A little rundown of the Oscar winners, nothing special.
Best Picture - The Departed. Wicked happy about this. I woulda been fine with Little Miss Sunshine too.
Director - Marty Scorsese. Even more wicked happy about that one. Nothing else would have made me happy, and I probably would have commited Hari Kari if there were any other outcome.
Actor - Forrest Whitaker. Surprise surprise. Actually I thought this one might go to O'Toole.
Actress - Helen Mirren. Surprise fucking surprise.
Actor supporting - Alan Arkin. Yay for Little Miss Sunshine. He really did steal a lot of the scenes he was in.
Actress supporting - Jennifer Hudson. Didn't see that flick, no comment. Girl can sing though, and has super baby making hips.
Cinematography - Pan's Labyrinth. As much as I love this movie, NO! Everyone who leaves Children of Men talks about the cinematography. Everyone who left Pan's Labyrinth talked about the great story, makeup, acting, whatever, but not cinematography. The one award that made me truly upset.
Honorary Oscar - Ennio Morricone. Made me want to cry.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Like, I'm soooooooo Scared
Another list for the kiddies. This time, a Horror film list. MMMMmmmm gore.
1)The Exorcist (1973) - Ok, so at this stage in my life, I chuckle through most of the movie. However, when I was around 15 or so, nothing freaked me out more than a viewing of the Exorcist. My dad passed out during a 1973 viewing (see a behavior pattern here?), and I was known to run around the house saying "Let Jesus fuck you!" Good times. Nothing owns more than a 14 year old Linda Blair covered in vomit and slime.
2)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - To this day, redneck horror freaks me out, and this movie is the pinnacle of redneck horror. Forever imitated (House of 1000 Corpses, Wolf Creek, High Tension, etc etc etc), TCM proved that low budget horror was a viable moneymaker. Its low quality look adds realism and genuine horror.
3)Cabin Fever (2002) - Eli Roth's kitschy flesh eating masterpiece makes me laugh and cringe through every viewing. Cabin Fever pays homage to the 70's and 80's slasher flicks (even a tune from Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left") but manages to stay fresh. Rider Strong and Joey Kern give great performances, and the music adds an oh so eerie touch.
4)Halloween (1978) - Of course this movie came out the year I was born. Of course it's set in Illinois. No horror movie has more repeat value than Halloween does. John Carpenter's directing, writing, and music score are all first rate, and the world was introduced to the queen of all scream queens, Jaime Lee Curtis.
5)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - The first, and only scary, of the Nightmare series, this film gives good character development, great backstory, and one heck of a horror icon. With the possible exception of Jason Voorhees, no one has been more idolized in the genre. To top it all off, this is the film debut of Johnny Depp.
Late honorable mentions that probably should have made the list - 28 Days Later, Alien.
1)The Exorcist (1973) - Ok, so at this stage in my life, I chuckle through most of the movie. However, when I was around 15 or so, nothing freaked me out more than a viewing of the Exorcist. My dad passed out during a 1973 viewing (see a behavior pattern here?), and I was known to run around the house saying "Let Jesus fuck you!" Good times. Nothing owns more than a 14 year old Linda Blair covered in vomit and slime.
2)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - To this day, redneck horror freaks me out, and this movie is the pinnacle of redneck horror. Forever imitated (House of 1000 Corpses, Wolf Creek, High Tension, etc etc etc), TCM proved that low budget horror was a viable moneymaker. Its low quality look adds realism and genuine horror.
3)Cabin Fever (2002) - Eli Roth's kitschy flesh eating masterpiece makes me laugh and cringe through every viewing. Cabin Fever pays homage to the 70's and 80's slasher flicks (even a tune from Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left") but manages to stay fresh. Rider Strong and Joey Kern give great performances, and the music adds an oh so eerie touch.
4)Halloween (1978) - Of course this movie came out the year I was born. Of course it's set in Illinois. No horror movie has more repeat value than Halloween does. John Carpenter's directing, writing, and music score are all first rate, and the world was introduced to the queen of all scream queens, Jaime Lee Curtis.
5)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - The first, and only scary, of the Nightmare series, this film gives good character development, great backstory, and one heck of a horror icon. With the possible exception of Jason Voorhees, no one has been more idolized in the genre. To top it all off, this is the film debut of Johnny Depp.
