| Dispatches from Pop Culture |
[Aug. 9th, 2006|10:28 am] |
"Houseguest" is as brilliant as it is racist, as its entire plot hinges on the idea that all black people look the same. (In case you don't know, "Houseguest" is the film in which Sinbad poses as Phil Hartman's college buddy to escape the mafia.) I can't wait for the day when some random hobo con-man comes to my door and I let him in, thinking it is Brian.
"Let's Talk About Sex and the City" is so stupid. |
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| slack |
[Jul. 24th, 2006|08:57 pm] |
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Why do I feel as if not doing homework is so essential to my identity? |
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| Bored, reading Burroughs |
[Jul. 18th, 2006|08:03 pm] |
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No way to verify this online right now (can't risk porn sites coming up googled at work) but apparently the ejaculating penis in Egyptian hieroglyphs can mean (among other things) "before." Hah. Wonder where THAT association came from. |
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| The Benefit of the Doubt |
[Jul. 18th, 2006|07:49 pm] |
A few nights ago, Meagan and I cut my hair. But I totally fucked it up, misusing the attachments that trim the hair around the ears. So now I have a patch above either ear that is significantly shorter than the rest of the head. So far, no one has even mentioned it to me, which either means that they're being polite, or people think that I did it intentionally. (Considering how dumb it looks, this is kind of insulting.) Granted, I haven't really seen anyone other than work/class acquaintances since I cut it...but Julian and Jamie just came in to the library to get a video, and they didn't say a word. And yes, it is REALLY noticable. It looks terrible; I look like that racist Braves mascot with the bright red skin and the mohawk. (Homer the Brave?)
If you saw me with two giant patches shaved off of my head, you'd talk some serious shit, right? |
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| Ving Rhames vs. The Zombies |
[Jul. 18th, 2006|05:23 pm] |
(This is starting to become my dream journal, so be warned if you're not interested in reading about really detailed dissections of my sleeping life.)
Last night had a really stereotypical sort of dream for me: a dream about fighting zombies. Usually my frequent dreams about zombie fighting are fun, but this one had sort of a darker twist. Much of it took place in "my house" (looked nothing like any house I've actually lived in but was still "mine" in that dream kind of way) which was a very white, very metallic sort of place with a dark bedroom. Meagan and I (and again, Meagan didn't resemble herself at all but was still "Meagan") were sort of nervously preparing for the zombie invasion. Meagan was a very tall boyish girl with white shirt and a bandanna around her hair. I was sharpening small sticks that I removed from some large woven wooden tapestry, and I had prepared a large metal pole to hit zombies in the head with. We had a small crew of zombie fighters, and were doing pretty good at staying alive (sticking to obscure parts of the city, dark alleys and beneath overpasses) for the most part, except for the fact that I found my physical attacks to be sort of weak at times. For example, I would thrust my steel pole as hard as I could into a zombie's head, but he would easily deflect it. (Seems to be continuing this theme in my dreams of being unable to fully physicalize actions and words--this has become so terminal in my dream-life that I think it might be a symptom of a lucid dream-state.) Other than this, I didn't seem to be dying, so things were going fine.
Sequence kind of confused after this, but I believe what happened next was a scene in which we were cornered in an alley/convinced we were going to die, when Ving Rhames burst through some kind of fence in his police uniform with a zombie task force and saved our asses. This, of course, is a direct reference to the "Dawn of the Dead" remake where Ving Rhames plays a cop. The strangest part here is the fact that in the dream I recognized him as Ving Rhames and realized that I knew he was coming because I had recently read that he was starring in the "Day of the Dead" remake. (I had another of these weird meta-consciousness moments in my dream about "Dodgeball" a few nights ago.) Later, things get bad when someone who is supposed to be Meagan's father shows up and stays in our "camp" (my house.) While we are sleeping, I notice him on the ground; he has become a giant green turtle who seems to be oozing sickness into the ground. When we wake up we are all covered in green splotches, presumably contracting the sickness that will make us zombies.
But we don't make it that far, because this transitions into me working for Conan O'Brien on his show. Lots of odd stuff about me in a recording booth trying to record a round table discussion between Conan and his guests. (Apparently in this dream the show is a political discussion show, very prestigious.) Lots of strange feelings and images that I can't translate to words. Later, Meagan (or my mother?) calls me and asks if I've gone to the voting booth yet, and she picks me up. While riding, I become very tired. I'm so groggy that I think I may have been half-awake at this point and maybe Meagan was actually talking to me. I'm confused though, and can't figure out what day it is. Decide it is Tuesday, and have an elaborate conversation where I describe my schedule for the week (completely made up.) It is (notably?) around 2 o'clock. |
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| The Dinosaur Family says "Hi." |
[Jul. 17th, 2006|06:10 pm] |
More strange dreams.
A few nights ago had a very horrifying nightmare at around 8 a.m. Don't know if I can convey the terror of it very well. Starts (?) with me walking around on some rocky hills like in the Scottish highlands or something, trying to set up a shot for a film, but noticing that I can't seem to get an angle that doesn't include a large McMansion sort of house. The things seem to fill the distant treeline of every vantage point. (During this time I happen to be singing "The Ballad of Retief," a song that my brother and I wrote as young children in Michigan while on a trip to [hah] Crystal Lake.) I head down from the hills, and approach my Grandparents' house as they are unloading groceries from their van. I offer to help them and we go inside. It starts to rain. (I should mention that in this dream, I am the age I am now, even though my grandfather has been dead for 8 years and my grandmother hasn't lived in their old house in 5 or so. So, odd.) Inside, I am looking out between the curtains onto the street, asking my grandfather if there are any ghost stories surrounding the neighborhood. He says "Oh, yeah," very nonchalantly. Around this time I see on the street two small children, sort of skipping in the rain in their colorful raingear. They are to the left with their backs to me. One of them (the girl) has a head that flashes back and forth between a head and a flash of fire. I ask my grandfather if there is a legend about a ghost with a head of fire, and he says (again, nonchalantly) "Yeah." I start to scream, and the ghost hears me. She is suddenly on the other side of the street, and facing me. The fire and the hood are replaced by a bald head staring directly at me with dark, terrifying zombie eyes. I'm screaming. At this point, I wake up, and though my eyes are open, I can't move. Eventually I move, and roll over. Meagan tells me that I was screaming out loud.
A couple nights later, I dream about all of my teeth falling out. I am chewing a gigantic (think tennis ball sized) wad of gum. I take it out because my teeth feel strange. I notice that one is loose and shaking. I have a feeling of "oh no, I need to be careful" and then all of my teeth promptly spill out in my hands, to my terror. I think I am in a classroom or something here, because I run to the bathroom. I look into the mirror and all that is left are jagged roots of teeth.
