When it comes to films and DVDs, there is no company I love more than Criterion. They specialize in taking little known foreign and indie films. These are important films, the kind that make one love cinema.
Criterion has always been a pioneer in the way that they present their films on DVD. Usually, multiple discs, each one loaded with commentaries, documentaries...just pleathoras of information. I own quite a few Criterion discs, my favorite being those done for Wes Anderson films and John Woo's The Killer and Hard Boiled. There is a palpable love in each disc they produce.
They are now switching over from DVD production to Blu-Ray. While browsing around today, I found an amazing article over at the always great Gizmodo, about Criterion's change over to Blu-Ray. Fantastic article, which I'll link here:
After reading this article, I'm seriously considering switching over to Blu-Ray at some point in the near future. I was an adopter of the HD-DVD platform, which failed, but I do love watching films in HD. Having a larger selection with Blu-Ray is certainly something I would love.
I'm sitting at work watching CNN and I notice that they are doing a report about Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, pundits who have their own shows on MSNBC.
Apparently, MSNBC has taken upon theirselves to remove both men as anchors in any political coverage. Why? They cited liberal bias on the part of both anchors.
WTF?
Fox News can spew their right-wing poison all they want and get away with it? Their ANCHORS can blatantly flaunt their political views and not get punished for it?
Olbermann and Matthews are two of the only reasons to watch MSNBC. I watch their shows as they are entertaining and informative. Hell, I watch Glen Beck as well and he's all the way on the other side of the spectrum.
If MSNBC is being forced to censor their employees, then Fox needs to follow suit.
Late dawns and early sunsets, just like my favourite scenes Then holding hands and life was perfect, just like up on the screen And the whole time while always giving Counting your face among the living
Up and down escalators, pennies and colder fountains Elevators and half price sales, trapped in by all these mountains Running away and hiding with you I never thought they'd get me here Not knowing you changed from just one bite I fought them all off just to hold you close and tight
But does anyone notice? But does anyone care? And if I had the guts to put this to your head... But would anything matter if you're already dead? And should I be shocked now by the last thing you said? Before I pull this trigger, Your eyes vacant and stained...
But does anyone notice? But does anyone care? And if I had the guts to put this to your head... And would anything matter if you're already dead? And now should I be shocked by the last thing you said? Before I pull this trigger, Your eyes vacant and stained... And in saying you loved me, Made things harder at best, And these words changing nothing As your body remains, And there's no room in this hell, There's no room in the next, And our memories defeat us, And I'll end this direst.
But does anyone notice? But does anyone care? And if I had the guts to put this to your head... But does anything matter if you're already dead? And should I be shocked now by the last thing you said? Before I pull this trigger, Your eyes vacant and stained... And in saying you loved me, Made things harder at best, And these words changing nothing As your body remains, And there's no room in this hell, There's no room in the next, But does anyone notice there's a corpse in this bed?
Currently
listening
:
All Hope Is Gone
By
Slipknot
Release date: 2008-08-26
1. Orgazmo - So I mentioned Cannibal The Musical yesterday. Orgazmo was Trey Parker and Matt Stone's second film and it's what helped the guys get South Park off the ground. The film follows Joe Young (Trey Parker), a Mormon who stumbles his way into a porn career. It's an absolutely hilarious film that accomplishes at being a film about porn without being too truly raunchy.
2. Re-Animator - My absolute and undying love for this film makes it a bit hard to even talk about. Herbert West is one of the best smartasses in film history. This is a film that has the darkest sense of humor and it all works so well. This film is near perfect. So many great lines, and the finale with a nude Barbara Crampton....
3. Evil Dead - Sam Raimi behind the camera, Bruce Campbell playing the main character Ash, and demons.... This is the film that threw me head first into horror. I watched it and was completely just blown away. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. Can't recommend this one enough.
4. Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn - I have a fondness for Evil Dead 2 but don't feel it to be nearly as good as the original. The film goes for more of a tongue-in-cheek comedy approach and it just doesn't work as well as the original film. Still, it's a fun film, and much better than the crap that gets passed off as horror today.
5. Army Of Darkness - After the events of Evil Dead 2, Ash is transported back to the middle ages to fight the demons (deadites) there. This film goes with straight comedy, and it works so much better than Evil Dead 2. This is yet another film that I can quote endlessly. Fantastic film.
6. Night Of The Living Dead - To say that I love George A Romero's Night Of The Living Dead is an understatement. The man accomplished in creating a superbly creepy film with heavy social overtones and did it all on a shoestring budget. Not only that, he started a full genere of zombie films which to this day are being made. This is a film that hasn't lost any of it's power despite the years since it was made. Classic
7. Dawn Of The Dead (1978) - When there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth. There is no way for me to convey the absolute and complete love I have for this film. DOTD is a film that just works so fucking well. It follows Night in that the epidemic of the dead feasting on humans is still on going. A group of survivors hole up inside a large mall and fend for their lives against the undead and a group of maurading bikers. This film is pure cinematic bliss. I think I'll actually pop this one in my DVD player tonight.
8. Day Of The Dead (1985) - The third of the Dead films. Earth has been ruined by the epidemic. There are few survivors. A group of militants and scientists who are trying to figure out a cure are living in an underground facility. As is normal with a Romero film, tempers flare and personalities clash and eventually everyone fights off a horde of the undead. Not as good as the other two films but still quite good.
9. Darkness: Vampire Version - This is one of those ifamous films that I had always heard about but could never catch. You'd hear word that someone had an VHS print of the film only to find out that it was a lie. It's a film you would hear about yet had never actually known anyone to see it. At some point it almost seems like an illusion. In 2006, 13 years after it's original release, the film actually hit on DVD. What I found was an incrediably low-budget but creative and inventive film by Leif Jonker. Jonker was only 19 when he made the film, and what he accomplishes is absolutely fantastic. Gory and fun as hell.
10. They Came Back (Les Revenants) - What an absolutely beautiful film this is. Les Revenants is a French film about the recently dead coming back to life. Instead of a normal horror film, they have no desire for flesh. The ressurected only want to go back to their normal lives, to their families. This film is a fresh take on the zombie film and it's fantastic. I'm nearly brought to tears just thinking about the movie. Certainly one that EVERYONE should see at some point.
Currently
listening
:
Suffer
By
Bad Religion
Release date: 2004-04-06
I was trying to explain to a friend last night about Shaun Of The Dead. They had never heard of the film before and I realized just how many great films are out there that people have never seen or never heard of. I figured I'd start a mission to list the films that I feel everyone should see. I'm going to go at this like a stream of consciousness, listing the films as they come to mind; each with a small blurb. I expect this to be lengthy and I will chop it up into parts.
These are listed in no particular order.
1. Shaun Of The Dead - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright's genius zombie film. It follows Shaun, a loser who just can't get his shit together. It's at it's heart a love story about Shaun and his dissatisfied girl friend Liz, set in a world that is being taken over by zombies. It's hilarious, heartfelt and all around perfect. This is a film I can quote to no end.
2. Hot Fuzz - Pegg, Frost and Wright again. Pegg plays Nicholas Angel a London cop who is too damn good at what he does. He is sent out to the country to be an officer since he was making the other officers in London look bad. While in the small town, he finds that people are dying in horrific and mysterious "accidents". What follows is a satire of macho action films such as Point Break and Bad Boys, but in the most picturesque of places. Once again, hilarious film.
3. Session 9 - Holy shit, this film was a surprise the first time I caught it. Brad Anderson directed and wrote this film about a mental asylum that is being cleaned out by a Hazmat team which includes David Caruso and the always terrific Peter Mullan. The mental asylum is possibly haunted and strange occurances are happening. It all leads up to one of the most haunting endings of any film I have seen. Unbelieveable just how good this film is.