Late honorable mentions that probably should have made the list - 28 Days Later, Alien.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Live and Let Live
Yay! A List! This, my darlings, is my top 5 Live Records list. In some sort of particular order, though, who knows, maybe it's in random order. I can't figure that out myself.
5)Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (Disc 1) - This record is a great representation of early Floyd, but with a lineup sans Syd Barrett. Though the second disc is studio material, I'm choosing to take Disc 1 and count it as a seperate entity. A Saucerful of Secrets is an especially great track to wrap it all up.
4)The Doors - In Concert - This record is actually a compilation of other live records, (such as Absolutely Live and Live at the Hollywood Bowl) but I'm doing the opposite of the Ummagumma thing, and including more than I should. See how that works. I spit in the face of rules. Songs like Celebration of the Lizard and Gloria, which are not included in any studio album, really enhance the experience overall. Not to be skipped over is Jim Morrison's incessant banter with the crowds and house announcers.
3)Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College - This is a 2 disc collection of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds songs pre-Before These Crowded Streets. Acoustic versions of Two Step, Halloween, Stream, and Seek Up are especially good. More witty banter with the crowd, which I think should be something some live albums should have. Otherwise, how do we know it's really live? Conspiracy? Have you been watching the Pink Panther lately?
2)Blues Traveler - Live From the Fall - Maybe my favorite, maybe not. It's really a toss up between this, and the other #1. Closing Down the Park and Alone are two of my favorite live performances of all time. Some more great banter (seeing a trend here?), and absolutely great live jam band shenaniganry. The echoing harmonica on Closing Down the Park is a John Popper tradition, and I gotta say, there's really no other sound quite like it.
1)Rush - Exit...Stage Left - All right everyone, you know I had to have a Rush record on here, and why not put it at #1? This tour was in support of their Moving Pictures record, which was a kind of climax of that stage of their music. YYZ is impeccable, and if you're lucky enough to have it on vinyl, or have the remastered 1997 version, you'll get to hear a wonderful rendering of Passage to Bangkok. Wicked awesome version of La Villa Strangiato as well.
5)Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (Disc 1) - This record is a great representation of early Floyd, but with a lineup sans Syd Barrett. Though the second disc is studio material, I'm choosing to take Disc 1 and count it as a seperate entity. A Saucerful of Secrets is an especially great track to wrap it all up.
4)The Doors - In Concert - This record is actually a compilation of other live records, (such as Absolutely Live and Live at the Hollywood Bowl) but I'm doing the opposite of the Ummagumma thing, and including more than I should. See how that works. I spit in the face of rules. Songs like Celebration of the Lizard and Gloria, which are not included in any studio album, really enhance the experience overall. Not to be skipped over is Jim Morrison's incessant banter with the crowds and house announcers.
3)Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College - This is a 2 disc collection of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds songs pre-Before These Crowded Streets. Acoustic versions of Two Step, Halloween, Stream, and Seek Up are especially good. More witty banter with the crowd, which I think should be something some live albums should have. Otherwise, how do we know it's really live? Conspiracy? Have you been watching the Pink Panther lately?
2)Blues Traveler - Live From the Fall - Maybe my favorite, maybe not. It's really a toss up between this, and the other #1. Closing Down the Park and Alone are two of my favorite live performances of all time. Some more great banter (seeing a trend here?), and absolutely great live jam band shenaniganry. The echoing harmonica on Closing Down the Park is a John Popper tradition, and I gotta say, there's really no other sound quite like it.
1)Rush - Exit...Stage Left - All right everyone, you know I had to have a Rush record on here, and why not put it at #1? This tour was in support of their Moving Pictures record, which was a kind of climax of that stage of their music. YYZ is impeccable, and if you're lucky enough to have it on vinyl, or have the remastered 1997 version, you'll get to hear a wonderful rendering of Passage to Bangkok. Wicked awesome version of La Villa Strangiato as well.
Friday, February 9, 2007
756? Not on my watch . . .
So recently MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he "may not" be at the game when Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's career homerun record of 755. There has then been some uproar by the media - even those members that outwardly have disapproved of Bonds - basically stating that Selig is wrong in possibly skipping this event. But if baseball - and not just the upper offices, but fans, players, teams, etc - are so scared of this event happening, I've always wondered why not do something about it:
Don't pitch to him.
