How the hell are ya?

Ahem...
Well this place has fallen into disuse...
My only excuse is that I currently work three jobs and tend to be so tired by the time I limp home at night that I am just too far gone to write in this thing. That said, here is a massive update:



You probably don't know who this is, but I can assure you, he is 100% awesome. This is Steve Wiebe. He is a junior high science teacher from Washington. I don't actually know him, but if I ever meet him, I am going to give him a firm handshake and a pat on the back. You can learn all about Steve and one of the greatest rivalries of all time by catching a showing of "King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters". This is a film about video games, the people who play them, and above all, human nature. It'll warm your heart and split your sides. It is easily the best film I've seen this year, no lies.





Hey, did you know that On The Road is 50 years old as of about a month ago? You did? Alright then. Well, I somehow managed to get through high school and college without ever reading it. I'm currently in the middle, and I guess I understand the hype. Kerouac had this crazed, stream of conscious as-it-happens style which can both grate and delight. I actually haven't decided which side I'm on. I do know that, every time someone catches me reading the book at work they have something to say about it. That could be because I live in Massachusetts and Jack lived in Lowell. Hometown heroes and all of that. I keep thinking "this defined a generation? Ok..." We'll see how I feel at the end of it all. I'm sure it will end up being a lifelong favorite. Maybe.





Avacado sandwiches. Oh man.
How to make the best avacado sandwich evar:
1 ripe avacado
2 slices of swiss cheese
2 slices of focaccia bread
2 tbs of Newman's Own Honey Mustard
whole leaf spinach
1/2 ripe tomato
optional: two slices of tofurkey

Alright... I think you can figure out how to construct a sandwich...



This is Louis Theroux.
I'm basically in love with him.
Yes, he's a British documentarian. You can see a great example of his work here: The Most HAted Family In America
The subject matter is close to my heart as the Phelps family actually wrote horrible things about my late friend Corey on their website and threatened to protest at his funeral in March of 2006. I digress... that isn't the reason I'm in love with Louis. Come on, look at the guy. And watch his work. DROOL. He's like British Colin Meloy... except for being lead singer of British Decemberists he's...uh...
Fuck, I'm twitterpated.

And finally:



Alright, a part of me hates to see summer end... but that part of me is easily silenced by the part of me that LOVES autumn brews, my favorite of which is Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Yes, this brew basically tastes like the smell of fall. Smooth, woody, with a nice hint of pumpkin.

That's all I got, kids.

pop*creep recommends

gofugyourself: This is my current guilty pleasure blog.
well, that and
Jezebel: I admit it, I like me some celebrity and fashion gossip now and then, and I defiantly prefer it from these ladies. They might be 100% against airbrushing and unrealistic ideals... but they aren't too proud to admit it when they see a cute pair of shoes.

Good Movie/Bad Movie

On Sunday I saw two limited release films.
The first was the new Danny Boyle science-fiction feature Sunshine



I could talk to you about special effects (they are present and fantastic) or acting (formidable) but really I am just going to express my love for the sounds in this film. Many reviewers will tell you that Sunshine is a feast for the eyes, but this one will tell you that the sounds are "where it is at". Underworld supplies some great electronic blips and scratches here and there that perfectly compliment the bombastic sounds of metal expanding and contracting and... well... human screams.

This is a film to see on the big screen not simply just because it is visually stunning (it is) but for the sound. The explosions in this film rattle the entire theater.

OK, yes, there are plot holes, and not enough exposition... but there is no drippy love story. No exploitative sex. Nothing that generally mars most decent action films.

Sunshine is currently only showing on 10 screens in America. Good luck finding it before it disappears. Cambridge is the only place in New England currently showing it.


OK, now for the Bad Movie.



Oh Steve Buscemi, how I love you. How I wanted to love your latest foray into directing. How you failed me.

Interview is a depsicable film about despicable people. I don't understand how this has been getting good reviews. Alright, I do. Steve Buscemi is in it! We love him! He's swell.

