SUNDAY SHUFFLE #5
I loaded around 15 CDs onto iTunes this week so I could put together a mix for one of the kids I work with. I love exposing people to music they haven't heard before. So, we'll see if any of that ends up on today's ten...
1. Requiem/M.Ward (9) - A song from the brilliant Post-War. Once more I urge to get it if you have not done so. Seriously.
2. This Year/The Mountain Goats (4) - The lead track from last year's best-of mix. I like The Sunset Tree a lot but I've really been getting into the new one...which could very well end up in my top ten. You know, only three months until those decisions need to be made.
3. CRC 7173, Affectionately/John Vanderslice (1) - There's one of the new albums, Pixel Revolt. I've cooled off on my constant listening of it - too many other new albums to absorb. But it's still great. "It's so much better now..."
4. The Pledge/Brendan Benson (3) - I'll be loyal to you, Brendan. Please give us another solo album or even a new Raconteurs album in the near future, okay? From The Alternative To Love.
5. Land Locked Blues/Bright Eyes (4) - Hmm, a second from the best-of 2005 mix. He's supposed to have a new album out early in the 2007; this is from It's Wide Awake It's Morning.
6. Honest/The Long Winters (1) - Ah, here's another one and one of the highlights of the fantastic Putting The Days To Bed, which is also slated for my top ten of 2006.
7. How To Fight Loneliness/Wilco (2) - The only other time I listened to this song on iTunes was May 5th. That's been a while. Summerteeth; smile all the time and laugh at every joke.
8. Valerie/Crooked Fingers (2) - I still need to get a hold of Eric Bachmann's solo album, which came out last month. But there's nothing wrong with some of this band (or Archers of Loaf). Nothing at all. From Dignity and Shame.
9. Sad Eyes/Josh Rouse (7) - From those radio sessions that I've mentioned before. In fact, it looks like this came up a couple weeks ago on this feature...maybe not. Might have listened to it after I put up the post.
10. Don't Look Back/Teenage Fanclub (1) - And here's another freshly ripped song to close things out. It comes from Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds, a career retrospective they put out a couple years ago. I only have one of their proper albums, a situation I need to rectify. Great band.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
52.17 - 52.20
The long-simmering storyline of our heroes lost in space come to a forefront in the four most recent issues of 52. They are finally away from the planet and beginning their long trek home. Starfire lectures Animal Man about the dangers of "existential isolation trauma" but Buddy feels like the universe like him and that he'll be okay. That's a reference to his Grant Morrison-written solo series from the late 80s (available in three trades and essential reading!) and suspect Morrison is behind that section of the current series. Anyway, the two heroes and Adam Strange run into problems - Devilance has pursued them off-planet, though that danger is quickly replaced by the return of Lobo (an anti-hero who was very popular in the 90s; I could take him only in small doses). Things are different for the Main Man - he has found religion and is an Archbishop. He has also found the Emerald Eye, which leads to further complications.
Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) returns in #18, after being contacted by Detective Chimp. Not only is Detective Chimp a member of Shadowpact but he and Ralph are also members of a heretofore unknown group called the Croatoans. One of that second group's members has died in mysterious cirumstances that also involved Dr. Fate's helmet. Ralph agress to help look into things but the helmet talks to him and he disappears...is is possible he will become the new Dr. Fate?
Skeets (sidekick to the recently-deceased Booster Gold) turns up an ancestor of BG's at his funeral (remember Booster is from the future) and uses him to get back into Rip Hunter's lair. Skeets isn't playing fair, however, and sends Daniel Carter to his doom while uttering "He knows." Um, who knows? And what is Skeets playing at?
And those are just the main points. We also see more with Black Adam, Isis, The Question, and an even more messed-up Renee Montoya; the reemergence of Steel; the internal problems associated with being Luthor's personal super-heroes; Supernova versus Weather Wizard with an assist and awkward encounter with Wonder Girl; Supernova also breaking into the Batcave (along with a reference to events that took place in the Jamie Robinson-written "One Year Later" issues of Batman and Detective Comics; and clue to what to overall nature of 52 might be in the form of Red Tornado. Plus, solid art by Chris Batista (twice), Eddy Barrows, and Patrick Oliffe along with a host of inkers and the secret origins of Lobo, The Question, Animal Man, and Adam Strange.
Looking forward to more...
The long-simmering storyline of our heroes lost in space come to a forefront in the four most recent issues of 52. They are finally away from the planet and beginning their long trek home. Starfire lectures Animal Man about the dangers of "existential isolation trauma" but Buddy feels like the universe like him and that he'll be okay. That's a reference to his Grant Morrison-written solo series from the late 80s (available in three trades and essential reading!) and suspect Morrison is behind that section of the current series. Anyway, the two heroes and Adam Strange run into problems - Devilance has pursued them off-planet, though that danger is quickly replaced by the return of Lobo (an anti-hero who was very popular in the 90s; I could take him only in small doses). Things are different for the Main Man - he has found religion and is an Archbishop. He has also found the Emerald Eye, which leads to further complications.
Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) returns in #18, after being contacted by Detective Chimp. Not only is Detective Chimp a member of Shadowpact but he and Ralph are also members of a heretofore unknown group called the Croatoans. One of that second group's members has died in mysterious cirumstances that also involved Dr. Fate's helmet. Ralph agress to help look into things but the helmet talks to him and he disappears...is is possible he will become the new Dr. Fate?
Skeets (sidekick to the recently-deceased Booster Gold) turns up an ancestor of BG's at his funeral (remember Booster is from the future) and uses him to get back into Rip Hunter's lair. Skeets isn't playing fair, however, and sends Daniel Carter to his doom while uttering "He knows." Um, who knows? And what is Skeets playing at?
And those are just the main points. We also see more with Black Adam, Isis, The Question, and an even more messed-up Renee Montoya; the reemergence of Steel; the internal problems associated with being Luthor's personal super-heroes; Supernova versus Weather Wizard with an assist and awkward encounter with Wonder Girl; Supernova also breaking into the Batcave (along with a reference to events that took place in the Jamie Robinson-written "One Year Later" issues of Batman and Detective Comics; and clue to what to overall nature of 52 might be in the form of Red Tornado. Plus, solid art by Chris Batista (twice), Eddy Barrows, and Patrick Oliffe along with a host of inkers and the secret origins of Lobo, The Question, Animal Man, and Adam Strange.
Looking forward to more...