Bonds sees his fair share of intentional walks anyway - why would this be so radical a change? If most people outside of the Bay area don't want to see baseball's most hallowed of records destroyed by a player who "allegedly" took steriods in the process, why not? I don't think people would mind if he held the single-season walk record - let the forehead have that! And I guarantee that every pitcher who "happens" to walk him will be a national hero the next day.
This obviously couldn't come down from the commissioner's office - that would admittedly look like baseball was trying to "fix" its own records. But this is a record that is unlike most in baseball - it seems, to most, to reflect upon the grand history and players of the game, and I know many see Bonds' potential ownership of that record as a loss all around for the sport and its traditions.
But who's stopping each individual pitcher, on a given night, from saying, "Well, I just didn't want to give up a homer on my watch," or, if this is done closer to the record, "I didn't want to be the guy in the record books that he hit the homer against"? They wouldn't even have to say what may really be on their minds: not on my watch, not in my park, not in my game.
Don't pitch to him.
Bonds sees his fair share of intentional walks anyway - why would this be so radical a change? If most people outside of the Bay area don't want to see baseball's most hallowed of records destroyed by a player who "allegedly" took steriods in the process, why not? I don't think people would mind if he held the single-season walk record - let the forehead have that! And I guarantee that every pitcher who "happens" to walk him will be a national hero the next day.
This obviously couldn't come down from the commissioner's office - that would admittedly look like baseball was trying to "fix" its own records. But this is a record that is unlike most in baseball - it seems, to most, to reflect upon the grand history and players of the game, and I know many see Bonds' potential ownership of that record as a loss all around for the sport and its traditions.
But who's stopping each individual pitcher, on a given night, from saying, "Well, I just didn't want to give up a homer on my watch," or, if this is done closer to the record, "I didn't want to be the guy in the record books that he hit the homer against"? They wouldn't even have to say what may really be on their minds: not on my watch, not in my park, not in my game.
Heavy Metal Thunder
Ok, I know we've gotten away from the lists you've all come to know and love. I promise there will be more to come soon. Oh yes, very soon, however, I feel the need to talk about a movie that rocked my world last night, Easy Rider.
I've never seen a more technically flawed movie that I loved so much. To dwell on it too much would be sacreligious, but I feel the need to at least mention some of its problems. The editing style, or lack thereof, is atrocious. These weird back and forth cuts during scene transitions are quite annoying, but are eventually abandoned, which kind of makes it more annoying. At least stick with it. The musical editing is a bit queer, with uneven cuts and such. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with the plot, save for a very light plot.
*SPOILER WARNING*
Ok, all that said, there's a reason why this is one of the most influential films in American cinema. The cinematography in it is excellent, with many a beautiful shot of chopper riding through the great western deserts of the US. The soundtrack is awesome, and paired with the plot line, a great time capsule of counterculture, circa 1969. Peter Fonda is the essence of cool (Tao of Steve style), and Dennis Hopper gives a great Dennis Hopper performance. Jack Nicholson comes in about 45 minutes into the film and steals the show for the half-hour that he's in it. Which brings me to some spoilers.
I hate rednecks. Especially Louisiana Cajun-necks. The baseball bat beating death of Nicholson with about 20 minutes remaining is horrible enough, but watching Peter Fonda take a shotgun blast to the face, mid-cycle to end the film was gut-wrenching. American Chopper in flames.
A scene post Mardi-gras celebration, with acid-dropping in a New Orleans cemetary, that comes out of nowhere, makes the film. An avant-garde 10 minute moment that takes the movie to new levels. It's this scene that I think most makes the film so enjoyable.
If you like wanting to shoot yourself at the end of a movie, check it out.
I've never seen a more technically flawed movie that I loved so much. To dwell on it too much would be sacreligious, but I feel the need to at least mention some of its problems. The editing style, or lack thereof, is atrocious. These weird back and forth cuts during scene transitions are quite annoying, but are eventually abandoned, which kind of makes it more annoying. At least stick with it. The musical editing is a bit queer, with uneven cuts and such. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with the plot, save for a very light plot.
*SPOILER WARNING*
Ok, all that said, there's a reason why this is one of the most influential films in American cinema. The cinematography in it is excellent, with many a beautiful shot of chopper riding through the great western deserts of the US. The soundtrack is awesome, and paired with the plot line, a great time capsule of counterculture, circa 1969. Peter Fonda is the essence of cool (Tao of Steve style), and Dennis Hopper gives a great Dennis Hopper performance. Jack Nicholson comes in about 45 minutes into the film and steals the show for the half-hour that he's in it. Which brings me to some spoilers.