Last night, a really weird dream about being a world-class athlete. Can't piece it together, but the sport is some arena sport, similar to Dodgeball. We're in some kind of world championship. At some points, I'm committed to the action. At other times, I'm conscious that this is contrary to my personality. At other points (later) I realize that I'm a character in a movie, the sequel to "Dodgeball" the movie with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughan. I haven't even seen that movie. |
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| Starcrossed |
[Jun. 29th, 2006|10:19 pm] |
All right, even though posting this betrays the fact that I spend entirely too much time (read: any) reading Craigslist postings to find unintentionally funny ones and berate strangers...this was just too good to pass up. This is from the "Missed Connections" section:
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Fell for you at the Warped Tour - m4w
Reply to: pers-176906036@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-06-29, 7:35PM EDT
Me- Skinny guy with dyed black hipster hair wearing tight pants
You- girl with multicolored hipster hair. You were also wearing tight pants.
I spotted you by the myspace tent, but you disappeared into the crowd before I could talk to you.
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Brilliant! Wearing tight pants? THAT narrows it down. You guys think he'll find her?
And who the fuck knew that they still put on the Warped Tour? I thought it went the way of Doc Martens? |
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| Waking Life (2001) |
[Jun. 26th, 2006|06:22 pm] |
Today finally finished Waking Life after several shifts. Sometimes I like watching a movie in shifts, because it makes it feel more like a book. In this case I tried a few times, once trying to watch it at school on my laptop; my laptop, though, is so ancient that it can't play a DVD anymore without skipping on every other frame. Not the best way to watch a movie, especially this one since the rotoscoping effects tend to make me queasy. At first I thought Waking Life was very interesting, especially the spooky, evocative opening scenes and the interludes that have us floating over the city in the Point of View of the main character. But as the movie wore on, I found myself becoming increasingly bored. The philosophical pontifications that make up the main focus of the movie vary from mildly thought-provoking to extremely stupid, at best inspiring some pause and consideration of existential themes and at worst causing the eyes to roll backwards into the head. Some of this stuff is really nothing but the Dorm Room stoner talk of an armchair philosopher . . . which could be interesting if it were showing us characters who actually have these kinds of conversations, but enjoyment of the movie relies on you as the viewer thinking that these characters are hitting onto something truly profound. Unfortunately, they rarely are.
In many ways, this is Richard Linklater's thematic sequel to Slacker, an intriguingly episodic movie I saw recently and really enjoyed. This film employs a lot of the same local characters turned actors that made that earlier film so interesting, but here they serve less as characters and more as chapter headings in what ends up being one long, boring, not particularly original philosophical diatribe. This is essentially Slacker without anything happening . . . which is pretty ridiculous since Slacker is a series of intertwining vignettes with absolutely no overlying plot. If it weren't for the animation, this film would be nothing but a series of close-ups of actors talking. It's kind of a shame because the animation in this film is gorgeous and really haunting and sort of wasted on the movie's content. There were a few sequences that really hit me (the last dialogue with the man played by Richard Linklater, and the floating scenes, including the poignant ending), but overall this movie didn't stand out to me. Though it does make me very excited to see A Scanner Darkly next month. |
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| Quid Pro Quo |
[Jun. 15th, 2006|07:19 pm] |
I can't bring myself to do anything constructive or intellectually stimulating while at work, so lately I've just been surfing the internet, which is actually really boring without sound or any plugins. But Craigslist is always slightly diverting. Lately I've been into looking in the Barter section for weird offers. Here are some:
Records. Mostly classic rock. Several Eagles. Some Beatles, Billy Joel, Dylan, Who, Joe Walsh. Also some reggae, comedy, other stuff. Good condition. Also about 20 45 rpms. Will trade for firearm - AK-47, Double barrel shotgun, Glock 17L, Springfield XD, AR 15, Garand. Other trades considered.
Looking to trade my building. It is power ready, very nice inside, has shelves and linoleum floor. Perfect for an office, storage building or a kids playhouse. It just needs cleaning. You will need a tow truck to move. What do you have to offer?
I have a Hotpoint Washer and Dryer that I am looking to trade for a laptop or a pistol. You must pickup. Located in Midtown.
my husband is a plumber but never does our plumbing. we just did dishes today and it was 90 in my kitchen. i don't have much money, but i'm willing to give you what i had for his fathers day gift. as long as you know how to take out a bad dishwasher and replace it with an old one that i have i need your help.
thank you and God bless
Haha, people are weird. Man I'm bored. |
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| R.I.P Desmond Dekker |
[May. 26th, 2006|05:31 pm] |
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try
Try and try, you'll succeed at last
Persecution you must bear
Win or lose you've got to get your share
Got your mind set on a dream
You can get it, though harder them seem now
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try
Try and try, you'll succeed at last
I know it, listen |
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| Extravadanza |
[Apr. 10th, 2006|06:07 pm] |
My latest show-that-I-watch-after-waking-up-to-help-me-stay-awake is "The Tony Danza Show." I'd been struggling for an adequate "Dawson's Creek" replacement since TBS exiled it to a single episode at 9 a.m. instead of the glorious 10:00 to Noon two hour block of my halcyon youth, and of course I do not wake up early enough to watch something at Nine. (I could go on about TBS's recent dearth of programming savvy of late, but I won't.) Anyway, "The Tony Danza Show" (and no, not the short-lived sitcom of the same name) is brilliant, and perfectly fits my standards for an early morning show: diverting enough to keep my eyes open but irritating enough to make me want to brush my teeth instead of watching it. So, here are the top 5 funniest things about "The Tony Danza Show":
1) The funniest thing about the show is that it seems like there is some unspoken rule that no guest may be more famous than the show's host. For example, today's guests were the male lead from "Scary Movie 4," Jordan Bridges of "Conviction" and (formerly) of "Dawson's Creek," and the Korean guy from "Lost." The Korean guy from Lost might actually break that rule, but maybe it's a wash since Tony had the bigger role in "Crash." The most famous person I have ever seen on the show was Johnny Carson's sidekick, Ed McMahon, and Tony practically fellated him on stage. He's always got people like the chick from "Prison Break" and the Italian guy from "24," it's hysterical.
2) Next funniest (and possibly more funny) is Danza's endearingly sincere but pathetically misdirected love of music. One of the first episodes I ever saw was a special episode which focused entirely on Tony's band, who back Tony as he sings American standard type songs in the Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra vein, and some Swing and Doo Wop. The best part is that Tony can't sing at all. He's horrible. In fact, he barely even sings in the conventional sense, but sort of "talk sings" like William Shatner on "Rocket Man," only with his dull, meat-headed Italian cadence. After this episode, however, Tony has begun singing a song with piano accompaniment at the close of every show, much to my early morning amusement. Once he even did a duet with the Nelson Brothers that was the second most embarrassing thing I've ever seen on television. (The first being when Carson Daly had Jennifer Love Hewitt on his horrible late night talk show to promote "Ghost Whisperer," and they took a compatability test which found them to be 95% compatible).
