Lonely, Dear Video - "Saturday Waits"

I thought this video was too clever, and this song was too catchy, not to post. Plus, instead of people in dog costumes, it's dogs in people costumes!

NPR Rocks! Also, McSweeney's Guide to the Presidential Candidates

If you have not yet subscribed to NPR's All Songs Considered podcast, I advise you to do so right away. Not only can you listen to new music from the White Stripes, Feist, and others, but every other week, they have excellent-quality concerts by artists like Andrew Bird, Ben Gibbard, and Björk! We're talking the whole shebang, too. The Andrew Bird concert alone is an hour and 50 minutes long!

In other news, online literary website McSweeney's has, for your convenience, lists of The Pros and Cons of the Top 20 Democratic and Republican Candidates. Prime candidates from both lists include Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Jimmy Carter, Ira Glass, Zombie Ronald Regan, Bigfoot, Robotic Super Bees, Optimus Prime, and my personal favorite in the Democrat list, Dick Cheney in an Elaborate Latex Disguise That Takes Five Hours to Apply.

New Free Music from Adult Swim

Despite the fact that all five of Adult Swim's new pilot episodes that aired last week were ten times better than both Tim and Eric Awesome Show and Saul of the Mole Men, only one shall be made into a new show. (Please, let it be Drinky Crow! Please!)

Still, one aspect that Adult Swim always excels on is their generosity, and to prove it, they've just released, for FREE, a new full-length compilation entitled Warm & Scratchy, featuring brand-new tracks by TV on the Radio, The Rapture, Broken Social Scene, Sound Team, Liars, and The Good, The Bad, & The Queen. Plus, there's a really sweet video for "Me-I," the TV on the Radio track, featuring bird costumes, dancing trees, and a knife-wielding sandwich. What could be better than that?

UPDATE: I got rid of the streaming player 'cause I couldn't figure out how to keep it from automatically playing when I opened the blog. Still, you can listen to the whole thing here.


UPDATE 2: Check out some really cool production stills from the making of the TV on the Radio video.

Resident Evil director to butcher perfectly good Bob Hoskins movie

Depressing news from the IMDb:

Classic British crime film The Long Good Friday is getting a Hollywood makeover in Miami under the direction of Resident Evil moviemaker Paul W. S. Anderson. The 1980 original starred Bob Hoskins as a London gangster whose criminal empire comes under attack from a wave of mysterious bombings. But production company Handmade Films says the new movie would be "refreshed" with a modern setting. Chairman Patrick Meehan says, "The original was a highly praised classic and one of Handmade's most prized films, but its reach was limited primarily to the U.K. Following continued interest from the U.S., we realized this remake could attract audiences worldwide with an updated setting and contemporary overtones. When Paul presented his creative vision for this project, we were instantly convinced that this is a story that could be successfully refreshed, yet leave the integrity of the original intact." No actors have so far been cast for the project.

What was a great British gangster flick, that not only starred Bob Hoskins, but Helen Mirren as well (and a young Pierce Brosnan), will now be horribly mangled up--I'm sorry, I mean "refreshed" by Paul W.S. Anderson, a filmmaker whose only artistic merit is that people keep confusing him with Paul Thomas Anderson. I have seen his first two Resident Evil films, one of which (Apocalypse) I actually paid money to go see. Why on earth a hack director like him would want to remake this piece of cinematic history is beyond me. I'll admit it would be nice to see a good remake, but PLEASE, anyone but him! What could possibly be Anderson's "creative vision for the project"? Have the gangsters attacked by zombies? Cast Milla Jovovich in the Helen Mirren role? Keep in mind that his next project, Death Race, is claimed to be "a no-holds-barred, ultraviolent car race, set in 2020." Sounds pretty highbrow.

Movie executives, I'm begging you. Sever Anderson from the project and get a better director to take charge. Someone like Steven Soderbergh, Jonathan Demme, or even Louis Leterrier, who directed Unleashed and the Transporter films. I don't usually get this passionate about filmmakers I dislike, but I refuse to see this wonderful film remade into yet another piece of disposable Hollywood trash. Let Anderson keep making movies based on video games, and leave Bob Hoskins alone.

Your Friendly, Neighborhood Spider-Man 3 Review

Spider-Man 3 has an excellent beginning and ending. What it is in dire need of is a good middle.

Let's face it. Each Spider-Man film has only been as good as its villain. In the first installment, we had the excellent Willem Dafoe. In the undoubtedly superior sequel, we had Alfred Molina. This time around, we have two main villains, and neither really seem to be given the time or character development that was graciously bestowed onto the last two antagonists of the series. Thomas Haden Church does a great job with what little he is given to work with, while Topher Grace seems to be out of place in this movie, playing a overtly stereotypical bad guy in a series that's been heralded for avoiding stereotypes.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that instead of focusing on fleshing out these characters, Sam Raimi and company spend a large amount of time on a hokey montage, showing Tobey Maguire dancing like an idiot down a New York City street (apparently, that black goo that gets on him at the start of the movie makes him dress like an emo kid and act like Will Ferrell's character from Night at the Roxbury). The Spider-Man franchise has always had its share of goofiness (the ever-popular Bruce Campbell cameos are proof of this), but it should not detract from the overall thrust of the story. In fact, so much of the film focuses on Peter Parker sabotaging his relationship with Mary Jane, you almost forget you're watching a superhero movie.

At least the special effects are impressive. The visuals employed for the Sandman are top-notch, while the horrific look of Venom ranks as one of the best creature designs this series has yet produced. As always, the supporting cast is wonderful, with Rosemary Harris (Aunt Mae) and J.K. Simmons (Daily Bugle editor J. J. Jameson) delivering another great set of performances. Newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard, as Parker's newest love interest, does alright, though it's nothing special.

With Spider-Man 3, the franchise proves its on its last legs, and while the film itself is not unwatchable (despite it's shortcomings, it's quite entertaining), it does not bode well for future installments.

UPDATE: Screenwriter John August has posted an article dissecting Spider-Man 3 on his blog, and I totally agree with him. The film is chock full of coincidences, a lot of them wholly unnecessary. He also reminded me of something I forgot to mention in this review. Why bother casting the wonderful actor James Cromwell in your movie if you're only going to have him give a few lines of expository dialogue, and as a police chief no less? I mean, seriously: How many times has James Cromwell played some form of law enforcement official? (According to IMDb, at least ten.)

Your Ill-Informed Guide to Summer Movies

It's been a while since I've done a good, ol' fashioned blog post, and after reading the latest issue of Wilmington's alternative newspaper, Encore, I feel I must write something. This issue's feature, "On the Heels of Blockbuster Season," breaks down this summer's biggest flicks and lets you know which ones are worth seeing. Well, I'm going to one-up them by breaking down the same movies and giving equal space to why they are going to be awesome, as well as why they might suck. Let's begin:

Spider-Man 3 (May 4)
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace; dir. Sam Raimi

Why It's Awesome: Raimi's first Spider-Man film blew expectations out of the water and became one of the most successful superhero films since the first X-Men movie, while Spider-Man 2 proved to be a superior sequel, with critics lauding it as the best superhero film since the original Superman. Now, Raimi is back with his multi-million dollar third episode. Familiar faces are back, including the always wonderful supporting cast of Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, and another funny cameo by Bruce Campbell, and this time, they are joined by the talented Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, and Bryce Dallas Howard. Did I mention Venom is in this one?

