An Anecdote

About four years ago I worked a summer at AG Edwards. It was easily the second worst job I've ever had. Take customer service and add the stress of handling and investing people's money. Combine this with all of the drama of working in an office and waking up at 7:30 and you have my image of hell. And finally, my boss was a dickhead. He lacked tactful social skills, humility, and patience.
In retrospect, I can see all of this, but at the time I felt this strong desire to prove myself, carry out my tasks to the best of my ability, and so on. I had work ethic, but I also needed money.
Anyway, one day the topic of my second job came up whilst talking with my boss. I worked part time at the Minor Theatre as well and he felt obligated to talk movies upon learning this. Leaning back in his chair he said

"The last movie I saw... Oh right, the Pacifier! Yeah that was a really great movie."

It was at that point I stopped caring about that job at all. I try not to be a snob, but his insistence on praising that Vin Diesel tragedy exemplified how distant our realities were from each other.

Nowadays that place is a distant memory but i learned valuable lessons regarding how I want to spend my life earning money.

Jinkies!

Having just watched Yours, Mine and Ours in a hotel in San Francisco, it reminded me of this article. It made me a little sad, as Raja Gosnell is my second cousin. I also worked on Scooby Doo 2 with him at Warner Brothers a few years back. I feel a need to defend him, but I can't help but agree with the article on a lot of it's assessments; these directors look like pampered egoists with no talent.

But I'm gonna go for it anyway. Raja has a vision, but he also has a job and I think he approaches it as such. He is firmly rooted in the Mega-studio system, and therefore doesn't have the control that a lot of people think that directing allows. I learned firsthand that a director directs the people that make the film. In big budget productions, he rarely touches a camera. That's just how it goes.
Also (and I think this is the best redemption), many, many jaded hollywood stress balls that I worked with on Scooby told me repeated times that it was the easiest, most positive production they'd ever worked on. Raja was, in their eyes, a terrific boss. He was (is) kind, polite, humble, and enthusiastic. The studios are an industry, and frankly most of the stuff that comes out of there is crap. So if someone is a real pleasure to work with, that alone should be a saving grace.

And Scooby Doo 2 was pretty damn decent for modern kiddie fare, come on!

Beyonce

Say what you will, she's got pipes (and curves). But shit, I'm on Rachael's Itunes listening to the new Beyonce album and it is so fucking watered down. Boring Faith Hill meets Tori Amos wannabe BS. Seriously, listen to it yourself. It sounds like top 40 country. Even her voice is so filtered down by echo that it has no power. The only upbeat tempo songs are completely devoid of that soul that was so indicative of B. The only songs worth listening to here are complete ripoffs of flash in the pan songs of the last 2 years.

You'd be better off listening to this track and pretend she hasn't released any since.

As much as I love lists, I'm not so into the year-end types, strictly because it's really difficult for me to stay up to date. I'm always a few years behind the curve.

Off the top of my head, you should check this shit out.

Kings of Leon

Hank Williams III- Damn Right Rebel Proud... See what BushAmeriCo has wrought... This is real country

A New Trend

and more to come...

Sins of DVD Menus

As I was trying to watch "The Spy Who Loved Me" today, it dawned on me all of the ways DVD companies torture their loyal customers. I am, as a video store employee, acutely aware of these atrocities, and would like to vent my frustrations upon you. I implore you to share your own stories, which I may not yet have encountered in my daily struggle.

1. Complicated menus trying to mimic or associate with the accompanying movie: "The Spy Who Loved Me", along with all of the recent Bond releases, goes directly to a screen with only one button, which says "activate" or "initiate" or something to that effect. This is before you get to the actual menu screen which takes 15 seconds to load due to all of its fancy digital effects!
Sinners: James Bond; lots of Sci-fi and action flicks.

The most common DVD crimes force me to walk back and forth between the back room where the player is located and the center of the store where I can see the TV. If I have to do this more than once, it's another soul off to compact disc hell.