3) Third funniest is how Danza always manages to steer the conversation towards boxing. Take today's episode, in which he asked all three of his guests about boxing, how many fights they had been in, or whether they worked out.
4) Fourth funniest is how Tony always manages to talk about what huge celebrities he's met. Which, I'll admit, is pretty impressive considering that Tony Danza probably has barely any more access to famous people than I do, and I'VE never sparred with Bob Dylan.
5) Rounding out our list is the format of the show, combined with Danza's bland personality. I'm sure it's no surprise that Danza is, in fact, one of the blandest people on the face of the earth. But for a talentless hack who started out as a boxer and consistently plays jocks and meatheads in his depressingly infrequent acting roles, Tony is surprisingly effeminate. His show's format includes frequent cooking segments, the sort of humorless, good-natured, everyone's-a-winner trivia contests that Rosie O'Donnell often used, and an Oprah-style audience that replaces all laughter with polite applause and applauds extra conscientiously when any guest mentions Cancer, charity, someone's mother/children, or the movie "Crash." Today Tony wore a bright pink sweater that showed his nipples, and the title of this blog entry is the title of a game featuring a multi-colored Plinko board emblazoned with Tony Danza's smiling face.
Sorry. |
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| CD #16 Bad Radio-Demos, etc. |
[Mar. 2nd, 2006|04:20 pm] |
When It Came Out: Never really did, per se.
Where I Got It: This is sort of homemade. I'd always loved Pearl Jam, and especially around the time I discovered this, winter of my 8th grade year. I was at my then friend Josh's house, and we were looking around in the basement at his brother's stuff. His brother had graduated college, and was "cool" in a way that really young teenaged boys think anyone is cool who has long hair and a guitar and listens to rock and roll. Though, he did live in the basement of his parents house, so how cool could he have been? But I digress. Among his CDs was one disc (an obvious bootleg) with a pasted photo of Eddie Vedder on the front, with the words "Eddie Vedder solo album" typed on the front. I immediately tried to borrow it, which Josh would not let me do, though I did borrow it to burn a long time later. Turns out it was not actually an Eddie Vedder solo album (which I knew, since my pathetically intricate knowledge of Pearl Jam let me know that no such album existed), but Vedder's demos with his band before Pearl Jam, Bad Radio. So, I relabeled it and burned a copy of it.
How I Feel About It: It's not very good, though it's useful as an oddity. Pretty generic apart from Vedder's singing voice. I think I've put some of these songs on mixes and things, but it's not really the best listen. |
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| CD #15 Bad Manners-Ska 'n' B |
[Mar. 1st, 2006|06:59 pm] |
When It Came Out: 1980
Where I Got It: I downloaded and burned this off of Limewire this past summer when the neighbor's wireless connection was humming and Brian and I would spend hours upon hours every night sitting in the living room downloading giant quantities of media. This one took a particularly large amount of work, because only about 6 people on the planet like Bad Manners, and apparently they all live in England with dial-up connections. Anyway, after about a month, I finally got all of the songs in good shape and abandoned my attempt to download all twenty or so Bad Manners albums.
How I Feel About It: Bad Manners are one of the lesser bands of the 80's UK Ska revival. Though that doesn't mean much, since there were only about 5 of them. So, Bad Manners are still a pretty great Ska band. This is their first album, so their sound is still pretty fresh on it. The best thing about Bad Manners is their ridiculous lyrics and their really immature, disgusting subject matter. All their songs are just about fucking fat women. This album isn't quite as much like that, which is good because after the 15 th Bad Manners album the trend gets a little old. This has some great Ska covers of songs like "Monster Mash" and "Wooly Bully." Aside from that, it really sticks to its Ska roots, not messing around with the beat too much, which is notable considering some of the experimenting that bands like The Beat and Madness were doing, to the point that some of their later work is only barely identifiable as Ska. |
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| CD #13-14 Johann Sebastian Bach-The Brandenburg Concertos 1-3 and Organ Works |
[Feb. 28th, 2006|06:53 pm] |
When It Came Out: Um...
Where I Got It: Both of these were on sale at Barnes and Noble in 2002.
How I Feel About It: What am I gonna say, it's fucking Bach? Oh man, FUCK you Bach! But no, these are good. I like the organ stuff a lot, and the Brandenburg stuff is some of my favorite classical music. But I know shit about classical music, so I couldn't really give much of an opinion. I sleep to these sometimes, they make me feel good. And if I ever get pregnant, I suppose I'll play this for the baby. |
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| CD #12 Audioslave (Self Titled) |
[Feb. 27th, 2006|06:11 pm] |
When It Came Out: Um, 2001? I don't know. This is a burned copy and I really don't want to look this up, because then the word Audioslave will be in my Google auto-complete, and Amazon will recommend Rage Against the Machine CDs and Chris Cornell's solo album (which I have, stay tuned!) every time I try to log on to buy nothing.
Where I Got It: Burned it from my "brother" Chris just after it came out. Yeah, I burned it, but at least I didn't buy the album, which as I recall has a stupid giant flame statue on the front of it.
How I Feel About It: I've never listened to this, so I couldn't say. I don't even remember the name or tune of the "hit" that inexplicably prompted me to burn a copy of this when it was released. You'd think that Chris Cornell and the members of Rage Against the Machine would form a pretty good band, but their hackery is pretty apparent in everything they do, especially that recent song where Cornell says that all you can do is "be yourself." Fuck, Tom Morello! That's all you can do? How about killing a cop or overthrowing the oppressor? Sigh. Pathetic. |
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| CD #11 Athenaeum - Radiance |
[Feb. 27th, 2006|06:09 pm] |
(Here's Friday's)
When It Came Out: 1998, like about 70 percent of my CD collection, apparently. How lame.
Where I Got It: I'm pretty sure this was a Birthday or Christmas gift. Early on, like around 12 or 13 years old when it came out. Can't pinpoint it exactly, but I know it was one of the first 50 to 100 CDs I owned. The single off of this CD, "What I Didn't Know" actually got regular play on alternative radio when it came out.
