hounddog

Saw Hounddog a few days ago. The controversy surrounding this film is well known. Dakota Fanning plays a young rape victim. Yes that would be a terrible burden for any child actor to have to play, but she pulls it off. There wasn't a second where her performance wasn't believable. The damage, the death of innocence. Growing up isn't easy, and the character she plays has a harder time of it than most. Controversy or not, her performance was devastating.

heckle this

Saw a pretty decent documentary last night. Heckler. Ever wanted to see Carrot Top interviewed seriously? This is as close as you’re gonna get. The film interviews everyone from Rob Zombie to Bill Maher about critics, hecklers and how to deal with them. Jamie Kennedy even gets to confront critics that hated his comedy and Uwe Boll gets in the ring and challenges his harshest critics to a boxing match. The basic truth? Something is good if YOU like it. Fuck what the critics say.

starlite walker

I have 66 Silver Jews songs on my iPod. I never listened to them all back to back before this weekend. I have a new found respect for David Berman. Well his lyrics anyway. The man can’t sing but his words resonate. Kind of like.. well.. Bob Dylan. Of course Berman’s Silver Jews project doesn’t have the cultural impact Dylan has had, but his lyrics have a certain relatable edge that should give him a wider audience. If he was making this music in the 60’s he’d be a revered star now.. Plus his lyrics are pretty depressing which is always a plus with me. The high lonesome sound indeed.

quiver

Just finished reading Kevin Smith’s Green Arrow story “Quiver”. It was a fun little story of resurrection, redemption, amnesia.. and.. oh yeah.. Satanism.. Big themes for sure, but what really made this so enjoyable was the dialog. Quick, witty.. and just what you’d expect from Kevin Smith (minus the dick jokes of course). If Kevin Smith wasn’t such a big Hollywood player, he could make a comfortable living writing comics… But then what would we do without Jay and silent Bob?

this day

New York, New York - A song from Ryan Adam's Gold album that always reminds me of 9/11

click here

fringe

Ok I admit it. Fringe rocks. Despite its obvious similarities to X files, it stands on its own. Or at least the series premier was pretty damn good. It’s definitely flashy and big budget and why shouldn’t it be? It has JJ Abrams behind it. After Lost and Cloverfield the guy can pretty much write his own ticket. Too bad he wasn’t behind decent yet similar but shows like Threshold and Invasion. Maybe they would have been given more of a chance to find an audience.

secret invasion

When Civil War came out in ’06 it made the pages of the New York Times, which is rare for a comic book crossover event. What got reposts was buzzing was the political allegory involved in the story. Superhero fighting superhero over a Government imposed registration act where all costumed superheroes had to register their identities with federal authorities. It’s pretty obvious to see the parallels to modern US policy. But why hasn’t Marvel’s latest crossover event, Secret Invasion, garnered the same press? And invading foreign army aided by imbedded sleeper agents? I think this story is just as allegorical to a post 9-11 world. Get off your asses New York times..

all hope is gone

Usually bands lose their edge way before their 4th album. Hell, these days very few bands last long enough to even make a 4th album. Then there’s Slipknot. Say what you will about this band, but on this new album they are just as intense as they were in ’99. When they want to be. There are softer moments here that could be a sign of weakness if the band didn’t grow as musicians. And I’m willing to let those moments slide when songs like Gematria (The Killing Name) are pure catharsis. On a bit of a side note the band is at its most political on this record. Not that that really matters. Slipknot has always been about getting the poison out, not about deep lyrics. In the end the masks and jumpsuits don’t matter. What does is whether or not the band delivers. And they do. In spades

last will

If Brad Meltzer wanted to, he good quit his job as a novelist and devote all of his time to writing comics. His latest the one-shot Final Crisis tie-in, Last Will and Testament, is one of the best single issues of any comic published this year. The confrontation between Geo-Force and Deathstroke is so profound and deeply human that it could stand up to Oscar winners and classic novels for pure gravitas. It’s books like this that are finally helping the comic medium rise above its “kids stuff” stigma. Who cares about the funny costumes? These are real human moments..

controversy

Recently Tropic Thunder has come under attack by various mental disability advocacy groups. Having had a sister with Downs Syndrome I feel I can comment on this. As much as I appreciate these issues coming into the cultural debate, I feel that in this case the controversy is a bit misguided. What’s being lampooned with the character of Simple Jack is not the mentally challenged, but how Hollywood treats them. It really shines a light on how condescendingly they are portrayed in film and how Hollywood bends over backwards to pat themselves on the back for being sensitive while in reality being cold and calculated. We’ve all seen the academy award nominations for actors and actresses playing mentally challenged characters. Is it possible that maybe the lure of the little gold statue outweighs sympathy? And let’s face it.. some of these films are just awful.. The Other Sister? I Am Sam? So, to all those boycotters I say go a little deeper with your criticism and you may find this film is on your side.

robotech

I just picked this dvd collection up. Robotech was one of my favorite shows as a kid. Not just because it had giant robots. No this show had character development, dram and even.. death.. Yes death. I was used to the GI Joe cartoon where you'd see a parachute every time a plane blew up. In Robotech main characters died. Add to that interracial relationships and even cross dressing, I'd say this show helped me open my eyes to different cultures and maybe even helped to cement my liberal political views at a young age.. And the show is just as good to me now as it was then..