2. It seems alot of DVDs want to show you 15-30 seconds worth of clips highlighting the movie you're about to watch. TV series are especially bad. As a viewer, I've already bought or rented the film, I don't need to see out of context bits of what I am literally seconds away from watching. As a video store employee, I really just want to get the movie started so I can get back to the register.
Sinners: Generally comedies, especially ones starring Dane Cook or Ashton Kutcher, which shoot their entire comic wad during the menu loop; Family Guy

3. Almost all DVD menus have a repetitive loop of audio and or visuals over their main menu, and it is almost always inexcusable. If a movie ends at workduring a busy time, a single 16 second loop can repeat for up to 20 minutes. I cannot think of a specific DVD where this is acceptable, although I remember noticing a few where the loop is an entire song, or something ambient and mellow, which is bearable at best.
Sinners: Again, TV shows seem to love this feature, which is ironic seeing as they play the show's theme song, which also plays at the beginning of every fucking episode; Mythbusters

4. No "Play All" feature. This has been been widely remedied in later years, but damn it's a stinker. Another TV specific complaint (and store specific-- not such a big deal at home), it means you simply have to walk all over the store every 21 minutes. The Twilight Zone is the worst. Their menu tree is as such:

Main Menu-Episode Selection-Episode (with special features)-Episode Scene Selection

With each episode ending on the same episode's scene selection. I think you have to press the arrow button on the remote something like 6 times to get to the previous menu, then back another screen to the episode selection, down to the next episode, ad nauseam. I'm getting red in the face just writing about it.
Sinners: Early Simpsons, Family Guy, Twilight Zone

I should mention season 5 of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. That DVD features a play all button which begins all13+ episodes simultaneously in thumbnail-size boxes on the screen. Really obnoxious, I know, but I kind of have to laugh every time I see it.

There have been a few strides forward in DVD setup since their introduction. The hugest boon to the home viewing market was the almost industry-wide abandonment of mandatory previews. Nearly any DVD that does still feature previews makes you access them from the menu, or at least lets you skip through them. That alone was reason enough to drop VHS.

Kingdom of the Spiders

Kingdom of the Spiders is the only Shatner movie I've watched outside of the Star Trek universe (well, Devil's Rain in the store). And it's pretty damn good. Rachael Scoffed at me when I said it was better than The Birds, but I might stand by that statement. In craft, few can match Hitchcock, and Spiders owes a lot to The Birds (and Night of the Living Dead), but it manages pure B gold with good acting and a handful of my favorite 70's film techniques. Long lost are the fish eye lens, zoom shots and freeze frames.

The film manages to be creepy, but mostly in a "ohmigodgetitoffofme" way than a tense or startling way. It's effectiveness lies almost completely in the fact that they used real spiders throughout, something that could not be done today. It's a little sad to realize how many actual spiders they drowned, burned, stepped on and ran over to make it (PETA would be raining shit on a movie like that nowdays). But, what's done is done and it's sooooo much more effective than rubber or CGI spiders...

So go check it out and don't skip the shock ending. It's a lot of fun!

It's a Dark Day for Civil Rights in California

Apparently the citizens of our great state believe chickens deserve rights more than homosexuals.

A provision of proposition 2 states that gay and lesbian chickens are to remain in confined cages.

Another Day

I'm so sick of "election fever". It is so aggravating and insulting. They're all guilty. And by the way, if there was ever a proposition we needed in California, it's one to repeal the God-forsaken policy of Daylight Saving Time. It's a travesty. I don't even know anymore which period was the original time setting, but end it please, it does nothing but cause problems.

Ok, enough of that.

You guys want Movies!

I was pretty good this month, plus I haven't written for a while. I'll try and remember everything I watched, but I'll probably update as I catch a few that I miss.

Witchfinder General : Vincent Price is easily one of my favorite actors, and this is easily one of his better films. While I love the campiness of Phibes and House of Wax, this movie is ruthless and brutal, especially for it's time. Apparently there was a lot of tension on the set during filming, and it comes across in the performances. The director died after making only three films at a very young age and his other two are currently unavailable in the US.

