ethel here.

You came, you saw, you conquered

2009-02-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

The music industry has lost 1/3 of a legend. Estelle Bennett, one of the three Ronettes, died on Wednesday at 67.

Before I'd ever heard the term "wall of sound" I knew I loved the Ronettes. Those voices. And now one of them is forever silent.

My personal favorite track is an easy and predictable one. Sure it's been used over and again in crap like Dirty Dancing, but it's also been used for one of the greatest openings in film history. Rest In Peace.

100 Nazi Scalps!

2009-02-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for this movie! Love the Leone style intertitles. Majorly bummed that Morricone isn't going to be doing the score but oh well. There's still a whole lot to love here. I'm drooling with anticipation for the black & white sequences. Robert Richardson is a cinematography GOD! AND HE'S WORKING WITH DAVID & SANDY WASCO AGAIN!!!

The trailer's gonna be showing before Friday the 13th. Could this be the film that reunites Tarantino with mainstream audiances? You be the judge:

Comrade Queen

2009-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

For the second day in a row fate has seen fit to present me with an absolutely insane left of field story about a public figure. This one might out-do yesterdays.

Putin denies mystery ABBA concert!!!

Come on Vlady. Don't be shy. I know you like to maintain this macho image (what with all the shirtless fishing shots and such) but come on. Everyone loves ABBA. Maybe you're just ashamed that you could only get the cover band Bjorn Again and not the real deal. It's cool.

My only fear is that the band members who blabbed to the press are gonna turn up dead from radiation poisoning.

Go here for the full details.

Billionaire Gone Wild!

2009-02-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

OK. This story is simply to weird/funny to not pass on. While addressing a crowd at a technology confrence about the dangers of Malaria -

BILL GATES UNLEASHED A SWARM OF MOSQUITOS!!!

Of course the bugs in question didn't have the deadly virus. SHUCKS! Anyhow, this still totally wins Bill Gates a special place in my heart and absolutely made my day. Even thought it's only 8:30 AM I don't see how anything short of The Smiths reuniting for a private concert in my house will be able to top this.

You can read MORE!

Prescious Little Life

2009-02-04T16:43:00.001-08:00

Scott Pilgrim makes me happy. Sure the character is wickedly immature and insensitive but the comic book he stars in is one of the most vital titles of the aughts.

AND IT'S GOING TO BECOME A MOVIE!!!

Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz) is exactly the right person to be doing this adaptation. Scott Pilgrim is the sequential art extension of what Spaced did on television. Characters who view themselves through a pop culture prism. They don't just talk about films and old video games - they live them.

Wright has also lined up one hell of a cast consisting of young Hollywood's finest and according to one of said cast members: THERE ARE GOING TO BE ANIMATED SEQUENCES!

Though I am extremely eager to see The Watchmen, I think this is the comics to film project I am most anticipating. It's the perfect melding of artist and subject. Should be plenty reverent but also not slavish.

SCOTT PILGRIM Vs. THE WORLD

coming soon

In the mean time you can pick up the just released Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe. Book 5 of 6. At the moment it's available only in comic shops (I know you're scared). Soon it'll be everywhere.

Time to catch up.

Behold!

2009-02-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Look what the Academy has deprived themselves of by denying The Boss another nomination. This all could have been yours...

Sure his snubbed song "The Wrestler" isn't really conducive to power sliding. But that's beside the point. Let's just hope M.I.A. has recovered enough from having her kid to at least show up and liven the place up.

Best Flicks 2008

2009-01-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

As always a day late and a dollar short but. Oh well.

Here are the 5 flicks I dug the most from last year:

Other films worth giving a look-see:

The Wrestler
Che

Iron Man
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Gran Torino
Mother of Tears (US release)

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
Burn After Reading
Wall-E
Be Kind Rewind

Paper Heart

2009-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Last night my fiance and I got to see a test screening of Paper Heart staring comedian/musician Charlyne Yi (the awkward Asian girl from Knocked Up). The film is a faux-documentary which follows Yi across the country as she interviews people about love. Along the way she strikes up a romanitc relationship with Michael Cera. The result is Borat mixed with When Harry Met Sally...

This film is definitely not for everyone. If you are already predisposed to dislike cute/awkward hipster kids then there is no way that you will like this film. The audience is very niche. I hope that they don't try to market it to the Knocked Up and Superbad crowd. I heard many pissed off bros as I left the theatre. This is much more for the Napoleon Dynamite and Juno crowd.

What really holds this film together is Charlyne. She successfully takes a character (or is that really her?) that most people would categorize as asexual, and makes you see the yearning for connection which lies underneath. She wears her paper heart on her sleeve. Even in completely contrived situations you cannot help but feel for her.

Oh and those kids in Atlanta are priceless.

Let It Bleed

2009-01-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

Randy “The Ram” Robinson is a professional wrestler way past his prime, living in a trailer, estranged from his daughter and enamored with a local stripper. Oh and did I mention that he has a weak heart that could kill him if he ever enters the ring again? On paper The Wrestler should so not work. It reeks of 1,001 crappy films you’ve seen before – yet miraculously it soars right over the ropes.

Mickey Rourke’s performance as Randy is the perfect melding of actor and role. When Randy bluntly states that the “90s sucked” you are acutely aware that they also sucked for Rourke who in 1991 left Hollywood for the boxing ring. After five years of floundering, Rourke finally returned to acting only to find that a lot had changed. What was once beefcake had turned into a slab of beef. Rourke’s road back to the limelight has been long and hard and it shows in every frame. He bleeds both emotion and the red stuff. Combine this with Marissa Tomei’s stellar turn as past her prime stripper Cassidy, and you get a portrait of truly heartbreaking humanity.

With such stellar acting on display some directors might opt to stand back and just let things run on autopilot. Fortunately Darren Aronofsky is not that type of director. If it seems as though he has ditched all of the stylish flourishes he’s famous for in favor of a documentary approach you aren’t looking close enough. No documentarian could ever be this lucky. Whether it’s following behind Ram as he enters the ring or zeroing in on Cassidy as she has a personal revelation, the camera is always in precisely the right spot for maximum subjectivity. Aronofsky makes the intensely planned look effortless. He is the real deal and so is this film.

Cloudy With A Chance Of WTF?

2009-01-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

So the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. This has been a so-so year for films and as a result the nominees have been pretty easy to pick. That's not to say that there weren't some pretty shocking omissions. OK let's move forward. I promise this won't be as tedious as my Golden Globes overview. I'll skip categories about which I don't have anything interesting to say.

Best Actor

Haven't seen The Visitor but I love Richard Jenkins so it's nice to see him on here. Though I would have liked to see Benicio for his great work in Che and WHERE THE FUCK IS CLINT!

Best Supporting Actor

Downey Jr actually did it! He got a nom for being the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude! Didn't care much for the film but that performance was awesome. This is one of the best categories in terms of quality. It's going to Heath though and deservedly so.

Best Actress

Who will win? Hathaway or Winslet? Or will they split votes and someone else wins? Hopefully not Angelina. Ooh the suspense!

Best Animated Feature

Some people thought Wall-E would follow in Beauty and the Beast's footsteps and get a best picture nomination. It's consolation prize will be winning this category.

Best Director

I love Fincher, Boyle and Van Sant though I don't know how I would feel about David winning for work that I found to be a little sub-par. What I do know is that Ron Howard doesn't need another Oscar (though he's a very nice guy and a capable picture maker). And what's the deal with Stephen Daldry? How did he squeak in over Christopher Nolan who's vision for The Dark Knight allowed it to soar above all other comic book films?

Best Foreign Language Film

Though I didn't see hardly any foreign films this year I do have an opinion on this category. Gommora, which many considered a front runner for the category, was passed over. I'm really looking forward to this film's American release. Was it too "genre" to make the cut? Speaking of genre...Sweden didn't even submit Let The Right One In so it had no chance. Why do we leave that up to a bunch of guys who are most inclined to pick the easy and sure thing? Risky stuff will never get a chance that way. CORRECTION: apparently Sweden did not submit Let The Right One In because it wasn't eligable. Since the film wasn't released in Sweden before October, it is ineligable for THIS year's Oscars, but could be eligable next year. I'm leaving my original comments here because I think the points I make about bias against genre are still valid.

Best Makeup

I'm happy to see creature makeup finally getting some love! They passed up Hellboy the first time around. I guess the troll market forced them to take notice. This is an extremely tough category to pick. All the work here was phenomenal.

Best Cinematography

As much as I love Roger Deakins' photography I don't want him to win this year. He deserves to have his first Oscar be for a film that he was on from start to finish.

Best Original Song

This is the first BIG "what the fuck?" category. Only three nominees? Has this ever been done before? I mean I'm glad I won't have to hear some Miley Cyrus song or something. And I'm totally stoked to see M.I.A up for a Golden Boy. But to pass up The Boss? Especially when he just won the Golden Globe? This stinks just as bad as that year when they passed up Mick Jagger. In some ways they're so old fashioned (Disney movies) yet also forward thinking (Eminem, Issac Hayes). I think this category will always be a mystery.

Best Picture

And now for the second BIG "what the fuck?"...The producers' guild, the directors' guild and the editors' guild ALL picked the same five nominees. One would think a phenomenon like that would result in those five films being the Oscar nominees. You just thought wrong. The Reader wasn't even supposed to be released until next year but Harvey Weinstein insisted on moving it to this year. This created all sorts of shock waves in the Hollywood community and prompted one of the film's producers to remove his name from it. And now it's up for best picture AND director? Something smells rotten in Denmark. Harvey is notorious for heavy handed campaigning. Did it finally pay off? Or maybe it has to do with the Oscar's continuing love affair with the Holocaust. I had some fairly serious misgivings about The Dark Knight but all in all it was a very ambitious and well executed film. I think this will be one of those hotly contested categories people discuss for years to come.