I hate rednecks. Especially Louisiana Cajun-necks. The baseball bat beating death of Nicholson with about 20 minutes remaining is horrible enough, but watching Peter Fonda take a shotgun blast to the face, mid-cycle to end the film was gut-wrenching. American Chopper in flames.
A scene post Mardi-gras celebration, with acid-dropping in a New Orleans cemetary, that comes out of nowhere, makes the film. An avant-garde 10 minute moment that takes the movie to new levels. It's this scene that I think most makes the film so enjoyable.
If you like wanting to shoot yourself at the end of a movie, check it out.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
When Conservatives Cry . . .
So I have to chime in on this whole "OMG, Prince's silhouette with his guitar looks like a giant phallus!" debate.
Do I think that the silhouette of Prince's guitar at the Super Bowl halftime show looked phallus-like when he turned to one side . . . absolutely. Do I have a problem with it? Absolutely not.
When was the last time that you heard rock and roll being associated with sex? Like, maybe 5 seconds ago? Really, rock and sex have a loving relationship that's been going on long before Elvis shook his lovemaker on national television. So when people cry out at sexual innuendo entwined in a rock performance, I'm almost speechless. The guitar has often been seen as a phallic object, and sex has gone hand in hand with its primary popular genre of music.
But I have no problem with my child watching Prince's performance with this innuendo - why? Is it because I'm a horrible parent? A left wing nut that would just as quickly show him Debbie Does Dallas as Teletubbies? I don't think so - rather, I wouldn't mind him seeing this because he's not going to see what we see - he hasn't been trained to "hunt down" such images yet. Instead, he probably sees a silly man behind a bed-sheet, playing that guitar that looks kind of like the one his Grandparents got him for Christmas. And I highly doubt he cries himself to sleep at night, wondering why Grandma and Grandpa got him a phallus-like-object for Christmas.
Do I think that the silhouette of Prince's guitar at the Super Bowl halftime show looked phallus-like when he turned to one side . . . absolutely. Do I have a problem with it? Absolutely not.
When was the last time that you heard rock and roll being associated with sex? Like, maybe 5 seconds ago? Really, rock and sex have a loving relationship that's been going on long before Elvis shook his lovemaker on national television. So when people cry out at sexual innuendo entwined in a rock performance, I'm almost speechless. The guitar has often been seen as a phallic object, and sex has gone hand in hand with its primary popular genre of music.
But I have no problem with my child watching Prince's performance with this innuendo - why? Is it because I'm a horrible parent? A left wing nut that would just as quickly show him Debbie Does Dallas as Teletubbies? I don't think so - rather, I wouldn't mind him seeing this because he's not going to see what we see - he hasn't been trained to "hunt down" such images yet. Instead, he probably sees a silly man behind a bed-sheet, playing that guitar that looks kind of like the one his Grandparents got him for Christmas. And I highly doubt he cries himself to sleep at night, wondering why Grandma and Grandpa got him a phallus-like-object for Christmas.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Downtime
Ok, the Superbowl is over. Baseball hasn't begun yet. Hockey and Basketball aren't worth watching for different reasons. Basketball doesn't start til the playoffs, and the players really seem not to care until then. Hockey isn't watchable for several reasons. One of those is, it's incredibly hard to find what channel it's on (Yes, I know, Vs.). Another problem with it, is the regular season seems to mean almost as little in hockey as it does in basketball. No other sport offers the distinct possiblity of an 8 seed winning the championship the way hockey does. College basketball is insanely boring until March Madness, so we have a month and change to go for that. What to watch? My answer? Plain and simple, Most Xtreme Challenge.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
To compact...or not to compact
My 5 favorite trash novels....
What do I consider a trash novel? I think it's pretty evident, but basically anything on the New York Times bestseller list is a good start. Mass paperback fluff. Fun reads.
Good, but not in danger of making you think. Here we go.
1)Dark Rivers of the Heart - Dean Koontz. This book takes everything Koontz is famous for - great storytelling, a strong but conflicted and battered male lead, a too-smart dog, and romance, and takes it to its pinnacle. While Koontz's writing can get as tedious as a ditto sheet (especially after you've read 35 or so of his books), this book doesn't copy his other books too horrifically. It even throws in a not so happy ending.