The Killing : If prompted, I would call Stanley Kubrick my favorite director, and this film affirms that notion (I have yet to see 5 of his films, but I'm working on it). The Killing is nothing short of brilliant. It's the kind of movie I would recommend to people who think they don't like B&W movies, because it's subtle yet so gripping and I don't feel as moved by a movie very often. Tom got me on a Timothy Carey bent, and his story is another great eccentric Hollywood fable.

Speaking of Hollywood fables, The Long Goodbye is my most recent watch. Elliot Gould is one of those utterly likable actors (see Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr.) that carries a movie and when the material is good, the whole thing shines. It's a neo-noir with biting humor and typical Los Angeles avarice. A winning combination.

I got on a Woody Allen kick recently, as well. So far, he has failed to disappoint. While I don't think anything can rival Annie Hall, he comes damn close with Broadway Danny Rose. Slapstick reigns in Bananas, and most recently I saw Take the Money and Run. Woody Allen is a fantastic filmmaker, there's no question.

"After 15 minutes I wanted to marry her. After half an hour I forgot about stealing her purse altogether."

That's all I can say. I haven't seen a bad film he's made (though to be fair, I've been avoiding more recent stuff, as in anything starring Jason Biggs or Will Ferrell).

Cube. Badass. Exactly the type of movie that inspires the poor filmmaker in me. Low budget is written all over it, and it could practically be a play in the sense of scene changes, but damned if it isn't gripping as shit. The silent room made me want to go cry. You go watch!

Movies that could be plays or once were plays are mixed bag. They can feel stifled, or work perfectly. House of Yes was a pretty good movie, but it feels so stage-y that I feel it might be stronger that way. The same goes for Rope. The Hitchcock mastery is present here, but it felt a little lacking. I've been trying to dissect it for a week now, and I can't quite place my feelings. I guess it felt too obvious. The pacing was good, but the premise was a little dated, and would have been better suited with more humor. Picture Arsenic and Old Lace without the laughs. But my biggest issue with the picture may be considered quite blasphemous: I don't really like James Stewart. I guess he's just too much like... James Stewart. Just like when I watch a movie with George Clooney of Leonardo Dicaprio, I can't see any character, all I see is George Clooney or Leonardo Di-Crap-Rio... All I sshee is Jimmy Sshtewart. Ya know?

I've also begun watching an anime series called Gantz. I picked up the manga in... uh... borders to kill sometime and got really intrigued. I definitely don't consider myself an anime fan, but it's peculiar and engrossing.

I haven't watched anything recently that I didn't like, now that I think about it. Kabluey, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Sarah Silverman Show S.2, Twitch City, Indiana Jones 4 (minus the greaser-monkeys-swinging-on-vines-shia-unwatchable-insult-to-anyone-who-has-ever-had-a-thought-lebouf-scene).

Things are looking up for the world, so drink some caol ila, and here's to you!

Fear and Loathing in Martinez, or...

How I learned to drink a fifth of Jim Beam in two days.

I'm about to ride 6.5 hours on a Greyhound bus in a state of heightened hangover. It was worth it. I sold my car to an enthused French-Canadian, wandered around San Francisco (which was surprisingly dull, or maybe it was just me), bought a $90 bottle of scotch (which I am to afraid to drink, of course), sang karaoke in a bar (this is a big one, folks), saw some great friends, rode on a taxi, rode on a bus, rode on a train...

It was a pretty good weekend, all in all. I will call it resounding success if I don't get stabbed or diseased on the Greyhound.

Murs For President

Murs is an undisputed hero of underground rap. But is he qualified for president?

My favorite L.A. rapper Murs recently released a new album, Murs For President. I was excited about this, as his last three solo efforts (Murray's Revenge, 3:16, End of the Beginning) have been stellar. His collaborations with Slug (Atmosphere) and his 3 Melancholy Gypsies album (with Scarub and Eligh) are thoroughly enjoyable, as well (I will sheepishly admit I have heard next to nothing of his original group, Living Legends).