How I Feel About It: Angsty shit. It's weird, because it came out around that time when the dominant musical aesthetic involved a singer with a scratchy, high-pitched voice, and "heartfelt" lyrics about relationships and breakups. Sort of like Sugar Ray, or Silverchair without the fake punk thing. It's hard to think of a popular example of this sound, though the Lit song "My Own Worst Enemy" is a pretty dead on example. This is sort of like emo without the indie aspect...sort of like proto-Bowling For Soup. In other words, terrible. Really embarrassing stuff. Here's an example of the lyrics, from their "hit" mentioned above. I've put the rhyming words in caps to help you out.
"I complain
When nothing's even WRONG
And you're ashamed
Cause you're not quite that STRONG
That's when I said I'll NEED
More than you can offer ME
But I miss your face as you can TELL
I hope my absence makes you WELL
Cause what I didn't know
Is I was killing YOU
I said a lot of things that I didn't mean TO
But I am older now
And I am sorry TOO
So I can wait awhile
If it brings me back to YOU"
Fuck that is awful. The worst part is I remember really relating to this song during a break-up with my middle school girlfriend, Kristin Habel—sitting in my room, singing along off-key and crying. I call this stuff Dear Diary music, where the lyrics are just sentences I might use to literally describe something, with no nuance. Man, rhyming "to" with "too" is really pathetic. Moving on. |
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| CD #10 Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... |
[Feb. 23rd, 2006|06:01 pm] |
(These should be coming fairly regularly for a while now.)
When It Came Out: In 1992, when it was still cool for Hip Hop artists to wear red-yellow-and-green on everything, and sport dreadlocks. A great time in history.
Where I Got It: At an old used CD shop in Roswell called "Musica." I don't remember exactly when I got this, but I remember distinctly buying it in the summer and riding in Allison Lee's convertible to get it along with a couple of other discs, so I suppose it would have been around the summer of 2001. According to the sticker still on the inside of the case, it only cost $5.99. Not bad. I probably bought this after I saw the band live at Music Midtown, which was a great show involving a dancing puppet on stilts, among other things. There's a great theatricality to this group. Their patriarch Baba Ojay, an old man with salt and pepper dreads who sings on "Mister Wendal" and a couple of other songs, spends their shows sitting at the back of the stage on a throne, sometimes getting up to dance. Nice. Other than this, Music Midtown that year was actually kind of horrible. I recall not even enjoying Bob Dylan's set. Ouch. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances.
How I Feel About It: This CD rules. I guess they're not really a hip band to like, but I think that's just the backlash of a band with only one recognizable radio hit. "Mr. Wendal" is really only vaguely indicative of the rest of their work, which is (sort of like "Wendal") very politically charged with a lot of African influences. Maybe I'm just a sucker for old school rap music, especially extremely NINETIES sounding rap music, which Arrested Development definitely is. But I think it's really interesting that this album completely ignores both Gangsta Rap (which they call "going the nigger route" on one of the songs here) and that neutered sort of DJ Jazzy Jeff/Kris Kross rap to create something that truly speaks to art and heritage. It's very earthy music. Sort of dated in a hilarious "A Different World" kind of way, but still good. I listened to this today, having remembered it, and was shocked by how good some of the beats are. Best songs on here are "Tennessee" and "Children Play With Earth." |
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| The Bird That You Can't See |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|07:11 pm] |
Trying to catch up a little bit on the CD blog. After a few weeks of job applying and job getting, finally settled back into a routine where I can lazily be on the internet here and there. I know I messed up the alphabet, but these are all from memory as I sit in the library at work. (M-Th 6-11, Whoo!)
But, here are 4 entries for today. Hopefully I'll do a couple every day this week and get back on trackish. |
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| CD #9 Apples in Stereo - The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|06:56 pm] |
When It Came Out: In the year 2000.
Where I Got It: This was one of several (stay tuned) CDs that Becky burned for me as a going away present when I left for GHP in the summer of 2002, complete with very nifty artwork.
How I Feel About It: One of my favorite albums, ever. Like the rest of the CDs I took with me that summer, this CD will always be evocative of a certain time and place. The main difference being that this is one of the only really happy CDs I had down there in Valdosta that summer (for thsoe of you who might now know, GHP is a sort of nerd camp held every year at Valdosta State University for Georgia High School students). This is without a doubt one of the best "Fun in the Sun" albums ever recorded. All I want to do when I listen to this is lie in the grass in the sun and quietly sweat. That being said, I got into the Apples earlier than that, back in Sophomore year through random mp3's rather than albums. Best songs on here: "Go" and "The Bird That You Can't See" |
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| CD #8 And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (Self-Titled) |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|06:46 pm] |
When It Came Out: 1998, probably one of the worst years in the history of music.
Where I Got It: I was briefly into this band in my Junior year of high school, having picked them randomly off of college radio. I was really into Swervedriver and for some reason I thought this was a similar band. Well, maybe it kind of is, but only vaguely and superficially. Anyway, I bought this new at Wax and Facts probably sometime in the winter. My fleeting love for this band was fueled by Becky and my fleeting friendship with this kid named Marvin, who happened to really like this band, and seemed really cool initially but turned out to be sort of shallow and dumb. Which brings us to...
How I Feel About It: Hm. Seemed really cool initially but turned out to be sort of shallow and dumb. Maybe I can chalk this up to adolescent angst. Though, it still does kind of rock, I will admit. I think later albums by this band are purportedly a little better. But, give me Seals and Croft any day of the week. |
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| CD #7 Agent Orange - Real Live Sound |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|06:42 pm] |
When It Came Out - 1991
Where I Got It - See previous entry.
How I Feel About It - A tad better than the other by virtue of its being live, but only a tad. Other than Jon, the only other person ever to play this CD is a guy who lives in my apartment complex who (while I was walking a drunken neighbor home) walked into my aparment uninvited (possibly invited by Andrew) on election night in '04. He stayed there for like 4 hours, until the very early morning, keeping me up on an already bleak night. He claimed to be locked out of his house, and promised to buy me a six pack for my trouble. I never got that six pack, either. Creep. |
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| CD #6 Agent Orange - This is the Voice |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|06:29 pm] |
When It Came Out: 1993, a little while after Agent Orange were really in their prime. If they ever had a "prime," really.
Where I Got It: Though I've gotten little evidence over the years to support this theory, I still insist that Agent Orange are a band I like. I suppose the roots of that go back to hearing songs like "Everything Turns Gray" on Steve Craig's House of Retro Pleasure back in High School. I got this CD at Criminal Records during the Fall of my Sophomore year in college. I was hanging out in the Little 5 Points area with Lindsey for the first time since GHP, and of course the rest is history...I guess. Incidentally, (Lindsey's boyfriend) Jon used to put in this Agent Orange CD and its mate almost every time he got drunk at my apartment.