MOCKED BY A MAJOR MAGAZINE
Yup, I'm being mocked. By Entertainment Weekly, no less. We received our new issue in the mail today and staring at me on the cover are three cast members of "Battlestar Galactica," promoting the cover story on the series and its upcoming third season premiere (for the record, those cast members are Mary McDonnell, Tricia Helfer, and James Callis). Now it's great that they're spotlighting the show but I can't read the article. Why not? I'm still working my way through the series via Netflix. In fact, I watched the penultimate episode of Season 1 this morning and now have an agonizing wait until I get the next disc in the mail (Monday...I hope). After that, I have 20 episodes of Season 2 to get through. Only then can I read the article without be tremendously spoiled as to the events in the series. Yes, I realize I should have watched this show before now. I think I was put off by the name originally and dismissed the critical buzz around it. I should know better. At least I've been looking at the DVD sets at Best Buy for quite a few months before this...that has to count for something, right? Those sets are going on my Christmas list - I've only been watching the eps and not bothering with commentaries or extras so I can make it through before the season premiere (Oct. 6 is coming ever closer). But I want my episodes now! I am thoroughly addicted to the intelligent science fiction TV show. The only shock in that is how long it took me to get to that point. And that I'm being mocked by EW.
Yup, I'm being mocked. By Entertainment Weekly, no less. We received our new issue in the mail today and staring at me on the cover are three cast members of "Battlestar Galactica," promoting the cover story on the series and its upcoming third season premiere (for the record, those cast members are Mary McDonnell, Tricia Helfer, and James Callis). Now it's great that they're spotlighting the show but I can't read the article. Why not? I'm still working my way through the series via Netflix. In fact, I watched the penultimate episode of Season 1 this morning and now have an agonizing wait until I get the next disc in the mail (Monday...I hope). After that, I have 20 episodes of Season 2 to get through. Only then can I read the article without be tremendously spoiled as to the events in the series. Yes, I realize I should have watched this show before now. I think I was put off by the name originally and dismissed the critical buzz around it. I should know better. At least I've been looking at the DVD sets at Best Buy for quite a few months before this...that has to count for something, right? Those sets are going on my Christmas list - I've only been watching the eps and not bothering with commentaries or extras so I can make it through before the season premiere (Oct. 6 is coming ever closer). But I want my episodes now! I am thoroughly addicted to the intelligent science fiction TV show. The only shock in that is how long it took me to get to that point. And that I'm being mocked by EW.
eMUSIC ROUND SEVEN
I picked these up fairly early during the last period but just never got around to mentioning them. UNTIL NOW...
M.Ward/Post-War - I've mentioned this one in passing, at least. Really, it deserves a post all of its own because it is a fantastic album and everyone needs a copy. Might even be the most mighty of all the "albums of the year" I've heard this year.
Pernice Brothers/The World Won't End - I've been on a huge Pernice kick of late and I just had to pick up this one. At the time, it was my third of theirs (now I have 4, soon to be 5 when the new one comes on Oct. 3). Joe Pernice has an incredible melodic gift and his lyrics are good enough to listen to again and again.
Heartless Bastards/All This Time - My eMusic sub has definitely allowed me to be more adventurous - when each album is around $2.50 to $3.00, what can it hurt? That's not a lead-in to me saying I don't like this album because I think it's okay. But it's not as immediate as a lot of others. I like the music a lot, just not sure about the singer. I'll keep lending an ear, though.
Spoon/Loveways - Continuing my quest to get every Spoon song I can.
I picked these up fairly early during the last period but just never got around to mentioning them. UNTIL NOW...
M.Ward/Post-War - I've mentioned this one in passing, at least. Really, it deserves a post all of its own because it is a fantastic album and everyone needs a copy. Might even be the most mighty of all the "albums of the year" I've heard this year.
Pernice Brothers/The World Won't End - I've been on a huge Pernice kick of late and I just had to pick up this one. At the time, it was my third of theirs (now I have 4, soon to be 5 when the new one comes on Oct. 3). Joe Pernice has an incredible melodic gift and his lyrics are good enough to listen to again and again.
Heartless Bastards/All This Time - My eMusic sub has definitely allowed me to be more adventurous - when each album is around $2.50 to $3.00, what can it hurt? That's not a lead-in to me saying I don't like this album because I think it's okay. But it's not as immediate as a lot of others. I like the music a lot, just not sure about the singer. I'll keep lending an ear, though.
Spoon/Loveways - Continuing my quest to get every Spoon song I can.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
FULL PLATE
Guess who went back to work last week? Not only do I have my regular classes but I'm also in charge of all the preschoolers and kindergrateners who come to the Y. So we've had to assess their skills to try and put them on the right days and learn all of their names and so forth. Plus I'm training some new teachers and I was in the pool from Monday to Saturday last week. Quite a change from having a few weeks to myself. I'm not complaining, though. I really do like my job. It just gets in the way of my pop culture intake. :)
I'm still trying to stay on pace for 40 books on the year. I am currently reading #27 (The Washington Story by Adam Langer) and have to finish it and another one by next Saturday to try and stay on pace. I hope to do reviews of the last couple - Infoquake and The Book of Fate - but we'll see. I really liked the first of those and thought the other was solid; haven't read a thriller like that in quite a while. I still have my SF mags piled up too.
I finally got around to watching the "Battlestar Galactica" mini-series, which left me wondering why I'd waited so long to give it a try. Now I'm trying to catch up via Netflix before the third season starts on Oct. 6. I've watched the first 4 eps of Season One so far and have at least the next disc arriving today.
Yes, I've been watching new TV as well. "The Wire" has been great as usual. I always like "The Amazing Race." I had given up on "Survivor" but tried the first of the new season...and I'm once again done (plus, "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" start this week). The first couple episodes of "The Simpsons" have been solid. "How I Met Your Mother" came back solidly. And I thought "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" lived up to the hype. Looking forward to more of that one.
I've also been trying to ingest a ton of new music - Silversun Pickups, TV on the Radio, Black Keys, Bishop Allen, and some older ones by Pernice Brothers and The Long Winters. I'm toying with the idea of upgrading my eMusic sub too - new ones from Yo La Tengo and Ben Kweller and Joseph Arthur and The Lemonheads (next week!) and and and.
So yeah, I've been keeping myself busy. Almost done writing a new song too. And how are you?
Guess who went back to work last week? Not only do I have my regular classes but I'm also in charge of all the preschoolers and kindergrateners who come to the Y. So we've had to assess their skills to try and put them on the right days and learn all of their names and so forth. Plus I'm training some new teachers and I was in the pool from Monday to Saturday last week. Quite a change from having a few weeks to myself. I'm not complaining, though. I really do like my job. It just gets in the way of my pop culture intake. :)
I'm still trying to stay on pace for 40 books on the year. I am currently reading #27 (The Washington Story by Adam Langer) and have to finish it and another one by next Saturday to try and stay on pace. I hope to do reviews of the last couple - Infoquake and The Book of Fate - but we'll see. I really liked the first of those and thought the other was solid; haven't read a thriller like that in quite a while. I still have my SF mags piled up too.
