I actually have no reason for posting this...

...other than the fact that I am a giant nerd.

cred: Stereogum,b3ta

I don't usually post about politics....

...because I don't have the mind for it. Obviously... I mean, I pretty much just post about movies and music. But I DO give a shit, and I do think actual news like this is important. Seriously. If you haven't read about the study I just linked to, do now. You'll be even more anti-Bush than you were before (if at all possible).

And for the record, I probably won't be jumping on the political train any time soon, but I am 100% pro-voting, and I urge you to be as well. If you're curious (you probably aren't, but this is my blog) I'm Green Party so I'll pretty much vote for whichever candidate shares my views on the environment (uh... we should probably, like... do something about it). Otherwise I'm not huge on talking politics. I think the president is a lying, sexist, hatemonger (ps Dan Savage... maybe you should update the site a little).

So anyway, this is likely one of the last times you'll be seeing something political here, but don't mark my words. I'll probably have more to say come October.

Until then, I'll go back to doing what I do best (well, at least marginally better): Watching movies.

An Open Letter to My Generation

Dear Peers:
Get your shit together.

Brad Renfro died of an overdose last week. He was 25. Amy Whinehouse got caught on camera smoking CRACK this week. She's 24. Heath Ledger died today. He was 28.
And we all know what Britney, Lindsay and Paris have been up to.

I hate to lump Heath in with the rest... he seemed to have his shit together, at least until recently. He seemed "normal". He was a gifted actor. He was a dad.

It makes me sad. I don't know these people, and the cynic in me questions why I even give a shit... But I'm 24. These are my peers. I probably won't ever meet them. I know that in every generation there are fuck-ups and idiots and tragedies. James Dean. Janis Joplin. River Phoenix. Kurt Cobain.

We all want to be remembered. I think Britney knows what happens to nice girls like Debbie Gibson: They end up on Broadway. And then we forget about them. Britney is essentially burning out so as not to fade away.

I'm sure people have always gone batshit... but now they're doing it for the cameras. Anna Nicole. Whitney Houston. Amy Whinehouse.

We debate who is "tortured" versus who is "pathetic". If you're tortured you're an artist. If you're pathetic. you're a pop tart.

Do you think Britney was hurt when she found out that the Associated Press had already prepared her obituary? She's 26, by the way. I don't know what to think. I shouldn't even have an opinion. I could give a shit about what Ms. Spears does. Thing is, I'm bombarded with news about her every day.

What's making them all go so crazy? Who do we blame? Is the internet making egos more fragile? Are fat pasty nerds who want pretty people to crash and burn actually being heard?

I do think that all of this is sick, though. I learned about Heath's death. I went to Defamer to figure out if it was a prank. It wasn't. A half hour later, I went back to Defamer. There were SIX posts about Heath. Video of the NYPD removing his body from his apartment building in SoHo.

So, Peers... let's say we take a nice long look at ourselves. Let's get off the drugs, stop being so fame-hungry, and take care of our children. Let's take some fucking responsibility. It may be a cliche to say so, but there are younger kids looking at us thinking the shit we're doing is cool.

I look at Britney and Paris and Lindsay and Amy and I think: Is this how I am supposed to be? Comatose in some club, malnourished with my twat on display? These girls are sick. It isn't funny. We need to stop laughing. We need to stop enabling them.

In fact, about a year ago, Craig Ferguson said it a lot better than I ever could:

Oh Wow... sad news.

According to Defamer (via page six) Heath Ledger is dead.

Wild Speculatin': OSCAR Edition

You probably know this, but the OSCAR nominations are out! You also know what a movie nerd I am.

Of course with the Writer's Strike still in effect, there is no guarantee that the Jon Stewart hosted telecast will go on. I personally hope that some sort of agreement can be reached with the WGA because I really, really love that tribute they always do for dead Hollywood types. Also, the Globe press conference made me twitch.

So, without further ado: Wild Speculatin'

Actor in a Leading Role:
I want: Johnny Depp to win...
Gold Guy Goes To: Daniel Day-Lewis
I'm Pissed Because: Where's James McAvoy for Atonement?

Actor in a Supporting Role:
I want: Casey Affleck because he was BRILLIANT in Assassination.
Gold Guy Goes To: Javier Bardem (though a case can be made for Phillip Seymour Hoffman)
I'm Pissed Because: Where is Paul Schneider for Assassination? I mean, yeah, no one has heard of him, but he was most certainly a stand-out both in that film, and as Ryan Gosling's older brother in Lars.

Actress in a Lead Role:
I Want: Ellen Page. Not because I think she's all that great, but because she's the one I can stand.
Gold Guy Goes To: Marion Cotillard because she got the Globe.
I'm Pissed Because: I HATED La Vie En Rose.

Actress in a Supporting Role:
I Want: Saorise Ronan (Atonement).
Gold Guy Goes To: Cate Blanchett because she played a man.
I'm Pissed Because: Where's Kelly Macdonald for No Country? She was adorable and subtle.