Best Sound Mixing & Editing

Winning these will be like giving Ben Burt a best actor award. His twitters and squeaks are what gave Wall-E it's heart and soul.

AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS KNOWN WELL IN ADVANCE - NO HONORARY OSCAR FOR ROGER CORMAN...THIS YEAR AT LEAST

OK. Sorry. No mroe rage. For now. I'm really excited for Milk and Slumdog.

Catch you guys on the flip side.

INNOCENT!?!

2009-01-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

I know star witness Don Haidl is a piece of shit just like his gang-rapist son...

BUT THAT'S NO REASON TO COMPLETELY IGNORE THESE DAMMING AUDIO RECORDINGS THAT HE MADE!

All that and all you could pin on him was one count of witness tampering?

I DEMAND A RE-TRIAL!

UPDATE!

EVEN MORE FURIOUS MAKING

Thanks For Listening

2009-01-16T00:31:00.000-08:00

I read the news today oh boy. Indie 103 is going off the air.

Of course they'll still be online, but the days of picking up their shitty signal in the car are over and done with. Unlike some of your heartless bastards I can't help but shead a tear.

Sure they weren't truly "indie". But where else could I hear both Frank Sinatra and Public Enemy without having to turn the dial? Where else could I get DJs like Steve Jones & Henry Rollins? And most importantly, who else would let an asshole like me on the air for an hour?

It was the perfect station for a late night drive when you didn't have your iPod with you. Unfortunately I can't get my computer to go 55mph. le sigh.

Thank you Indie 103. You will be missed.

Commentary + Dissent = Dysentery

2009-01-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

First off - the above photo has absolutely nothing to do with this post. I did a google image search for "george w bush portrait" and this is one of the images that came up: Miles Davis holding a white baby. Will the wonders of the internet ever cease?

Anyhow. I just got done watching Bush's farewell address. Was it just me or did he look downright creepy when he was talking about Obama and his family. He had that look he gets when he thinks he's being funny. Or maybe that's just the only look he has aside from his "serious" face.

The speech was pretty standard. Just humping the ghosts of his limited accomplishments. I mean I guess the absence of a negative (additional terrorism on American soil) is a positive. But let's not forget that 9/11 itself happened on his watch. We're supposed to remember him as a great president because only ONE massive terrorist attack happened on his watch? And what about Katrina? And torture?

In the end, this speech felt aptly like the end of a horror movie. You know when the killer or whatever comes back for one last scare. Remember there are evil evil people out there in the world and we all need to be afraid. Of all the things I won't miss about the Bush administration, constant use of scare tactics ranks numero uno.

I'm not saying that everything will be rainbow fountains and roller-disco dance parties with Obama. Shit's gonna be pretty tough especially over the next few financial quarters. But at least we have a president who signed up for the job knowing how difficult it would be, rather than one who slid in at the tail end of good times and had to continually play catch-up as things got worse and worse (usually as a result of his own doing or lack there of). For this we can be thankful.

Farewell you faux cowboy ass-hat!

Things Are Tough All Over

2009-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks this whole recession mentality has really started to kick in. I've tried to write something profound on it but it all comes out so depressing when I want it to come out recessing. Since the election we've been sitting in this holding pattern. Shit seems futile. This picture really sums up how I'm feeling inside:

Times like this call for the world's greatest, "getting out of a funk song". I hope this helps.

Pubescent Vampire Angst

2009-01-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Want to play a game? Let’s say you’re at the mall, and someone approaches you about attending an advanced screening of a film. They cannot tell you the title but they describe it as: an adaptation of a popular book about a relationship between an adolescent and a vampire. What do you do? If you say yes you might have just condemned yourself to 2 hours of allegorical abstinence schmaltz. Say no and you could be missing out on a highly nuanced film about love and loneliness. What do you do?

Like most great genre films Let The Right One In is about much more than blood sucking. This restrained creep-fest could also be at home on a shelf next to Harold and Maude. Two characters, both decidedly out of step with “normal” society, coming together as an off-beat couple for the ages. No matter how weird or unlovable you might think you are, there is someone out there for you. Did I mention the title comes from a Morrissey song? Who would have guessed?

So what about the scares? Is this just touchy-feely stuff about lost souls finding each other? Oh no no no. This film delivers the chills too. Shot in a very objective and utilitarian manner, this film allows the scares to really creep up on you. Many of the most gruesome moments occur either out of frame or in wide shots with cleverly placed shadows and branches. Mood and sound provide a starting point from which your imagination can run wild.

Sadly this film was overlooked by the Golden Globes and The Academy will likely do the same. Genre always has to battle a hard road for acceptance. But trust me, it is no fluke that this film has already won 18 awards worldwide. A film like this is something to be treasured. So the next time someone invites you to go see a vampire movie - agree without reservation. It could be shit but it could also be gold.

No Fun

2009-01-08T00:37:00.000-08:00

Ron Asheton, founding member of and guitarist for The Stooges, was found dead yesterday from an apparent heart attack. He was only 60. Without him there would be no punk rock. OK maybe there would be punk rock. But having him gone is definitely -

They said I was gonna die soon but, maybe not.

2009-01-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

Traditionally music video directors do not make great filmmakers. While they have an extremely strong sense of image, they often come up short in story sense. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. One notable exception to this rule is David Fincher.

With films like Se7en and Fight Club, Mr. Fincher has distinguished himself as a filmmaker who in has a strong aesthetic AND something to say about the darkness in man's soul. His newest film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, makes a noble effort at augmenting that worldview with something a little bit more hopeful.

On this outing, darkness is relegated almost exclusively to the gorgeous cinematography. For the first time ever, a David Fincher film is able to illicit both tears and heartwarming laughter. The quirky characters Benjamin comes across on his journeys are a hoot and watching him and Daisy drift apart is heart wrenching. Fincher ably proves his ability to direct scenes about real humans. So then what's the problem?

While the film's effects are stunning and will surely rack up a few awards, they also provide a sort of hindrance. Though a good majority of these technical miracles serve to tell the story, some only succeed in distracting the viewer. If you're busy trying to figure out how an effect was achieved, you're not paying attention to the story.

The other problem is a bit larger and comes in the form of a framing device that never really clicks. What was the purpose of setting these scenes during Hurricane Katrina? Was it simply because the film is set in New Orleans? Or is it meant to enhance the film's 'death theme'? Juxtaposing an individual's death with that of a city? Whatever the reason, it does not come across. Maybe we'll eventually get a director's cut that will make more sense.

In the end The Curious Case of Benjamin Button belongs to a proud line of flawed masterpieces. Movies with great potential and a lot to love, that for one reason or another come up short. Yet even in its' flawed state, this film has more to offer than 80% of the dreck out there. A very commendable effort. Who knows - maybe it will get better with age.

Bad News & Bragging

2008-12-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

People have been waiting around for a film adaptation of Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' The Watchmen since the mid 80s. The film is now shot, edited and ready to roll. But it seems we might have to wait a little bit longer.

Just before Christmas a judge ruled that Fox had some legal claim on the property. Today Fox officially asked to stop the film's March release. Man I fucking hate Fox almost as much as they seem to hate fan boys.

First they make shitty movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still and Dragonball Evolution that condescend to one of the most educated and literate audiences out there. Now they top it off by blocking the release of geekdom's most anticipated film. And all of it is done for the all mighty dollar. They just want to see how much they can wring out of Warner Brothers. What a bunch of pig anuses.

In other news....I got one of these bad boys for Christmas -

I am absolutely in love with the images I'm getting out of it. I feel like a big boy now. For anyone who is interested you can check out my portfolio over at:

www.myspace.com/pinkcowphotography

Feel free to comment and if you have any photographing needs you think I might be able to fill just let me know.

My other prized acquisition?

God I love Stanley Kubrick. I just spent the past year watching each of his films one at a time and each one is breathtaking in its' own way. This book is absolutely a must own for anyone who loves film. It is filled with high resolution photos from all the films, behind the scenes shots, script pages, costume designs, etc. It even has a section on his un-filmed projects (Napoleon, Aryan Papers and A.I.).

Some time soon I hope to post something on here about Kubrickian structure (as pretentious as that sounds). I've also got lots of other ideas for this here blog percolating. 2009 should be fun.

Mahalo.

"Are the girls in Phoenix that bad?"

2008-12-29T08:46:00.001-08:00

Though I've only seen her in one film I would be remiss if I did not mark the passing of film noir legend Ann Savage at the age of 87. Her performance in Edgar G. Ulmer's Detour has to be seen to believed. She really lives up to that last name of hers. She recently appeared in Guy Maddin's latest film My Winnipeg which I still desperately need to see.

Ms. Savage, you will be missed.

Centenial Stocking

2008-12-23T16:56:00.001-08:00

Well here we are at blog #100 and Christmas is just a few days away. I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who has ever taken a few minutes out of their day to read my ramblings (especially if you read the real loopy pinko stuff). Hopefully you found whatever you read to be at least a little bit enjoyable. I try very hard to make this blog the best that it can possibly be and it's so fulfilling to know that there are actually people out there who read it. I wish each and every one of you a very happy holiday (whatever that holiday might be) and hope that the new year brings you nothing but awesomeness.

I now leave you with my favorite holiday odd couple of all time. Take it away Bing...

Get Off My Lawn!

2008-12-22T23:36:00.000-08:00

With award season in full swing, everyone is making predictions. Will Brad finally get one? How about Anne? A second one for Sean Penn? Lots of great actors gave attention getting performances this year. So who am I putting my money on? This guy -

Now I know that at first blush this prediction appears to stink with the same stench that gave Al Pacino a golden boy for Scent of a Woman over Denzel Washington in Malcolm X. I'll admit that when I first started hearing Clint's name bandied about I had similar thoughts. Oh they're just gonna give it to him because he's never won one for acting and this might be his last performance. It'll be like when Paul Newman won for The Color of Money. All of that changed last night when I saw Gran Torino.