Unfortunately, the new album is thoroughly underwhelming. As I listen to it again, I try and pinpoint what went wrong. My first impression is that it was rushed; rushed for the real world election so Murs could use his clever title, or so he could get a little soapboxing in, I'm not sure.

And soapbox he does, especially on "The Science" (whose title seems a little late in the game for hip-hop activism). Don't get me wrong on this, I don't ever mind hearing people speak the truth, and I understand that if you have the power of celebrity, you are within your right (and possibly obligated) to use it towards curing social ills. I guess my problem is that I'm no stranger to conscious hip-hop, and I've seen it done better by Dead Prez, The Coup, Nas, Immortal Technique, KRS-One, Public Enemy, and even NWA.

Murs' strengths have always been ballad raps, as I like to put it. He tells cohesive stories with multiple characters and often poignant social and political critiques from his first person view. So when he rhymes about the history of the CIA introducing crack to American ghettoes, I feel like I've heard it expressed better musically. I want people to know about these travesties, but I think Murs should stick to rapping about what he knows best.

Murs is one of the most insightful modern philospher/musicians when it comes to the music industry, touring, money, girlfriends and love, city life, and violence. But he does it best on a small personal scale.

An instant warning flash when I heard about his new album was his collaborations with will.i.am, FFA (Frequent Fergie Abettor) and Snoop Dogg-- I'm going out on limb here, I know, but I've never really liked Snoop. His voice annoys me, his raps are bland... he's listenable at best, but I digress-- Murs has always seemed like a proponent of indie raps, so my first instinct is to cry "sellout".

Instinct is powerful apparently. "Lookin' Fly feat. will.i.am" is the weakest song of the record, and maybe Murs' weakest song ever. Fuuuuuck. It has top 40 disease all over it. Recycled simplistic beats with hi hats in all the right places and dull ass chorus (By the way, I've listened
to this song at least 5 times now, and can't find a verse that will.i.am performs. Maybe just having a feat. credit ruins a song).

"Time is Now feat. Snoop Dogg" fares much better. It's a pretty strong beat, but damned if Snoop's verse isn't as dull as ever. Are you really still rhyming "next episode"? I know it's probably a huge selling point to feat. Snoop, but I'm so done with this.

That being said, there are a few gems on Murs For President. "Everything" has one of those uplifting major chord beats that makes you want to go save the world, and features classic personal anecdotes and real world postulating.

"Road Is My Religion" is another straight-talk first person ideology rap that conjures up Atmosphere's anthem "Cats Van Bags".

This is not a bad album, but could've used some more time and some better guests. Those chosen for talent, not for selling power. But that's not the way to campaign for president, as we are all learning on a moment-to-moment basis. And the way things are going, Murs is definitely not the worse candidate out there.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next album, and will never stop listening to End of the Beginning! Or loving L-dot-A-dot!

Voting for Propostion 8 is Un-American

The US constitution guarantees equal rights for every individual, regardless of race, creed, gender, or any other individuating factor. There is absolutely no reason to deny any one person, or a group of people, a civil right that is offered to every other person.

Banning a person (or persons) from any governmental civil service, based on their personal trait, belief, or lifestyle, is inherently unconstitutional. America was formed with the freedom of every individual a right, no matter another person's opinion.

We cannot allow institutionalized inequality in this country ever.

This is a battle that many groups in America have fought and indeed are still fighting.

Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, and voting in its favor is un-American. It's that simple.

Shit, Guys and Gals

As I prepare my statement for the "legalization of gay marriage", let me entertain with a few tidbits.

A pretty damn poignant rap video from the 90's



And if you like David Lynch or surrealism in general, this is the only political video to watch until the bullshit's over.

Crowds

Here's a little video of Alison Krauss singing "Down in the River...". it gives you an idea of what the crowds were like on Friday evening, the least busy day of the festival. Sorry about the jerky-cam and poor quality sound.

Hardly Strictly Moshpit

Went to the HSB fest in Golden Gate Park this weekend, and it was by far the best yet. As a travelling crew, we've finally got it down so it's minimal stress and maximal fun. And the music this year was Hot! Pictures here are a little small, I need a telephoto next year.
























