transformers

Saw Transformers: Rise of the Fallen this weekend. It's getting slagged by critics and i can see why. It is by no means a great film. I think the reason it isn't is that it never really figures out what kind of a movie it wants to be. On one hand you have a kids movie feel with fart jokes and robot balls. On the other you have pot brownies and dog humping. I really don't ask much for movies. I take them for what they are and generally I can be entertained and all is good. But a film needs to know WHAT it is and what it wants to say. If it's a kids movie then fine.. Michael bay could have made a decent movie within those parameters, but he wanted to please the hipsters that grew up with the toy franchise. The result? No one gets pleased and characters that many have a nostalgia for get pissed on. And don't get me started on Skids and Mudflap. Are they racist? I think so. Let me ask you this. If the characters were live actor and not robots would you be offended by how they were portrayed? Absolutely.

damn

misery loves comedy

Ivan Brunetti has misanthropy down to such a science that it becomes philosophy. Misery Loves Comedy is his manifesto. Crudely drawn cartoons chock full of hate, loathing, suicide and nihilism extolling the virtues of abortion, mass murder and genital mutilation, these cartoons are NOT for the squeamish. But if you can stomach the darkness and pain you'll find that they are pretty damn funny. These comics are a good stress reliever after a bad day. Ivan hates so we don't have to.

sifl and olly

save our ceos

a coney island of the mind

This is one of the better books of poetry i have read. Lawrence Ferlinghetti is one of the co-owners of the City Lights bookstore where the beat writers first got published (most notably the ubiquitous version of Allan Ginsberg's Howl). Although Lawrence was never really one of the inner circle of the beat writers his impact on the scene cannot not be denied. The poems in this collection are screams of dreamy freedom with a love of the way language and words sound. You can read these poems. But it's even better to say them out loud with a jazz band backing you up.

black flag

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above
When they can't do it themselves

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Think they're smart
Can't think for themselves
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Laugh at us
Behind our backs
I find satisfaction
In what they lack

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

We are born with a chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

90's indie rock

.. I miss it.

stonehenge

love this

pavement

Ahhh College..

memories.. again

Loreena Mckennitt.. The Mummer's Dance. Didn't even like this album all that much. But I remember listening to it for hours on end waiting for the sun to come up..

feel good hit of the summer

It's been said that the Star Trek film is the first film reflecting America's optimism in the era of Obama. The director, JJ Abrams, denies this. It was written before Obama was even elected. That may very well be, but what he is discounting is that it's not the film that reflects this optimism per se, but the reaction of the public. If this film hadn't done so well it's first weekend and seemed so loved by the audience then yes, Abrams may have a point. But you can't question the fact that the people have reacted to this film and it seems to have struck a nerve. Yeah maybe the country IS in a good mood despite the economic worries. Yes we can.

garden state

This soundtrack will always remind me of one of the best weeks of my life. It's funny how seeing a movie with the right people can be magic. There was something in the air that night. It's lost now, but I can still remember how powerful it felt. Like you were on a ride, but so was everybody else.

scott pilgrim

Scott Pilgrim.. Yeah it's a little light hearted compared to what I normally read, but I can't help being pulled in by it's hyper energy. This book may be in black and white but it feels full color. Characters you can like and relate to even if they are in their 20s and use samurai swords. Can't wait to see what Edgar Wright does with the film adaptation..

I love the coup

memories

phantasm

This has to be one of the best bad movies I've ever seen. It gives Maximum Overdrive a run for its money. Horrible acting, horrible dialog, and horrible clothes.. And yet there were some beautifully composed shots and the score is incredible. The director has some talent, but the performance he got out of the actors is just 100% pure shit. It has to be seen to believed. Totally worthy of its classic status

am i the only one?

who thinks the Dictators where an ugly version of the New York Dolls?

classic video - at least to me