In the hands of a lesser man this could have been sub-par Archie Bunker. With Eastwood it becomes a tour de force. Walter Kowalski is the role Clint was born to play. While "The Man With No Name" and Harry Callahan are great iconic manifestations of cool and badassery, this role really and truly bleeds.

The performance walks a delicate line and could have easily descended into self parody. Oh it's Dirty Harry Callahan starring in Grumpy Old Men. Fortunately Clint stopped making that kind of shit with Space Cowboys and Blood Work. In one scene he will make you laugh in shock at the horrible things coming out of his mouth, and in the next you are moved by the rage and sadness behind those legendary squinted eyes.

Since Mystic River he has been driving hard like a man on a mission. Twice in the last five years he has released two films within months of each other. Momentum like that has to be building towards something. I feel that something is this role. After this Clint never needs to act again. There is nothing left to prove. This is the cinematic equivalent of going down in a blaze of glory and it's so beautiful to watch.

Lowest Common Denominator

2008-12-22T01:14:00.000-08:00

For the most part I hate contemporary film posters. Gone are the days of awesome stuff like this Saul Bass masterpiece: And what do we get instead? Shitty "big head" posters. Yeah you know what I'm talking about. All of them look EXACTLY like this:

Oh wow Julia Roberts is in this movie? I could have never found that out by reading the poster. Good thing her face was on their big as life. I only go see movies based on who is starring in them. I have to go drink some paint thinner now. Bye.

Anyhow...Occasionally a good poster will come along. Something with a very nice graphic sensibility. Something you might actually hang on your wall. Something like:
The image also makes for great DVD art. Or so you might think. According to the fine folks at Touchstone, this monstrosity will make you want to rent Miracle at St Anna:
What the fuck is wrong with this world? Were they trying to make use of shitty reject art they had laying around? Is DVD art really that important these days? I understand needing an image that appeals to the lowest common denominator so as to grab their attention while they are roaming the video store. But most people these days get their films either by bootleg, Netflix or cable.

Can't we just keep the nice pretty original art? Please?

California Über Alles!

2008-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

Former Governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown has reversed his stance on Prop Hate. Back in November when the measure first passed, Brown declared that he would defend it against legal challenges. His new opinion...

"...upon further reflection and a deeper probing into all the aspects of our Constitution it became evident that the Article 1 provision guaranteeing basic liberty, which includes the right to marry, took precedence over the initiative. Based on my duty to defend the law and the entire Constitution, I concluded the court should protect the right to marry even in the face of the 52 percent vote."

Some people think Jerry is gonna run for Governor again in 2010. If so, THIS has absolutely put me in his corner.

JERRY BROWN 2010!

It's Beautiful

2008-12-18T19:00:00.001-08:00

Sam Bottoms, who made his screen debut as the innocent Billy in Peter Bogdanovich's classic The Last Picture Show, died today. He was only 53. Bottoms also appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now as surfing superstar Lance B. Johnson . Though he has left this world, those two performances will remain forever. Rest in peace sir.

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

2008-12-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

It's everybody's favorite time of the year! The time when every magazine and blog in existence puts out their "best of" lists! Since I'm nobody special we'll just refer to my lists as "favorites". Here we go...

Top 5 Favorite Songs
-Paper Planes: M.I.A.
-A-Punk: Vampire Weekend
-Flashing Lights: Kanye West (feat. Dwele)
-Time To Pretend: MGMT
-Ready For The Floor: Hot Chip

Yes I'm aware that some of these songs are from albums that came out in 2007 but since they were not released as singles until 2008 they are fair game so bleh.

Top 5 Favorite Albums
-Feed The Animals: Girl Talk
-Dear Science: TV on the Radio
-Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
-Oracular Spectacular: MGMT
-Volume One: She & Him

Ta Da! All done. Fairly painless. Most of this stuff you can find on other people's lists but oh well. These are MINE! All mine! *evil laugh*

If for some insane reason you're waiting around for a list of favorite films you're gonna have to wait a whole lot longer. I still have lots to see before I can make THAT list. But seeing as I review every film I see, it's not really that hard to get a vibe for what might make the list. For now...

Mahalo

You Say You Want A Revolution?

2008-12-17T10:43:00.001-08:00

If you put any two objects in close enough proximity to each other, they cease to be two objects. As legendary filmmaker and theorist Sergei Eisenstein put it, "each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other". It creates a cumulative effect. Your perception of one alters your perception of the other. You become acutely aware of the similarities and differences. This is precisely the dialectic at work in Stephen Soderbergh’s 4 ½ hour, 2-part epic on the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

The first film, entitled The Argentine, focuses exclusively on Che’s involvement with the Cuban Revolution. Though the film is about revolution and takes many of its cues from legendary films on the subject (Soy Cuba, Z, The Battle of Algiers, etc) it comes off as much less dogmatic than other films of that sort. This is the result of the objective Brechtian style Soderbergh employs. This allows the audience to stand back from both action and ideas. They get to take everything in and evaluate it for themselves.

It is fascinating to see how something which began as small talks among expats in Mexico, lead directly to a new regime taking power in Havana. And over the course of that journey we get to watch Benicio Del Toro transform from an asthmatic Argentinian doctor into the quintessential symbol of rebellion. The performance is nothing short of spiritual possession. As exhilarating as the victory in Cuba is, it is underscored with a knowledge of all that will follow.

Though it starts out like The Argentine with a small band of idealistic and dedicated rebels coming together for a cause, Guerilla quickly devolves into an example of how badly things can go wrong. The film is a much more morbid affair than it's counterpart. It plays like a Sam Peckinpah western where death hangs in the air throughout. Like the band of outlaws in The Wild Bunch, they are doomed yet continue.

While Guerilla does have some drag late in the second act, it very quickly regains its footing for the very emotional and inevitable climax. Thanks to the Soderbergh's use of the Red One camera, Che's capture and execution become some of the most beautiful moments in an already exquisitely beautiful film.

Some have blasted the film for its' treatment of the politics. The lefties want it to be a recruitment film and conservatives want it to demonize Che, yet the film does neither. That is because this film is not about politics.

Take away all the guns and fatigues and this is could be the story of any maverick filmmaker's career. The great early success coupled with the disaster plagued dream production that never gets off the ground. But even that analogy isn't completely apt because in the end, this is simply a film about a man. A man who believed in something so completely he was willing to fight for it - to the death.

Hasta La Victoria Siempre!

Silly Things (Video-palooza)

2008-12-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

From about 4th grade till freshman year I was a moderate Anime nerd. It never got to Cosplay levels but it was pretty intense. In addition to classics like Akira and Fist of the North Star I also found myself watching Sailor Moon for a fix.

Though I don't really follow that scene any more I still have an intense respect for the medium. The energy and imagination that goes into even a half-hour episode of a cartoon series is awe inspiring. The following trailer has absolutely NO respect for the art of Japanese anime:

I seriously thought they stopped making movies like this with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. This is getting a theatrical release? I could have rounded up a bunch of Cosplay kids from Comic Con and made a better movie. And poor Chow Yun Fat. Apparently he passed on re-teaming with John Woo to be in this film. WHAT THE FUCK?!?

In other news...

While the rest of the world is starting to take comic book films seriously, Fox continues to excrete condescending shit like this:

It was very shrewd marketing to put this before The Day the Earth Stood Still. They probably figured that since the film looks like shit they should market it to people who like to go and see shit. If you're there to see Keanu "act" then you'll be totally fine with that bit at the end of the trailer with the helicopter.

It's so weird. The big daddy company (20th Century Fox) produces such shit, while their boutique branch (Fox Searchlight) has churned out a fairly steady stream of quality like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, The Darjeeling Limited and this year's magic film Slumdog Millionaire.

Hopefully Hugh Jackman's next production will be of a little higher quality considering that it's -

THE MOTHER FUCKING OSCARS!?!?

OK kids. Not all hope is lost. At least Asian cell phone commercials still have a high standard of quality.

Here's a Japanese cell phone commercial directed by Wes Anderson and starring Brad Pitt:

and a pretty sweet Chinese one where they do their infinitely more awesome version of Fred Astaire dancing with a Dirt Devil:

To serve as a sort of French bookend to Wes Anderson's clip, we have this lovely Dior spot directed by Ms. Sofia Coppola:

OK. Let's end this with a lame duck who can apparently duck like the best of them:

Now let's see if he can duck a war crimes tribunal.

Mahalo

The Queen Is Dead

2008-12-12T00:55:00.000-08:00

Bettie Page, queen of the pin-ups, died today at the age of 85. While I do not worship at her altar like many in other crowds do, I still find her to be absolutely stunning. A reminder of a time when real, live, women roamed the earth.

I am also eternally indebted to her. It was a film about her life which brought me together with the love of my life. May you will live on forever in the wet dreams of greasers everywhere.

It's A Hard Knock Life

2008-12-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Imperialism never ends in a clean break. Though 60 years have elapsed since India declared independence from Britain, both sides are still feeling the cultural impact of the other. Thus, Indians follow cricket and London is a great place to go for a curry. This symbiotic relationship is what allows a film like Slumdog Millionaire to work.

Set in the slums of Mumbai and directed by an immensely talented Scotsman; Slumdog tells the surprisingly moving (though somewhat improbable) story about how far love and street smarts can take you. This film is alive like nothing since City of God. The colors pop, the music pulses and it is all in the service of moving your heart.

This is the best type of escapism. It pulls no punches. It depicts a truly cruel world that needs to be escaped from. Murder, torture, prostitution, etc. Our hero Jamal never gives up hope. This film is most definitely going to be this year's "little movie that could" (a la Little Miss Sunshine and Juno) and I could not possibly be any happier.

Golden Thoughts

2008-12-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

OK. So the Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. There are things to cheer and things to boo. Since I am a benevolent dictator I will tell you which is which. Also - this entry will be edited over the next month plus as I see more of the nominated films.