I finally got around to watching the "Battlestar Galactica" mini-series, which left me wondering why I'd waited so long to give it a try. Now I'm trying to catch up via Netflix before the third season starts on Oct. 6. I've watched the first 4 eps of Season One so far and have at least the next disc arriving today.
Yes, I've been watching new TV as well. "The Wire" has been great as usual. I always like "The Amazing Race." I had given up on "Survivor" but tried the first of the new season...and I'm once again done (plus, "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" start this week). The first couple episodes of "The Simpsons" have been solid. "How I Met Your Mother" came back solidly. And I thought "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" lived up to the hype. Looking forward to more of that one.
I've also been trying to ingest a ton of new music - Silversun Pickups, TV on the Radio, Black Keys, Bishop Allen, and some older ones by Pernice Brothers and The Long Winters. I'm toying with the idea of upgrading my eMusic sub too - new ones from Yo La Tengo and Ben Kweller and Joseph Arthur and The Lemonheads (next week!) and and and.
So yeah, I've been keeping myself busy. Almost done writing a new song too. And how are you?
Sunday, September 17, 2006
SUNDAY SHUFFLE #4
It's an easy post to do...
1. I Turn My Camera On/Spoon (2) - Gimme Fiction would still be at the top of my 2005 list even if I did a new one. It's also my reading motto. I'm also working on a cover of "I Summon You."
2. Truth Lies Low/The Drams (8) - Second week in a row and the third straight for The Drams. iTunes must really like Jubilee Dive.
3. Angeles/Elliott Smith (8) - Elliott Smith is fantastic and Either/Or is quite possibly his best work. Unless I'm listening to another of his albums, that is. But yeah, I'd probably go with this one.
4. Instrumental #1/Wilco (5) - This comes from the demos for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Nice little piano and strings piece with some subtle drumming touches by Glenn Kotchke.
5. Cold Snap/Harvey Danger (4) - This is from the bonus disc included with the reissue of their fabulous Little By Little. Seriously, buy this album in whatever format. You won't be sorry.
6. I Want to Protect You/Eels (14) - An online single release from...earlier this year? I likes me some Eels.
7. Handshake Drugs/Wilco (6) - It's not a Sunday Shuffle without some Wilco. From A Ghost Is Born.
8. Outta Mind (Outta Sight)/Wilco (5) - Like I said, it's not a Sunday Shuffle without Wilco. I actually prefer the more rocking version from the first disc of Being There but it's still a good song.
9. I Can't Help You Anymore/Aimee Mann (2) - I 'm looking forward to her Christmas album, a genre I'm not usually a big fan of. One of the best songwriters of the last 20 years. This is from The Forgotten Arm.
10. I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas/Aimee Mann (4) - Heh. Another one from The Forgotten Arm.
It's an easy post to do...
1. I Turn My Camera On/Spoon (2) - Gimme Fiction would still be at the top of my 2005 list even if I did a new one. It's also my reading motto. I'm also working on a cover of "I Summon You."
2. Truth Lies Low/The Drams (8) - Second week in a row and the third straight for The Drams. iTunes must really like Jubilee Dive.
3. Angeles/Elliott Smith (8) - Elliott Smith is fantastic and Either/Or is quite possibly his best work. Unless I'm listening to another of his albums, that is. But yeah, I'd probably go with this one.
4. Instrumental #1/Wilco (5) - This comes from the demos for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Nice little piano and strings piece with some subtle drumming touches by Glenn Kotchke.
5. Cold Snap/Harvey Danger (4) - This is from the bonus disc included with the reissue of their fabulous Little By Little. Seriously, buy this album in whatever format. You won't be sorry.
6. I Want to Protect You/Eels (14) - An online single release from...earlier this year? I likes me some Eels.
7. Handshake Drugs/Wilco (6) - It's not a Sunday Shuffle without some Wilco. From A Ghost Is Born.
8. Outta Mind (Outta Sight)/Wilco (5) - Like I said, it's not a Sunday Shuffle without Wilco. I actually prefer the more rocking version from the first disc of Being There but it's still a good song.
9. I Can't Help You Anymore/Aimee Mann (2) - I 'm looking forward to her Christmas album, a genre I'm not usually a big fan of. One of the best songwriters of the last 20 years. This is from The Forgotten Arm.
10. I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas/Aimee Mann (4) - Heh. Another one from The Forgotten Arm.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
SUNDAY SHUFFLE #3
Back by non-popular demand! The first installment was called "Shuffle Off" and then last week brought #2. And here's number #3 - whee!
1. 7:30/Pernice Brothers (5) - On a big Pernice Brothers kick lately, so it was cool for this to pop up first. From the recently-downloaded via eMusic The World Won't End.
2. Publish My Love/Rogue Wave (3) - Love this album, Descended Like Vultures. Haven't really played it much via iTunes.
3. Biggest Fan/Brendan Benson (4) - Another album (Alternative to Love) I like quite a bit but don't really play through iTunes. Brendan is currently playing with The Raconteurs.
4. Cars Can't Escape/Wilco (9) - This was a song they worked up for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but it didn't make it onto the album, though you did see them working on it in "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." Their outtakes are just as strong as the songs that made it.
5. Train Under Water/Bright Eyes (2) - See songs #2 and #3 above and apply to I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. Rinse and repeat.
6. The Animal World/Grandaddy (9) - Weird. I just listened to this on my CD player this morning. It's from their swan song, Just Like the Fambly Cat, released earlier this year.
7. Through With People/Portastatic (2) - And by rinse and repeat, I meant it would apply to this song as well (from Bright Ideas). New album from these guys in a month or so.
8. Truth Lies Low/The Drams (7) - I talked about this band last week; again, this is from their 2006 debut, Jubilee Dive.
9. Eyes on the Prize/M.Ward (6) - The only reason the play total isn't higher for this is that I'm trying not to listen to Post-War continually. Not easy to do.
10. Here Comes the Sun Again/M.Ward (1) - This kinda ties this post altogether, doesn't it? Obviously, this album (Transistor Radio) falls into what's become today's theme and it's cool to end with two tracks my one of my current obsessions.
Back by non-popular demand! The first installment was called "Shuffle Off" and then last week brought #2. And here's number #3 - whee!
1. 7:30/Pernice Brothers (5) - On a big Pernice Brothers kick lately, so it was cool for this to pop up first. From the recently-downloaded via eMusic The World Won't End.
2. Publish My Love/Rogue Wave (3) - Love this album, Descended Like Vultures. Haven't really played it much via iTunes.
3. Biggest Fan/Brendan Benson (4) - Another album (Alternative to Love) I like quite a bit but don't really play through iTunes. Brendan is currently playing with The Raconteurs.