Why It Could Suck: The relationship between Maguire and Dunst has been believable, but the dialogue between the two has always been borderline sappy and contrived. Luckily, there's plenty of action and suspense to overshadow the script's relatively small amount of weaknesses, but with this third episode carrying a running time longer than both previous films (140 min.), the thrills may start wearing thin.

28 Weeks Later (May 11)
Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Lopez-Lavigne, Rowan Joffe; dir. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (yeah, I've never heard of any of these people, either)

Why It's Awesome: Danny Boyle has always been good at hopping from genre to genre, and his digitally-shot zombie flick, 28 Days Later, was not only one of the best horror films of the year, it also made audiences realize that Britain was a viable producer of bona-fide scares, a fact confirmed by the appearance of the comedy/horror flick Shaun of the Dead two years later. For the sequel, Boyle is executive producer, and relative newcomer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is filling the director's chair. A British movie with a Spanish filmmaker? Hey, it worked for Children of Men.

Why It Could Suck: The territory 28 Weeks Later covers may end up being all too familiar, i.e. boring. If there's one thing zombie franchises find harder to do is maintain an element of surprise. Since the storyline seemed to have already been spelt out for us in the trailer, the movie's gonna have to have well-written dialogue and engaging characters to hold our interest, something most horror sequels sadly lack.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (May 25)
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Chow Yun-Fat, Geoffrey Rush; dir. Gore Verbinski

Why It's Awesome: Last year's Dead Man's Chest was a breathtaking action picture, one truly worthy of the word "epic." Amazing visuals, engaging characters (including Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, a sort of real-life Squidward), and genuinely interesting dialogue helped make this seemingly unnecessary sequel essential viewing for anyone looking for a great popcorn movie. The final episode of the trilogy promises to be more of the same, with everyone's favorite bad guy Geoffrey Rush back from the dead (how convenient!), along with the addition of Chow Yun-Fat and the obligatory cast of thousands. Did I mention Johnny Depp?

Why It Could Suck: Let's face it. History has not been kind to the third part of a movie trilogy. You only need to say Matrix Revolutions or Return of the Jedi to know that studios don't always save the best for last. Plus, there were so many unresolved conflicts in Dead Man's Chest that Verbinski will have to use at least two hours of the film to resolve 'em all. Plus, with Mr. Rush and Mr. Yun-Fat on board, that means there'll be even MORE subplots!

-------------------------------------------
To tell you the truth, I'm going to go ahead and stop there. The reason is because, as always, The Onion beat me to the punch, and delivered their much-funnier Summer Movie Preview 2007. C'est la vie.

kiva.org: A worthy cause

So, even though my sidebar states that this is an ad-free blog, I feel it is important to plug this one service, namely Kiva.org. You see, my family and I loan money to over 10 different entreprenuers in many different parts of the globe. We do it through Kiva, which acts as a middleman, connecting residents of third-world companies trying to start up businesses with people willing to support a charitable cause. This is a great way to give to people who are really in need, but also a great way to see exactly where your money goes. For more information, check out this New York Times video all about Kiva and their services.

New ATHF:MFFT TV Spots

Some really funny TV spots for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, including some really bad CGI, a golden egg, and a squirrel dry-humping a streetlight.

Plus, you get to see Carl riff on Grindhouse.

New Grizzly Bear Sessions at Daytrotter

Daytrotter continues their impressive series of in-studio sessions with a trio of revamped tunes by Hall of Awesome inductees Grizzly Bear. Among the offerings are a sparse, yet powerful, cover of the controversial Crystals tune "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Hit)," along with a drastically reworked version of Yellow House centerpiece "Little Brother." Get 'em while the gettin's good.

Need more sweet Daytrotter sessions? Try the archives where you'll find, among other things, sessions by Dr. Dog, My Brightest Diamond, The Elected, Mates of State, Of Montreal, Cold War Kids, Maritime, Sunset Rubdown, Harry and the Potters, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Something Happening in Haiti

This is the funniest video to come out of the newly-created Onion News Network so far:


Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti

Human Giant Trailer

There is finally a reason to watch MTV again...

See more at thehumangiant.com or just watch the show this Thursday. If you can't wait, you can download the series premiere for free on iTunes!

300 Parody Trailer (PG Version)

After seeing 300 last week, half of my brain wanted to like it because it was incredible visually and had some of the most impressive set designs and fight sequences ever filmed. The other half of my brain wanted to laugh so hard at the terribly forced overacting, the ridiculous plot devices (I'm glad they waited 'till the last minute to reveal the giant hole that Persian messenger was about to be kicked into. If they had shown it in an earlier scene, people might've started saying "I wonder what that's for?"), and the totally unneccessary heavy metal soundtrack. Seriously, it felt like I was watching some YouTube "fan trailer" for the film when that crappy guitar riff started up.

Anyway, I'm thankful someone heard my cries for justice and created this hilarious "PG version" of the 300 trailer. I'll be shouting "This...is CAKE TOWN!" for many months to come, I can guarantee you.

Zodiac: Awesome?

I've seen it twice already, and I'm about ready to state that David Fincher's Zodiac will probably become one of the best films of 2007. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Devin, it's far to early to be saying stuff like that" And who knows? Maybe Wes Anderson will finally put out a new movie this year. Maybe P.T. Anderson (the other white Anderson) will finally get his "Daniel Day-Lewis as an oil tycoon" picture off the ground. Maybe Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez' new project Grindhouse will be f*ckin' awesome (it will be).

But for now, Zodiac reigns. Everything about the film is stellar. Excellent performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. Gripping script with really innovative dialogue and sequencing. Awesome music. And such an amazing attention to detail. Every setpiece is precise, every time period is accurately represented. Fincher even throws in an old school 70's "Paramount Pictures" logo at the start of the film.

In addition to the look of the film, Fincher obsesses over the information that is shown on the screen. Countless title cards flash throughout the film, giving us the exact date and place (and often the exact time) of the events that unfold. 911 calls are repeated verbatim from the original police transcripts. Evidence, newspaper clippings, television news segments. Every aspect of this bizarre case is pored over and, like Gyllenhaal's character (who is the author of the Zodiac books on which this film is based), the audience becomes obsessed with finding the truth.

But the truth is quite hard to obtain, and unfortunately, the police (and Graysmith) never seem to reach any concrete conclusions. The film seems to reflect this, as the nameless, faceless Zodiac killer is portrayed throughout the film by no less than three different actors, each picked because they were the actors who closely matched the description by eyewitnesses and survivors of each of the murders.

Now, please don't think I'm giving anything away by revealing this innovative choice of casting. It only adds to the ominous nature of the killer, and of the film itself. Trust me; no other movie in theaters is worth your time (all two-and-a-half hours of it) and your money to go see. And that's a fact.

Decemberists' Announce "O Valencia!" Video Winner

It seems like forever since the Decemberists' had started their contest in which fans were asked to make a video for their song "O Valencia!" using the green screen footage the band provided. In fact, the contest slowly faded into obscurity after pseudo-pundit Stephen Colbert accused the group of stealing his "Green Screen Challenge" idea and challenged them to a guitar-off.