Best Picture - Drama
-HUGE yay for Slumdog Millionaire (see review)
-Glad to see Benjamin Button make the list. Reviews have been mixed but I love me some David Fincher and plan on seeing it as soon as possible.
-The rest of the nominees are expected. They're your usual awards fodder. Important pictures and melodramas. None of them look bad but I'm also not salivating to see any of them.
-While it would have been nice/interesting/provocative to see Dark Knight on the list it's not exactly a surprise to see it excluded.
-WHERE THE FUCK IS MILK!!!!!!

Best Actress - Drama
-Yay Anne Hathaway. Some were afraid that Rachel Getting Married would end up being forgotten since it was released so long ago.
-From what I've heard about Changling and the clips I've seen I don't think Angelina is going to find a slot when it comes time for Oscars.
-I absolutely adore the rest of the actresses nominated and need to see their films.

Best Actor - Drama
-Sean Penn sooooooooo rocks the party in Milk.
-Glad to see Brad Pitt getting some love. Too many people dismiss him as a pretty face. He is an extremely gifted actor.
-I cannot wait to see Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler.
-Leo will probably get an Oscar nod but will once again not win. How do he and Johnny Depp not have golden boys yet?
-No Benicio?

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
-Burn After Reading was good psychotic fun.
-I have NEVER seen a Mike Leigh film (shame on me). Happy-Go-Lucky looks great.
-Whatever Mamma Mia!
-At least The Sex and the City Movie didn't get a nod.
-Fuck you In Bruges
-Happy-Go-Lucky will probably win but I really really really liked Vicky Cristina

Best Actress - Comedy/Musical
-I'm really happy Rebecca Hall is getting recognition for her great work in Vicky Cristina. I was worried the more showy roles would make you forget her.
-I love all the rest of those actresses. I even forgive Meryl for Mamma Mia!

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
-What an odd assortment of actors
-Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are both great actors but In Bruges really left me cold. Their nominations will cancel each other out so no real need to worry.
-Javier was great as always. I smell win.
-I don't even remember hearing about that Dustin Hoffman movie.
-James Franco reminds us what a talented actor can do with a stoner.

Best Animated Feature
-Like this is even a competition. Wall-E has it in the bag.

Best Foreign Film
-I feel like suck a film fraud. I have seen none of these.
-I'm surprised they didn't nominate Che like they did Letters From Iwo Jima and Apocalypto a few years back. They must have really not liked it.

Best Supporting Actress
-Yet another list of awesome women! Girl Power!

Best Supporting Actor
-Tom Cruise? Really? Was it that shitty of a year for supporting roles that his stupid fat suit dancing made him eligible for an award?
-They said it was a long shot but the proof is in the pudding...Robert Downy Jr.
-Ralph Fiennes and Philip Seymour Hoffman are two master thespians but EVERYONE knows we will be honoring the late, great and worthy Heath Ledger for his AWESOME Joker.

Best Director
-Though the word got waaaaaaay over used this year, I really enjoy seeing mavericks on this list. Danny Boyle and David Fincher make movies like nobody else.
-Why isn't Gus Van Sant on this list? And Darren Aronofsky! We need more mavericks!
-The other nominees are very skilled at their craft.

Best Screenplay
-Slumdog was very well written. Great structure.
-Haven't seen any of the others but Frost/Nixon is "important" enough that it will likely win.

Best Score
-A.R. Rahman's Slumdog score was amazing! I found myself grooving in my seat.
-Other than Slumdog nothing really caught my ear this year. Hee hee it rhymes.

Best Song
-I don't really care about this category this year though Bruce Springsteen is the fucking man. He's probably got a statue headed his way. Hopefully the Oscars don't snub him like they did Mick a few years back.

Best Series - Drama
-WHERE THE FUCK IS THE WIRE!!!
-I love me some House
-Don't watch the rest of these shows. I need to start watching Mad Men. It will probably win.

Best TV Actress - Drama
-I follow none of these shows.
-Interesting to see a procedural like Law & Order: SVU making the list but go Mariska!

Best TV Actor - Drama
-Jon Hamm has it. He's a funny guy and I look forward to his acceptance speech.
-I would really like to see another Hugh Laurie speech.

Best Series - Comedy
-I am so torn between 30 Rock, The Office and Weeds. I love love love all three of these shows and don't like having to pick between them. But since this is the year of Tina Fey it's gonna be 30 Rock.
-Freddy says I should watch the other two nominees. I'll get around to it.

Best TV Actress - Comedy
-Torn between Tina and Mary-Louise. But as I said this is Tina's year.

Best TV Actor - Comedy
-Torn between Baldwin and Carell. Don't know if Tina has enough juice to get Alec to the podium. It'll be interesting to see who wins.

All Best Mini-Series Categories
-I have seen NONE of these. But I will go out on a limb and say that John Adams will sweep based purely on the fact that even Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols was excited about this mini-series.

Best TV Supporting Categories
-No real opinion.

12.08.80

2008-12-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

Any music blogger worth his or her salt has posted about today being the anniversary of John Lennon's assassination. I wonder: how many of them actually shared this planet with Mr. Lennon? I did not. But that has not stopped his life and music from touching me in very intense and emotional ways.

I was the dreamweaver
But now I'm reborn
I was the walrus
But now I'm John

Those four lines get me like absolutely nothing else can. There will never be another John Lennon. He was even prescient enough to give us the perfect Christmas Carol for the new frontier that lies ahead of us with President Obama.

Tout Va Bien?

2008-12-08T17:32:00.001-08:00

This morning when I first heard about the sit-in at Republic Windows & Doors, the first thing that came to mind was Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin's film Tout Va Bien about a strike at a sausage factory.

I did not think of Karl Marx

I did not think of the Industrial Revolution

I did not think of social justice & worker's rights

I thought about a movie

What is wrong with me?

Let's Have Relations!

2008-12-06T01:34:00.000-08:00

"My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you!"

2008-12-05T01:30:00.000-08:00

In early 2007, there were two Harvey Milk bio-pics in development. One was titled The Mayor of Castro Street with Bryan Singer attached to direct. The other was simply titled Milk, with Gus Van Sant at the helm. With the threat of a writers’ strike looming, both projects took a ‘now or never’ approach and were moving forward at full speed. When the strike hit in early November, only Milk had a completed screenplay. THANK GOD!

Now don’t get me wrong. Bryan Singer is a very talented filmmaker and I am really looking forward to Valkyrie. It’s just that I cannot possibly conceive of ANYONE making a better Harvey Milk film than the one currently in theaters.

On a narrative level Milk is your average bio-pic. Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay hits all the standard sign posts (framing device, heavy foreshadowing, touching ending, etc.) but on a stylistic level this film is far from standard. Techniques commonly used to generate either empty excitement (Guy Ritchie) or intellectual alienation (Jean-Luc Godard), are here employed to bring the audience further into the narrative.

This film allows you inside the moments that formed and defined Harvey Milk. The moments no documentary crew could ever conceive of capturing. You witness the passion and tenderness of his courtship with Scott. You feel his anguish over another lover's sudden departure. You even get to be there for Harvey’s most private moment - his last breath. The sense of intimacy is awesome.

Gus Van Sant and his team deserve every bit of praise coming their way. They did the impossible. They were able to make a film that is both conventional and experimental, educational yet entertaining. And most miraculously, they made a film about a tragedy that still gives you hope. And in times like these, we all need a little hope.

Please go see this film.

…just not at a Cinemark© theater ( http://nomilkforcinemark.com/ )

Don't Pust Me, Cause I'm Close To The Edge...

2008-12-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

So I’m staring at the magazine rack when newest issue of Spin catches my eye.

Kind of hard for anyone to NOT give that cover a second glance right? Homegirl is fierce as shit. Well anyway, upon closer examination I see the words –

Special Report: Is Sampling Dead?

What? Sampling dead? I must know more.

Inside the magazine there is an article about how only the richest and most successful rappers are able to afford the exorbitant price one must pay to clear a sample. For me and hip-hop (never thought I’d ever start a sentence that way) this is terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news. As the RZA puts it, “Hip-Hop is becoming just another form of pop music.”

Sampling is the foundation of hip-hop. Everyone loves to recite the lyrics to “Rapper’s Delight” but what really gets you moving is that break-beat from “Good Times” by Chic. The same can be said for any old-school hip-hop track. It was RUN-DMC’s use of an Aerosmith sample that finally broke down the MTV color wall. At its’ core you need two things to make hip-hop: an MC and a DJ. It takes two to break dance.

So anyway…

In the article they also mention an album that I'm pretty late to the game on (as per usual). It's called Feed the Animals by a DJ called Girl Talk which features 300 un-cleared samples. Now that's the kind of chutzpah I like to see! Of course I had to hear this for myself.

Let me state right now that I am putting in my vote for Feed the Animals as album of the year. This thing is insanity. 14 songs which all work as one giant song! Totally groovable and filled with a diverse assortment of samples culled from the past 50+ years of music. It’s like someone made an album just for me. He even samples songs that sample other songs!

Not to toot my own horn but…people often remark about my diverse taste in music. They’re astounded to learn that my iPod holds rock, rap, country, punk, techno, etc. I don’t see it has particularly astounding. I like good music and don’t believe in limiting myself to one genre, nobody should. Good tunes is good tunes. And that is exactly what Feed the Animals is all about. You can put it on at a party and there is something for everyone.

The album is only available online and you get to pick your own price. There is no excuse not to own it. Turn it into a game. See how many samples you can spot.

http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/__girl__talk___feed__the__anima.ls___/

Sampling is NOT dead!

Support your local DJ!

SUPPORT GOOD TUNES!

"Don't go out there! There's something in the mist!"

2008-12-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

Sweet Jesus this fog is thick!

It got Becca and I talking about Frank Darabont's AMAZING adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Mist. If you have not seen it yet you NEED to. It is crazy good with one hell of an ending.