Gogol Bordello was the biggest highlight. I had high expectations and they did not disappoint. They sound great and the live show is blindingly awesome.



Alison Krauss and Robert Plant were pretty amazing as well. He has definitely still go it and let's all pray she never loses it.

Heavy Trash is a band to watch for, if you like rockabilly. They started with a song calling out "Peter Cushing", "Hammer Horror" and so on, so they got a plus in my book. They look damn slick too.

We also saw Jerry Jeff, Iron and Wine (barely), the Gourds, Peter Rowan, Richard Thompson (I could see his beret with my binoculars), Bad Livers, Odetta, and Elvis Costello. Damn! And I feel like we missed so much.





















I read that there were 40,000 people Saturday and 100,000 people Sunday. So it got to be a little hard to move around, but was well worth and we'll see you there next year.

Whoops

Preface: I often get calls on my landline for some surgical/doctor's office. I think the phone number is very similar...

Today:

'Ring'

Me: Hello?

Male Caller: Do you do breast implants there?

Me: No... I think you have the wrong number.

Male Caller: SON of a....

And that was it. He fumbled for a second and then we hung up. You probably had to be there, but it was surreal and funny.

SnowBall

This is Snowball. I think she is the neighbor's cat. I think she is a she. I decided to call her Snowball but sometimes I get confused and call her Snowflake. Also, Squeaker would be an appropriate name. Anyway, she's taken to hanging out in my backyard, and I don't mind at all.

Cool eyes, eh!

HSB 2007

Last year Rachael and I had a dreamy experience watching Gillian Welch at the HSB. Then I totally got a picture with her backstage (red hair, turquoise dress... you may need to squint).

I won

I swear...

Some Dubious Video Game Moments

Questionable moment from a Kid's game...




From another angle...




The reaction...

Ketchup

MUSIC:

The big show in 2 weeks. Full Schedule's up! Go!
Now, this will be my 3rd year and there's still no good shorthand name for this event. Nothing really captures the essence except for the full name, and that's just too damn long to say every time. I most often find myself calling it simply "bluegrass", but that's not musically accurate, nor is it enough to elicit the proper connotation. We should decide on a collective phrase so tell me what it should be. I think Scott's suggestion was : MC HAMMER FEST!!!!

On that note, Krauss and Plant... Pretty cool. We're gonna try and make it. Try and listen to the album, it's a slow moody thing. Multiple covers, including Tom Waits, and their voices just add this amazing sultry thing to the songs. Robert Plant has never been so subdued, or so touching.

FILM:
I'm in the swing again. I get excited and watch some "must-sees" and some new stuff, although my recent joys have been the classics.

Battle Royale: I know, cult classic at birth... but this movie was tense, shocking, and touching. As my first Fukasaku, I am now intrigued by this director.

Audition: Was my first Takashi Miike film... this movie's reputation preceded it, and I was pleasantly surprised at the subtleness of it...

TBC

Bear With Me!

Ok, all three of you who read this, and who have stopped reading it now because it's been months since I've posted. I kind of like doing this but I go through phases, just like all of my other interests. But I realized I can write about all of my interests, so no matter what I'm doing I can do a little something. So Let's try for twice (2x) a week. okay?

More and more I've been realizing and acquiescing to my role as a consumer. Not a consumer in the Corporate America sense per se (more on that at a future date), but a consumer of media as opposed to a creator. The creator is generally regarded as the nobler postition, but a consumer is many things, if not in the least the person that puts food (or liquor) in the creator's stomach.
I hear much disdain for critics, but they provide a service and I like reading other people's opinions and interpretations on all art forms. It is, however, crucial to understand that a critical opinion, even if it's a majority, is still an opinion and you can like or dislike something no matter what everyone else thinks.
My point, I suppose, is that I feel creative when I write an opinion on something that I've thought about. Maybe I don't have the potential or the motivation to put out material often (or ever), but when I form an opinion on something, I am comfortable expressing it to the public. That's my creation based on someone else's creation. I guess you might liken it to "those who can't do... teach" But fuck that, some of our favorite people are teachers, and can you imagine them in any other role?
By no means do I expect people to take my word verbatim. I don't want a cult, and I don't read any critic on film or music or art or anything else that I completely agree with. It's impossible. My taste is nearly polar from some of my best friends, and yet we soldier on.
All I'm saying is open yourself up to new things and if you still don't like 'em, then fuck it you tried.