Still, a winner has to be announced, and here it is! I must say I was very impressed with the outcome. The director, Kurt Nishimura, didn't do the standard "stick the people in front of a weird background" move. Instead, he created an entirely new storyline with new characters, and simply made the Decemberists' footage part of the TV screens that occupy the video. It's a bold move that ultimately paid off, as the video is suprisingly original and entertaining, almost like the Decemberists made this video themselves.

Robot Chicken vs. Calvin and Hobbes

I don't know what to think about this recent segment from Robot Chicken that parodies the ever-popular "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip. Parts of it are pretty clever, but it strays so far away from the original concept of the strip that most of the cartoon comes off as more disturbing than funny. I'm sure if Bill Watterson knew about this, he'd be making a few calls to Turner Broadcasting. And I bet Bill is a lot harder to pay off than the city of Boston.

UPDATE: The YouTube link is dead, so I switched it to the link to Adult Swim's website.

New Pes - "Game Over"

How does Pes do it? Check out his latest piece of eye-candy, "Game Over":



A better quality QuickTime version can be found at his site, along with a ton of other awesome videos. I highly recommend Ka-Boom!, Roof Sex (not what you think), and his commercials. You've probably already seen his Bicardi and Coinstar spots. His "Making Of" featuretts are really interesting, too.

Bee Movie Teaser

Even if the resulting film is total crap, the trailers are some of the funniest, most original ever made. And they don't even have anything to do with the movie.

Here's the second (and newest) teaser, featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, and Steven Spielberg:


For you late-comers, here's the first trailer, featuring Seinfeld and Chris Rock.

Get Off Your [as]

Bored out of your mind? You must be; you're reading this blog. But now that [adult swim] has finally made their streaming video service The Adult Swim Fix Mac-compatible, it's time for me to tell you what you ought to be looking at on a website that is not my own. Let's have a looksee:

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: "Sebben and Sebben Employee Orientation"

One of the newest episodes of Birdman, this episode plays out like an old 16mm film showcasing the benefits of employment at the law firm of Phil Ken Sebben (voiced by Stephen Colbert). Listen for special guest Lewis Black as an irate office supplies manager.

The Brak Show: "Brak Street"

The famous "rap episode" of the short-lived Brak Show, featuring Cee-Lo, the singing half of Gnarls Barkley, as Prime Cut. Also, keep an eye out for a certain glob of meat on a scooter.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job: "Cats"

Despite the show's somewhat disappointing pilot episode, Tim and Eric might have finally found their footing in this insane, yet witty and provocative third episode, featuring special guest appearances by Michael Cera ("George Michael" from Arrested Development), comedian Zach Galifianakis, and Paul "Pee-Wee" Reubens. While the individual bits are pretty good, the running gag involving Tim transforming into a cat are brilliant.

The Venture Bros.: "The Trial of the Monarch"

Finally, what block of [as] content wouldn't be complete without a priceless episode of Venture Bros? This one, from the end of the first season, chronicles the Monarch's fall from grace as he is arrested for disturbing the peace in front of Dr. Girlfriend's house...I mean, Dr. EX-Girlfriend! Worth watching almost entirely because of the opening sequence. MECHA-SHIVA!

Your Daily Monster

I wish I had found this website sooner. Yewknee pointed me in the direction of Daily Monster, a really cool site run by artist Stefan G. Bucher. The deal is he draws a different monster every day for 100 days, and asks readers to post a story about the monster. Most of the creatures exhibit similar features, but it is still fun to see him draw a new one each day. Unfortunately, I've got some catching up to do. He's already at Monster No. 94 (featured above).

New OK Go Video - "Do What You Want"

Thanks, Stereogum, for the heads up. While it's no treadmill video, OK Go's new video for "Do What You Want," the second time they've made a video for this song, is pretty cool-looking. Somewhat unoriginal idea, but good execution. The backflip on the pogo stick is a definite highlight. See it at MTV.com (don't worry, it works for Macs now).

New Chris Rock Trailer

Chris Rock will be making his return to the big screen with his new film I Think I Love My Wife, directed by himself and featuring a script he collaborated on with comedian extraordinaire Louis C.K., loosely based on the French film Chloe in the Afternoon. If the trailer is any indication, it looks very promising, if not a tad reminiscent of the films of Spike Lee.

Live Action on [adult swim]?

The verdict on Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job is...unimpressive. While I did enjoy the seemingly off-the-cuff nature of the show, there didn't seem to be much in the way of content. The episodes best segments, "Hacky Sack Extreme" and "B'Owl," had already been played ad nauseum on adultswim.com, and the "B'Owl" bit didn't even feature Tim or Eric. Which leads me to my next problem with the show. While Bob Odenkirk did make a funny guest appearance, having John C. Reilly, a truly wonderful actor, appear but not do anything funny seemed like a waste of time and talent. It did seem like he would be making more appearances on the show, so hopefully, next time around, they'll give him more to do.

Surprisingly, I found much more to like on the second all-live-action [adult swim] show, Saul of the Mole Men. A witty premise, intentionally bad special effects, imaginative costumes, and an awesome theme song helped propel the show above its seemingly unoriginal concept. Sid and Marty Krofft parodies have been done many times, the best being "Drugachusetts", by the aforementioned Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.

Still, neither show has yet to reach the level of humor and innovation of previous AS hits, like The Venture Bros., Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, and the show recently voted Most Likely to Cause a Bomb Scare in Boston, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Does live action have a place on [adult swim] or should it be cartoons only?

"Heck No! (I'll Never Listen to Techno)"

Regardless of whether or not the robots win, I'll still be listening to techno. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this impressive Lite Brite animation by Ryan Divine for the band Maldroid:



For another example of Lite Brite goodness, check out Rilo Kiley's video for "It's a Hit"

Andrew Bird...for Kids!

Yesterday, Stereogum showed me just about the best thing ever. It's seems one Andrew Bird, the violin-playing virtuoso, made a recent appearance on a little-known (at least to me) children's television program called Jack's Big Music Show, another one of those "interactive" shows a la Blue's Clues, but with a slant towards music-making and suprise musical guests. Previous episodes have included musical performances by The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, blues guitarist Buddy Guy, and Steve Burns & Steven Drozd, the former host of the aforementioned Blue's Clues and the guitarist for The Flaming Lips, respectively. (If you watch the clip, you'll also catch a certain "fake news anchor" making a cameo appearance.)

Anyway, the Bird dropped by as the character "Dr. Stringz," and all I can say is I wish the TV shows I watched when I was a kid were as cool as this...

Super Bowl Recap: Ads, Halftime, and....oh yeah, the game

When my beloved Carolina Panthers lost to the Seahawks back in 2005, I did something I had never done before. I skipped watching the Super Bowl. Turns out, it wasn't such a bad idea. The game was pretty uneventful, the ads were uninspiring, and the Rolling Stones are...well, old.

This year, things were a bit different. I was rooting for the Bears, and even though they delivered a particularly thrilling first quarter, the Colts ultimately pulled ahead and remained the scoring leader for the rest of the game.

Also, who else thought Prince rocked at halftime? I don't particularly care for these stupid "medleys" of past hits, but I thought he did a damn good job. Maybe I was just hypnotized by the neon lights, fireworks, and breakneck guitar solos. It's been known to happen.