If/when you do see it, I recommend watching it at night and in black and white. The two disc DVD of the film comes with a black & white version. If your video store only has color just adjust your TV's settings. Totally worth it.

Give Love A Chance

2008-11-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Even if you're not familiar with the band Love you have probably seen this album cover somewhere -
Whenever there is a list of the greatest albums of all time you will likely find Forever Changes on there. It's a really great album. "Alone Again or" is one of the greatest album openers ever and the following 10 tracks live up to that promise.

I didn't hear this album till about a year ago when I found it among the CDs of my long deceased uncle Gary. When he died he was living with my grandparents and his CDs are still there. It's weird - I've kind of grown up with that collection. Every few years I look through the various discs and find something new. When I was in 4th grade it was Elvis & Meatloaf, when I got to high school it was Frank Zappa and last year it was Love.

As great as the album is, I for some reason never attempted to look into any of their other albums until this past Tuesday.

On Tuesday (with change I had been amassing on my desk) I bought the Criterion edition of Bottle Rocket. Though I had seen the film at least three times before, I had never really paid attention to the music in the first burglary scene. Maybe it's due to the shitty mix on the standard edition DVD. Who knows? But anyway - this time the music stood out. I found myself wondering -

Who the fuck is this awesome band?

It sounded like if The Who were inventing punk. Quick IMDB search and I discover that the song is called "7 and 7 is" by Love. It's off their album Da Capo which came right before Forever Changes and is pretty awesome as well.

Take a listen

Most of you hip cats out there are likely already on the Love bandwagon. But those of you who are not better get jumpin' cause this is great great music.

Dig?

Warhol 2.0

2008-11-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

"You know, the Strokes have a certain sound, and when their first album came out, it felt, to an older generation that had been around for New Wave, No Wave and all that, that their music was referencing several different bands we remembered from another time. But I've heard that Julian [Casablancas] didn't know those bands. He had a vague idea of what that sound was, but he's not a student of it. So many references, older references, are lost on young people. They're part of their subconscious, but they don't really know where they come from, because everything has been so recycled and remixed and remastered."

-Marc Jacobs

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

2008-11-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

Fuck the auteur theory. No single man or woman makes a film. A film is the product of intense collaboration between a team of talented individuals, all bringing their unique skills, in hopes of elevating the whole. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the contrast between Bottle Rocket the short film and Bottle Rocket the feature.

During the two years that elapsed between the short and the feature, Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson were subjected to an intense film bootcamp administered by the legendary James L. Brooks. Over the course of those two years, Wilson and Anderson developed a much stronger sense of narrative and structure. It was also during this time that Wes met cinematographer Rober Yeoman as well as the design duo of David and Sandy Wasco.

Now I'm not saying that Wes and Owen were a couple of country rubes who were whipped into shape by the Hollywood machine. In their short you can see protian forms of everything that would eventually come to bear in the features. Especially that tone. That tone is all them. What I am saying is that with the right collaborators, good artists can become great.

Variations On A Theme (Due)

2008-11-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

Set-up:
A group of wealthy Italians go for a cruise and decide to visit a deserted island. While exploring the island, a girl goes missing. Her boyfriend and best gal pal take it upon themselves to find her.
Sounds like a fairly decent first act to a what could be a great thriller.

Upon its premiere at the 1960 Cannes International Film Festival, Michelangelo Antonioni’s masterpiece L’avventura was met with audible “Boo”-s.

What they were reacting to was the film’s apparent contempt for narrative. The mystery of the missing Anna is never resolved. What we as an audience are left with is the romance(?) of the two people searching for her.

While watching this film, one cannot help but think of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Serial killers aside, the films are strikingly similar. A female protagonist goes missing, her boyfriend and best friend (or sister) go looking for her, they fall in love.

It’s almost like Hitch was attempting to show that in the proper hands, this set-up could be quite the crowd pleaser. The catch is that both films were released in 1960. Neither filmmaker was aware of what the other was doing.

How do you say collective unconscious in Italian?

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

2008-11-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

Though it has been rumored since forever...

It looks like the Bluths are one step closer to the big screen.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, series creator Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard have signed deals with Fox Searchlight to write and direct an Arrested Deveolopment movie! Time to bust out the DVDs and brush up on all the quotable goodness.

Also, I never thought I would find myself having to say this but...

Thanks Sex and the City movie! Your box office returns made studios more willing to give feature film versions of TV shows a try!

Yes I'm aware that most TV to film transfers amount to little more than an extra long episode and that it will likely be a box office dud. But I don't give a fuck. Wanna know why?

WE'RE GETTING AN ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MOVIE!!!!

source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i3727898fb2739b043733d6fbf0b66e7a

CHURCH v. STATE

2008-11-18T14:30:00.001-08:00

I know that it seems like this is turning into a blog entirely dedicated to the issue of gay rights; but with the passage of Prop Hate and my upcoming nuptials to the greatest woman on earth, I cannot help but have marriage on the brain.

Personally I am going to try and stop using the term “gay marriage”. I believe that referring to it as “gay marriage” continues to perpetuate the idea that it is something “other”. It makes a distinction between “marriage” and “gay marriage”. It’s just a watered down version of the segregation we currently have in place with “marriage” and “civil unions”.

OK. That was all just prologue to what I really want to write about which is the separation of Church and State. Let me also make a disclaimer that the following is just an idea, just food for thought. I myself am not entirely behind it either but it is a very interesting idea and something that I would like to get some response to.

What if Government just got out of the marriage game entirely?

Now I know some of you are probably thinking that this sounds insane but bear with me. It seems to me that the big roadblock for homosexuals being allowed to marry is religion. This is best exemplified by the amount of money the Church of Latter Day Saints and other religious organizations pumped into the various gay marriage amendments across the country.

In their arguments and literature they make all sorts of claims about how allowing homosexual couples to marry would somehow hurt or devalue their marriages. I personally feel this is bullshit.

What it really breaks down to is that they see homosexuality as a sin and feel that were we to allow homosexuals to marry, we as a Nation would be condoning a sinful lifestyle and we all would be headed for hell. This idea of collective damnation is the same mentality that lead to the Salem Witch Trials. But I digress. Back to the key point…

If marriage is such an important and sacred word, let's get it out of all these legal documents floating around our Nation. Religion has no place in politics and vice versa. Here's an idea: If you want to get married you can go to a church (mosque, temple, etc), if you want a civil union (and to be recognized by the Government) you go to a courthouse.

This way religion is not allowing 'Godless sodomites' to 'besmirch' a 'sacred institution', and government can be free to grant all of our citizenry the equal protection they are entitled to under the law.

"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” - Matthew 22:21

Once again this is just a theory. But I’d like to get your thoughts on it.

the EMPIRE strikes late

2008-11-14T00:44:00.000-08:00

Last month, anyone and everyone with a love of cinema was talking about Empire Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time". Once the issue made it's way to the US (Empire is a British mag) it sold rather rapidly and thus it was rather difficult for one such as myself to get ahold of a copy. Fortunately today I was able to track one down (with "A Clockwork Orange" on the cover no less). I shall now regale you with my thoughts on the list.

Aside from the fact that it's a little geek-centric, and the inclusion of some head scratchers ("Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" and "Lords of Dogtown" to name a few) it's a pretty decent and diverse list. Check out the top 10:

10. Fight Club
9. Pulp Fiction
8. Singin' In The Rain
7. Apocalypse Now
6. GoodFellas
5. Jaws
4. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
2. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
1. The Godfather

Another cool feature is that peppered throughout the issue are handwritten ballots submitted by cool filmmakers like Roger Deakins and John Sayles as well as less cool filmmakers like Uwe Boll. Ever wonder what Quentin Tarantino's top 11 (apparently 10 is for lesser men) favorite films are? Wonder no more:

1. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
2. Rio Bravo
3. Blow Out
4. Taxi Driver
5. His Girl Friday
6. 5 Fingers of Death/King Boxer
7. Pandora's Box
8. Carrie
9. Unfaithfully Yours
10. 5 Graves to Cairo
11. Jaws

Somehow I did not receive a ballot in the mail from Empire. This is odd seeing as I am such a powerful figure in the film industry. Perhaps there was some sort of trouble with the international mail service. Oh well. I shant let this deprive you from my Top 11 list (screw you Tarantino I can count that high too):

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Ed Wood
3. Dr. Strangelove
4. Taxi Driver
5. L.A. Confidential
6. Annie Hall
7. The Godfather Part II
8. Chasing Amy
9. Buffalo '66
10. Boogie Nights
11. Y Tu Mama Tambien

Hopefully Empire'll get that whole mail thing worked out before it's time to compile another list. Until then...

See you at the movies.

Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt

2008-11-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

Today is Veterans' Day. Today is my birthday. But this isn't really about me. Today is also the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr's Birthday. Here are his thoughts on Veterans' Day as found in the awesome awesome book known as...
I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.

Armistice Day has become Veterans' Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans' Day is not.

So I will throw Veterans' Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don't want to throw away any sacred things.What else is sacred? Oh, Romeo and Juliet, for instance.

And all music is.

___________________________________________

Man I miss having my birthday buddy Kurt around. This is the second one without him. Here's the obituary I wrote for him:

"We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane."

- Kilgore Trout's epitaph

For much of my early life I hated writing. This was primarily due to grammar. To this day I still hate grammar with a fury often reserved for genocidal madmen. Anyway…Near the end of freshman year I saw an article in the LA Times about how Bruce Willis wanted to make a film adaptation of this novel called "Breakfast of Champions." The article featured a photo of the book jacket: bright orange with superhero font. I didn't even read the article, but on a purely graphic level I was intrigued.

A few weeks later I found myself in the school's library with time on my hands. While roaming the aisles I decided to look for that book from the article. Once I found a copy I began reading it immediately. When it was time to go I checked the book out and continued to read as I walked about campus. I could not put it down.

