My costume? "Aging Wannabe Hipster."
The Hold Steady and Art Brut, Halloween night! I should start growing the odd facial hair now. Metro's smoke-free at least, so I don't have to take up smoking.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Movie Log 2007: #70-79
The Broadway Melody (1929) - the second-ever Best Picture Oscarwinner, and the first talkie to win. Good Freed & Brown songs (including "You Were Meant For Me," which later found its way into Singin' in the Rain), but limp overall.
Double Dare - Documentary about Zoe Bell (most recently seen in the "Death Proof" half of Grindhouse) coming to the States. She's so on the list. I think she's on Kirsti's list too, which is okay by me.
The Man Who Came To Dinner - Took a while to get going, but was generally hilarious. This should have been one of our high-school plays instead of the bummers we had to drag out. David & Lisa? Good Christ...
Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story - I used to be ambivalent about Andy Warhol. Now I actively dislike him. Berlin's photography did look like it could have been interesting, but the film just concentrated on how bugf%^k crazy she is.
Sunshine - Smarter science fiction than I expected.
Stardust - Princess Bride with better stunt casting.
Road House - Great movie, or the greatest movie?
Fuck - Documentary about the F-bomb. In league with The Aristocrats, and maybe slightly better.
Shut Up & Sing - This was a good look at band dynamics and crisis management, though one death threat notwithstanding, I never really bought their plight. So, Home sells 7 million while Taking the Long Way only goes a piddling double platinum? Hrm...talk to the Dead Kennedys or Negativland about career suicide. Anyway, I'll see anything Barbara Kopple puts out.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - Look, I am into some nerdy shit. There's no way around it. Just look at the post before this one. But anyway, along comes a movie like The King of Kong to put my life in sweet, sweet perspective. It's no cinematic spectacle, but this documentary about people vying for the world-record Donkey Kong high score demands to be seen in a crowded theatre.
The Broadway Melody (1929) - the second-ever Best Picture Oscarwinner, and the first talkie to win. Good Freed & Brown songs (including "You Were Meant For Me," which later found its way into Singin' in the Rain), but limp overall.
Double Dare - Documentary about Zoe Bell (most recently seen in the "Death Proof" half of Grindhouse) coming to the States. She's so on the list. I think she's on Kirsti's list too, which is okay by me.
The Man Who Came To Dinner - Took a while to get going, but was generally hilarious. This should have been one of our high-school plays instead of the bummers we had to drag out. David & Lisa? Good Christ...
Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story - I used to be ambivalent about Andy Warhol. Now I actively dislike him. Berlin's photography did look like it could have been interesting, but the film just concentrated on how bugf%^k crazy she is.
Sunshine - Smarter science fiction than I expected.
Stardust - Princess Bride with better stunt casting.
Road House - Great movie, or the greatest movie?
Fuck - Documentary about the F-bomb. In league with The Aristocrats, and maybe slightly better.
Shut Up & Sing - This was a good look at band dynamics and crisis management, though one death threat notwithstanding, I never really bought their plight. So, Home sells 7 million while Taking the Long Way only goes a piddling double platinum? Hrm...talk to the Dead Kennedys or Negativland about career suicide. Anyway, I'll see anything Barbara Kopple puts out.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - Look, I am into some nerdy shit. There's no way around it. Just look at the post before this one. But anyway, along comes a movie like The King of Kong to put my life in sweet, sweet perspective. It's no cinematic spectacle, but this documentary about people vying for the world-record Donkey Kong high score demands to be seen in a crowded theatre.
Monday, August 20, 2007
The game Redneck Life is just okay, but its sense of humor really carries it. The family-run company publishing the game are now my favorite exhibitors. They're fun to talk to, and pretty much demanded that I give them my email address when I mentioned that I made bacon brittle. So I entered their Spam carving contest at Gen Con. Here's my piece, "Mother and Child Reunion":
I took fifth, probably because of that quick ad lib. I won a roll of bacon tape for my troubles. The woman next to me made this:
Yeah, it's the Venus of Willendorf! Because nothing says ancient fertility goddess like Spam. She came in third, and deservedly so. Here are the winners (not my flickrset). The winning Spamalope was tres cool.
I took fifth, probably because of that quick ad lib. I won a roll of bacon tape for my troubles. The woman next to me made this:
Yeah, it's the Venus of Willendorf! Because nothing says ancient fertility goddess like Spam. She came in third, and deservedly so. Here are the winners (not my flickrset). The winning Spamalope was tres cool.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
This should be interesting
I'm finally getting around to seeing Sports Night, having borrowed it from a friend this evening. Seeing as how I know several good friends who swear by the show, I feel like there's a bit riding on this. At the same time, I'm wondering if it's possible to enjoy Sorkin in reverse order. I never saw any Sports Night, saw one or two West Wings and thought it too preachy, but was generally indifferent to it; and loathed Studio 60. I wonder if all the problems are going to be laid too bare, like when I saw Heaven's Gate before Deer Hunter.
PS: Like West Wing? Like Heroes? You should have read or be reading a comic series called Ex Machina.
I'm finally getting around to seeing Sports Night, having borrowed it from a friend this evening. Seeing as how I know several good friends who swear by the show, I feel like there's a bit riding on this. At the same time, I'm wondering if it's possible to enjoy Sorkin in reverse order. I never saw any Sports Night, saw one or two West Wings and thought it too preachy, but was generally indifferent to it; and loathed Studio 60. I wonder if all the problems are going to be laid too bare, like when I saw Heaven's Gate before Deer Hunter.
PS: Like West Wing? Like Heroes? You should have read or be reading a comic series called Ex Machina.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Re: last post -- family and cohorts are okay. To give you an idea of the scope of this event, how important the artery is, and and how the outage screws things up, here are some comparisons. If you're familiar with Boston: Tobin Bridge. A tunnel collapse isn't really a valid comparison, given costs and time to rebuild. Chicago: the Skyway.
As you can see, there are other ways to get across the river, but also consider that a major shipping lane is clogged up (just upriver is the lock at St. Anthony Falls).
As you can see, there are other ways to get across the river, but also consider that a major shipping lane is clogged up (just upriver is the lock at St. Anthony Falls).
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Bridge
There are times when it's nice that most of my friends and family in MN don't have web presences. Then there's now. We were driving to a dinner date when my sister called with the news. Said our moms and Katie's family were okay. Of course AM radio is useless in the Loop, I couldn't get through on the cell, and I knew I'd be getting home too late to make calls.
No messages from up there on our machine. That's probably good, right?
There are times when it's nice that most of my friends and family in MN don't have web presences. Then there's now. We were driving to a dinner date when my sister called with the news. Said our moms and Katie's family were okay. Of course AM radio is useless in the Loop, I couldn't get through on the cell, and I knew I'd be getting home too late to make calls.
No messages from up there on our machine. That's probably good, right?
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