How I Feel About It: It's not that great, a little monotonous and plodding. Whenever Jon puts it in I cringe. |
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| CD #5—Leah Andreone "Veiled" |
[Jan. 27th, 2006|01:08 pm] |
When It Came Out: I'm pretty sure 1996, but for some reason this CD has no copyright date on it. Maybe they didn't see the need to copyright it.
Where I Got It: Though I first became acquainted with Leah Andreone via an Alternative Rock compilation released in 1996 called "Elect To Rock" (featuring such luminaries as Face to Face and Goldfinger), I didn't buy this CD until the fall of 2003, during a period where I would buy huge stacks of used CDs at either Tower Records or the Wherehouse Music (RIP) in Buckhead. I don't remember which of these I bought it at, but probably Tower, because Wherehouse tended to have a much better selection, and this CD, um...sucks.
How I Feel About It: Leah Andreone seriously blows. She's just one of these generic Alt-Rock chicks from the early-mid 90s who sang really passionately about really pretentious shit and just used a lot of words like "voyeur" to prove that women are hip and edgy and political during a time when pretty much no one was either hip, edgy, or political. God the 90's sucked. The one song I have ever listened to more than once from this album was "It's Allright, It's Okay," which featured the lyric "Broken doll baby, and she says that life's a waste/it doesn't have to be this way." Here's a poem by Ms. Andreone from the liner notes:
"Dear Guardian Angel,
I'm not afraid to feel.
I'm not afraid of their eyes.
I'm not afraid to cry.
I'm not afraid of the truth.
I'm not afraid of love.
I'm not afraid of me.
You just don't know."
Wow. Well, fair enough, but I'm afraid of your hideous lip-liner...
Jesus Christ. |
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| CD #4—Tori Amos "Tales of a Librarian" |
[Jan. 26th, 2006|11:58 am] |
When It Came Out: Not sure, this is a burned copy. But it's obviously a Greatest Hits compilation of some sort. I'd guess 2000 or so?
Where I Got It: This was one of a large stack of CDs that I burned from Jen the summer before last, in 2004.
How I Feel About It: I was really glad that it had "Winter," which is by far my absolute favorite song by Tori Amos. This is my first and only Amos album, but I always had a few of her MP3's floating around, and I think she's a really good songstress, actually. I think she sings songs in a way that only a woman could. And she's really the best female singer-songwriter of the Alternative Rock generation. I remember back in the day, being 12 and really really really wanting to go to Lilith Fair, and not understanding why everyone thought that was a weird thing. |
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| CD #3—The Allman Brothers Band "Eat a Peach" |
[Jan. 25th, 2006|03:41 pm] |
When It Came Out: 1972, and though I know jack shit about rock and roll history, I think this is the first one without Dwayne?
Where I Got It: At the Roswell United Methodist Church garage sale, which my family went to every year back when we were all church-going people. This would have been September of 1999. My mom bought me a stack of CD's and records for a dollar. This is also where I bought my first record player, which died after playing half of a Men at Work album (I guess it did me a favor) while I listened to it in my bedroom with the crew at the time: Becky, Rachel, Eddie, and James. But anyway, I bought this along with some Lynyrd Skynyrd CDs, a Jimi Hendrix album, and probably something else. My brother Chris got the Skynyrd, because Mom made me share (looks like she did me a favor too). The Hendrix, which was a Woodstock compilation or something like that, I gave to Jackie Wooten a couple of years later after never listening to it.
Why I Got It: Looked good, cost a quarter, and I was vaguely into classic rock at the time.
How I Feel About It: This is one of those albums the popularity of which I can't really argue. I'm not generally a fan of 70's rock, and especially not jam music, but this album is just amazing. "Melissa," and "Blue Sky" are the kind of songs that I just don't think one can ever get sick of. Sort of bluesy, very country, and pretty delicious. |
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| CD #2—Ryan Adams "Gold" |
[Jan. 24th, 2006|11:23 am] |
When It Came Out: 2001, the first Ryan Adams album in post-9/11 America.
Where I Got It: Bought this along with two other CDs in the Fall of 2001 at the Barnes and Noble by North Point Mall in Alpharetta.
Why I Got It: I had read recently in Rolling Stone that Elton John thought it was the best album of the year (2001). Apparently, Elton John buys every CD that is released every Tuesday, so this seemed like a strong endorsement at the time.
How I Feel About It: After I bought this (along with the soundtrack to the musical "Company" and "Moondance" by Van Morrison) I went over to my friend Jacob Zeitz house. That night, Zeitz, Reid Robinson and I recorded about 30 minutes worth of songs on an old stereo system that Zeitz wired together. The songs were really stupid and all improvised, but the one about Dustin Hoffman fighting aliens has a certain amount of staying power, I think. This album was a huge hit for me that year, and I used to listen to it while I fell asleep. As much as I loved this album at the time, it really hasn't kept up. I can barely listen to the sappy ballads anymore without rolling my eyes. Adams needs to grab a pedal steel and stop whining if you ask me. Although "New York, New York" is still a pretty great song, and the one about his fantasy love affair with Sylvia Plath is cool also. |
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| CD #1—Ryan Adams "Heartbreaker" |
[Jan. 23rd, 2006|03:18 pm] |
When It Came Out: Among the millennial angst of 2000 AD
Where I Got It: I got this for Christmas in 2001. I'm reasonably sure I bought it with gift money at Wax n' Facts in Little 5 Points down in A-Town.
Why I Got It: I fell in love with Ryan Adams "Gold" (see next entry) and bought this, which I actually like/liked a lot better.
How I Feel About It: This album has the closest aesthetic ties to Adams's work as the front man of Whiskeytown. It's his first solo album, so this makes sense. It's got some definite alt-country jams, but it already shows signs of the sappy balladry that would bland Adams into oblivion in his future solo endeavors. My favorites on here are "To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)," which is a rollicking song about getting high and being depressed, in case you couldn't tell; I also like "Oh My Sweet Carolina" and "Winding Wheel" which are sort of sappy but decently written. And though I think the opening track entitled "(Argument with David Rawlings concerning Morrissey)" is sort of funny (the argument is about whether Suedehead is on "Viva Hate" or "Bona Drag," the answer is, as Bo Jackson once said "both boss!"), it does seem a little pretentious and silly in retrospect. |
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| Compact Discing |
[Jan. 23rd, 2006|03:17 pm] |
Lately, I've been at a loss to find a use for this "blog," as the hip kids are calling them. There was a time once when I was filling it with all sorts of ideas and thoughts and random bits that seemed interesting. Now, either I'm not coming up with anything that interesting or I'm not as quick to post my thoughts. I've been trying, for awhile, to think of something practical I can do with this, some kind of fun experiment, since it's already up here and the hard part is (essentially) over. So, today I thought of something.