Within 24 hours I was finished. I couldn't believe what I had just read. It was fun, it was satiric, it was violent, it was dirty - IT WAS A COMPLETE EXPERIENCE. As many know, "Breakfast of Champions" was Vonnegut's answer to mid-life crisis. He was reacting to getting older by writing the most juvenile book of his career, complete with a drawing of his asshole. He was consciously trying to have fun and thankfully that feeling was able to leap beyond the page and infect me.

From that point on, grammar was no longer my master. In the past I would write something to appease the rules of grammar, now I was writing to appease myself. I had finally found my voice as a writer. This became very useful throughout the rest of my educational career. Though my writing was/is not the best thing out there, professors appreciate the fact that my stuff isn't 'paint by numbers' and have continually rewarded me to the tune of As and Bs.

Had I never read "Breakfast of Champions" high school would have been a far more stressful experience. With writing no longer being a chore, I had lots of free time to do as I pleased. It freed me up so that I was able to tech shows, see great films, go to weird places and meet new people. Without such experiences I would not be the man that I am today.

I think it is fitting that Mr. Vonnegut and I share the same birthday because though he and I have never and will never meet, he gave me the greatest gift ever – the written word. For this I am eternally grateful.

So it goes.

due maestri di bad-ass!

2008-11-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

So apparently Ennio Morricone is going to do be scoring Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic Inglorious Basterds (sic). This is AWESOME news. Aside from Martin Scorsese, Tarantino is my favorite filmmaker when it comes to use of music. Every single film of his has been accompanied by an excellent soundtrack album and now it seems the same will be true of Basterds.

For Kill Bill & Death Proof Tarantino was only able to use pieces of pre-existing Morricone, now he'll be able to get the real shit live and uncut. Hopefully Morricone will deliver some epic and experimental stuff for Quentin. I'm tired of the respectable Ennio. I want the return of THIS Ennio:

Perhaps he could win an Oscar® for reals this time. This could be the movie that shows the Academy® that he didn’t need their pity.

Viva il maestro!

Gay Messiah

2008-11-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer
The recent passage of Proposition 8 has put gay rights front and center in my brain. Though some might find this weird or even offensive seeing as I am a breeder, I have always felt like a friend of the family. Though I am not one of the chosen, I take the struggle for gay rights very seriously and it is with that in mind that I write this blog.

Why is gay marriage still an issue? This coming June will mark the 40 year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. If you use the Civil Rights Movement as a model, we should have had gay marriage in this country over a quarter century ago.

Many people consider the 1955 murder of 14 year old Emmet Till as the primary catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. By 1964 racial segregation was struck down and in 1967 anti-miscegenation laws were struck down. This is not to say that racism is over (I mean look how long it took us to get a black President) but on a purely legal level, shit got done.

So why hasn’t the Gay Rights Movement been able to follow suit? My theory is that this is because the movement has lacked a charismatic leader. While groups like GLAAD and PFLAG do great work, a highly visible public face for the movement could do even more. A leader helps to keep your eye on the prize. When Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X spoke, people listened.

Now I’m aware that it is much easier to say all of this than to do it. Great leaders are not born every day and you can’t really hold auditions for something like that. Also the diversity of the LGBT(I) community is an issue. Would gay men want a lesbian representing them and vice versa? Some yes and some no probably.

So what’s the point of this blog? I don’t really know. It’s not like someone reading this will all of a sudden change the world. I mean the suggestion it makes isn’t even something you can just go out and do. So why did I write this?

I wrote this because it hurts me deep down in my soul to see people who love each other unable to be joined in MARRIAGE. Don’t even start on, "domestic partnership". How is that any different than separate but equal? God I have so many different swirling emotions and it frustrates me that there is nothing to do about it.

Sure there are marches going on almost daily throughout the southland. But I can’t fight the feeling of, “What good will it do?” 52% of California’s population doesn’t seem to see this as a matter of Civil Rights. How can we make them see? I wish I had an answer. Maybe someone out there does.

I guess I’m holding out for a hero.

Dream Job

2008-11-06T14:42:00.001-08:00

When you're a child it seems like you are constantly being asked:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

It's a rather clever trick used by adults so they know whether to enroll you in art classes or football. Gonna have to remember that one for when my intended and I eventually have little ones. Oh God I hope they don't like sports. Anyhow...

When people ask me what I want to do with my life, I often reply that I want to be a filmmaker. This is a lie. Want to know my real dream job? Promise you won't tell? OK...

I want to name jazz songs.

Don't understand why? Go to the Jazz section at any record shop and check out the names on the back of those albums.

-"Please Don't Come Back From The Moon" by Charles Mingus
-"The Tattooed Bride" by Duke Ellington
-"Stratusphunk" by Gil Evans
-"Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" by Miles Davis

Imagine how awesome that would be. Jazz musicians travel from all over the globe to your office where they set up and perform their newest composition. You then sit in silence for a moment before bestowing upon them the precisely perfect title.

If you are a jazz musician in need of titles or know any jazz musicians in need of titles please send them my way. You/They will not be disappointed.

The Road

2008-11-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

As excited as I am about the Obama victory, there is still great sorrow in my heart today. It comes from the fact that though we as a country chose by and large to break away from eight years of failed policy, we were unable to stop ANY of the bans on gay marriage.

All over the news, people have been talking about what an Obama presidency symbolizes to our Nation and to the world. They talk about how we are now a show rather than tell country. They talk about how now it is truly possible for anyone to become President if they so desire. Well apparently that does not apply to our friends in the LGBTI community.

But there is hope.

From 1924 until 1967, Virginia had a “Racial Integrity Act” which made it a felony for a white person to marry a non-white. This act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the landmark case of Loving v. Virginia. What was the deciding factor in that case?

The 14th Amendment states: “No state shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

As depressed as I am today, that statement is what gives me hope. It demonstrates our system’s amazing ability to correct itself when things are inherently wrong. As unjust as these bans are, they will lead the way for lawsuits which will in turn lead to Supreme Court cases like Loving v. Virginia. Sure it’s a long road ahead, but I am prepared for the journey.

Also...

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I know of no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night. I recommend watching V for Vendetta. It's relevant to the gay marriage issue as well.

Hasta la victoria, siempre.

VICTORY!

2008-11-04T20:35:00.001-08:00

'Nuff Said

Legend of the Sun Virgin & More

2008-11-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Peruvian Goddess Yma Sumac, has died at the age of 86.

While definitely an acquired taste, I think anyone can at least appreciate her stunning vocal range. At her peak it is said that she could cover five octaves. That is INSANE. You will be very greatly missed ma'am and I know for a fact that there shall never be another like her. RIP Yma

In other news...

We have an election going on tomorrow.
The following is your soundtrack for the revolution.

-"Revolution" by The Beatles
-"Kick Out the Jams" by MC5
-"Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan
-"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
-"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron
-"New Kicks" by Le Tigre
-"When Ya Get Drafted" by Dead Kennedys
-"B.Y.O.B." by System Of A Down
-"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five
-"Gimme Some Truth" by John Lennon
-"Wake Up" by Rage Against The Machine
-"White Riot" by The Clash
-"Rise Above" by Black Flag
-"Won't Bleed Me" by Melvin Van Peebles
-"Guerilla Radio" by Rage Against The Machine
-"Fight The Power" by Public Enemy
-"Road To Joy" by Bright Eyes
-"Power To The People" by John Lennon
-"Intervention" by The Arcade Fire
-"Street Fighting Man" by The Rolling Stones
-"Bring On The Lucie (Freeda Peeple) by John Lennon

And last but most certainly not least...

We're Doing It!

2008-10-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I went and saw Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Today I have a sinus headache. As a result I’m having trouble formulating all my different ideas about the film into one intelligent and coherent review. So here’s the basics…

I really enjoyed the film. It was awesomely funny and also rather sweet. There are a few points where the sweet almost tips the scale into schmaltz territory but those moments are few and far between AND a great funny line always comes along to restore balance to the force. If you like Kevin Smith’s stuff you will love this film. If you don’t like Kevin Smith stuff you still might like this film. It’s a cute date movie. Go give it a try.

Here are some aborted attempts at introductory paragraphs and angry rants:

Many reviews of this film have spoken about the synergistic relationship between Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow. They mention how Kevin’s early films lead the way for Judd who in turn made the whole obscene/touching dynamic commercially viable with hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. While all of this is true, it must be noted that before Kevin Smith...there was another. “Pope of Trash” John Waters has made a career out of films about a scrappy bands of outsiders and it is in that tradition which Zack and Miri Make a Porno finds itself firmly placed.

Kevin Smith’s films exist along a spectrum. At one extreme you have Chasing Amy and at the other you have Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Aside from a few shared characters and verbal rhythms, the films could not be further apart. One is a nuanced meditation on love and sex, while the other is a broad slapstick cartoon. Located precisely in the middle of these two poles, is Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

The following are excerpts from Lisa Schwarzbaum’s review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno for Entertainment Weekly:

“…a visual eyesore, as if compositional coherence signifies selling out to the man.”

“…an intimate scene that even bad cinematography can’t ruin…”

I seriously feel that Ms. Schwarzbaum was watching an entirely different film than the one I saw last night. Cinematographer David Klein, working in harmony with production designer Robert Holtzman, created a wonderful dirt-smeared palette which perfectly compliments the film’s ‘down on your luck’ vibe.

And as for accusations of shoddy composition? I do not see how this film is any worse compositionally than 90% of the dreck unspooling on screens every week. I’m not saying that it is Antonioni-esque or anything, but it is also extremely far from compositional incoherence.

I’d be interested to see how many film reviews by Ms. Schwarzbaum over the last 15 years have included the word “composition”. Something tells me not many, and the few that do are probably Kevin Smith movies.