4. Cars Can't Escape/Wilco (9) - This was a song they worked up for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but it didn't make it onto the album, though you did see them working on it in "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." Their outtakes are just as strong as the songs that made it.
5. Train Under Water/Bright Eyes (2) - See songs #2 and #3 above and apply to I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. Rinse and repeat.
6. The Animal World/Grandaddy (9) - Weird. I just listened to this on my CD player this morning. It's from their swan song, Just Like the Fambly Cat, released earlier this year.
7. Through With People/Portastatic (2) - And by rinse and repeat, I meant it would apply to this song as well (from Bright Ideas). New album from these guys in a month or so.
8. Truth Lies Low/The Drams (7) - I talked about this band last week; again, this is from their 2006 debut, Jubilee Dive.
9. Eyes on the Prize/M.Ward (6) - The only reason the play total isn't higher for this is that I'm trying not to listen to Post-War continually. Not easy to do.
10. Here Comes the Sun Again/M.Ward (1) - This kinda ties this post altogether, doesn't it? Obviously, this album (Transistor Radio) falls into what's become today's theme and it's cool to end with two tracks my one of my current obsessions.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
CAN'T GET ENOUGH
...of the following songs:
1. "Chinese Translation" by M. Ward - Just a subtle shift in lyrics results in a song that seems epic and sad in scope. Really, the whole of Post-War is just awesome. It's the current album I'm obsessed by and will most likely make its way to the top of my year end charts. You can stream the whole thing at Merge's website.
2. "Half Dead" by The Mountain Goats - A perfect melancholy little pop song. Lyrics work, yeah yeah, but the kicker is that little guitar riff and then the vibraphone that comes in about halfway through. Brilliance. I like Get Lonely as an album too.
3. "Somerville" by Pernice Brothers - This is a song off their upcoming Live a Little (due on Oct. 3 along with the new ones from The Hold Steady and The Decemberists). Talk about pop perfection and you're talking Pernice Brothers. Love the lyrics on this one "Gonna take a lover/Gonna take her back to Somerville/Don't care if she's pretty as we leave Suck City" and then that little guitar riff? Hell yeah. You can listen to this one and five more over at their website.
...of the following songs:
1. "Chinese Translation" by M. Ward - Just a subtle shift in lyrics results in a song that seems epic and sad in scope. Really, the whole of Post-War is just awesome. It's the current album I'm obsessed by and will most likely make its way to the top of my year end charts. You can stream the whole thing at Merge's website.
2. "Half Dead" by The Mountain Goats - A perfect melancholy little pop song. Lyrics work, yeah yeah, but the kicker is that little guitar riff and then the vibraphone that comes in about halfway through. Brilliance. I like Get Lonely as an album too.
3. "Somerville" by Pernice Brothers - This is a song off their upcoming Live a Little (due on Oct. 3 along with the new ones from The Hold Steady and The Decemberists). Talk about pop perfection and you're talking Pernice Brothers. Love the lyrics on this one "Gonna take a lover/Gonna take her back to Somerville/Don't care if she's pretty as we leave Suck City" and then that little guitar riff? Hell yeah. You can listen to this one and five more over at their website.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
MOVIE BACKLOG: DONNIE DARKO
I only made it 20 minutes or so into this movie before I gave up. What did it for me? The old woman they almost ran over whispering in Donnie's ear. No thanks, had enough. Sorry, fans of the movie. Blargh.
That's probably going to do it for the backlog too. Baseball is getting into the thick of things and football season is about to start. So is the fall TV season. And we now have "Lost" Season 2 to watch and still have "Arrested Development" Season 2 and 3! I'd love to catch up on "The Office" somehow too. What can I say, I like TV. So, it looks like 3 movies was it. Tune in next summer to see if I watch another couple!
I only made it 20 minutes or so into this movie before I gave up. What did it for me? The old woman they almost ran over whispering in Donnie's ear. No thanks, had enough. Sorry, fans of the movie. Blargh.
That's probably going to do it for the backlog too. Baseball is getting into the thick of things and football season is about to start. So is the fall TV season. And we now have "Lost" Season 2 to watch and still have "Arrested Development" Season 2 and 3! I'd love to catch up on "The Office" somehow too. What can I say, I like TV. So, it looks like 3 movies was it. Tune in next summer to see if I watch another couple!
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
Yesterday I finished reading a new book - The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno. It's the story of Billy Argo, who was a celebrated child detective along with his sister Caroline and their friend Fenton. After Billy grew up and went away to college, though, his sister didn't do so well without him and eventually committed suicide. This sent Billy into a mental institution and his release into a sort of halfway house is really where we pick up the story. He has a hard time coping with the world, though he does become friends with a pair of siblings who live close, Effie and Gus Mumford. The latter doesn't talk, is smart, and is also the terror of the school as a third grader. Effie isn't much liked and someone has killed her rabbit by decapitation. Billy also has to deal with an archvillain living across the hall and always turning up on the bus; buildings disappearing; his job selling fake mustaches, wigs, and beards; a pickpocket he starts falling in love with; and the reason why his sister did what she did. The book is funny and sad and clever, maybe sometimes too much for its own good (though it's in a way I enjoy). It also includes a bonus story in code at the bottom of some pages, as well as a few chances to solve more within the main story. I liked it and I will check out more of Meno's work.
That was book #24 on the year, which still gives me 16 more to go if I still want to make my goal. I have to continue reading 4 books a month in order to reach that goal. I am currently 80 pages or so into the next one and am deciding what to read after that. I have a couple issues of Asimov's and F&SF on the shelves too - if I could finish my books before the month is up, I might have some time to read those. Ah well.
Yesterday I finished reading a new book - The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno. It's the story of Billy Argo, who was a celebrated child detective along with his sister Caroline and their friend Fenton. After Billy grew up and went away to college, though, his sister didn't do so well without him and eventually committed suicide. This sent Billy into a mental institution and his release into a sort of halfway house is really where we pick up the story. He has a hard time coping with the world, though he does become friends with a pair of siblings who live close, Effie and Gus Mumford. The latter doesn't talk, is smart, and is also the terror of the school as a third grader. Effie isn't much liked and someone has killed her rabbit by decapitation. Billy also has to deal with an archvillain living across the hall and always turning up on the bus; buildings disappearing; his job selling fake mustaches, wigs, and beards; a pickpocket he starts falling in love with; and the reason why his sister did what she did. The book is funny and sad and clever, maybe sometimes too much for its own good (though it's in a way I enjoy). It also includes a bonus story in code at the bottom of some pages, as well as a few chances to solve more within the main story. I liked it and I will check out more of Meno's work.