RIP

RIP Michael Turner.. To anyone who collected comics in the late 90’s Michael Turners work was instantly recognizable to the point of being iconic. His work on Fathom and Witchblade redefined the “hot woman” comic character for a new generation. And his work on Supergirl created a look for the character that is still the defining look. His work will inspire up and coming artists for decades. He will be missed by fans and industry insiders alike..

under the hood

I’ve just read Judd Winick’s “under The Hood” story line from Batman. I’ve always been a little rough on Winick’s writing. I always viewed him as the guy form the Real World who happened to get lucky. But I’m eating my words now. His characterization of Black Mask had me in stitches. It’s a shame he’s not a better known villain. Then we could be contemplating who could play him in the next Batman film and using Winick’s concept of the character as a blueprint.

overrated

I’ve really tried to like Mad Men. It’s won awards, the critics love it. It’s hip, it’s stylish. To me it’s overrated. I’m not going to argue that that acting is solid (I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Moss since her days on the West Wing), but its lampooning of early 60's sexism and habits is over the top as to be clumsy. And yes I know its ironic and the women really do have the power, but that doesn't make it any less clumsy. Everything it is trying to do has been done better in Far From Heaven or even the Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. Is there something I’m not getting? Is it because I’m a man who isn’t a misogynist? I dunno

memories

Funny how a song will take you back.. I remember listening to the Belle and Sebastian song “Dress Up In You” when I was on vacation in Italy in the summer of 2006.I put this song on my ipod this morning. Instantly I was transported back. I was able to stay in a friend’s apartment. The windows all open and a fleeting breeze blowing back the white curtains. Sipping lemoncello from the corner store. Reading bits of James Joyce’s Ulysses as the sun set before going to the bar down the street. Some say that smell is the sense most associated with memory. I say that sometimes it’s sound.

what's left of the flag

I have to say I’m pretty psyched for tonight. Seeing Flogging Molly an Irish (via Los Angeles) punk band. Absolutely everyone who sees this band live becomes a fan. It’s a free show so I Imagine the crowd will be large and rowdy. Plus I’m going to appeal to the lesser angels of my nature and get a more than just a little tipsy before I go. This should be a fun night. No, fuck that. It WILL be a fun night. After all, it’s all what you make it isn’t it?. Carpe Diem, bastards!

modern classic

You know the best thing about The Dark Knight? It lives up to the hype. So many times we here today that everything sucks and it was done better before. Not so with this film. It is truly a modern classic and will easily go down as one of the best films of the decade. And yes, Heath Ledger’s Joker could prove to be one of the best on screen villains ever. It’s a dark film for sure, but it does give me a little hope that this pop culture machine still has some tricks up its sleeves.

stay frosty

What is it about a piece of art, be it literature, painting, film or any other medium, that makes it timeless? Aliens is a movie that is just as good to me today as it was when I was in 7th grade and watching my favorite parts over and over again. I can still recite almost every line in the same inflection and tone as the actors. The effects still look pretty damn great. Even the score still holds up to the test of time. Every time I open a book or sit down to watch a film I’m hoping for an experience like the one I got the first time I saw Aliens. Of course it hardly ever happens, but I still have hope..

you can't go home again

There’s something about the writing and artwork of Alex Robinson that makes opening one of his graphic novels like seeing an old friend. Too Cool To Be Forgotten is a no different. Telling the story of Andy Wicks – a middle aged man who goes to a hypnotist to quit smoking and ends up reliving his sophomore year of high school, TCTBF, is probably Robinson’s most bittersweet work. Andy confronts not only what was but what will be and struggles to change them. In the end Andy gets his wish, but probably not how you’d expect. This is definitely Andy’s story and very personal in a way that only comics can be. We hear his thoughts, we feel his awkwardness and his frustration with the mundane.. This can be read in one sitting and is well worth it.

I'm torn..

Anybody who has spent time in New York’s East Village over the past years knows it’s not what it used to be. From the Chipotle on St Marks to the sanitation of Tompkins Square Park the formally sketchy magic has been white washed and replaced with commercialized gleam only slightly better than the Disney vomit that Times Square has become. One of the biggest blows to the old East Village was the loss of CBGBS. John Varvatos has opened a store where CBGBS used to be. He has managed to keep as much of the original venue as he could. My knee jerk reaction to this is to hate it. But would I rather have the place gutted and forgotten? Maybe it’s better to have a museum disguised as an haute couture boutique than nothing at all. I guess in this changing city I’ll take what I can get.