I get that she didn’t like the film, but why does she have to rely on old "truisms" that are no longer true? Sure Kevin had less than stellar meis en scene when he started, but after working with the likes of Vilmos Zsigmond can you really still make such claims? It comes off as reaching.

Hopefully reading all of these disparate parts in quick succession will give some semblance of what I would have said in an actual review. Time for Advil.

Hee Hee. This is my 69th blog post.

5 Days Out

2008-10-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

The election is less than a week away and things are not looking too good for Mr. McCain. Don't believe me? Check out the following clips -

Wow even Fox "News" callin' a brotha out. I know it's great to watch and bodes well for our side, but don't let it make you cocky. A lot can happen in 5 days so don't let me catch you resting on your laurels.

Get out there and rock the motherfuckin' vote!

ULTIMATE FAIL!!!

2008-10-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

OK everyone. It's time for a special celebrity edition of America's favorite failure based game show...

ULTIMATE FAIL!

Today's contestant is Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. We now go live to special political correspondent Brian Williams.

Not quite sure where she went wrong?

Read This -

terrorist: noun - A radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities

Now Click & Read -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Robert_Rudolph

OK now.

Everybody say it with me...

ULTIMATE FAIL!!!

I'm sorry ma'am but you just lost the right to even be CONSIDERED for the office of Vice President. Thank you for playing.

Tune in next week for more failure-ific fun.

What have you done for me LATELY?

2008-10-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

A brief observation:

Whenever a conservative decides to jump ship and endorse Barack Hussein Obama the immediate reaction is to begin denigrating that person as not a ‘true conservative’. This all hit a fever pitch on Sunday when Colin Powell decided to endorse Obama while speaking on “Meet the Press”.

Colin Luther Powell served as a National Security Advisor to Reagan, Chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush Sr. and acted as Secretary of State to Bush Jr. For most people, a resume like that would buy a lot of Republican street cred.

Oh and let’s not forget the fact that Powell is pro-choice and his mother dresses him funny.

I don’t get it.

Had Powell chosen to endorse McCain the Bill Kristols and William Bennetts of the world would be extolling his virtues as a wise and respected conservative man of principle. He's their negro as long as he's useful. After that -

'To the wolves with you. We have Alan Keyes.'

I honestly believe that if Ronald Reagan were to suddenly rise from the dead and endorse Barack Obama, every dittohead from here to Timbuktu would be decrying him as not a ‘true conservative’ and would repeatedly regurgitate the fact that he was a registered Democrat until 1962.

I sure hope Andy Griffith is ready for the onslaught:

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Movies Of The Future!

2008-10-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Next Tuesday will mark the DVD release of “Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead” and though I have not seen the film myself I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Some of you might be wondering: "What could give him such unbridled enthusiasm for an unseen film?"

For you I have two words: "LLOYD KAUFMAN!!!"

Many out there (close friends of mine included) like to dismiss Troma© as schlocky trash with absolutely no redeeming value. On one level they are correct. Troma© has released its’ share of “goat shit”, but when it comes to actual Lloyd Kaufman productions, you are in for a treat.

Lloyd is no dummy. He attended Yale alongside the likes of Gary Trudeau, Oliver Stone, George W. Bush and John Kerry. He also knows his cinema. As a young man he worshiped at the altar of art filmmakers like Andy Warhol and Stan Brakhage and it is this anti-authoritarian/underground streak that shines through in all of his films.

Unlike so much of the shit cluttering out multiplexes in this day and age, Lloyd actually makes films ABOUT something. He makes films about AIDS, abortion, women in the arts, our consumerist culture, etc. Of course it all gets related through the prism of a gory horror comedy but that just makes it all the better. A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Even the ramshackle/low-budget nature of the productions serves as a plus. Godard isn’t the only one who can effectively used Brechtian devices in film. A particularly fake looking head explosion is an excellent way to remind you that you are watching film. An aware audience is much better able to interpret and discuss the ideas they are being fed. Unlike “Forrest Gump” et al, these films are not propaganda.

Now of course Troma© isn’t for everyone. Those with weak stomachs might want to take a rain check and that’s to be understood. But for those of you out there who consider yourselves serious cineastes, there is absolutely no excuse.

Lloyd is quite simply the most inspiring individual currently working in film. His passion is so intense that regardless of the medium, he is able to reach out and grab you. His prose can be just as inanely infectious as his cinema.

Recommended Viewing
-The Toxic Avenger
-Troma’s War
-Tromeo & Juliet
-Terror Firmer
-The Toxic Avenger IV: Citizen Toxie

Recommended Reading
-Make Your Own Damn Movie

NOW LET’S GO MAKE SOME ART!!!

Casting Couch

2008-10-15T03:12:00.000-07:00

Over the years the gap between a film’s theatrical release and its’ appearance on video and TV has grown smaller and smaller. So small in fact that many consumers opt to just skip the theatrical run altogether.

Good news for DVD and cable sales, bad news for theater owners. That is unless you’re 2929 Entertainment®.

Owned and run by billionaire Mark Cuban and his business partner Todd Wagner, 2929 Entertainment® consists of:

- Magnolia Pictures
- Landmark Theatres
- Magnolia Home Entertainment
- HDNet
- HDNet Films

Yep. They own the means of production as well as the means of distribution.

It is with this in mind, that back in 2005, 2929 Entertainment signed a deal with Oscar® winning director Stephen Soderbergh, to produce six feature-length films for simultaneous release on pay cable, DVD and in theaters.

Within a year of the deal Soderbergh had produced “Bubble”, an excellent film about murder in a small town, starring non-actors who all work at a doll factory. Definitely worth a rental.

Now, nearly four years and four non-2929 films later, Soderbergh is ready for another go around. This one will be titled “The Girlfriend Experience” and will center on the world of high-class call girls.

When the project was first announced Soderbergh stated that his intention was to use a girl from the world of adult film as his star. Yesterday he announced his choice:

I don’t know exactly how to feel about Sasha Grey.

She’s pretty, insisted on being photographed by Terry Richardson for Penthouse, pals around with the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins and The Roots, she’s a feminist (though some might dispute her on that) and loves art cinema.

So what’s the problem right?

My problem is with this tough yet aloof exterior she presents. She’s confrontational yet blasé about EVERYTHING! She’ll talk about the taboo of interracial porn or about empowering herself by pushing her personal sexual boundaries and I'm sure she really means it all, but it all comes off feeling false.

Yeah I know she’s got an image to maintain but that image really prevents me from taking her seriously about anything she has to say. Regardless of the topic, it all sounds the same. Who finds that interesting let alone sexy? Perhaps I’m just too square.

Anyhow, I’m really interested to see how “The Girlfriend Experience” turns out. If anyone can get behind her façade, it’s Stephen Soderbergh. Who knows? She could end up surprising me.

What's Yr Take on Cassavetes?

2008-10-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you have ANY interest in/appreciation of fine acting or great cinema, you NEED to see –

“A Woman Under The Influence”

I don’t care what certain members of Le Tigre say. Mr. Cassavetes is in no way a misogynist. This is a story about people doing the best they can to handle a situation they don’t really understand. Of course characters are going to do and say horrible things. That’s life and that’s what John was trying to capture.

Gena Rowlands’ performance is one for the ages. Every line, every gesture, every panicked look comes from a real and honest place. She really should have won that Oscar® (though Ellen Burstyn was pretty damn good in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” as well). John crafted her the perfect role and she played it to the hilt.

Definitely not a Saturday night date movie, but essential viewing none the less.

A New World Of Gods And Monsters!

2008-10-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Aside from heaps upon heaps of troubling economic news, the other big story of this week was the McCain/Palin campaign's decision to enter the character assassination game. At rally after rally the candidates as well as their surrogates, took every possible opportunity to question Senator Obama's patriotism.

The constant repetition of the Senator's full name (Barack Hussein Obama) by surrogates, combined with repeated accusations of Obama "paling around" with a terrorist, has resulted in many crowds chanting things like, "traitor" and in some cases "kill him".

This is INSANELY irresponsible on the part of the McCain/Palin campaign. Sure most of your rank and file Republicans out there will be content with chanting, blogging, e-mailing and voting to get out their aggression - but what about the others? What about that proverbial "lone nut"? I don't think a cleaning agent exists that can even begin to remove that much blood from someone's hands.

At a rally today, Senator McCain attempted to cool every one's collective jets. But is it too late?

Hate is not a faucet that you can simply turn on and off at will. Has John McCain opened Pandora's Box? Has he given birth to a monster not even he can control?

PS: A bi-partisan legislative council in Alaska just released a report stating that Gov. Sarah Palin broke a state ethics law which prohibits public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.

Read all about it: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/palin.investigation/index.html

Can We All Do This Together?

2008-10-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Back in the mid to late 90s the Dogme 95 movement was all the rage. Developed by Danish filmmakers Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, the movement and its’ “Vow of Chastity” (http://www.dogme95.dk/the_vow/vow.html) attempted to return filmmaking to what they saw as its’ pure state – telling stories about human beings.

In spite of great successes with films like “The Celebration” and “Julien Donkey-Boy”, the movement eventually petered out in the early 2000s. Both the world and the filmmakers had grown tired of shaky-camera melodramas.

What a difference 5 years makes.

Shot on hand-held digital video with an incidental soundtrack, Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married” is shaping up to be one of the better pictures of the year.

While some might try to label it as such, the film’s style is far from a "gimmick". The film tells a story that is both beautiful and ruthless, which the cinematography reflects perfectly. Just as a scene can rapidly transition from heartbreaking to joyous, so too can the visuals switch from fluorescent jaundice to the most vivid and warm palette you can imagine.

Let us also not forget the performers who made this all possible. They are the ones who are able to make a conversation switch on a dime from cutting brutality to blissful hugging. Though Anne Hathaway will deservedly receive a huge amount of praise (and probably an Oscar® nomination) for her un-glamorous portrayal of recovering junkie Kym, we should not forget the rest of the cast. In moments both light and dark, everyone gets a chance to shine and they are all superb.