Animated Feature Film:
I have yet to see any of the nominated films in this category, but I'm rooting for Persepolis.

Art Direction:
I want: Sweeney Todd
Gold Guy Goes To: There Will Be Blood
I'm Pissed Because: Where's Assassination?

Cinematography:
I Want: Assassination
Gold Guy Goes To: No Country
I'm Pissed Because: -

Costume Design:
I Want: Sweeney Todd.
Gold Guy Goes To: Sweeney Todd.
I'm Pissed Because: There's another nod for La Vie En Rose.

Directing:
I Want: PTA
Gold Guy Goes To: The Coen Bros
I'm Pissed Because: No Atonement? No Assassination? JUNO got nominated in THIS category?

Documentary Film:
I Want: Sicko
Gold Guy Goes To: No End In Sight
I'm Pissed Because: King of Kong didn't even make the short list.

Documentary Short
I did not see any of the nominated films.

Film Editing:
I Want: There Will Be Blood
Gold Guy Goes To: No Country
I'm Pissed Because: -

Foreign Language Film:
I did not see any of the nominated films.

Makeup:
I want: Ugh.
Gold Guy Goes To: La Vie En Rose
I'm Pissed Because: Norbit seriously got nominated. Also, where's Sweeney Todd?

Music (Score)
I want: Atonement
Gold Guy Goes To: Atonement?
I'm Pissed Because: Nothing for Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for Assassination.

Music (Song)
I Want: Enchanted (I guess)
Gold Guy Goes To: Enchanted. Come on, the odds are with Alan Menken on this one.
I'm Pissed Because: I sort of liked that Eddie Vedder song from Into the Wild

Best Picture:
I want: Atonement
Gold Guy Goes To: No Country
I'm Pissed Because: Where's Assassination?

Short Film: Animated and Live:
I did not see any of the films nominated in these categories.

Sound Editing:
I Want: There Will Be Blood
Gold Guy Goes To: Transformers
I'm Pissed Because: Sunshine got shut out in the one category it would have cleaned house in.

Sound Mixing:
I don't care. No Country will get it, Sunshine deserved it.

Visual Effects:
I Want: Golden Compass.
Gold Guy Goes To: Pirates
I'm Pissed Because: Sunshine?

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
I Want: Atonement
Gold Guy Goes To: No Country
I'm Pissed Because: While There Will Be Blood is a fantastic film, I don't think it is fair that it was nominated in this category. PTA only loosely based his screenplay on OIL! the Sinclair Lewis novel. Also, where's Assassination?

Writing (Original Screenplay)
I want: Lars and the Real Girl or Juno
Gold Guy Goes To: Micheal Clayton
I'm Pissed Because: Lars won't win.

Things I saw, did, and slept through this weekend

January is the time of year when movie studios tend to unload their worst fare. There are of course exceptions to the rule... but so far this season is shaping up to be pretty much like clockwork.
I didn't have much going on on Friday evening, so a friend and I decided to head out to Revere to see a movie. Long story short, we tend not to have to pay for films in Revere, which in the case of the film we ended up seeing was a blessing from the corporate cinema gods.

I just want to preface my next statements with a very important point: I am a HUGE fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000. One of the main reasons I have any interest in film at all is my love for that show. Possibly sad, but very true.

Anyway, the only film playing when we got to the theater at around 11:30 was "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale".

We thought: What is this film? Why have we heard nothing about it? Ooooh, Leelee Sobieski is in it... she's cute, right?

So, we picked up our tickets at the box office and made our way to the very last theater in the darkest corridor of the cineplex. I'm pretty sure bats flew out of the theater when we opened the door to enter.
The film, if one can really call it that, began with Ray Liotta smooching Leelee Sobiesky affectionately... and honestly, that's where I got lost. Seriously. NO idea what was going on. Then I fell asleep. Then there were trolls and tree-ninjas. And I fell asleep again. More trolls, Evil Ray Liotta. More sleep... and then possibly the Greatest Song Ever over the credits. Oh, and apparently it was directed by Uwe Boll. Also, 124 minutes long. Seriously.
King would definitely be in the running for worst movie of the year had I actually been awake for at least a third of it.

On Saturday the previously mentioned friend and I took in the Puppet Showplace Theater's
bi-monthly PuppetSLAM. This was my third, and I still find it hard to describe these events. Basically about 12 performers present brief skits with puppets. Many forms of puppetry are showcased, but last night shadow puppets were representing. My favorite was a piece on the history of LeRoy New York, the birthplace of Jell-O. I know I'm not doing much justice to the PuppetSlams, but they are events I highly recommend. The next SLAM is on March 15th. You should really go.