That was book #24 on the year, which still gives me 16 more to go if I still want to make my goal. I have to continue reading 4 books a month in order to reach that goal. I am currently 80 pages or so into the next one and am deciding what to read after that. I have a couple issues of Asimov's and F&SF on the shelves too - if I could finish my books before the month is up, I might have some time to read those. Ah well.
MARS
I spent most of last week watching "Veronica Mars" Season 2 on DVD. I had actually planned to do that the previous week but then a problem with disc 1 and the local Best Buy running out of copies quickly pushed things back. It was worth the wait.
The main mystery this season is a bus crash that kills a number of kids from Neptune High; Veronica was also supposed to have been on the bus. Other mysteries weave in and out of this storyline - Weevil starts losing control of the PCHers; Logan is dealing with murder accusations; the Aaron Echolls murder case (the big story through season 1) rolls towards conclusion. Then there's Veronica and Duncan's relationship, which takes an interesting turn. And Veronica and Wallace fall out for a bit as well, plus a new character named Jackie shakes things up for Wallace. The gorgeous Charisma Carpenter appears as a gold-digging stepmother to two characters and Alyson Hannigan reprises her role as Logan's sister Lily. Lots and lots happening. But in the end this series turns on the incredibly believable relationship between Veronica and her father (Keith Mars). Kristen Bell and Enrico Colatoni knock it out of the park every time. And yes, Bell is a cutie but she also plays smart and tough and vulnerable equally well.
I'm happy to be caught up with this series and look forward to watching new episodes as they air. "Veronica Mars" will be on after "Gilmore Girls" on Tuesday nights on the new CW in a few weeks. I know what I'm doing that night.
The other day I also caught the final episode of the first season of "Life on Mars," which aired on BBC America. It seems more likely that Sam Tyler is hallucinating his time in 1973 but I still hold out hope for some sort of time travel angle. All that aside, you still get a great period police show with Tyler bringing new techniques to the world of 1970s British police work The relationships are key here too, between Tyler and his superior DCI Hunt; Tyler and Annie, a policewoman; and even Tyler and Chris, a somewhat inept detective. I haven't heard anything about a second season but I hope we get one. There is also an American adaptation in the works but it's rare that you get something of the level of "The Office," if you know what I mean. Anyway, this show is good stuff.
I spent most of last week watching "Veronica Mars" Season 2 on DVD. I had actually planned to do that the previous week but then a problem with disc 1 and the local Best Buy running out of copies quickly pushed things back. It was worth the wait.
The main mystery this season is a bus crash that kills a number of kids from Neptune High; Veronica was also supposed to have been on the bus. Other mysteries weave in and out of this storyline - Weevil starts losing control of the PCHers; Logan is dealing with murder accusations; the Aaron Echolls murder case (the big story through season 1) rolls towards conclusion. Then there's Veronica and Duncan's relationship, which takes an interesting turn. And Veronica and Wallace fall out for a bit as well, plus a new character named Jackie shakes things up for Wallace. The gorgeous Charisma Carpenter appears as a gold-digging stepmother to two characters and Alyson Hannigan reprises her role as Logan's sister Lily. Lots and lots happening. But in the end this series turns on the incredibly believable relationship between Veronica and her father (Keith Mars). Kristen Bell and Enrico Colatoni knock it out of the park every time. And yes, Bell is a cutie but she also plays smart and tough and vulnerable equally well.
I'm happy to be caught up with this series and look forward to watching new episodes as they air. "Veronica Mars" will be on after "Gilmore Girls" on Tuesday nights on the new CW in a few weeks. I know what I'm doing that night.
The other day I also caught the final episode of the first season of "Life on Mars," which aired on BBC America. It seems more likely that Sam Tyler is hallucinating his time in 1973 but I still hold out hope for some sort of time travel angle. All that aside, you still get a great period police show with Tyler bringing new techniques to the world of 1970s British police work The relationships are key here too, between Tyler and his superior DCI Hunt; Tyler and Annie, a policewoman; and even Tyler and Chris, a somewhat inept detective. I haven't heard anything about a second season but I hope we get one. There is also an American adaptation in the works but it's rare that you get something of the level of "The Office," if you know what I mean. Anyway, this show is good stuff.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
SUNDAY SHUFFLE
Why not?
1. Take A Walk/Spoon (7) - A short bouncy song from their fantastic album Girls Can Tell, which is my second favorite of theirs (right behind last year's Gimme Fiction).
2. Lit Up (Remix)/The National (6) - This comes off of the Alligator bonus disc that was packaged with a semi-reissue earlier this year (I got it off the web since I already had the album). This version isn't much different from the original but it's a good song.
3. In A Future Age/Wilco (6) - A sparser number from the multi-layered Summerteeth. Again, a good song but certainly not the strongest from the album. Have I mentioned yet that they're my favorite band?
4. Not About Love/Fiona Apple (10) - This one is also from the Jon Brion version of Extraordinary Machine. Really love the strings on this one.
5. The Hustle/Marah (5) - I put this album (If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry) in my top ten for last year. If I did it today, it wouldn't be there. But it's still an album full of good rock and roll and you can't beat that.
6. Get Him Back/Fiona Apple (7) - See above. And you know, this album would no longer be in my top ten from last year either...even the Jon Brion version.
7. Wonderous Life/The Drams (4) - Closing track to their debut album, Jubilee Dive. It has Brent Best dueting with himself via a processed second vocal. Not my thing usually but it works well enough, I guess.
8. Winter in the Hamptons/Josh Rouse (8) - Another track from that radio session he did in France. It's from last year's Nashville and is one of my faves from that album.
9. Four Hours in Washington/M. Ward (3) - This is from last year's great Transistor Radio. I particularly love the drums on this song.
10. Your Blood/Destroyer (6) - I got this album (Destroyer's Rubies) from eMusic earlier this year and obviously haven't listened to it a whole lot. I like the songs but I've generally preferred them coming up in shuffle mode than listening to the whole thing.
Why not?
1. Take A Walk/Spoon (7) - A short bouncy song from their fantastic album Girls Can Tell, which is my second favorite of theirs (right behind last year's Gimme Fiction).
2. Lit Up (Remix)/The National (6) - This comes off of the Alligator bonus disc that was packaged with a semi-reissue earlier this year (I got it off the web since I already had the album). This version isn't much different from the original but it's a good song.
3. In A Future Age/Wilco (6) - A sparser number from the multi-layered Summerteeth. Again, a good song but certainly not the strongest from the album. Have I mentioned yet that they're my favorite band?
4. Not About Love/Fiona Apple (10) - This one is also from the Jon Brion version of Extraordinary Machine. Really love the strings on this one.