Last but most certainly not least, praise must be heaped upon screenwriter Jenny (daughter of Sidney) Lumet. Her screenplay is messy in the best way possible. It is content to leave some things unresolved and to ramble like her characters speak - with intense emotion and conviction.

Don’t be afraid.

This film knows where it's going and you really should come along.

PS: Roger Corman has a blink and you miss it cameo. Perhaps this is a sign from the gods that this will finally be Roger's year to get an honorary Oscar®.

*fingers crossed*

The People's Mouse

2008-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this photo:
Yep that's Mickey and Walt with Soviet Auteur Sergi Eisenstein.

I found it over at http://criterioncollection.blogspot.com/ and apparently it's included on their edition of the "Alexander Nevsky" DVD. Though it by no means forgives my issues with The Walt Disney Company® - it does make Walt a tiny bit cooler. Let's not forget he also hung with Dali.

Now if only we could convince Bob Iger that Walt would have wanted Mickey to go into public domain so that he could become the property of the proletariat.

Oh who am I kidding? When's the last time anyone at that company gave a thought to what a member of the Disney family might want?

Mahalo

Another day to live through. Better get started.

2008-10-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

What is it like to be the last man on earth?

Over the years, many films, books and comics have wrestled this particular question. My particular favorite exploration is Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's epic comic book series "Y: The Last Man" which I highly recommend to anyone and everyone.

Another staple of the "genre" is Richard Matheson's 1954 novel entitled "I Am Legend". Though famously molded into a Will Smith vehicle last year, this book had already been adapted twice before. Last night I had the pleasure of watching the original, unambiguously titled, 1964 adaptation - "The Last Man on Earth".

Vincent Price's voice is a thing to behold. It's capable of sending tingles down your spine (reciting Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven") as well as making you want to get your groove on ("rapping" at the end of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"). Though clearly best suited for talking pictures, Price could have easily been a star of the silent screen.

Outside of voice-over narration and the above pictured attempt at radio communication, the first roughly 15 minutes of the film are dialogue free. When you're "The Last Man on Earth" there's not really much need for talking. As a result of disembodying voice from action, the audience is able to better appreciate Price's skilled physicality. With nothing more than posture and a hang dog expression Vincent communicates the extreme loneliness and boredom of Robert Morgan's predicament. The performance is sheer brilliance.

Unfortunately the rest of the film does not live up to the promise of the first third. Once dialogue enters the equation 90% of the film's energy vanishes. Director Ubaldo Ragona suddenly seems content to let the dialogue do all of the storytelling. Le sigh.

It's an interesting catch-22: Without the first act the film is a perfectly watchable (though standard) Vincent Price creep-fest, with the first act it becomes a flawed masterpiece. Is it better to strive for greatness and fall short or to simply be content with mediocrity? Personally I find myself in the 'strive for greatness' camp.

Though I've always loved Vincent Price, I never really took him that seriously. He was always great for creepy/campy fun but nothing more. If it weren't for the opening of "The Last Man on Earth" that would have still been the case. Thank you Robert Morgan.

All Of Them

2008-10-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

In a series of interviews over the past week, Sarah Palin has succeeded in making milquetoast anchor Katie Couric look like Edward R. Murrow. Most of the interview clips made me laugh and left me with a sinking feeling about our Nation's future but it was the following clip that really angered me:

Look at her try to spin it like cute little Katie was accusing Alaska of being ill-informed. No Mrs. Palin, she's only talking about you.

I don't think that Sarah Palin is dumb by any stretch of the imagination. She knows how to dodge a question, how to spin it and how to mention as many key phrases as possible. That takes smarts and I'm pretty sure she reads. She holds a BS in Communications-Journalism. If she doesn't read then that's just plain sad. So let's just assume that she is an intelligent and literate woman. Why would someone withhold their reading list? Though I have absolutely no way to prove it, my theory is:

By refusing to name specific periodicals, Mrs. Palin is trying to appeal to the anti-intellectual contingent within the Republican party.

Over the past eight years the middle-class has seen increasing hardship. The rich have become richer while average Americans have found it harder and harder to make ends meet. As a result, a great deal of Americans have a strong mistrust towards "elites". This puts the Republican Party at quite the disadvantage.

What is a political party to do? How can they possibly convince the biggest voting block out there (the middle class) that they are not the party of the elite?

*Light Bulb*

BY CALLING THE OTHER GUYS ELITES!

Look at them and all their fancy book learnin'. They don't know what it's really like. They just sit there judging you in their ivory towers. Rowin' boats and eatin' ivy. Let's go race snow machines and watch "The Passion of the Christ".

By not naming specific newspapers and magazines Sarah Palin sidestepped tarnishing her carefully crafted image as "one of us", by mentioning that she reads periodicals which some might characterize as being part of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, eletist - "Liberal Media". Rule #1 of being a VP nominee - do no harm.

Frankly I'm sick and tired of all this shit. There is nothing wrong with being intelligent and informed. Teaching Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago doesn't mean you're an elitist -

IT MEANS YOU'RE SMART!

And that's what I want in a leader. I want someone smart!

PS: Sarah Palin spoke in California today and decided to spout stale talking points from long ago regarding Mr. Obama and former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers. In her harangue Mrs. Palin cited that "old gray lady" of the "liberal media" - The New York Times.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93JSBFO0&show_article=1

On a side note...

Since Sarah Palin claims to read "all of them" here are some titles we must assume she reads:

-The Struggle
-Calling Our Nation
-Nida’ul-Islam
-Al Ansar
-Newcummers
-Savage Male
-Uncut

Of course those last three she only reads for the articles.

We're Ready To Believe You!

2008-09-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

OK so this is somewhat old news and I don't know why I didn't blog it before but...

"GHOSTBUSTERS III" IS IN THE WORKS!!!!!

I have a very special relationship with anything and everything "Ghostbusters". It was my first, favorite movie. My grandpa made me my own version where all the parts that scared me shitless were edited out. When I went to kindergarten they wrongly thought I was a prodigy because I could write the word: Ghostbusters. The first time I ever got in trouble for cursing it was for saying, "We came, we saw, we kicked it's ASS!"

I don't care what you say this film is one of the the ten greatest comedies EVER. Let's just hope this new one doesn't suck. Remember the build up to "Phantom Menace"? That was no bueno.

But there is reason to have faith in this one. The script is currently being written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (staff writers on "The Office"!!!!) and according to a recent appearance at Fantastic Fest Bill Murray would consider coming back!

I need to track down my old proton-pack so I can look like a loony wearing it to the premiere or something. Don't even TRY to tell me you're not thinking the same thing!

and...THE FLOWERS ARE STILL STANDING!

Source: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_popmachine/2008/09/harold-ramis-co.html

by Anger

2008-09-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

"Lucifer is the patron saint of the visual arts. Color, form--all these are the work of Lucifer."

About a week ago I found myself yammering on to a co-worker about Kenneth Anger's "Scorpio Rising". To illustrate a point I did a Google image search and came across the following photo:

I think it's safe to say that Kenneth Anger is my favorite really old gay man. (I have so many favorite people that I've had to resort to rather niche categories). I mean just look at that picture.

-This is the man who pioneered the ironic use of pop music in cinema

-This is the man who gathered together every Tinseltown scandal he'd ever heard and published them

-This is the man who hired Manson family member Bobby Beausoleil to pen the soundtrack for "Lucifer Rising" from jail after rejecting Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's original score

Though I do not share many of his opinions (especially those on Satan) I really do admire him. He has always remained true to himself regardless of what others might say. And on top of it all, his camera has captured some of the most arresting images in the history of cinema.

When a film is preceded by the words "by Anger" you know you're in for a unique experience

Who wants to eat the girl? & Other Stuff

2008-09-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

With October rapidly approaching I thought I'd recommend a recent horror film I watched the other day.

"Mother of Tears" (released in it's native Italy as "La Terza Madre") is the third film in a trilogy that director Dario Argento began back in the late 70s & early 80s with "Susperia" and "Inferno" respectively. Now please don't be scared off by the fact that it's an Italian film and a sequel to two films you likely have not seen. The film is dubbed into English (as Italian films often are) and no prior knowledge is required in order to "get" the story. All that you as a viewer will need is a strong stomach and the ability to appreciate genre filmmaking of a high order.

Though some of the effects appear to be rather lo-fi they make up for it in brutality. Argento's camera never turns away and always goes in for a closer look. Some of the images in this film cannot be unseen - and that's a good thing. While many films depict a hero fighting against "unspeakable evil" the menace that villain is often not made palpable. By showing all the gory details of what these bad people do, the stakes are raised. We know what is at risk if the hero fails. There is no doubt that it will be bad. But there are also great moments of levity.

Don't feel guilty if you find yourself laughing at parts. This movie is not a one trick pony. Argento is a skilled filmmaker, capable of pushing all your right buttons. This movie features an evil monkey for fuck's sake. Have fun with it. This is by no means the real world. It's a movie and takes place very much in a movie world.

Fuck the "Saw" films. There's nothing fun in those films. And more importantly, you don't give a fuck who dies. Nothing hurts. I want a film that hurts. It let's me know I'm still human.

In other news...

As you've likely already heard, Paul Newman died today at the age of 83. Over his long career he brought so many memorable characters to life. I have yet to see a film where I didn't like him in it and I doubt I ever will. We have lost one of the greats.

With all respect to Mr. Newman and his loved ones, let's end this blog on a lighter note.

Here is a picture of Sacha Baron Cohen crashing a runway show during Milan Fashion Week as his flamboyantly gay Austrian fashionista character Brüno!

Too bad he didn't do this at New York Fashion Week. Oh to see him interacting with Tim Gunn and the Project Runway Gang! One can only dream.

Aww fuck it. Let's end this on a somber note. Paul's worth it.