2)Salem's Lot - Stephen King. By far the best vampire book I've ever read (that's not Dracula), Salem's lot has great characters, and great storytelling that doesn't bog down in it's 600 or so pages. Salem's lot is gory to the Nth degree, actually frightening, and bleak. With a villain to rival any, I would highly recommend Salem's Lot for some fun summer reading.
3)8 Million Ways to Die - Lawrence Block. I hesitate to put this on any trash list, because of it's noirish sensibilities and beautiful gritty writing, but I think it qualifies. If you haven't read any of Lawrence Block's books (especially the Matt Scudder stuff), they combine detective, crime, and personal philosphy in a way that's highly entertaining to read. The story follows an alcoholic ex-cop, ex-PI in the investigation of a murder of a prostitute trying to leave her pimp. Formulaic? Possibly in idea, but definitely not in execution.
4)Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks. Ouch, MIKE! Don't kick me. I'm not calling fantasy trash! That said, I don't typically get into fantasy (with the exception of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman and a certain Raymond Feist book entitled Faerie Tale), but this novel (the third in the Word and the Void trilogy) is a brilliant climax to a modern day fantasy series. Dark in a way usually not seen in fantasy, Angel Fire East has intensely great, deep characters that you can't help but pull for. What can I say? I'm a sucker for battle of dark and light over the souls of the world stories.
5)Runaway Jury - John Grisham. No trash novel list is quite complete without John Grisham. Right? Right? Yet another in a long line of John Grisham books written to be made into a movie, the whole plot of this was trashed on screen. Book = Suit against tobacco companies. Movie = Suit against gun manufacturers. Kinda lost the zip on screen, but I'm not talking about the movie here. Runaway Jury is full of fun twists, and a sickening description of what happens to the body on an inhalation of tobacco smoke (spasming intestines, increased pulse, etc.). The characters have purpose, and if nothing else, they cast the movie well.
Almost made it - The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton, Crackpot - John Waters.
What do I consider a trash novel? I think it's pretty evident, but basically anything on the New York Times bestseller list is a good start. Mass paperback fluff. Fun reads.
Good, but not in danger of making you think. Here we go.
1)Dark Rivers of the Heart - Dean Koontz. This book takes everything Koontz is famous for - great storytelling, a strong but conflicted and battered male lead, a too-smart dog, and romance, and takes it to its pinnacle. While Koontz's writing can get as tedious as a ditto sheet (especially after you've read 35 or so of his books), this book doesn't copy his other books too horrifically. It even throws in a not so happy ending.
2)Salem's Lot - Stephen King. By far the best vampire book I've ever read (that's not Dracula), Salem's lot has great characters, and great storytelling that doesn't bog down in it's 600 or so pages. Salem's lot is gory to the Nth degree, actually frightening, and bleak. With a villain to rival any, I would highly recommend Salem's Lot for some fun summer reading.
3)8 Million Ways to Die - Lawrence Block. I hesitate to put this on any trash list, because of it's noirish sensibilities and beautiful gritty writing, but I think it qualifies. If you haven't read any of Lawrence Block's books (especially the Matt Scudder stuff), they combine detective, crime, and personal philosphy in a way that's highly entertaining to read. The story follows an alcoholic ex-cop, ex-PI in the investigation of a murder of a prostitute trying to leave her pimp. Formulaic? Possibly in idea, but definitely not in execution.
4)Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks. Ouch, MIKE! Don't kick me. I'm not calling fantasy trash! That said, I don't typically get into fantasy (with the exception of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman and a certain Raymond Feist book entitled Faerie Tale), but this novel (the third in the Word and the Void trilogy) is a brilliant climax to a modern day fantasy series. Dark in a way usually not seen in fantasy, Angel Fire East has intensely great, deep characters that you can't help but pull for. What can I say? I'm a sucker for battle of dark and light over the souls of the world stories.
5)Runaway Jury - John Grisham. No trash novel list is quite complete without John Grisham. Right? Right? Yet another in a long line of John Grisham books written to be made into a movie, the whole plot of this was trashed on screen. Book = Suit against tobacco companies. Movie = Suit against gun manufacturers. Kinda lost the zip on screen, but I'm not talking about the movie here. Runaway Jury is full of fun twists, and a sickening description of what happens to the body on an inhalation of tobacco smoke (spasming intestines, increased pulse, etc.). The characters have purpose, and if nothing else, they cast the movie well.
Almost made it - The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton, Crackpot - John Waters.
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