5. The Hustle/Marah (5) - I put this album (If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry) in my top ten for last year. If I did it today, it wouldn't be there. But it's still an album full of good rock and roll and you can't beat that.
6. Get Him Back/Fiona Apple (7) - See above. And you know, this album would no longer be in my top ten from last year either...even the Jon Brion version.
7. Wonderous Life/The Drams (4) - Closing track to their debut album, Jubilee Dive. It has Brent Best dueting with himself via a processed second vocal. Not my thing usually but it works well enough, I guess.
8. Winter in the Hamptons/Josh Rouse (8) - Another track from that radio session he did in France. It's from last year's Nashville and is one of my faves from that album.
9. Four Hours in Washington/M. Ward (3) - This is from last year's great Transistor Radio. I particularly love the drums on this song.
10. Your Blood/Destroyer (6) - I got this album (Destroyer's Rubies) from eMusic earlier this year and obviously haven't listened to it a whole lot. I like the songs but I've generally preferred them coming up in shuffle mode than listening to the whole thing.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
FUNGAL
1. Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer - A new novel set in the city of Ambergris that tells the tale of Duncan and Janice Shriek while weaving in and out of the history of Ambergris itself. Full of fungus and great writing and two narrative voices {Duncan's in parentheses like these}. Well worth your time.
2. Bottle Rocket - I love Wes Andersen movies, yet I'd never seen his debut (and the debut of the Wilson brothers) until now. It has the requisite odd characters and romance and cool dialogue (it overlaps quite a bit in this film). I liked it quite a bit and you can see where the brilliance of "Rushmore" comes from.
3. HBO season finales - On "Entourage," Vince is pissed, Ari scrambles, Drama is calm. Can't wait to see the next 8 episodes when "The Sopranos" comes back in March. And on "Deadwood," the violence isn't huge but it is just as devastating to a number of the characters. Only 4 more hours ever of this show? Say it ain't so!
4. JLA #1 - Brad Meltzer delivers on the promise of his zero issue. Red Tornado, Black Lightning, Vixen, and Deadman all make appearance amongst the better-known heroes. Can't wait to see where this goes.
5. Batman #656 - Batman vs. ninja Man-Bats! A great metafictional use of 60s style sound effects! Bats comes face to face with his...son?!? Grant Morrison is brilliant and Andy Kubert is great on the art - more please!
1. Shriek: An Afterword by Jeff Vandermeer - A new novel set in the city of Ambergris that tells the tale of Duncan and Janice Shriek while weaving in and out of the history of Ambergris itself. Full of fungus and great writing and two narrative voices {Duncan's in parentheses like these}. Well worth your time.
2. Bottle Rocket - I love Wes Andersen movies, yet I'd never seen his debut (and the debut of the Wilson brothers) until now. It has the requisite odd characters and romance and cool dialogue (it overlaps quite a bit in this film). I liked it quite a bit and you can see where the brilliance of "Rushmore" comes from.
3. HBO season finales - On "Entourage," Vince is pissed, Ari scrambles, Drama is calm. Can't wait to see the next 8 episodes when "The Sopranos" comes back in March. And on "Deadwood," the violence isn't huge but it is just as devastating to a number of the characters. Only 4 more hours ever of this show? Say it ain't so!
4. JLA #1 - Brad Meltzer delivers on the promise of his zero issue. Red Tornado, Black Lightning, Vixen, and Deadman all make appearance amongst the better-known heroes. Can't wait to see where this goes.
5. Batman #656 - Batman vs. ninja Man-Bats! A great metafictional use of 60s style sound effects! Bats comes face to face with his...son?!? Grant Morrison is brilliant and Andy Kubert is great on the art - more please!
SHIFT
The main goal of my "Year of 35" was to do all those things I'd meant to and hadn't tried. Obviously, the music aspect has been going quite well and I'm very happy with it. Music wasn't the ultimate goal, though. I also wanted to start writing and I haven't done that at all, outside of the blog. So, I want to start focusing on the creative writing without giving up the blog completely. I've decided that I'll do a shift in format, stealing from Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" (which I've done before) and from Ken Tucker's EW online column, "Five Reasons to Live." I'm going to do "My List" entries wherein I highlight 5 things that I've been digging. This will keep my entries shorter and will still allow me to talk about all the pop culture I love. There's no schedule for this either - when I have 5 things, I'll do a post. I'm not saying it will always be this way or that I won't throw in a longer post here and there but for the near future anyway, this will be the norm. Hope you enjoy it and keep on reading!
The main goal of my "Year of 35" was to do all those things I'd meant to and hadn't tried. Obviously, the music aspect has been going quite well and I'm very happy with it. Music wasn't the ultimate goal, though. I also wanted to start writing and I haven't done that at all, outside of the blog. So, I want to start focusing on the creative writing without giving up the blog completely. I've decided that I'll do a shift in format, stealing from Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" (which I've done before) and from Ken Tucker's EW online column, "Five Reasons to Live." I'm going to do "My List" entries wherein I highlight 5 things that I've been digging. This will keep my entries shorter and will still allow me to talk about all the pop culture I love. There's no schedule for this either - when I have 5 things, I'll do a post. I'm not saying it will always be this way or that I won't throw in a longer post here and there but for the near future anyway, this will be the norm. Hope you enjoy it and keep on reading!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
SHUFFLE OFF
I've been in a period of shuffling through iTunes for at least a month now. I do it not only for the thrill of the unknown but also to see those play counts rising. As a person who loves statistics (yes, I know it's sad - blame years of baseball), I like seeing how long since a song was played and keep trying to see if more of my songs will get into the top 25 played. Yes, I share our iTunes (and the iPod) with my wife and son, which means I have to wade through Veggie Tales and Disney and The Cranberries and Black Eyed Peas and more to get to my songs. Anyway, I've really lost the thread of my most recent album downloads this way so I thought I'd go back to straight up listening for a while. But before I do, here's a standard 10 song shuffle (though I'm only going to count songs that I've put in) with the current play count noted for posterity...
1. Violin for Mom/Kathleen Edwards (6) - Pretty much what the title indicates...about 40 seconds worth of violin from her early EP Building 55.
2. Somewhere Else/Kathleen Edwards (4) - A song from her most recent album, Back to Me. A slower burn with some great horns.
3. Please Please Please/Fiona Apple (7) - This is from the Jon Brion-produced version of Extraordinary Machine. The songs sound pretty close on both versions but I tend to like the Brion one better.
4. Checkout Blues/Eels (3) - One of the lesser songs from the double album Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, though still a solid song.
5. Candy Cane Crawl/Twilight Singers (6) A really moody piece from their 2006 album Powder Burns. The "slow down/lean in" part with backup female singer and multiple singers later on is great.