4. Trainspotting - Can't mention Peter Mullan without thinking of Trainspotting. Danny Boyle's film is a cult classic at this point and rightfully so. It's a dark and serious look at herion addiction and it's stunning. Once you see the scene with the baby and the ceiling, you'll never forget it.
5. Shallow Grave - Speaking of Danny Boyle, I have to mention Shallow Grave. The film is a dark comedy about a group of roomates who have someone die in their apartment with a suitcase full of cash. The film turns into the type of film that you would possibly see from the Coen brothers. The film still holds Boyle's touch for the darkness and brutality in life and is quite possibly my favorite of Boyle's films.
6. Das Experiment - Das Experiment is a German film that tells the story of a group of males who sign up for a psychology experiment. Some of the men will be prison guards and the others will be the prisoners. It slowly turns into an experimment in terror as the guards start overstepping the bounds of the experiment and their slow torture of the prisoners gets out of control. This is a superb thriller, based on the true story of the Stanford Prison Experiment that occured here in the States in the 70s.
7. Children Of Men - In the near future, women are no longer physically able to have children. The human race is slowly dying out and societies are in ruins. Clive Owen plays a drunk who is slowly pulled into a story about a young girl who is pregnant with the first child the world has seen in nearly 18 years. It's a fantastic story about politics, hope and the human spirit. I rated this one as the best film of 2006, and with good reason.
8. Cannibal: The Musical! - Say what you will about South Park, it's creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have a well defined sense of humor. Their first real film tells the story of Alfred Packer, a miner who resorted to cannibalisim after being stuck in the snow for weeks with his crew. The film is crude, but hilarious. The songs will stick with you for a long time after.
9. Oldboy - If there was one film on this list that I would recommend more than any other, it would be Oldboy. The film tells the story of Oh Daesu, a man who is kidnapped and held in a room for 15 years without any contact to the outside world. One day, he is inexplicably released and he decides to go on a mission to avenge his wife and young daughter who were mudered while he was in his makeshift prison. This film is just fantastic beyond belief. It has so many twists and the ending.......wow......fucking WOW.
10. Save The Green Planet! - Another Korean film. This time it is about a young man who believes that the world is under attack by aliens disguised as humans. He kidnaps a prominent business man who he believes is one of the creatures, and holds him hostage in his basement. Very fun film, considering it's about kidnapping and to some extent, torture. It has a well honed and precicse sense of dark humor, and is a good watch.
Currently
playing
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Saints Row Release date: 2006-08-29
Google Chrome
Current mood: inquisitive
Category: Web, HTML, Tech
Google released their first web browser today, Google Chrome. I'm actually writing this post while using Chrome. If anyone is interested, here are my initial thoughts:
1. Out of the modern browsers (Firefox, IE, Safari), Chrome is by far the fastest I have seen. It's very minimalist in it's design, and loads at a fast clip. As soon as I enter a URL, the browser is loading the page.
2. It's very mac-ish in design. This doesn't look to be something that you'd normally see on a PC. It feels like a Mac browser in it's look and feel.
3. It's also very similar to Firefox. Cntrl-L brings you directly to the address bar as in Firefox, anything you misspell will be pointed out for you as in Firefox, the tabs are even similar. It appears that over the years it has gone from everyone trying to beat IE to trying to beat Firefox. All of your Firefox bookmarks are transferable, and it's a simple process.
4. Final thought - I really like it so far. It's not going to be the browser that I use over Firefox immediately, but I'll see where Google goes with it. At this point, it looks like they have a winner on their hands. Further inspection and testing with the browser will tell if Google has what it takes.
NOTE:
As I posted this with Chrome, I realized that Myspace was not recognizing my spacing at all once I tried to post it. Looks like I have encountered a bug with Chrome as it worked perfectly in Firefox.