So, on to the ads. This year, there were some pretty clever ads nestled amongst the "been there, done that"s and the standard talking animals, stuntwork, and inspirational messages. Coke decided that instead of us wasting our budget on new commercials, let's just re-air the ads we've been playing in movie theaters across the country for the past six months. Toyota aired a pair of visually impressive, but ultimately dull, ads showing the strength of their new pickup truck. Finally, comedians Jim Gaffigan and Michael Ian Black returned for a new slew of Sierra Mist ads, none of which topped the cleverness and humor of past spots like "Wand" and "Lost and Found", which also feature Kathy Griffin and Tracy Morgan, respectively.

So, who's left? Bud Light may deliver a crappy-tasting beer, but their commercials always go down smooth. This year, they produced two of their best ads to date, the slasher-inspired "Axe" and the utterly hilarious "Fist Bump". Additional spots featured a wedding auctioneer, a particularly brutal game of rock, paper, scissors, and Carlos Mencia.

Despite my outright hatred for Kevin Federline and all that he stands for, his controversial Nationwide ad had me in stitches. Just something about that bald guy who plays his boss hollering "Federline! Fries!" Other effective uses of celebrities came in the form of Robert Goulet's stealth-like reflexes for Emerald Nuts, and a surprise voice-over cameo by Ricardo Montalbahn for Taco Bell.

But, my two favorite ads in this year's Super Bowl were the especially heartfelt assembly line robot ad by GM, and the brilliantly campy Godzilla/Ultraman tribute ad by Garmin GPS Systems. Both ads had a great sense of visual style and humor, and unlike most Super Bowl ads, the concepts for the spots actually supported the message regarding their products, namely GM's concern over quality, and Garmin's desire to eliminate the need for maps.

Of course, thanks to YouTube, it is now possible to rewatch every single Super Bowl ad that aired, and in some cases, much more. The Snickers ad featuring two men almost first-basing invites you to choose one of four alternate endings. The aforementioned Garmin ad also includes interviews with the cast and musicians. Doritos even went as far as to hold a contest in which people submitted their own homemade ads.

Will next year's Super Bowl be made up entirely of amateur commercials made by YouTubers? Or will Bud Light simply buy up all the ad space and air never-ending "Wazzup?" spots? Only time will tell.

Perhaps you'd like to take it up with Mr. Laser?

It's so nice to know that, in this day and age, something as innocent-looking as a Mooninite from Aqua Teen Hunger Force flicking off unsuspecting passersby can cause people to collectively freak out so chaotically. Of course, now that the city of Boston has been considerably embarrassed by endorsing and encouraging mass hysteria, they're looking desperately for a scapegoat, which they have found in the form of their two "fugitives from justice," Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28.

Seriously? Are we so jumpy that a couple of strategically-placed "lite brites" can incite a citywide panic? If that's the case, then we don't stand a chance in our so-called "war on terror."

Coincidentally, this is going to give Aqua Teen Hunger Force tons of free publicity, all thanks to Assistant Attorney General John Grossman. Congratulations, sir. You've managed to single-handedly make yourself look like the elderly grandparent in the room, constantly berating at the youth of America for listening to that "dang-blasted rock 'n roll."

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters Trailer!

I'm gonna go ahead and predict that Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters will either be the best film of 2007, or make all film projectors that try to run it start bleeding. Or both.

Trailer time:


Flaming chicken!!

New Listening Station

So, I officially got tired of embedding Amazon.com links in my music sidebar, so I decided to mix things up a little bit. Now, when you click on any one of the albums in the new "Listening Station," you'll either get a link to a free MP3 from the album, a music video, or a link to where you can stream the entire album! So far, the Of Montreal link is the only one that provides a full stream, but if there are any other links I should know about, send me an e-mail and I'll add it to the list.

The Life and Times of Independent Cinema

A fascinating new article from the New York Times has appeared, discussing the place of independent cinema in America these days, with specific attention on the new distribution methods many of the independent studios (real ones, not big name studios with the word "Independent" thrown in at the end of the title) are trying out. One such method is IFC airing new films simultaneously with their theatrical release, including some of my favorites from last year, including Steven Soderbergh's Bubble and Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Also worth mentioning is the amount of space the Times uses talking about Old Joy, one of my favorite films of 2006. It's looking like it will garner no Oscar buzz, but then again, it doesn't need to. I prefer it much more as an overlooked gem that will hopefully find its place in cinema history as time goes on. And if it doesn't, well, at least I enjoyed it.

An interesting sidenote: On page 2 of the article, the reporter refers to the Matthew Barney/Björk experimental film Drawing Restraint 9 as a documentary. Not only is this an error, it couldn't be a more incorrect description of the film. Did Jayson Blair get rehired by the Arts department?

On Oscars and Globes

This is getting ridiculous. Every year, it seems, there's another musical biopic (only in the case of Dreamgirls, it's based on ficticious characters), and now, we have Babel, which while I have been told is a good movie, it looks like Crash, just in many different places instead of just L.A. Why can't these awards people pick genuinely original and daring motion pictures for once? It seems like those two films, along with other releases like Bobby are the "safe" films, movies that seem to have been made in order to be nominated for awards.

I think this needs to be the year that the Oscars pull some crazy sh*t. Like when Marissa Tomei won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny. Or when Annie Hall took Best Picture. We need another crazy year like those. I would freak out if Little Miss Sunshine took home a slew of statues, or if Children of Men would at least sweep the technical awards (it deserves Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, for starters).

Well, we'll have to see if any of these things will come true when they announce the nominees next Monday. To all the filmmakers out there, I wish each and every one of you the best of luck.

My Oscar Nomination Predictions

Best Picture
Babel
Children of Men
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed

Best Actor
Clive Owen, Children of Men
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Peter O’Toole, Venus
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat

Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt, Babel
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Kevin Kline, A Prairie Home Companion
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actress
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Claire-Hope Ashitey, Children of Men
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Jonathan Dayton & Valarie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion

Best Original Screenplay
A Prairie Home Companion
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Fountain
The Queen

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Scanner Darkly
Children of Men
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Prestige

Best Documentary
An Inconvenient Truth
Deliver Us from Evil
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country
The Trials of Darryl Hunt

Best Animated Feature
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
Letters from Iwo Jima
Pan’s Labryinth
The Science of Sleep
Volver

More explaining, as well as my rants and ravings on the banality of the Golden Globes, later...

UPDATE: I was recently informed by Mark from OscarCentral.com that, unlike the Golden Globes, Apocalypto and Letters from Iwo Jima are ineligible for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar because they are American-produced. It's nice to see the Academy still has some common sense in this regard.

AIR "Pocket Symphony" E-Card

I received a pretty cool e-card plugging the new AIR album Pocket Symphony, which is being released this March. The lead single, "Once Upon a Time," will be available on iTunes tomorrow. You can stream a sample of the track at pocket-symphony.com.

The tracklisting is as follows:
1. Space maker
2. Once upon a time
3. One Hell of a party
4. Napalm love
5. Mayfair song
6. Left bank
7. Photograph
8. Mer du Japon
9. Lost message
10. Somewhere between waking and sleeping
11. Redhead girl
12. Night sight

Look Closely...