When the PuppetSLAM was over, friend and I decided to take another trip out to Revere. We recently discovered that the cineplex has a bar and grill in the lobby. No lies. We thought it would be a great idea to get a little festive and then take on 27 Dresses. Part of that plan was a great idea.
Film critics throw the term "by the numbers" around quite a bit when referring to Romantic Comedies. The term 100% applies to Dresses. There isn't a single thing that makes it stand out, or even makes it worth watching. The two women behind us (and this was at 12:30 AM) seemed to genuinely enjoy the film. I have to wonder if they'd seen a moving picture before. I also have to wonder if I have a soul. Probably not.
I also fell asleep a third of the way into the film, and woke up sometime around the climax. I was also able to predict the final line of the film which, is not a good thing.
I'm not going to get into how degrading Dressed is to women... that fact is probably self-evident.

My goal is to find a winter film I can stay awake for,

Puppets: 1
Movies: 0

Cloverfield

I just caught a midnight screening of Cloverfield at the AMC Boston Common.
There's been a lot of hype surrounding the film, which isn't shocking due to cryptic trailers and somewhat unsettling NYC metro posters.

Thing is, it's good.
Or, I think it's good. It could be the Enviga and TERROR speaking.
I'm not going to be an asshole and spoil it all for you.

I will say though that you KNOW the characters in the movie. They are your friends. They talk and act in a way that your friends would. Be that a credit to Drew Goddard or some sweet improv skills on the part of the actors, I don't know.

Sure some of the film is pretty out there as far as logic goes. And a lot of it is tough to watch.

I have to wonder, contextually speaking, if Cloverfield would have caused me to have such a visceral reaction had 9/11 not happened.
I have to wonder if the film would have been made had 9/11 not happened.
Just so you know, this isn't a film ABOUT terrorism...


I guess just see it.
Especially because Lizzy Caplan from Mean Girls is one of the main actors. She is also the most recognizable and actually gets top billing which is great for her. Go Lizzy!

Oh, and skeptics? Yeah, my advice to you is just see the damn thing before some asshole ruins it for you. Remember how you felt watching the first ten or so episodes of LOST? If you liked the show, you were probably petrified. That's how Cloverfield will make you feel.

And you'll never want to ride the subway again.

Arcade Fire tribute guy strikes again

This has been up for awhile, but I felt like this was a decent day to post it:


This guy is pretty amazing. He has a blog which is also a sort of portfolio.

New Media Tuesday: Radiohead, Sunshine. Goldfrapp

Don't count on me to make a habit out of this because I don't actually buy CDs and DVDs every Tuesday BUT: I just picked up In Rainbows at Newbury Comics and got a free drinking glass. Which is great because I don't have a lot of cups.

The packaging for In Rainbows is sort of like a folio with a sleeve for the actual disc that reminds me of what CD singles used to come in. There are some glossy inserts as well that I assume are meant to be used in a jewel case (not included). They even have instructions for how to adhere them to a jewel case. I guess. Interesting. Definately not the disc box to be certain, but certainly amusing.

I've yet to watch or even read the back of Sunshine, but I assume it will be pretty rad. I already have ideas for a tribute video set to Muse's "Starlight". Seriously, think about it. It works creepily well. Or, someone else could just make it for me and link to it here... I'll give you a veggie dog.

Finally, the music blogs are abuzz with opinions on Goldfrapp's new single and video for "A&E". The video (sorry kids, embedding is disabled) is certainly adorable, but the song ain't no "Ooh La La":


And, in local WTF news: The ABP in Brattle Square is no more. Not that I'm a huge fan of ABP, but it was right near my Tues/Sun job and was reliably quick. Today I was forced to finagle a bagel, and my stomach has been hating me ever since.

Resolution/There will be no country for old men

I bet you're probably wondering what I have resolved to do this year, beloved solo reader. I bet it has been keeping you up at night, nagging you like an unfortunate case of poison sumac.

Rest easy dear friend for I have the antidote to your irritated flesh: My New Years Resolution.

I resolve to write more.
I know CRAZY. Especially for someone who spent five hard years in college studying away for a degree in writing ( to be fair, two of those years were spent studying Art and Music - lot of good that did me).

That said, I've seen two films in the past three days: No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood by The Coen Brothers and P.T. Anderson respectively. Both are heavy dramas with subtle touches of the absurd. Both films filled me with dread and unease. Both were period pieces that utilize desolate landscapes to showcase the greed and insanity of the main characters.

And of course, both have already gotten critical acclaim up the wazoo, so everything I'm saying is just another drop in the bucket.

I'm not sure how much longer these films will be in theaters, but I do recommend seeing them. I take no responsibility for any loss of sleep relating to Daniel Day Lewis's mustache or Javiar Bardem's hair.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the release of Be Kind Rewind, Michel Gondry's latest effort just to lighten my mood. Seriously, I think 2007 was the year of the Sweeping But Unsettling Epic.

Or just the year of the slow-talkin Texan:

Friend Blog

You know what you should read? My friend Cullen's blog: http://www.cinema-journal.blogspot.com/

I love this kid.
Seriously, thanks again for putting me up on NYE, and for introducing me to one helluva diner. I owe you one.