Blah di Blah

Do I talk about anything but movies? Probably not. I don't even watch movies but working in a video store makes it a constant topic of discourse.

However, I have watched three movies this week, a true feat, so 'ere:

Iron Man: Pretty cool, fun, bullshit movie that's good on the big screen. Further instills my faith in Favreau. I didn't even need to drink beer to enjoy it. Terse fight scenes and one-liners that don't make you embarrassed. Also prompted me to watch...

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Finally... Robert D. J. is absolutely the most charismatic likeable "big tabloid style star" in Hollywood. And Val is pretty cool too. LA inside joke movies like this are often... (I can't think of a better word than) Stupid. But this reminds me of "Day of the Locust" and"Get Shorty" and the Ethan Coen short story book, which are all recommended reading. Val Kilmer should do more comedies. Or anything, I miss that guy. And Jeff Goldblum.

the Golden Compass: Bleh. What can I say that everyone else hasn't. It was pretty decent and the effects were cool but as Jamye said it tried to pack too many big set pieces in at the expense of congruity for those who hadn't read the book, and those that had read the book (well, me at least) felt like the coolest elements (having a fucking Daemon!) were played down. There's no way a movie can reach the depth that the books and the reader's imagination can in a fantasy like this. However it was a good effort and fun and the girl that plays Lyra is the only child/teen actor that I can even think of that was actually convincing and cool.

I'll let you know soon about some books I'm working on and my only other advice is to stay away from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion unless you want to play for 13 hours straight until 5 in the morning and not even remember what you did the next day. Ouch!

Mix tape List

In case you don't already know about this.... check it out.

So here's a new playlist idea...

Excellent Beginnings.

This is totally by taste, but the goal is to put together a list of songs that start off mind-blowingly great. The intro can be 5 or 50 seconds, but it has to be something that starts transcendentally kick-ass, and defines the song. A song that's power is absolute from the beginning. It's hard to make a long list, but I bet you all can come up with a few.

If you don't know where to begin, start by listening to Green Day's "When I Come Around". The first 8 seconds are music history 101. Guitar + bass + drums = melt you like butter.

K, Go!

Lately

See below for pics of my latest (long overdue) vacation. I got to see good friends Brett & Charmaine and spend some quality time with my cuz & Kailine (sp.?).

Meanwhile, Stu is getting his face smashed in on his (my) bike -- I'll post a pic when I get one -- and our house is getting robbed by some fucking tweaker. Stu's digital camera is out there somewhere, so keep an eye out, and in the meantime I'm creeped out because the perp climbed in through my window. Not to worry though, because I bought some pepper spray and I've got my trusty Mexican Beatin' Stick. Fucking Bleh...

On a better note, check out this magazine. Serendipity brought this to me and I want it be as influential for all of you... you can find in print (the old school way) at VX and Northtown, but only if you hurry.

If you're looking for diversion, I can easily spend 2+ hours looking at the do's and don'ts at vice. Use at your discretion.

Here's some Movies I would recommend..
-The Orphanage
-Ratatouille
-The Wicker Man-- (The original 1973 version, preferably the long version which you can borrow... if you dare)
-I spent a few hours watching cable TV the other night and the only thing I found that was half-worthwhile was Mythbusters, which was pretty damn good. Possibly the only good thing on cable that's not on Adult Swim.

Oh, and read the Adventures in Oz. Damn.

Well, Shit.

It's been a while since I updated, and I'm falling asleep at the keyboard, but here's what I've been doing...

Lookin' good...
Cosmic Golfing




Fishing
And studying a menu





















For More jump here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17666211@N04/

ABC Song List!