Observant readers might notice that a crucial modification has been made to my Top Movies of 2006 list. Readers might also notice that no explanation has been given for the change. I believe that, after viewing the new entry to my list, no explanation is necessary.

That is all.

New Apples in Stereo - "Energy"

The Apples in Stereo are one of those bands that I've caught glimpses of all throughout my music listening career. In 1999, I heard the distinctly Lennon-esque "Strawberryfire" when they were featured by MusicMatch Jukebox (remember them?) as an Artist to Watch. Then, a couple years later, the Apples returned, appearing in a music video for their Powerpuff Girls track "Signal in the Sky (Let's Go)". And, just recently, lead Apple Robert Schneider appeared on The Colbert Report, singing his new song "Stephen, Stephen" before the Decemberists vs. Colbert Guitar Solo Contest.

I'm finally getting to the point of this post, and that is to say there's a new Apples in Stereo album, entitled New Magnetic Wonder, that's coming out on February 6, and the first single off it, "Energy," is pretty freakin' awesome. The band has never tried to hide its Beatles influence, and this song is most certainly no exception. That doesn't mean it doesn't stand well enough on its own. Have a listen:

The Apples in Stereo - "Energy" (MP3)

Thanks Stereogum, for posting the track.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin/Harry and the Potters @ Greensboro Public Library, 1/4/07

The new year got off to a cool start when I found out that my favorite new artist of '05 was gonna be giving a free concert at the main branch of the Greensboro Public Library, opening for hyper-literate rock group Harry and the Potters. A lot of fun was had by all. I got a copy of SSLYBY's re-issued debut Broom on vinyl, plus I got the band to sign it! And even though I hadn't heard much from Harry and the Potters (who, by the way, are a duo that perform rock songs based on events that take place in the Harry Potter books), they gave an excellent show as well. I must, however, agree with what my brother said during the sets. Whoever walked into the library expecting a nice, quiet evening certainly received something else!















See more concert photos, as well as photos of my signed vinyl.

New Modern World

Duck and cover, people! It's another political post!

I have always been a fan of Tom Tomorrow's straightforward editorial cartoons under the title, This Modern World. The latest comic is no exception. Unfortunately, I have to sometimes deal with people like the ones he describes in the comic at UNCW. Here's hoping 2007 will inspire people, including right-wing college students, to engage in objective and intellectual commentary about the state of the nation and the world abroad, not so they can prove their superiority in debate, but so both sides can come to a well-thought out agreement.

Best of '06 Radio Show on WUAG 103.1 FM!

I'll be doing my radio thing this afternoon from 1 to 4 PM on WUAG 103.1 FM Greensboro. You can tune in online at wuag.net by clicking on the "Live Stream" button in the menu bar. It'll be called the "Best of 2006 Double Dose" as I play two tracks from each of my favorite albums of '06. Expect some Gnarls, Flaming Lips, Art Brut, Guster, Band of Horses, and who knows what else? Plus, if you call (336) 334-5450 and make a request, I might be so kind as to play it on the air!

Also, if you have no plans for New Year's Eve (like me), you can tune in to Turner Classic Movies' Marx Brothers Movie Marathon, which begins at 8:15 PM with Duck Soup and continues all night with selections like Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races.

I'd like to wish a very happy New Year's to everyone out there in blogland! See you in '07!

Hall of Awesome 2006: Top 5 Music Videos

Music video pioneers Cunningham and Gondry were in fine form this year (Gondry even made the Movies of the Year list), but it was newcomers Kris Moyes, Jon Watts, and the always awesome OK Go that came out on top this year in the music video department. Also worthy of note are Daft Punk, who take home the Most Disturbing Video award for their seriously f*cked-up video for "The Prime Time of Your Life" (needless to say, not safe for work or children). Don't forget all those wonderful musicians with Hollywood connections, as Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs prove it helps to know crazies like Dennis Hopper and Pee-Wee Herman.

1. The SoftLightes, “Heart Made of Sound” (dir. Kris Moyes)
By the way, a better quality version of this video can be found at the director's homepage.

2. OK Go, “Here it Goes Again” (dir. Trish Sie and OK Go)

3. The Spinto Band, “Oh Mandy” (dir. Jon Watts)
Same goes for this guy, too.

4. The Horrors, “Sheena is a Parasite” (dir. Chris Cunningham)

5. Beck, “Cellphone’s Dead” (dir. Michel Gondry)


Most Disturbing Video:
Daft Punk, “The Prime Time of Your Life” (dir. Tony Gardner)

Best Use of Celebrities (tie):
Gnarls Barkley, “Smiley Faces” (dir. Robert Hales/feat. Dennis Hopper and Sam Rockwell)
The Raconteurs, “Steady, As She Goes” (dir. The Malloys/feat. Paul Reubens)

Hall of Awesome 2006: Top 10 Albums of the Year

10


GRIZZLY BEAR
Yellow House







9


MARITIME
We, the Vehicles







8


BAND OF HORSES
Everything All the Time







7


THE RACONTEURS
Broken Boy Soldiers







6


BELLE & SEBASTIAN
The Life Pursuit







5


GUSTER
Ganging Up on the Sun







4


CAMERA OBSCURA
Let's Get Out of This Country







3


THE DECEMBERISTS
The Crane Wife







2


GNARLS BARKLEY
St. Elsewhere







1


THE FLAMING LIPS
At War with the Mystics






For some reason, most critics were quick to dismiss The Flaming Lips' 2006 release, angry that they had seemingly abandoned the style they had set in stone on 1999's epic masterpiece The Soft Bulletin and its 2003 follow-up, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. If only these people had listened to the album a few more times, they would have heard the Lips' most psychedelic and surprisingly consistent album since Bulletin was released seven years ago (has it really been that long?) Of course, no Best Of list would be complete without mentioning Gnarls Barkley, who exploded onto the scene with that one song no one can seem to get out of his or her head (you know the one). The Decemberists had another excellent year, topping the success of 2005's Picaresque with their Atlantic Records debut, in addition to a well-publicized battle with Comedy Central news pundit Stephen Colbert. Camera Obscura was shamefully omitted from Stereogum's list, a glaring omission considering that they not only out-Belle-and-Sebastian'd Belle & Sebastian, they gave this shy person the strength to get up and do what needed to be done.

It was totally an impulse buy when I stumbled across the new album from Guster at a Borders bookstore, but it was a lucky find, as Ganging Up on the Sun contains some of the catchiest melodies ever set to disc, and Belle & Sebastian did an excellent job of breaking new ground on The Life Pursuit, an album that not only contained '60s throwback R&B and Japanese hyper-pop references, it (dare I say it?) rocked my f*ckin' socks off! Speaking of rock, why are so many bloggers turning a cold shoulder to The Raconteurs? Not only was it a great side project for all those involved, it spawned some infectious hit singles, and a couple awesome non-singles (fav track: "Yellow Sun"). I was already a fan of Band of Horses back when they were opening for Iron & Wine and only had a few demo tracks to their name. Now, their Sub Pop debut is out and everyone's finally caught up. And, finally, we have Maritime and Grizzly Bear, two bands that released solid debut albums, but now they're in the big leagues. Time to pull out all the stops and go for the gold with their sophomore releases...and Indeed They Did.