6. Streetlights/Josh Rouse (6) - This is a live acoustic performance from France and a song from Nashville. Rouse is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and tremendously underrated.
7. Too Far Apart/Wilco (6) - My favorite band. This is the closer to their debut album, A.M., which is my least favorite album of theirs. Doesn't mean it's not good, though. This tune is a bit of a shuffle with some nice guitar work.
8. The Man Who Doesn't Know How to Smile/Josh Rouse (5) - A sweet duet between Rouse and the woman he followed to Spain from his 2006 album, Subtitulo. Love it when the full drums kick in.
9. Archaeopteryx/The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers (5) - "My bones are hollow and I have wings behind my shoulders/But I've made my home here on solid soil so I won't fall too far below." Yeah. Great track from The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia. This band is the real deal.
10. Stars Fell on Alabama/Mountain Goats (11) - Nice little bass line and shuffly groove here. Any song with the phrase "and the kudzu grew" works for me. This is from Nine Black Poppies and was downloaded from somewhere.
I've been in a period of shuffling through iTunes for at least a month now. I do it not only for the thrill of the unknown but also to see those play counts rising. As a person who loves statistics (yes, I know it's sad - blame years of baseball), I like seeing how long since a song was played and keep trying to see if more of my songs will get into the top 25 played. Yes, I share our iTunes (and the iPod) with my wife and son, which means I have to wade through Veggie Tales and Disney and The Cranberries and Black Eyed Peas and more to get to my songs. Anyway, I've really lost the thread of my most recent album downloads this way so I thought I'd go back to straight up listening for a while. But before I do, here's a standard 10 song shuffle (though I'm only going to count songs that I've put in) with the current play count noted for posterity...
1. Violin for Mom/Kathleen Edwards (6) - Pretty much what the title indicates...about 40 seconds worth of violin from her early EP Building 55.
2. Somewhere Else/Kathleen Edwards (4) - A song from her most recent album, Back to Me. A slower burn with some great horns.
3. Please Please Please/Fiona Apple (7) - This is from the Jon Brion-produced version of Extraordinary Machine. The songs sound pretty close on both versions but I tend to like the Brion one better.
4. Checkout Blues/Eels (3) - One of the lesser songs from the double album Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, though still a solid song.
5. Candy Cane Crawl/Twilight Singers (6) A really moody piece from their 2006 album Powder Burns. The "slow down/lean in" part with backup female singer and multiple singers later on is great.
6. Streetlights/Josh Rouse (6) - This is a live acoustic performance from France and a song from Nashville. Rouse is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and tremendously underrated.
7. Too Far Apart/Wilco (6) - My favorite band. This is the closer to their debut album, A.M., which is my least favorite album of theirs. Doesn't mean it's not good, though. This tune is a bit of a shuffle with some nice guitar work.
8. The Man Who Doesn't Know How to Smile/Josh Rouse (5) - A sweet duet between Rouse and the woman he followed to Spain from his 2006 album, Subtitulo. Love it when the full drums kick in.
9. Archaeopteryx/The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers (5) - "My bones are hollow and I have wings behind my shoulders/But I've made my home here on solid soil so I won't fall too far below." Yeah. Great track from The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia. This band is the real deal.
10. Stars Fell on Alabama/Mountain Goats (11) - Nice little bass line and shuffly groove here. Any song with the phrase "and the kudzu grew" works for me. This is from Nine Black Poppies and was downloaded from somewhere.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
52.14 - 52.16
The most recent three issues of 52 have focused largely on events in Khandaq and Metropolis. In #14, Renee Montoya and The Question take their trip to Khandaq to investigate possible links with Intergang. They discover dead bodies and empty boxes of rat poison before being arrested for the murders. #15 details their abuse and subsequent escape from prison and #16 has them searching for a killer at the wedding of Black Adam and Isis, the other main focus of the issue. We see Black Adam nervous about the wedding and some fun interaction with Captain Marvel. In fact, the whole Marvel Family is in attendance: Mary Marvel wants to make sure Isis isn't being duped by her soon-to-be husband; Captain Marvel, Jr. and Talky Tawny are on security detail; and Uncle Dudley tries ordering food. Scenes of the wedding are intercut with Montoya and The Question trying to avert disaster - they do, but at a price.
Back in Metropolis (in #14), Steel has completed new armor for his niece but has not seen her; she is firmly in Luthor's camp. #15 has a despondent and out-of-control Booster Gold trying to do something to put himself back in the good graces of the citizens. Skeets finds something in the historical records and Booster runs off to save the day...however, he doesn't do a very good job of it and Supernova arrives to save the day. They have a confrontation before Skeets informs Booster that the danger is not over. He attempts to save everyone and does, yet pays the ultimate price.
We also see more of Will Magnus. He tries to get his Metal Men to work again and it's not going too well. The government wants to be involved but he refuses. Magnus goes to visit T.O. Morrow but the latter has vanished from his cell but not before leaving Magnus the secret to artificial life. Magnus is then able to get Mercury to work properly.
And finally, our intrepid lost-in-space heroes are finally ready to get off the planet where time seems to work differently. By the looks of things, we'll see more on this next week with the return of Lobo.
Solid stories with some subplots coming to an end only to open up new ones. Solid art by Dale Eaglesham/Art Thibert; Shawn Moll/Tom Nguyen; and Joe Bennett/Ruy Jose. Still liking the series and now I'm all caught up in talking about it, so look for issue by issue discussions from here on out. Maybe.
The most recent three issues of 52 have focused largely on events in Khandaq and Metropolis. In #14, Renee Montoya and The Question take their trip to Khandaq to investigate possible links with Intergang. They discover dead bodies and empty boxes of rat poison before being arrested for the murders. #15 details their abuse and subsequent escape from prison and #16 has them searching for a killer at the wedding of Black Adam and Isis, the other main focus of the issue. We see Black Adam nervous about the wedding and some fun interaction with Captain Marvel. In fact, the whole Marvel Family is in attendance: Mary Marvel wants to make sure Isis isn't being duped by her soon-to-be husband; Captain Marvel, Jr. and Talky Tawny are on security detail; and Uncle Dudley tries ordering food. Scenes of the wedding are intercut with Montoya and The Question trying to avert disaster - they do, but at a price.
Back in Metropolis (in #14), Steel has completed new armor for his niece but has not seen her; she is firmly in Luthor's camp. #15 has a despondent and out-of-control Booster Gold trying to do something to put himself back in the good graces of the citizens. Skeets finds something in the historical records and Booster runs off to save the day...however, he doesn't do a very good job of it and Supernova arrives to save the day. They have a confrontation before Skeets informs Booster that the danger is not over. He attempts to save everyone and does, yet pays the ultimate price.