I finally finished my Alphabet challenge... It was tough. Frustrating at times when you have to bump stuff you want to fit some that actually works, and towards the end I was really sweatin' it to find songs that were actually good. It's kind of cool to be forced to use the B-side songs of bands you like. It forces you to listen to songs I haven't put on everyone's mix tapes 7 times before.

It's kind of a shame to print it without the actual songs accompanying because I'm sure there are songs you guys don't know of yet, and it won't flow, but I figure I'll make a few CD's of it and pass them out to interested parties. There's no photobucket for music, I guess because record companies are all in a tizzy. Even a youtube style site would be really cool but that would be very difficult to legally maintain. So in the meantime you'll have read it and email me if you want a copy.

Here it is folks...

Atmosphere -- One of a Kind
Jorge Ben -- Xica de Silva
Coolio -- Fantasic Voyage
Decemberists -- Eli the Barrow Boy
Eagles of Death Metal -- Kiss the Devil
Fatlip -- What's Up Fatlip?
Gogol Bordello -- Harem in Tuscany
the Husbands -- I'm Doing Fine
Iggy Pop -- Sixteen
the Jam -- Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
the Kinks -- Lola
Loretta Lynn -- Mrs. Leroy Brown (double points....)
Murs -- You and I
New Order -- Temptation
the Old Prunes -- Bully in the Alley
John Prine -- Quiet Man
Q Lazarus -- Goodbye Horses
Rodrigo y Gabriela -- Vikingman
Stellastarr* -- Jenny
TV on the Radio -- Playhouses
Unkle -- Rabbit in Your Headlights
Velvet Underground -- After Hours
Weezer -- Undone: the Sweater Song
X -- Nausea
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Cheated Hearts
Z-Man -- Z-Mutiny

---and in song title order---

After Hours -- Velvet Underground
Bully in the Alley -- Old Prunes
Cheated Hearts -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight -- the Jam
Eli the Barrow Boy -- Decemberists
Fantastic Voyage -- Coolio
Goodbye Horses -- Q Lazarus
Harem in Tuscany -- Gogol Bordello
I'm Doing Fine -- the Husbands
Jenny -- Stellastarr*
Kiss the Devil -- Eagles of Death Metal
Lola -- the Kinks
Mrs. Leroy Brown -- Loretta Lynn
Nausea -- X
One of a Kind -- Atmosphere
Playhouses -- TV on the Radio
Quiet Man -- John Prine
Rabbit in Your Headlights -- Unkle
Sixteen -- Iggy Pop
Temptation -- New Order
Undone: The Sweater Song -- Weezer
Vikingman -- Rodrigo y Gabriela
What's Up Fatlip? -- Fatlip
Xica de Silva -- Jorge Ben
You and I -- Murs
Z-Mutiny -- Z-Man


Phew! As I was typing this up I realized I had fucked up... but it's all fixed so enjoy... look forward to seeing your lists.

Wow, I have as many pictures on here of Will Arnett as I do of Rachael....

I have an idea for a list that I propose everyone compile. It's a combination of something I love and a time-tested listographical form. I call it the Alphabet Song List.

Here are the guidelines. Using the English alphabet, you find a band name that starts with each letter (excluding articles) and one song for each band that starts with each letter (excluding articles).

You end up with one band for each of the 26 letters, and for each band on the list, you have to pick one song they have performed that also begins with each letter of the alphabet. You cannot repeat letters.

Ihope my explanation is sufficient. The end result is two lists that coincide. And the best part is that it should be an amazing mix-tape... CD... playlist.. podcast whatever the fuck.

Anyway, It's a list and a show and I'd love to hear everyone's. I still haven't fully completed mine.

I'm updating this a bit for clarification. This is taken from a dialogue Jamie and I had...

There's 26 songs total, with a title and band name for each letter....so if you choose Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody that counts as band name Q, and song title B. Now you have 25 more songs but you can't use another band that starts with Q or another title that starts with B. So it's easy at first but then you have to get way specific at the end... so it's kinda fun. I think the best strategy is to do the hard letters first and work from there.