Here are all my Honorable Mentions of the year, too:






Congrats to those that made the list. You are now eligible for a roundtrip for two to Butte, Montana.

Also, even though I totally picked Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin as my fav new artist of '05, and although Broom "officially" came out that same year, it's still on my list. Deal with it.

P.S. This is prob'ly gonna be my last post before Christmas, so a very Merry Christmas to you and yours. Nustle up by the fire, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and put some music on. I highly recommend Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas EP box set, containing not only some of the best renditions of old holiday classics, but also some of the best original Christmas music ever written. I'm serious, folks. It's nog-tastic!

A new look for Blogger

You may notice some small changes on my blog. This is because I recently made the switch over to Blogger Beta, which takes advantage of various Web 2.0 devices like tags, labels, built-in drop down menus, and the like. So, from now on, all posts on this blog will include tags (usually no more than two or three per post). So, if you'd like to see what other posts I've written on the subject of Gnarls Barkley, click on the "Gnarls Barkley" tag at the bottom of one of those posts. Of course, all pre-Blogger Beta posts don't have tags and I probably won't be working to update them any time soon (I don't have that much free time!) Also, I've tried using the new drop-down Archive menu in the sidebar, and it works...up to a point. It seems that if you try to find back-posts before July of this year, you'll get a little "Loading..." notice, and then nothing. I assume they're working on it. Which brings me to another announcement. Since this new version of Blogger is in beta, it's important that my readers keep me informed if they start noticing any bugs on this website. If you see something that looks out of place, or if a feature suddenly doesn't work anymore, send me an e-mail to devin@dimattiafilms.com.

Thanks, gang!

Hall of Awesome 2006: Movies of the Year

Whoo. I think I went a little overboard on the Best Of lists last year, so this time, I'm gonna keep things simple. Best Movies...then Best Music. Let's begin, shall we?

Devin's Top 10 Films of 2006:

1. Children of Men
   
2. A Prairie Home Companion
   When Robert Altman passed on, he left behind a legacy of ridiculously innovative and astounding motion pictures, of which his most recent addition, A Prairie Home Companion, is no exception. Based on, written by, and starring NPR personality Garrison Keillor and his seminal, old-timey radio show, the film manages to capture the heartbreaking nostalgia of the early years of radio while conjuring up the inevitable wheels of progress that haunt the film’s stellar cast. Virginia Madsen gives an especially chilling role, not as a person, but more as an idea. The idea that all men and women will one day leave this earth, and that our life here is all too short. But if it never ended, what would be the point of it?
   
3. Little Miss Sunshine
   In your face, Napoleon Dynamite! Music video masters Dayton/Faris tackle the quirky absurdist comedy genre with hilarious results. Each one of these characters is fleshed out with some of the best story arcs ever put to film, and the script by Michael Arndt is so well-constructed that not a dull moment passes before your eyes. Please, somebody give Abigail Breslin an Oscar!
   
4. The Departed
   Departed editor Thelma Schoonmaker is either insane or a genius. Jump cuts fly past the screen like Jean-Luc Godard on speed. Scenes feel like they were cut with a meat cleaver and stuck together with duct tape. It fits the theme of the film perfectly, which is you can’t trust anyone, so you might as well just kill everyone. One of the joys of watching mob movies (and make no mistake, this is a mob movie) is that you can’t help feeling like both the organized crime ring and the staff of undercover cops are simply wasting both groups’ precious time, constantly reaching impasse after impasse, forever coming up even. It seems like, according to Scorsese, once you’ve reached the top, the only way to go is down.
   
5. Old Joy
   Basic plot structure for Old Joy: Man meets up with old college friend, both go to the mountains for a couple days, contemplate the state of their existence, and then go their separate ways. Old Joy joins the ranks of Lost in Translation and Mr. Hulot’s Holiday as one of the great “movies about nothin’,” but as always, there’s plenty more than meets the eye. Director Kelly Reichardt uses her sparse camerawork and minimalist plot to transform the film into an existential mood piece, a film where every facial expression and every sigh the actors emote has a purpose; where every action, no matter how insignificant, has a deeper meaning.
   
6. Borat
   When he’s not making fun of Kazakhstan’s backwards culture and surroundings, Sacha Baron Cohen’s undeniably adored Kazakhstani journalist is taking a hot skewer to American ideals, as well as our blatant ignorance of the world around us. What this movie lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up in laughs. An extended sequence in the middle of the film, featuring a nude Cohen and Ken Davitian wrestling in a hotel room, is as equally shocking and hilarious as most of the sex scenes featured in Shortbus (see below).
   
7. The Prestige
   Über-awesome director Christopher Nolan reunites with his Memento-penning brother Jonathan for this, his fifth feature film. Once again featuring an excellent ensemble cast, including Labryinth star David Bowie, both Nolans capture the spirit and mysticism of 18th century magic, mixed with a good ol’ fashioned Hitchcockian suspense story.
   
8. The Trials of Darryl Hunt
   The best film I saw at Cucalorus this year was also the film that made me the angriest. This documentary about one of the worst-handled homicide cases in North Carolina’s history just goes to show how damaging racism can be. It also profiles a man’s faith in God and how much courage he has to have in order to sustain that faith. The Trials of Darryl Hunt is the best documentary of 2006. Read my full review.
   
9. Thank You for Smoking
   Throughout the history of cinema, audiences’ love of heroes has only been exceeded by their love for villains, a fact that director Jason Reitman exploited by casting the undoubtedly charming Aaron Eckhart as the slimy, quick-witted tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. When we’re not laughing at his antics, as well as those of the M.O.D. Squad (Maria Bello and David Koechner), we find ourselves rooting for the very man we’re supposed to hate. Damn you, Eckhart!
   
10. The Fountain
    Darren Aronofsky has always walked a fine line between brilliance and frustration. His previous film, Requiem for a Dream, was a stupendous, postmodern, anti-drug movie, but while viewing it, you can’t help but think that maybe he was a little too hard on his star actress Ellen Burstyn. Unfortunately, her acting chops go largely unnoticed in this, his latest film, instead focusing on Hugh Jackman and his slowly wilting flower, Rachel Weisz. Though Aronofsky ultimately bites off more than he can chew thematically, the film is a refreshing burst of energy and optimism in an otherwise drab and unoriginal cinematic world. It’s 2001 for 2006.
    
11. The Science of Sleep
    What kind of year would it be without another brilliant movie from Michel Gondry? 2006 was a good year for him, with the release of this, as well as his docu-musical Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. And while The Science of Sleep oftentimes feels like a low budget Eternal Sunshine, the eccentricities certainly stand out more, and Gondry’s madcap directing style gives ample opportunity for some great performances by his equally eccentric cast.

Honorable Mention: Bubble (Steven Soderbergh’s Mini-DV masterpiece, complete with a stellar performance by a former Kentucky Fried Chicken manager), A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater's brilliant anti-drug "drug movie" ought to be considered for a Best Animated Feature Oscar, but it won't), Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell’s sexual endeavors know no limits, but the joyous cacophony of this film simply cannot be denied).

Merry Christmas, Zach Braff!

I wish I knew more about Scrubs so that I would've laughed more at their send-up of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Still, any day I get to see Zach Braff provide the voice of Charlie Brown is a good day. Enjoy!