Guys, Steve Buscemi's presence does not a good movie make. Ask Adam Sandler.
I see what he was trying to make: an in-depth character study. Yes, yes. Very nice, sir.
But what I discovered while watching this film is that Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller are to "character study" what Steve Vai is to "subtle guitar solo".

This is character wank.

Perhaps this film would have been better had I given a shit about either one of the horrid people depicted... but I didn't. Couldn't stand them. They made my skin crawl. And not in an amusing way. In the "boy am I ever glad that that I work here and didn't have to pay for this ticket" way.

Man, I feel guilty even writing bad things about such a beloved guy, I do.

Sorry Steve. Your film blows. No one wants to watch Sienna Miller fake-cry, or you try to have sex with her. Ew.

EW.

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pop*creep recommends:

1.The Gill Aharon Trio
These guys are swell. I saw them play on Saturday at the lily pad in Inman Square (aka "my 'hood"). Yes, Brian Viglione of Dresden Dolls plays drums, and that is their main selling point, but come on. Gill plays the piano in the most innovative way I have seen in the past few years.

2. Let It Blurt by Jim DeRogatis: Yup, good ol' Jim is a total tool, but his biography of Lester Bangs has kept me steadily amused for the past two weeks (what, between two jobs and having a life, I don't get much time to read). Sure, I haven't finished it yet, and it is currently making a somewhat decent couch-coaster for my half-empty can of Coke... but I KNOW I'll finish it. And for me... that's saying something. This is a horrible review,

3. Letting someone else tell you the ending of the last Harry Potter novel. Because really, I don't give a shit, but I know what happens. And I'll save you the $20.

4. Woodchuck hard cider on draft at Charlie's kitchen: Oddly pleasant.

5. Mehron Starblend face makeup: SOOOOOO much easier to use than the greasepaint I've gotten so used to. And it doesn't smudge.

6. 3AM frisbee: I am horrid by day, and worse by night. Much much worse in sprinklers during the wee hours.

Peaches fans take note

I just saw this on the Av Club news wire.



Seriously Avril... this is the second time in about a month that you've been accused of plagiarism. If you can't write your own songs, maybe you should just throw in the towel.

Welcome/4th of July/Etc.

Hello there, and welcome to pop*creep.
I've been thinking about starting this for quite some time. I finally got a spare moment, so here we go.

I moved to Cambridge, MA from rural Maine about three months ago. So far I have managed to land a quirky but amazingly enjoyable job at a puppet theater and another less-exciting job at a cinema that shows mainly foreign and independent films. When i am not working, I am wandering around the city looking for weird signs, shows, and street performers. I moonlight as a mime and singer-songwriter... so really, I am a busy girl. Why not add a blog to the mix, right?

I recently experienced my first Boston Fourth of July. Rather than braving the 500,000 strong crowds on the Esplanade, I climbed up the back staircase to my roof. Surprisingly, there was no one there. To be fair, it was raining.

I shot this shitty video with my camera phone. The fireworks were MUCH more impressive in person. Trust me.


A few days ago I went to a Polyphonic Spree show at the Avalon (across the street from Fenway Park) it was AMAZING. After the show I found this sign:

I have never seen such a sign. I was told that these are pretty common in the area... but it brings to mind roving see-saws. This is something I never considered when re-locating. Thank goodness I don't drive.

pop*creep recommends:

SiCKO
Michael Moore may be more famous for his antics and habit of ignoring hard facts in order to tell a more entertaining story... but SiCKO is still a film that every American should see and be pissed off by.
Hazyland Soap Company
Wonderful veggie-based home-made soap from Maine. All natural scents and dyes. They also make unscented and color-free soaps. Cruelty free and fantastic.
Christina's Ice Cream
Located in Inman Square, Christina's makes some awesome ice cream. Generous servings for not-so-much cash. My current favorite is their Fresh Mint.