Currently
listening
:
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
By
Spoon
Release date: 2007-07-10
I leave work today and I'm at a stoplight. I'm behind a silver Mustang Cobra, about a 2006 model or so. The owner has the thing decked out. Custom exhaust, tinted windows, overly wide tires...the whole deal.
To the right of the Mustang in the next lane over is a Pontiac G8. It's plain compared to the Cobra, and the driver of the Cobra knows that he has the car beat. The driver of the G8 is a middle aged guy with salt and pepper hair with stylish sunglasses. A man who has lost his youth, trying to be cool in a world of others exactly like him.
The man's car is nondescript. It has euro tail-lights, moderate rims, and a couple of nearly unnoticeable hood scoops...everything factory installed. The car is a four door, a family sedan, only a bit sportier on the outside.
A middle aged man in a family sedan, a young man in the epitome of modern muscle.
The middle aged man initiates. He starts inching forward which to every man is the go sign. He looks over at the Mustang and nods. I assume the driver of the Mustang nods back as he slowly starts inching forward. I see the huge exhaust of the Mustang begin to shake and roar. The middle aged man revs his engine, exuding a more muffled and timid sound.
The light turns green.
The driver of the Mustang throws his car into first. The bark of the tires is loud in my vehicle as I have my windows down. There is a brief puff of blue smoke, and that delicious smell of burning rubber. I look over and the middle aged man just smiles. It is the smile of the knowing.
He waits.
The driver of the Mustang is in 2nd by the time that the driver of the G8 throws his car into first. The G8 rockets forward without even a hint of traction loss. It's a blue rocket on a busy street. The engine roars, shaking me to my core. The man knows exactly what he is doing.
The driver of the Mustang must have surely thought he was the winner. There is always such elation when you win a stop light race, competing against someone that you do not know and most likely will never see again.
I'm sure he was feeling such elation when the G8 rocketed past him at a higher clip. The car has transformed from a gentile family sedan to a beast of raw power. The driver of the Mustang floors his gas pedal in an effort to keep up, but it was all for nothing. The G8 has blown past him and there is no way to make up the difference.
The Mustang slows down, the G8 rockets forward and the driver slowly taps his brakes twice, giving the signal for "Good Race". I slide into the empty lane behind the G8 and pass the now slowed Mustang. The driver's mouth agape with awe, his speed slowly dwindling until he is well under the speed limit.
I drive home.
I'm dying tomorrow This house, this street, Chicago I'm dying tomorrow Did I do it right Did I remember to sleep in Take lots of pills Commit irreversible sins Did I at least try to kiss the prettiest girl At the right time Did I remember to keep your beer as full as mine Did I remember to say cheers Did I at least try to make sure everybody had a good time Had the best time Did I remember to stay up late Drinking for the fun Drinking for the taste Did I run outside to kiss the rain Under electrical skies I'm dying tomorrow This house, this street, Chicago I'm dying tomorrow Did I do it right
It's amazing how we can hear a snippet of a song and have it bring back a million memories....
Hello I've waited here for you Everlong
Tonight I throw myself into And out of the red out of her head she sang
Come down and waste away with me Down with me Slow how you wanted it to be I'm over my head, out of her head she sang
And I wonder When I sing along with you If everything could ever feel this real forever If anything could ever be this good again The only thing I'll ever ask of you You've got to promise not to stop when I say when She sang
Breathe out So I can breathe you in Hold you in
And now I know you've always been Out of your head, out of my head I sang
And I wonder When I sing along with you If everything could ever feel this real forever If anything could ever be this good again The only thing I'll ever ask of you You've got to promise not to stop when I say when She sang
And I wonder If everything could ever feel this real forever If anything could ever be this good again The only thing I'll ever ask of you You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
So my daughter has been begging to see Speed Racer for a while now. Like most children that will go see this film, they have no idea that it is based on a piece of 1960's anime.
I recall watching Speed Racer back in the mid-90s when for some unknown reason, MTV aired it in it's entirety. I remember enjoying it for it's campiness and overall goofiness. When I heard that the Wachowski Bros were handling a live action version of the film I got excited and a bit nervous. Would this be a serious adaptation or would it be just as damn silly as the original show?