(Thanks, Drawn!)

Top 50 Music Videos of 2006

Now, with the whole YouTube craze upon us, it's time once again to revisit the always-awesome DoCopenhagen blog and their Top 50 Music Videos of the Year list. Last year, downloadable links were provided for all the videos, but now you can watch each and every one of them directly from the site. Cool deal!

Here are some of my picks from the list:

#1: OK Go, "Here it Goes Again"
No big surprise there.

#3: Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
While not their best video (that goes to the "Smiley Faces" video with Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell), the Rorshach test effect is trippy. Plus, it's "Crazy" so...yeah.

#30: The Horrors, "Sheena is a Parasite"
Chris Cunningham took the top spot last year with his creepy-as-f*ck "Rubber Johnny" video, and while this one can't compare, it is pretty awesome given its brief running time, and it's fun to see all the crazy stuff he does to 2-time Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton.

#34: Gnarls Barkley, "Gone Daddy Gone"
Certainly the band's creepiest video. If you ever wondered what Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse would look like in bug form, now's your chance.

That just scratches the surface of the wealth of awesome videos you'll find on his site. Go and see for yourself.

It's a Beautiful Day in the YouTube Neighborhood

Fresh from Yewknee is this quirky and unintentionally hilarious McDonald's commercial from the 1980s:



These are the kind of things YouTube was made for. I mean, it's got all the elements:

1. It's classic retro.
2. It prominently features a celebrity (Jason Alexander) while he was still in pre-celebrity status.
3. It's long. Over a minute, so there's plenty of ridiculousness to go around.
4. The product these whacked-out people (Alexander included) are selling is totally absurd. It seems so psuedo-futuristic to put the lettuce and tomato in its own, separate container!

Plus, now that the whole Michael Richards thing is behind us, it's nice to see another Seinfeld alumni back in the limelight. I'm sure Alexander doesn't care that this commercial's out. He did hawk Kentucky Fried Chicken shortly after Seinfeld!

Another Classic Onion Article

Focus Groups Hated It Right Up Until Guy's Head Got Cut Off

LOS ANGELES—A focus group of 150 people who saw this one movie, Fox Searchlight's modern adaptation of some Charles Dickens classic, were...

New Sondre Lerche Video - "Phantom Punch"

Album of the same name will be out in January.

The Zippers Return?

Holy sh*t! Is this for real?

After years and years of heartbreak, disdain, cold shoulders, and wistful nostalgia, the Squirrel Nut Zippers are finally making their return to the stage, and at the Cat's Cradle! You may not know it, but the Zippers are one of my favorite bands of all time, and have been that way ever since 1998. I have all of their albums, including the Sold Out EP, which I picked up at one of their shows in Winston-Salem in 2000, when they were touring in support of their fourth, and ultimately their last, full-length album, Bedlam Ballroom.

At that time, they had already lost founding members Ken Mosher and Tom Maxwell, the latter of whom had written their only hit, "Hell," and even though the Zippers left me speechless when they performed that evening, it didn't look like the future would be a good one for the band. The swing revival had come to a close, the Zippers disbanded and went about their separate ways. Lead singer James Mathus formed the Mississippi blues group Knockdown Society, his then-wife Katharine Whalen started a solo career (they divorced in '04; her second album was just released this year), and Maxwell and Mosher teamed up as the duo, you guessed it, Maxwell/Mosher and toured a little, performing the songs they both had written for the Zippers. They also won a lawsuit against the rest of the band, claiming they were withholding royalties, forcing the Zippers to cough up $155,000. As a matter of fact, only Andrew Bird, who performed violin as a sort-of auxiliary member of the Zippers, went on to find success, wowing the music blogs with his sweeping 2005 album The Mysterious Production of Eggs.

But I guess they're back! Though according to this article from the News & Observer, it looks like the concert will be held for purely financial reasons. "We wouldn't be trying to re-form the group to make records and get on the radio," Whalen says. "It would be more about us surviving. The idea would be to do maybe three shows, probably just a couple of corporate gigs for some money. We'll be paying off that settlement for two more years, so it would be cool to play a few nights and just make that go away."

Still, it's better than nothing! See you at the Cradle on Feb. 8! (If only it would be held on the 16th, my 21st birthday. Then, I could get drunk, too!)

I'm Lovin' It

Stephen Heintz is quite possibly the funniest man on the Internet (and if he's not, he's second only to the Brothers Chaps). Case in point? Acid Zen Wonder Paint.

Anyway, he posted on his LiveJournal about being propositioned by a drunk prostitute outside a McDonald's (an everyday occurance, I'm sure).

All I'm saying is I wish I could write like that.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Pangea" Video

The boys from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have put together a fun little video for their leadoff track on Broom, which you can still order from Polyvinyl for ten bucks! In either CD or vinyl!



I doubt it's intentional, but this video reminds me a lot of that Thrills video by that guy I mentioned a couple months ago.

See a Video, Make a Video

There's an awesome music video by Modular for the band The Soft Lightes. Cool use of color and stop-motion animation.

Also, if you're pissed off that you lost Stephen Colbert's Green Screen Challenge, you can help design the new Decemberists video! They've recorded themselves singing "O Valencia!" in front of a green screen. Now, it's up to you to put some crazy crap behind them! Good luck!

Kiwi!

I know YouTube and Drawn! have already featured it, but I wanted to show you guys this very funny, well-made computer animated short entitled Kiwi!:



One of the things that most computer animators don't seem to understand is they have to have an interesting story to go along with all those visuals. Pixar gets it, and so does Dony Permedi, who did this film.

Spotlight on Cucalorus: Three Movie Reviews in 75 Words or Less

Dirt Nap
(Director: D.B. Sweeney; Cast: John C. McGinley, Paul Hipp, D.B. Sweeney, Ed Harris, Moira Kelly, Pat Hingle, Janet Jones, Mark Moses, Rex Linn, Ned Bellamy, Vanna White; dirtnapmovie.com)

Road movies always have their share of clichés and obligatory scenes. Dirt Nap takes those preconceived notions and turns them on their collective head. When three middle-aged slackers decide to take a trip to Florida for a football game, their whole world gets turned around, and their lifelong friendship is placed under close scrutiny. A fine cast all around, and an especially fascinating cameo appearance by Ed Harris as an amputee carnival owner.

Old Joy
(Director/Writer/Editor: Kelly Reichardt; Co-Writer: Jonathan Raymond; Composer: Yo La Tengo; Cast: Will Oldham, Daniel London)

Quiet, provocative filmmaking. People think a movie like this should be boring, but it is anything but. Two men who haven’t seen each other in years spontaneously decide to take a trip to the mountain springs of Oregon. While no major revelations are made, the characters re-evaluate their relationship, and start to realize just how far they’ve come in the many years they’ve known one another. Beautiful cinematography, gorgeous score by Yo La Tengo.

Shortbus
(Writer/Director: John Cameron Mitchell; Original Score: Yo La Tengo; Cast: Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Lindasy Beamish, PJ DeBoy, Raphael Barker, Peter Stickles; shortbusthemovie.com)

A sexual revolution has begun, and writer/director John Cameron Mitchell is its muse. From a story developed by his cast, Mitchell gives us sex as a joyous combination, not only of body, but of spirit. Hearts are broken and mended again. New sexual heights are reached. All who enter the Shortbus salon are freed from the depression and anxiety of a post-9/11 New York City. Once again, Yo La Tengo delivers the perfect musical accompaniment.

