Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Eight
#38 — The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980) Joseph Merrick was born in Leicester, England in the mid nineteenth century. Malformed from his youngest days by an uncertain ailment–thought for years to be Neurofibromatosis type I–Merrick entered his adulthood as an abused member of a traveling freak show, touted as “The Elephant Man” and paraded about for the horrified amusement of the crowd. Abandoned, Merrick found his way to the care of a surgeon named Frederick Treves, who saw past the swollen features to the man within and endeavored to provide him with a deserved social dignity. With the added … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Eight
It’s been rough and rocky travelin’ but I’m finally standin’ upright on the ground
Paul is a road movie, indulging on the tried and true methodology of making the journey taken by characters into something very literal. Two friends played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are living out one of their longtime dreams … Continue reading It’s been rough and rocky travelin’ but I’m finally standin’ upright on the ground
The Continuing Adventures of the Amazingly Media-Savvy Spider-Man
9th Place
The team I am proud to be a part of did quite well in this past weekend’s staging of The World’s Largest Trivia ContestTM. As a result, I’m pretty tired today (and in transit) so I won’t offer much. Normal … Continue reading 9th Place
College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 32 and 31
32. Elvis Costello, Spike By the time Elvis Costello released he album Spike in the spring of 1989, his reputation and personality were already well-established within the music industry. Certainly, he had a vast array of smart, literate songs that … Continue reading College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 32 and 31
Spectrum Check
This week, I looked to current events to help explain why I find Barbara Kopple’s masterful 1990 documentary American Dream so damn powerful. Sometimes I feel a little sad that Kopple has largely concentrated on comparatively lightweight fare for the bulk of her career, but realistically the amazing quality of first two films are enough to make her the deserving recipient of boundless admiration. I also reviewed a new documentary about exotic animals like lions and elephants kept as pets. It’s a measure of how crazy my week has been that I kind of miffed the review initially and had … Continue reading Spectrum Check
One for Friday: Badly Drawn Boy, “Come On Eileen”
I am a participant in the World’s Largest Trivia contest. My team is called The Cakers. And “Come On Eileen” is our song. Whenever it’s played–on the radio, over the supermarket loudspeakers, shuffled up by an iPod–it feels like it was played just for us. No matter who’s performing it. In that spirit, with no other fuss, I humbly present this week’s One for Friday song. Badly Drawn Boy, “Come On Eileen” (Disclaimer: Honestly, I spent no time whatsoever figuring out if this is out of print. It doesn’t really matter to me today. I’ll still take it down I’m … Continue reading One for Friday: Badly Drawn Boy, “Come On Eileen”
Trivia Answer of the Day: “Third Rate Romance”
This weekend, I’ll participate in The World’s Largest Trivia ContestTM. I’m a little preoccupied with preparations for that, including some significant travel. To provide some sense of the madness of minutiae that dominates my mind this week, I’ll share some … Continue reading Trivia Answer of the Day: “Third Rate Romance”
Trivia Answer of the Day: For Real
This weekend, I’ll participate in The World’s Largest Trivia ContestTM. I’m a little preoccupied with preparations for that, including some significant travel. To provide some sense of the madness of minutiae that dominates my mind this week, I’ll share some of the most personally memorable answers from my many, many years of involvement with the contest. Every one of my teammates has stories like this. These are mine. Not every story is going to be a happy one. When teams register, they get a rulebook dubbed The New Trivia Times. Amidst the ads from generous local businesses, explanation of the … Continue reading Trivia Answer of the Day: For Real
Trivia Answer of the Day: Exile on Main Street
This weekend, I’ll participate in The World’s Largest Trivia ContestTM. I’m a little preoccupied with preparations for that, including some significant travel. To provide some sense of the madness of minutiae that dominates my mind this week, I’ll share some … Continue reading Trivia Answer of the Day: Exile on Main Street