We also see more of Will Magnus. He tries to get his Metal Men to work again and it's not going too well. The government wants to be involved but he refuses. Magnus goes to visit T.O. Morrow but the latter has vanished from his cell but not before leaving Magnus the secret to artificial life. Magnus is then able to get Mercury to work properly.
And finally, our intrepid lost-in-space heroes are finally ready to get off the planet where time seems to work differently. By the looks of things, we'll see more on this next week with the return of Lobo.
Solid stories with some subplots coming to an end only to open up new ones. Solid art by Dale Eaglesham/Art Thibert; Shawn Moll/Tom Nguyen; and Joe Bennett/Ruy Jose. Still liking the series and now I'm all caught up in talking about it, so look for issue by issue discussions from here on out. Maybe.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
STYMIED
I went out and picked up Veronica Mars Season 2 on DVD yesterday; I like the show and want to get caught up so I can watch new episodes as they air this season. Watched the first episode last night and I thought it was a bit too ambitious (multiple time frames; a fake out on the cliffhanger season one ending; trying to be a bit too cute with who her boyfriend is; and setting up a number of mysteries right off the bat) though still plenty entertaining (a reference to Encyclopedia Brown; Veronica's relationships with her dad and Wallace; the appearance of smokin' hot Charisma Carpenter in a teeny bikini). Anyway, I was going to watch the second ep at lunch today and after a few minutes the picture broke up into pixelated hell. I took out the disc and tried again with the same result. I found my receipt and went to Best Buy to exchange it for a new copy - and they were all out! Now I have to wait for Saturday and the earliest to be able to continue watching. Sigh.
I'd planned on doing more entries today but I allowed myself to get sidetracked with:
A) Errands for Jill
B) A trip to Barnes & Noble
C) Hanging out with my friends at the hospital and holding Chase for the first time
D) New comics
E) Rockstar: Supernova
F) Baseball
G) A huge storm that dumped giant chunks of hail
H) Checking in at the Y
I) All of the above
You guessed it!
I went out and picked up Veronica Mars Season 2 on DVD yesterday; I like the show and want to get caught up so I can watch new episodes as they air this season. Watched the first episode last night and I thought it was a bit too ambitious (multiple time frames; a fake out on the cliffhanger season one ending; trying to be a bit too cute with who her boyfriend is; and setting up a number of mysteries right off the bat) though still plenty entertaining (a reference to Encyclopedia Brown; Veronica's relationships with her dad and Wallace; the appearance of smokin' hot Charisma Carpenter in a teeny bikini). Anyway, I was going to watch the second ep at lunch today and after a few minutes the picture broke up into pixelated hell. I took out the disc and tried again with the same result. I found my receipt and went to Best Buy to exchange it for a new copy - and they were all out! Now I have to wait for Saturday and the earliest to be able to continue watching. Sigh.
I'd planned on doing more entries today but I allowed myself to get sidetracked with:
A) Errands for Jill
B) A trip to Barnes & Noble
C) Hanging out with my friends at the hospital and holding Chase for the first time
D) New comics
E) Rockstar: Supernova
F) Baseball
G) A huge storm that dumped giant chunks of hail
H) Checking in at the Y
I) All of the above
You guessed it!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
MOVIE BACKLOG: SIN CITY
I've been behind on my movie watching ever since I joined the pop culture parade. When I was a teenager, you had to drive 30 miles to the nearest theater and while I did see quite a bit, I missed a lot too. That was rectified somewhat in college, where I would sometimes take in 3 movies on a weekend. Jill and I used to see movies fairly often, though that changed once Grant was born. Now I'm lucky if I see a half dozen in the theater each year. Sure, there's DVD but I don't always take the time to watch; I put a priority on all those great TV shows on DVD. Anyway, with my couple weeks off I've decided to try and catch up on things I've missed...
So, "Sin City." I read the comic book series, of course, though I lost a bit of interest the further it went. Or maybe that was just me losing some interest in comics back then. In either case, I drug my heels quite a bit in seeing this adaptation. Robert Rodriguez convinced creator Frank Miller that they could do a true adaptation and have a movie that looks very similar to the comic. He was right.
There are many shots in the movie that I remember from reading the comic; both are in black and white with spots of color and occasional sillhouettes. They movie really is visually stunning and I'm not talking about all the bare actress bodies. And the actors really do look like they came straight out of the comic - the makeup job on Mickey Rourke as Marv is outstanding.
The dialogue is also straight out of the comic and that doesn't translate nearly as well. Lots of repetition and terse hard-boiled dialgoue that can sound very silly coming out of the mouths of living, breathing people. The violence also is a bit ludricous for the same reason; it reminded me of certain parts of "Kill Bill."
On the whole, though, I enjoyed the movie. The movie really works for me when Mickey Rourke is on the screen as Marv, killing in the name of his lost love Goldie (a hooker who gave him the night of his life). And yes, that's the most cartoony section of the movie, so go figure.
I've been behind on my movie watching ever since I joined the pop culture parade. When I was a teenager, you had to drive 30 miles to the nearest theater and while I did see quite a bit, I missed a lot too. That was rectified somewhat in college, where I would sometimes take in 3 movies on a weekend. Jill and I used to see movies fairly often, though that changed once Grant was born. Now I'm lucky if I see a half dozen in the theater each year. Sure, there's DVD but I don't always take the time to watch; I put a priority on all those great TV shows on DVD. Anyway, with my couple weeks off I've decided to try and catch up on things I've missed...
So, "Sin City." I read the comic book series, of course, though I lost a bit of interest the further it went. Or maybe that was just me losing some interest in comics back then. In either case, I drug my heels quite a bit in seeing this adaptation. Robert Rodriguez convinced creator Frank Miller that they could do a true adaptation and have a movie that looks very similar to the comic. He was right.
There are many shots in the movie that I remember from reading the comic; both are in black and white with spots of color and occasional sillhouettes. They movie really is visually stunning and I'm not talking about all the bare actress bodies. And the actors really do look like they came straight out of the comic - the makeup job on Mickey Rourke as Marv is outstanding.
The dialogue is also straight out of the comic and that doesn't translate nearly as well. Lots of repetition and terse hard-boiled dialgoue that can sound very silly coming out of the mouths of living, breathing people. The violence also is a bit ludricous for the same reason; it reminded me of certain parts of "Kill Bill."
On the whole, though, I enjoyed the movie. The movie really works for me when Mickey Rourke is on the screen as Marv, killing in the name of his lost love Goldie (a hooker who gave him the night of his life). And yes, that's the most cartoony section of the movie, so go figure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