An excellent review of Shortbus may be found here.

Spotlight on Cucalorus: 13 Tzameti

The first narrative I've seen at Cucalorus, and also the most unsettling. In this French film, a poor roofer stumbles across a drug addict's plan to make some big money fast. Fortunately, the addict overdoses before he has the chance to collect, and the roofer is left with a striped envelope containing a train ticket and a hotel reservation. What follows is a sick and twisted multi-player game, where the winner is handsomely rewarded, but the losers...well, you can probably guess what happens to them:



Even though an American remake is already in the works (of course), I'm really glad I saw the original first. I'm sure any American studio would jump at the chance to jazz up 13 Tzameti's ridiculously simple, but riveting storyline. The only problem is the story needs no jazzing up. The film's low-budget, black-and-white production only adds to the look of the film's dark and dingy locations, especially the rooms in which the game takes place, where a single light bulb is the only indicator of whether you will live...or die.

Spotlight on Cucalorus: Al Franken: God Spoke

Day 2 of Cucalorus, and the documentaries keep on coming. The Al Franken biopic God Spoke was definitely more lighthearted fare compared to last night's proceedings, but it was still a very fun and very entertaining movie.

When Saturday Night Live alum Al Franken became the target of right-wing radio and TV personalities (maybe it's 'cause he named his first book Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot?), it set off an endless string of debates and yelling contests, usually between Franken and any combination of Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, and Bill O'Reilly. Especially Bill O'Reilly. After O'Reilly and Fox News raised a ruckus over what they believed to be copyright infringement (Fox claimed a trademark on the words "fair and balanced," which were part of the title of Franken's new book), the courts threw out the case and Franken laughed all the way to the bank as the free publicity shot his book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, to the top of the Amazon.com Best Sellers list.

The film begins with the release of Franken's book and the backlash it received, follows Franken as he haphazardly jumpstarts the first liberal radio station, Air America Radio (which, sadly, has since declared bankruptcy), and as he follows the Kerry campaign during the election of 2004. It's hard to watch the scenes where Franken seems so optimistic about Kerry's certain victory, knowing what surely lies ahead. And filmmakers Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus pull no punches. They show Franken's meltdown after Bush's re-election, ultimately leading to his decision to possibly run for Senate in Minnesota during the 2008 elections.



What I enjoyed most about this film is what I enjoy most about Franken: his sense of humor. He can always turn any depressing political situation into a scathing, satirical one-liner. Even when he's calling out radio personality Michael Medved or going one-on-one with Sean Hannity, he keeps his cool and lets the facts do the talking. Especially hilarious are his bits from Saturday Night Live, notably one in which Franken, as his Stuart Smalley character, consoles a depressed, post-election Al Gore. Also worth mentioning are his USO appearances in Iraq, one of which appears in the film. Franken, dressed as Saddam Hussein, tries to hit on JAG actress Karri Turner. Unfortunately, not much more of his USO tour is shown in the film, which is sad, because if his article about the tour, "Tearaway Burkas and Tinplate Menorahs," is any indication, there's a lot of extra material that's a whole lot funnier. I highly recommend anyone interested in more information on Franken to read that article, which can be found in the 2005 edition of The Best American Nonrequired Reading.

Overall, a solid documentary about a very funny man. For more information on the film, visit www.godspokefilm.com.

Spotlight on Cucalorus: The Trials of Darryl Hunt

Today marks the kickoff of Wilmington, North Carolina's premier independent film festival, Cucalorus, now in its twelfth year. The film that opened this year's festivities was the documentary feature The Trials of Darryl Hunt, and I can already tell you, it's going to be very, very hard to top this picture in terms of emotional impact from an audience.

The film relays the story of one Darryl Hunt, a 19-year-old black man who, in 1984, was convicted of raping and murdering a white woman in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. What followed were ten sad and horrifying years of judicial corruption, police incompetence, and outright bigotry, in a scandal that, if it hasn't yet rocked the judicial system of North Carolina to its very core, this film most certainly will. Even after DNA evidence proved Hunt's innocence in 1994, he still remained in prison for an additional ten years, due to the district attorney's stubborn belief that the DNA evidence was either contaminated or inconclusive, even though there was no evidence that either was true. Finally, on Christmas Eve of 2003, Darryl Hunt was released from prison and now walks free. The state gave him compensation for their wrongheadedness, but no amount of money can take back the 19 years of wrongful imprisonment this man has faced.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt is most certainly the best documentary I have seen all year. Yes, better than An Inconvenient Truth and Wordplay. I have always believed that, when the story and its people are handled with the proper respect and admiration, a documentary can be ten times more powerful than any narrative film could ever be. The only reason this film won't be nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar is because it has not enjoyed even a limited release in select cities, a requirement that must be fulfilled before the end of the year. The general public is stuck with having to search far and wide for any film festival where this production is being screened. It's worth the time to look, believe me.

However, my screening of the film was unique, in that Darryl Hunt himself, as well as defense attorney Mark Rabil were present to answer any questions following the screening. The two did not appear until after the screening, prompting one person to ask if Hunt has the strength to view this film again. "No, I don't think I have it in me," he exclaimed. Countless questions were asked, emotions were charged. Hunt took questions asking for his future plans, his feelings toward the whole debacle, and Rabil answered questions relating to the litigation and specifics of the case, which Rabil had worked on since the court appointed him to the case in 1984. One interesting question was why there is no accountability when it comes to district attorney's making cases on fraudulent evidence or withholding evidence altogether, something that Hunt and Rabil experienced during both times their case went to trial (the second trial was in 1990). Rabil said that the three most important things people can do are to vote, serve in a jury, and support causes like Hunt's, who created the Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice to help individuals, like him, who have been wrongfully accused of crimes, and to educate the public about flaws in the justice system.

Out of all of this, what struck me the most was how kind and pleasant Hunt seemed. Even while district attorneys were frothing at the mouth, begging juries to send down a life sentence, Hunt's face remained stoic. A man with a strong faith in God, as well as a strong faith in his peers, his friends, and his family. Surely, no stronger man has lived.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt did make the Academy's shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, but ultimately was not nominated for the award, in favor of films focusing on more current events, such as global warming and Iraq.

The film will, however, be shown on HBO in April 2007.

Get the Vote Out!

Despite harsh weather conditions, an increasingly upset stomach, and the fact that I couldn't find my polling place, I was still able to get my vote cast in this year's midterm elections. If you haven't yet, please don't let your voice go unheard!! And then, once you've voted, tune in to Comedy Central's "Daily Show Midterm Midtacular" at 11 PM. It'll be broadcast live and will merge both "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" into one pseudojournalistic behemoth!!

P.S. Didja see Stewart and Colbert on the cover of Rolling Stone? Classic.

Some Useful Information

I have received some impertinent information from reliable intelligence reports, leading me to believe that literary genius John Hodgman will be making his triumphant return as The Daily Show's resident expert tonight at 11 P.M. on Comedy Central.

In other news...

Saw III = Bad
The Prestige = Good

The reason? Bowie.