Starting today, I am going to travel through my CD collection, starting at the beginning of the alphabet, and write about one CD a day until I've gotten to the end. At last count, I've got roughly 550 CDs of varying quality, so this should take a long time. That's a good thing, I think, because I'm hoping it will be self-illuminating and (I hope) of mild interest to other people. To disclaim briefly, I should mention that I've been collecting CDs since the Christmas of 1996, and that while I have sold or given away a good deal of them (Silverchair's Freakshow, all of my Green Day and Barenaked Ladies CDs, Hootie and the Blowfish's Cracked Rear View, to name a few), many of the CDs I bought when I was 12 and 13 are still kicking around in there. So, this is more of an historical exercise than some attempt to flaunt my "hip" musical tastes. It will probably soon be apparent just how unhip my tastes are. In the spirit of true disclosure, nothing will be hidden! Everything will be included, from Jewel and Justin Timberlake and Daniel Beddingfield, to The Replacements and Sebadoh and John Coltrane.
A few ground rules:
1) One CD a day, every weekday, until I'm finished—I might double up some CDs by the same artist, and weekends are reserved for either catch up (if I miss a day), extra credit (if I have some free time and want to get ahead), vacation (if I don't want to do any), or special features (see below).
2) Only full albums, no mixes or hodge-podge—Though I might do some of the mixes I've made or been given on weekends, they don't really count. Neither do CD's like "As Many Random Talking Heads Songs As I Could Fit On This CD"
3) No cheating—I'm not going to skip any to seem less lame, or add any I don't have.
4) Alphabetical...mostly—This will be mostly alphabetical, unless I accidentally skip over one that isn't shelved correctly, or I want to save it to talk about it later. That's alphabetical by artist, and within that, chronological by release date.
Oh, and since I only have internet sporadically at home and at school, at first I might update this in chunks, at the end of a week.
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| New Concept |
[Jan. 17th, 2006|01:26 pm] |
Hip-Hop musical adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY. Title: "G"
I think the star should be either Chris "Ludacris" Bridges or "50 Cent," but I'm open to better suggestions. Also not sure if the music would be original or drawn from existing material...though I really think that G should belt out "99 Problems" while staring at that green light across the water. |
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| Day of the Sun |
[Dec. 27th, 2005|09:47 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities | ] |
Meant to post this earlier, but have not had reliable internet access for awhile now. This expresses well my thoughts on Christmas, which (though areligious as all hell) I love! It's brief, but I did put some of it behind an lj-cut.
The Agnostic Christmas
by Robert G. Ingersoll
AGAIN we celebrate the victory of Light over Darkness, of the God of day over the hosts of night. Again Samson is victorious over Delilah, and Hercules triumphs once more over Omphale. In the embrace of Isis, Osiris rises from the dead, and the scowling Typhon is defeated once more. Again Apollo, with unerring aim, with his arrow from the quiver of light, destroys the serpent of shadow. This is the festival of Thor, of Baldur and of Prometheus. Again Buddha by a miracle escapes from the tyrant of Madura, Zoroaster foils the King, Bacchus laughs at the rage of Cadmus, and Chrishna eludes the tyrant. ( ...more behind the cut. ) Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, or that you're having a Happy Hannukah, and that everyone has an awesome, fulfilling New Year! |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 21st, 2005|11:03 am] |
Lately songs have been coming into my head out of nowhere. I have no idea why I wrote this reggae song, but I'm pretty sure it's accidentally to the tune of something else.
STUDENT ON THE RUN (LIFE HARD)
Woke up late, hungover and indicted.
Cops they knocked on the door, but they was not invited.
Snuck out of the window to my Saturn car,
can't be late for my 4:30 seminar.
Chorus
(I say!) Life is hard, for a student on the run.
Life is hard, for a college mon on the run.
Found my trail, at a Seven and Eleven
Cuffed my wrists, and they confiscate my Ramen.
Shouldn't be a crime to smoke a little gange.
Ain't no student discount for a parole bond!
Chorus (repeat)
Now, who wants to be in my new reggae vocal group, The Coca Boys! |
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| My latest work |
[Dec. 7th, 2005|03:09 pm] |
An excerpt from my novel written in IM conversations (convos?):
pinkgrrrl888: o no
sillybilly_nyc: what? :P
pinkgrrrl888: my mother is ded!
sillybilly_nyc: roflmao!
pinkgrrrl888: no, fr real
sillybilly_nyc: omg! really? :O
pinkgrrrl888: yesh :(
sillybilly_nyc: i m sooooo sorry
sillybilly_nyc: here's a rose @}-
sillybilly_nyc: i lub u
pinkgrrrl888: *starts to cry*
sillybilly_nyc: what can i do?
pinkgrrrl888: nuthin
pinkgrrrl888: i'm just glad i have some1 2 talk 2
pinkgrrrl888: this is gonna be a hard time :(
sillybilly_nyc: *gives pinkgrrrl a BIG hug*
pinkgrrrl888: *leans head on billy's shoulder*
sillybilly_nyc is Offline 8:56 PM EDT
pinkgrrrl888: WTF!?
sillybilly_nyc is Online 8:58 PM EDT
sillybilly_nyc is Offline 8:59 PM EDT
sillybilly_nyc is Online 8:59 PM EDT
pinkgrrrl888: hey!
sillybilly_nyc is Offline 9:00 PM EDT
sillybilly_nyc is Online 9:05 PM EDT
sillybilly_nyc: grrrrr! >:o stupid AIM!
pinkgrrrl888: omg! lol!
pinkgrrrl888: i HATE when that happens
sillybilly_nyc: grrr! hope i don't get knocked off again
sillybilly_nyc: ne way
sillybilly_nyc: i'm sooooo sorry about yer mom
sillybilly_nyc: @}- @}- @}- @}- @}-
sillybilly_nyc: seriously
pinkgrrrl888: *gives billy a big hug for being so supportive*
sillybilly_nyc: *kisses pinkie on the forehead and gives her a HUGE hug*
sillybilly_nyc is Offline 9:08 PM EDT
pinkgrrrl888: fuck!
pinkgrrrl888 is Offline 9:36 PM EDT
Maybe I should turn this in instead of the paper I'm supposed to be writing... |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 22nd, 2005|09:00 pm] |
Packing for my trip to Asheville with Meagan. We leave tomorrow. Cleaned the entire house (well, not the bathroom or my bedroom, but the commons) today, and sort of enjoyed it. Someone give me a good stereotypical Indian name for this story I'm writing. This trip is going to be awesome, but I will have to do so much homework the day before school starts. Hope everyone has a rad Thanskgiving.