I don't know how to do names but I guess David Bowie would count as B... but i'm sure you could bend the rules if you had to.

The only other thing (I forget if I mentioned this already) is that it has be good! or sortof at least. So no finding random bands... or I guess that's okay but it has to be cool songs you like and so the end result is a mix tape you're proud of...

movies

Is That all I talk about? I guess it's just a conversation filler because, yes, I work at a movie store.

Oh, I watch them occasionally. I usually enjoy them. Because I'm careful about what I watch and generally go for my preconcieved enjoyable "genres".

Here's a Ranking:

Comedy...lowbrow, independent, romantic, blue, I like it all

Sci-Fi... yeah.

Horror... I guess... I don't really like to be scared but I like fantasy bizarre-ness and this "genre" has the most creativity... Mostly zombies, monsters, and cheesepuff slasher bullshit.

Ahh, and westerns. I like most westerns I see. Cuz it's... history, accurately represented...

And everything else falls into the same mostly unused category:

Drama, stuffy drama, period piece, biopic, arthouse, foreign arthouse, romance, east coast gangster barf, new wave, french new wave, italian new wave, croatian third wave.... blah blah blah.

not to say I don't pretty much like every movie I see, I just don't challenge myself often.

More to Come!

Summer... get ready

Anyone miss summer?




















here's a reminder

















Are you ready yet?



Oh, and here's the proper way to spend summer...

Ramblings

I'm overhearing the Boosh as I write this... So that may affect the tone. Just doodled around with student universe and shit's expensive. Sudan, Egypt, Moscow, South Africa, Congo, Bangkok, they're all $1500 or more round trip. Damn.
Might have to look at one-way tickets to Canada or elsewhere if things get ugly in a year. Time will tell.
If you saw Rasket's post than you've seen what movies I watched recently, and her summation is mostly equal to mine.

Sweeney Todd- Low expectations... even lower outcome

King of Kong- High expectations... great delivery

Juno- Medium expectations... good times

See you soon.......

Follow up

A continuation of movie week...



-Ilsa: She wolf of the SS - There's basically no redeeming quality to this movie. It's not terribly entertaining, and the filmmaking is all around terrible. The subject is what makes it interesting, and though I don't regret watching it, I could hav easily lived without it. I suppose it's just shocking enough to be interesting, and to paraphrase Rob Zombie, I can't believe a movie like this could ever have been made.


-The Washingtonians- I have a soft spot for the Masters of Horror Series, I haven't seen that many, but this is the worst by far. The story had promise and there were a few creepy moments in the first half but it went so off course that it was painful to watch. Stick to Pro-Life. Damn Fun

-Last Man on Earth- perhaps I watched this too soon after reading the book, so I felt myself needlessly comparing the movie to the book. However, the mood is set well, the adaptation is faithful, and Vincent Price is just plain cool.

Movie Week

I suppose it makes sense, but whenever Rachael is out of town I watch a lot more movies than I do when she's around. So, here is what I've watched this week and how it rates on the guillermo index:

-The Brothers Solomon- Excellent. Best comedy I've seen in a long time.

-Chopping Mall- Good clean fun. Eighties-riffic horror chock full of snappy lines, boobs and exploding heads. And robots. Have a nice day.

-Last House on the Left- Obviously influential 70's gritty torture porn. Not the best, but worth seeing for the historical value and weird musical juxtaposition in the vein of The Wicker Man.

-Thunderheart- This movie's pretty cool. Perhaps a bit stereotypical in the Indian-spiritualism-dancing-ghosts aspect but pretty scary and relevant regarding the government. (If you can't say fuck, you can't say fuck the government-- Lenny Bruce... which brings me to...)

-Fuck- Clearly meant for a certain type of sensibility, but some very funny moments and an undeniably positive argument for freedom of speech.

-I also began watching 30 rock and Metalocalypse which both show much promise in the future (especially if I can start to understand what the hell they're saying in Metalocalypse)...

So to wrap up... I would recommend all of these. Somehow I managed to watch only enjoyable movies this week. This definitely makes up for some wasted time in the past.

Stay tuned.