Thursday, June 18th, 2009
Douche bag.
Archive for June, 2009
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Or Are We Dancer…
Unstoppable
At the Sasquatch Music Fest one man turns an otherwise sedate crowd into a dance party. This video is making the rounds today with people declaring it a metaphor for everything from savvy marketing to the desire within all of us to spread joy. I just think it’s cute.
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Ed Asner & A Talking Dog
Who hasn't wanted to do this?
Saw “Up” on Saturday night and cannot suggest more strongly that you do the same. As brilliant, delightful and visually stunning a film as you’ll see this summer.
Won’t say a word about the plot, but the story is a delight. Quixotic, suspenseful and full of surprises, it demonstrates a mastery of the craft of storytelling – a hallmark of all great Pixar productions. Of course, proclaiming Pixar a bunch of geniuses is a bit like saying Esther Williams was pretty good in the pool or that Cassius Clay knew how to throw a punch. But the structural complexity woven through even the slightest of sight gags demonstrates the incredible amount of thought, planning and imagination that went into the creation of this wonderful piece of work.
Last week I watched Synecdoche, New York (flawed but sort of brilliant,) Hannah Takes The Stairs (also sort of brilliant and also sort of flawed) and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (harrowing, but also brilliant and yeah, sort of flawed.) Three radical approaches to filmmaking all trumped by Ed Asner and a talking dog. Apples and oranges of course, but fashionable as it is to hate on Walt’s Evil Corporation, I can’t deny that Up was the only film of the bunch that made my heart ache. I laughed while tears rolled down my cheeks.
It may not be an “art film,” but by god is it art.
Friday, June 5th, 2009
The Proust Questionnaire
Proust on his deathbed.
I needed to write a bio for the “Sean K. Robb” page of this site and really didn’t feel like it. So instead I completed The Proust Questionnaire, a short Q&A found on the last page of every issue of Vanity Fair.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To revel in sin followed by absolution.
What is your greatest fear?
That I may be wrong. Conversely, that I may be right.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Complacency.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cruelty.
Which living person do you most admire?
My mother and father.
What is your greatest extravagance?
My large and ridiculous collection of pro wrestling action figures, DVDs and memorabilia.
What is your current state of mind?
Nervous but content.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Faith.
On what occasion do you lie?
Only when it is absolutely necessary to protect my reputation or that of someone close to me.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I would like bigger shoulders.
Which living person do you most despise?
Though I despise the existence of all sorts of people (child murderers, war criminals, people who boast of not owning a television, etc) I can’t think of anyone I truly despise as an individual.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence, creativity and wit.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Courage, inquisitiveness and wit.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I swear more often than I would like.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
There are too many.
When and where were you happiest?
There was a weekend in New York that comes to mind, but I am frequently quite happy.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I have always wanted to sing. Well, I mean.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I worked harder, more diligently and with a greater sense of purpose.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
That I have accepted and grown to love myself.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A house cat.
Where would you most like to live?
Amsterdam or New York City.
What is your most treasured possession?
My ragdoll Lester which I have had since I was 1.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Terrible guilt.
What is your favorite occupation?
To write, to create, to entertain and provoke.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a pretty funny guy. Also, nice eyes.
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty, insight, generosity and the ability to make me laugh.
Who are your favorite writers?
Martin Amis, David Foster Wallace, J.D. Salinger and Christopher Hitchens.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Spider-Man and/or Don Draper.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I am unprecedented.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Russ Meyer, Barack Obama, Mick Foley.
What are your favorite names?
Veronica, Alex.
What is it that you most dislike?
Religion. Bigotry.
What is your greatest regret?
That I have any regrets at all.
How would you like to die?
Quickly and without warning.
What is your motto?
“You gotta have goals.”
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Goddamn
J.D. Salinger
So J.D. Salinger has resurfaced, this time to file suit to keep a stupid sounding book from being published by a stupid sounding man. An improbably named fellow calling himself J.D. California has written a tome he calls “60 Years Later: Coming Through The Rye” – and if it’s anywhere near as bad as the title then it’s so awful as to be beneath ridicule. Anyhow, dude is intent on publishing the thing, forcing Mr. Salinger to tune back into the rest of the world just long enough to tell the guy to fuck off.
And even though I normally side with copyright breakers rather than enforcers, in this case I’m siding with my old man Jerome. You just don’t cross the boss and somethings can only be ruined, not improved.
Anyhow, this probably wouldn’t make him happy either, but here’s a Salinger story you’ve probably never read. It’s called Hapworth 16, 1924, it was published in the New Yorker in June 1965 but has never received a proper publishing in a collection, despite repeated rumours it may happen one day. Enjoy.
And please forgive me J.D.
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
HIGGINS!
Han Solo P.I. – Imagine the world we could be living in if Lucas had spent the 80s making this instead of Ewok movies. (Side by side with the original Magum P.I. – and this is amazing – HERE.) /via metafilter
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
SAY IT AGAIN!
My dad wore a cast for five years!
So Evil WWE Champion Randy Orton was on a Mexican talk show yesterday and freaked out on the host before storming off set after the gentleman made the mistake of bringing up The Legend Killer’s recent rash of injuries.
God I love wrestling.