I got my answer yesterday when I took my daughter to see the film.
Speed Racer is nearly indescribable. I can honestly say that the Wachowski Bros have outdone themselves with this film. They have accomplished something that few films have ever been able to do. They have created a nearly flawless live action cartoon. This film, despite it's updating and such, feels like Speed Racer.
A lot of people have complained about the amount of CG in the film. Honestly, I was apprehensive about how the film appeared to be just a huge special effects fest. I can say that it was, but it worked. The Wachowski Bros have accurately translated pure speed onto film unlike anyone else has. When Speed races, you feel it. Your heart starts pounding, and your senses get to the point of getting overloaded.
I now know neither myself or daughter are epileptics.
The film is serious for the most part. I could actually feel myself tearing up a bit when Speed's brother Rex dies, despite the fact that I knew it was coming. There is a lot of sadness in this film, and I felt myself caring for everyone in the film. They could have easily been simple two-dimensional characters but instead were fullly fleshed out within the script.
Watching the film, I kept wishing that the Wachowski Bros had taken on the task of remaking Death Race 2000. It was obvious to me thorughout that they took a lot of the vehicle designs from that film.
Each summer there is one film that gets me excited for the rest of the season. There is always one that gets me amped up and ready for the mindless fun that's coming. Speed Racer is that film. Summer is here and so are the huge budget extravaganzas.
Goddamnit - 10 Years Later
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Music
The summer of 1998. I spent every single waking moment outside on my skateboard enjoying being a teen with no real goals, just enjoying everything without any cares. I was just a 15 year old punk who did little more than sleep and skate. On any given day, you'd find me on my beat up old CCS board, wearing some band t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a pair of skate shoes.
At the time, there was a huge punk and ska revival in the underground music scene. That music is what crafted my teen years and made me just who I am today. I have fond memories of actually ordering cds and shirts through the mail rather than over the internet as is the case today. I felt an almost personal connection with the various music labels. Fat Wreck Chords, Epitaph, Lookout Records, and Asian Man Records.
Asian Man was started by Mike Park from both Skankin Pickle and The Bruce Lee Band. He saw the end of the revival as large companies started to get a hold of bands, sell them out and ruin the scene. He decided to do something about it, so he started his own small label out of his garage in California. That's the exact same way that he is doing things today.
Mike always put out these great compilations for about four bucks apiece. They would feature various bands from his label, and they were always guaranteed to be fantastic. Punk, pop-punk, emo, ska, hardcore....they were all there in those great compilations.
I'll never forget hearing "Mailorder Is Fun!" for the first time. There was one song by a band I had never heard of that I played over and over again. The song was "For Your Lungs Only" and it was by Alkaline Trio who had just started with Mike's label. The song was pop-punk but with these dark overtones that really struck a chord with me.
Soon after, Alkaline Trio released their first full length album, "Goddamnit". The album was a revelation to me. Songs about love, the loss of the same, and dealing with everything beyond your control. Just like "For Your Lungs Only", every song had a certain darkness to it that I had never heard in anything before. The songs were endearing, catchy and I just absolutely fucking loved the album.
Alkaline Trio ended up releasing a good amount of albums throughout the years from that point on. With the exception of their awful "Crimson", each album was pretty good. Still, none of them held the power, energy or creativity of "Goddamnit". It's one of those albums that helped shape my view of the world.
Mike took it upon himself to go back and remaster "Goddamnit" this past year in honor of it's 10 year anniversary. Not only that, but he also created a 90 minute documentary to be packaged along with the CD. I just recently picked it up from the Asian Man website, and I've got to say that I'm amazed at just how damn well the album holds up.
I'll be honest, as teens, we are all shallow bastards. Go back and find an album you enjoyed at 15 and try to tell me that it is still good. Look deeper into the music and see if there is really any meaning there or is was it just the flavor of the week.
