I’d do something else instead, but it is the city of the dead
I kind of want to be this guy for Halloween. Thanks, as always, to the greatest Interweb resource ever for providing endless evidence that I’ve been reading all the wrong comics. (Posted simultaneously to “Jelly-Town!”) Continue reading I’d do something else instead, but it is the city of the dead
B movie, that’s all you are to me
Get Smart (Peter Segal, 2008). So mechanical that it quickly becomes depressing. This launch of a new film franchise based on the sixties TV spy spoof–it’s nearly impossible think of it in terms of a single film rather than the beginning of an ongoing endeavor–is assembled from repurposed parts and spectrum-spanning cast members designed to make sure there’s at least one person in the credits that appeals to any randomly selected potential moviegoer. Anne Hathaway, playing Agent 99, has one moment that she plays with admirable commitment to honest emotions. I’m assuming that her castmates consulted with her after that … Continue reading B movie, that’s all you are to me
And she’s learning the spaces she leaves have their own things to say
It’s nearly fifteen years since Pixar, the little studio behind a small batch of acclaimed and Oscar-winning computer animated shorts, released the revolutionary Toy Story. It was actually viewed as somewhat risky at the time. The long, expensive process required … Continue reading And she’s learning the spaces she leaves have their own things to say
Why did you kiss the world goodbye?
I’m about halfway through my Up review, but the beer and wine that helped fuel tonight’s extensive cooking have won out. So I’m afraid you’ll need to contend with our traditional filler: a panel from Eightball: (Posted simultaneously to “Jelly-Town!”) Continue reading Why did you kiss the world goodbye?
It’s the one thing, you are my thing
The above image has been cheering me up all week long. I have it electronically because of the most important ongoing project in the world. (Posted simultaneously to “Jelly-Town!”) Continue reading It’s the one thing, you are my thing
One for Friday: Graham Parker, Get Started. Start a Fire
I came into my music fandom clumsily. As a young kid, I was surrounded by music, sometimes literally. I lived in a home dominated by a record collection, my stepfather’s vinyl effectively serving as the walls of the living room. Each and every night, whatever new rock record was dominating his attention served as the soundtrack. The Dark Side of the Moon was released when I was two-years-old and its gloomy lushness was such a constant presence that I would sing along to “Money” while I played with my Tonka trucks. Despite this, I wandered into my teenage years with … Continue reading One for Friday: Graham Parker, Get Started. Start a Fire
Great Moments in Literature
“The thing about Minette was that she was no kid, that she was–how else to put it–a woman, a strapping woman with presence; clear-eyed, mature, with a red-brown saddle of freckles across the bridge of her nose; Matty thinking, Does it still just come down to that? Eyes and vibes and freckles across a strongly defined nose? Yes and no, yes and no, but, yeah, yes, of course, until the deathbed; it’s the visual triggers that kick off the daydreaming.” –Richard Price, Lush Life, 2008 “HE SWIMS…AND THE THOUGHTS THAT TRAIL HIM–PAST BATTLES FORMING PRESENT MEMORIES–THESE THOUGHTS ENLARGE LIKE BALLOONS … Continue reading Great Moments in Literature
Wasting time, dropping lines like “I could get you into movies”
Atlantic City (Louis Malle, 1980). Malle’s film is about the ways in the which the glimmers of remaining light at the end of the day can lure the most desperate into believing it’s actually the unexpected emergence of a new dawn. Burt Lancaster plays the old-time small-timer at the heart of the film, conveying his forlorn desperation and self-deluding rejuvenation with great delicacy. You can feel the character shift as his opportunities the become the big operator he’s always fancied himself begin to come to pass. But the film is about reality rather than aspirations. Malle keeps it all grounded, … Continue reading Wasting time, dropping lines like “I could get you into movies”
Sweet chocolate biscuits and red rosy apples in summer
Lately, I feel as though I’m continually disappointing my friend who goes by many handles, including whiskeyson. I keep discarding all these cassettes that he covets; despite a well-established precedent for such commemorations, I let his recent birthday come and … Continue reading Sweet chocolate biscuits and red rosy apples in summer
Funny how I find myself in love with you
CMJ Anniversary Compilation III 1989 It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, so a quick refresher might be in order. When I replaced my car stereo last spring, I found myself without a cassette player in my motor vehicle for the first time in years, with little to no likelihood that I’d have that sort of device again. While there’s a couple cassette players in the house, it’s not likely I’ll opt for those over the wall of CDs we have available of the wondrous, continuous personalized radio station available on my iPod. So, I decided to … Continue reading Funny how I find myself in love with you