I used to have these green pants bought at a thrift store...some kind of thick khaki-type material that belonged to a Boy Scouts of America scoutmaster's uniform. They ruled. I wish I had them. Bye! |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 22nd, 2005|03:02 pm] |
Okay Geoff, but I'm lame:
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your Livejournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.
1) Bitches Ain't Shit - Ben Folds
2) Last Christmas - Wham!
3) Jews in German Cars - Sarah Silverman
4) In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
5) White Winos - Loudon Wainwright
6) Warrior - Matisyahu
7) Yes - Anthony David
I tag _anunquietmind_, adeline_many, appledog, blackmarkethuny, chinche, cybeles_reverie, laandaluza...but none of you guys are gonna do it I bet. |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 27th, 2005|05:48 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Red House Painters | ] |
You know what I missed? Static shocks. |
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| Some be calling it 'fetti... |
[Oct. 27th, 2005|11:58 am] |
| [ | music |
| | "Lili Marlene (Germany's National Anthem)"-Marlene Deitrich | ] |
One thing I like/hate about the internet is that it makes window shopping so obnoxiously easy. I just spent the last half hour on Amazon.com adding things to my "Wish List," which is stupid, because my "Wish List" really only serves as a reminder to myself of all the crap I want to buy. I don't think anyone's ever used it for it's intended purpose of helping others decide what to buy for me. (Though, if you want to buy me a lovely Christmas gift, there are like a hundred things you could get me, many of them at affordable prices! sigh...) In short, I am a materialist goon, or something. Here is a short list of things I really wish I could buy right now, and why you should want to buy them too:
CD: Anthony David "Three Chords and the Truth"--Meagan and I saw this guy at Paste Magazine's Rock 'n' Reel festival last weekend, and he really stood out on a bill comprised almost entirely of bearded singer-songwriters in flannel shirts who sing ("purposefully") off-key about how their girlfriends don't love them. David, one man on stage with an acoustic guitar for this set, brings an indie sensibility to a sort of blues/R&B/hip hop hybrid that is completely fucking awesome. He sings about having sex and loving his woman, and I'm sorry, but that is really refreshing in this "woe is me" atmosphere of Halo-playing, Bright Eyes-listening indie boys. Sometimes I just want these guys to eat a taco, listen to a song sung by a black guy or a woman, and shut the fuck up. But this CD is great, and I like this guy enough to buy it instead of just downloading on Limewire.
DVD: "Desperate Housewives" The Complete First Season--This is probably my 3rd favorite show on television. Which is actually pretty impressive, since I only watch about 5 network shows on a regular basis (Arrested Development, Lost, The Office, How I Met My Mother, and Housewives). I've only seen about 4 episodes of this season, and about the same with the new season, and I really want to know what the fuck is going on with this show sometimes. People who don't like this show are dumb and probably love football. Not only is it a really twisted mystery, but it's also a pretty funny comedy, and a brilliant piece of feminist satire, AND probably the best structured show on television, on an episode by episode basis.
BOOK(s): "Yellow Back Radio Broke Down" by Ishmael Reed--Ishmael Reed is quickly becoming one of my favorite 20th century writers. I feel kind of cheated that I'm only now finding out that someone writes like this. Reed's absolute rejection of social realism in favor of surreal, rhetorically stereotypical stories of complete excess and absurdity is nothing short of stunning, the kind of writer I have been looking for my entire life. What a bad ass.
"The Question of Bruno" by Aleksander Hemon--I just bought this for Lindsey and I almost kept it for myself, it's so good. I just read Hemon's novel "Nowhere Man" and it's really refreshing to see that there are still writers out there finding new and interesting things to do in the Post-Modern idiom. God, did I just say Post-Modern idiom? Being an English major is turning me into a douche. Well to combat that I'll say that one of my favorite stories in here focuses largely on Stalin and other historical figures commenting on a character's farts.
P.S. My first two classes were cancelled today, so I am allowed to be doing this in the middle of the day...
P.P.S. Have you guys heard about these white supremicist 13 year olds who sing pop music? "Rudolph Hess, a man of peace/he wouldn't give up/he wouldn't cease." Creepy.
P.P.P.S. If anyone can remember any of the stuff that was on last year's Halloween Mix, let me know. I'm trying to remake it. |
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| Switching to Vampires |
[Oct. 18th, 2005|12:26 pm] |
The first student in my creative writing class gave her story for workshopping today. And (I shit you not) it is about an elf. Someone finds out he's an elf and has to talk to the elders and look for a crystal or something, seriously. What the fuck? This is the same girl who prefaced her first scene by saying "this is about one of my Irish step dance competitions." She happens to be a favorite of my teacher's. Maybe I should switch to vampires.
Today, walking to the MARTA station, eating an Asiago cheese bagel, my world is interrupted by a loud honking from the street. I look over to see my former boss Sanjay, stopped at the intersection, leaning over the passenger seat to smile and wave. He looked downright giddy, like he was a teenage girl and I was Ben Affleck (in 1999 when teenage girls still liked Ben Affleck). I half expected him to flash me his tits, which are of considerable size. I wonder if they are going bald too. Having a 40 year-old stalker who I used to work for is oddly unflattering.
This morning a maintenance worker opened the door as I was rooting around in the refrigerator in the nude. He was supposed to fix the leak in the bathroom ceiling, but instead quickly locked the door and left a note. He said I should call to make an appointment time, but didn't sign it with a heart. I kind of think he would make a better stalker; he was stout looking. I didn't find anything in the fridge, but the bagel on top of the microwave was good.
I am so short of cash; I think I need to be looking for a new job. Last night I watched Galaxy Quest, and it was kind of good.
This week's solace: 1st season of LOST, edamame, new pairs of pants, Ishmael Reed, Good Night, And Good Luck, almost-cold weather, Meagan |
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| And Shove It |
[Sep. 26th, 2005|06:36 pm] |
"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." -Vince Lombardi
Put in my two weeks notice at Great Wraps today. Don't know what all this hubbub about "quitting" is; I haven't felt this good since the last job I quit. I think you should quit a little bit everyday, it's good for the soul. |
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| "He Called the Shit Poop!" and other examples of Higher Education |
[Aug. 23rd, 2005|10:24 pm] |
Last night, spent a predictably pensive "last night of 'summer'" in front of the computer, walking aimlessly about the house looking for some way to defiantly claim my "'last' night of 'freedom'". I remember there were times in elementary school when I would actually cry the last night of my summer vacation, or stay up all night, unblinkingly staring into either the night or the bottom of the top bunk. On one specific occasion I contemplated the hopelessness of my existence while watching James Bond in "Live and Let Die" on cable. I think this was in the 6th grade. That's the first time I can consciously remember having an increasingly familiar feeling; or not a feeling so much as a disposition. That is, quite simply put, looking into the future not with optimism or hope, but not with dread or fear either, but with listless disinterest. Think along the lines of (appropriately enough) "Mom, I don't want to go to school," only instead of "go to school" it's "live life or do anything, ever." And I'm not really being melodramatic, that's literally the feeling. Sometimes when I think about living another 60 years and having a career and new challenges, I just think "do I have to" in the affect of a whining 8 year old. With that in mind, another semester of school just annoys me.