"Goddamnit" isn't anything like that. I believe I'm actually starting to find much more meaning within the album than I ever did 10 years ago. With time comes an abundance of wordly knowledge and with that comes a better understanding and apprecation of the lyrics. The songs are just as strong to me as they were all of those years ago. Not only does the album bring back so many memories from that summer but it also describes so many things I've gone through since then.
Anyway, it's an even better album now than it ever was. I recommend picking it up if you get the chance. It's certainly something that needs to be experienced. I've added quite a number of Alkaline Trio songs to my front page, check them out. I'll leave you with some lyrics from the album.
Southern Rock
I can't believe my heart's still pounding I can't believe how close I came And meanwhile heaven's falling The fallen angels flown away And that'll be me someday With stolen wings and evil ways Straight south with the keys to the pearly gates
Hard to believe my heart stopped pounding Hard to believe I played this game My worst nightmares became real I got so scared that I forgot my name And that'll be me someday With stolen wings and evil ways Straight south with the keys to the pearly gates
Trouble Breathing
You told me that you want to die. I said I've been there myself more than a few times. And I go back every once in a while. You called me lucky, you... You called me lucky.
You said tonight is a wonderful night to die. I asked you could tell, you told me to look at the sky. Look at all those stars, look at how goddamn ugly the stars are.
It's one or another. Between a rope and a bottle. I can tell you're having trouble breathing, 'Cause you'll never be o.k. (you'll never be o.k.) You'll always be in pain. You'll always feel this way. 'Cause things they never work out right (the wrong way, the lonely way). You'll always be in pain.
You told me that the daylight burns you And that the sunrise was enough to kill you. I said maybe you're a vampire. You said it's quite possible, I feel truly dead inside.
It's one or another. Between a rope and a bottle. I can tell you're having trouble breathing, 'Cause you'll never be o.k. (you'll never be o.k.) You'll always be in pain. You'll always feel this way. Cause things they never work out right (the wrong way, the lonely way). You'll always be in pain.
Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out. Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out. Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out.
Cringe
wide eyed. knee deep in surprise. just below your thighs the temperature drops 5 degrees. your stand-by flight has just arrived.
tongue-tied, bleeding from your eyes. even Christ himself would cringe at the sight of your scars. while you're counting sheep, i'll count my lucky stars. you were the last good thing i ever saw.
i lost it all. i lost it all.
burned out on 2 hours of shut-eye. eyes glazed at the thought of the next 8 hours. headwind, cold rain to wake me. you were the last good thing i ever saw.
Sorry About That
it hasn't been that long since we drank to the sunset, until it was gone. and down with it went our pain and fear, as we slowly broke contact more and more, with every beer. and we passed out in each other's arms, both admitting we'd never felt better. never felt so warm. but awoke in each other's eyes, without wearing a stitch of clothing. we were both deeply in disguise.
and maybe i just set aside the fact that you were broken hearted. in my own special selfish way. and if i hadn't set aside the fact that you were broken hearted. hell knows where your heart would be today. maybe with me.
it seems like it's been so long since we kissed through the darkness, until it was dawn. up with it came our pain and fear that we'd already lost each other. we both knew that the end was near.
maybe i just set aside the fact that you were broken hearted. in my own special selfish way. and if i hadn't set aside the fact that you were broken hearted. hell knows where your heart would be today. maybe with me. maybe with me. maybe with me. maybe with me. maybe with me. maybe with me. maybe with me.
So I just finished the first season of Flight Of The Conchords. I figured I'd share some bits of genius from the show. Unlike a bunch of other comedy troupes/comedy bands/etc, they are consistently funny.
Enjoy:
Also, if anyone digs on Flight, then check out Jermaine Clement's flick "Eagle Vs. Shark". Follows along the same lines, is a bit more of a dramedy but is still a great little indie flick.
inquisitive
excited
nostalgic
amused