I thought about whining about some of my classes and talking some smack about Creative Writing workshops, but I decided that would be boring. Instead, I'll just move on from all of the melancholy.
Good points:
My post 1945 American Lit teacher saying "be sure to read your Ginsberg for next class" today; no one has ever told me to "read my Ginsberg" in my life, except for the Devil when I was an impressionable teenager.
Laszlo Strausz, my Film Aesthetics teacher. Really just his name, I don't really know him that well.
Cinnamon Donut and a 7-UP. And the "Summer Buys the Farm, Coda" that I made day before last.
1-Boo Radleys "Wake Up Boo"
2-Rod Stewart "Maggie Mae"
3-Ben Gibbard "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
4-The Mountain Goats "Distant Stations"
5-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci "How I Long To Feel That Summer (In My Heart)"
6-Husker Du "Celebrated Summer"
7-Belle and Sebastian "A Summer Wasting"
8-Alton Ellis "Breaking Up is Hard To Do"
BONUS: Bruce Springsteen "My Ride's Here"
Really more than the sum of its parts.
Great Wraps actually being slightly less annoying than school.
Still, I sort of want to drop out now. |
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| The Moving Pictures |
[Aug. 9th, 2005|11:56 pm] |
As promised, a few capsule reviews of the movies I've seen over the last few weeks. Read 'em and weep.
Four Brothers: Surprisingly well-done. This movie reminds me of the way they made action movies in the 1980s...has a similar tone in ways to the original Lethal Weapon. Or if not a similar tone, then a similar way of evoking tone. The film is set in Detroit in the middle of winter, and backed by a sountrack made up of almost entirely Motown classics, which helps to propel the film forward, adding a lot of depth to what could be a lot of very flat character beats. Reminiscent of all of that sad saxaphone music that underscored shots of Mel Gibson standing forlornly on the beach in Lethal Weapon. Wow. I'm obscure. But this is an unforgiving, R-rated action film, the sort they rarely make anymore, full of bullet-holes and crunching bones, delightfully un-diluted by politeness and operating on a very Kung Fu style of justice. 7 of 10.
Sky High: Though this could easily have come off as just another Incredibles rip-off, Disney's latest Incredibles rip-off about a high school for superheroes actually does well to go easy on the action and focus more on the angsty teen melodrama of the premise. Anyone who's seen the 3 feet of Buffy DVDs proudly displayed below my televison, or yawned their way through an overzealous recap of the morning's rerun of Dawson's Creek knows I'm a sucker for good teen melodrama. Sky High mixes nostalgia and classic superhero fun, combined with an impressive cast and an unsettlingly offbeat soundtrack, to servicable effect. 7 of 10.
Broken Flowers: Really intriguing film. I find it really interesting that Jarmusch has really made what should be his "Hollywood" movie into probably one of his most difficult to decipher. While all of his films have that distinctive Jarmusch pacing, many of them are fairly straightforward. Ghost Dog is an engrossing tale of a modern samurai; Night on Earth is a series of charming vignettes about modern life; etc. The other movies are also a lot more funny. (While this one has sort of that "About Schmidt" style of "I-Guess-That's-Humor," I would argue that most of the "jokes" in the film sort of aren't.) Broken Flowers is actually sort of a debilitating experience, owing largely to Bill Murray's performance, probably the best of this era of his career. It's debilitating in a good way, but it's debilitating nonetheless. Holding off on rating this one cause I'm not sure I've sifted through it all the way yet.
The Dukes of Hazzard: What a piece of ass. 3 of 10.
March of the Penguins: This movie superficially reminds me of a Christmas special that Andrew and I once watched in which a young deer has to make her way to the North Pole in time for the holidays; though the characters in this program were named and personified, it was filmed like a nature show and mixed in actual facts with the fiction. Really baffling. But I digress. This documentary about Penguins walking around in Antarctica is a lot more moving than it really ought to be. I was extremely dubious, but something about the innocence and universality of those penguins makes their plight more relatable than most fictional characters out there. Of course, it's intriguing and informative as well, but I think the main draw of this movie is the emotional resonance inherent in the struggles of the penguins. (The cynic in me would say that the penguins clearly operate more on instinct than the "love" and "bravery" and "sense of family" to which Morgan Freeman attributes their actions, but you've got to suspend a little disbelief in this business here and there.) 8 of 10. |
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| The Blog is Back in Town |
[Aug. 9th, 2005|05:08 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Charlatans, The Beat, Charlatans, The Beat, Charlatans... | ] |
The last few months have simply not been a productive period at all as far as writing goes. Well, let's make that not a prolific period, as I've written a few good poems, a 6000 word historical dictionary entry, and a few useful snippets of script; and then there's the completion of "Coop Hammond in The Filly Flies the Coop," the latest short film by The Gentlemen. As far as the blog goes, I've just had sort of a crisis (though that's a bit melodramatic) of purpose with the thing over the summer. In the not-too-distant future, Chris and I are most likely going to put together a website with the help of All-Traded Jack Nathan Green, and I think I might try to use that to springboard into a more professionally-minded blog. Yeah, I guess I'm trying to "straighten up" as my grandmother might say. Though at this particular moment I'm still very much on my ass. I'll keep this as a means of social lubrication (ew?), but will probably continue to write in it more sporatically.
I'm very much ready for summer to be over so that I can get back to a more productive lifestyle. The summer just tends to stagnate me. All I desire in the months between May and September are cold beers and long naps. Parties in the summer tend to be spread apart widely and mildly apocalyptic in nature. Though this summer has given me a few key realizations, included in which is the sort-of-humbling realization that I've actually turned into a fairly well-adjusted person. And as much as I miss the unemployed, vodka-soaked glory days of the previous winter/spring, I can't say that I mind being in the most fulfilling relationship of my life. Now with the school year coming up, and my student loan check coming in, it looks like my virtual destitution will fade away also, leaving me with essentially nothing to angst over. This, I think, accounts for the lack of writing. Hm, maybe I'll kill someone and spend some time on Death Row...that's been known to inspire an intellectual renaissance in other minds.
Anyway, seen a few movies of late, including Four Brothers, March of the Penguins, Broken Flowers, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Sky High. Anxious for Still Reeling to come out of limbo, I think I'll try to write some to all of those up later. At the moment though, I have to run. Promises, promises. |
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