My Office Toys. My pride and joy is the Sigmund Freud Action Figure. Does anyone know where I can get a My Dinner With Andre Action Figure?
Friday, January 30, 2004
Thursday, January 29, 2004
McGovern '72
Via Buzzflash.com today is an interview with former Senator and Presidential candidate George McGovern. I met Mr. McGovern once. I was thirteen years old, and had volunteered for his campaign, spending hours after school stuffing envelopes. The LA headquarters office was invited to attend one of those couple of hundred a dollar a plate fundraisers for the cost of the food. It was at one of the older, classier LA Hotels like the Biltmore, and a good portion of Hollywood had turned out. I was certainly starstruck to be rubbing elbows with many movie and TV stars. I remember seeing Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and Dennis Weaver, among others. Being 13 I was just as impressed to see the guy who played McCloud as I was to see Warren Beatty.
Towards the end of the evening a line formed to shake hands with the candidate, and the campaign office manager pushed me to join the queue. When it was my turn, I was pretty well speechless at meeting the candidates, but he smiled down at me and shook my young hand.
George McGovern did not win that year, but he was right about Vietnam and would have saved the country the shame of Watergate. He was a good man and a thinker who continues to express himself intelligently on issues of war and peace.
Read the interview here.
Via Buzzflash.com today is an interview with former Senator and Presidential candidate George McGovern. I met Mr. McGovern once. I was thirteen years old, and had volunteered for his campaign, spending hours after school stuffing envelopes. The LA headquarters office was invited to attend one of those couple of hundred a dollar a plate fundraisers for the cost of the food. It was at one of the older, classier LA Hotels like the Biltmore, and a good portion of Hollywood had turned out. I was certainly starstruck to be rubbing elbows with many movie and TV stars. I remember seeing Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and Dennis Weaver, among others. Being 13 I was just as impressed to see the guy who played McCloud as I was to see Warren Beatty.
Towards the end of the evening a line formed to shake hands with the candidate, and the campaign office manager pushed me to join the queue. When it was my turn, I was pretty well speechless at meeting the candidates, but he smiled down at me and shook my young hand.
George McGovern did not win that year, but he was right about Vietnam and would have saved the country the shame of Watergate. He was a good man and a thinker who continues to express himself intelligently on issues of war and peace.
Read the interview here.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Elsewhere
Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists
Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel have joined forces to produce a manifesto for musicians. Artist manifestos seem somehow something out of the 1920s that you would expect from Giacomo Balla or Tristan Tzara, but if anyone today has the creds to be writing manifestos, these are your guys. Call it perhaps Discreet Strategies for the new century.
The Passion
Salon (subscription or daypass required) has an interview with the Reverend Mark Stanger of San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, who had the opportunity to view Mel Gibson's The Passion. He has some interesting viewpoints on the theological accuracy, and why Jews, Arabs and Christians should be concerned about the message of the film. Read it here.
Adams at 102
Friedrich Blowhard analyzes Ansel Adams' composition and offers some thoughts on Adams the artist. This is why I visit the Blowhards on a daily basis. A gem of a posting.
Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists
Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel have joined forces to produce a manifesto for musicians. Artist manifestos seem somehow something out of the 1920s that you would expect from Giacomo Balla or Tristan Tzara, but if anyone today has the creds to be writing manifestos, these are your guys. Call it perhaps Discreet Strategies for the new century.
Their pamphlet lists ideas for artists to explore once they're freed from the confines of the CD format. One might decide to release a minute of music every day for a month. Another could post several recorded variations of the same song and ask fans what they like best.Click here to read the whole thing.
The Passion
Salon (subscription or daypass required) has an interview with the Reverend Mark Stanger of San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, who had the opportunity to view Mel Gibson's The Passion. He has some interesting viewpoints on the theological accuracy, and why Jews, Arabs and Christians should be concerned about the message of the film. Read it here.
Adams at 102
Friedrich Blowhard analyzes Ansel Adams' composition and offers some thoughts on Adams the artist. This is why I visit the Blowhards on a daily basis. A gem of a posting.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Kurt's Rejoinder
Looking through a book of Man Ray photographs yesterday, I came across a series of portraits of Dadaist artist and composer Kurt Schwitters. Schwitters is probably best known for his collages, but he is also the composer of the Ur Sonata, which was immortalized in Brian Eno's, Kurt's Rejoinder, from the album Before and After Science. The song features samples of a recording of the Ur Sonata in Schwitters' own voice.
I couldn't find the same images online, but I found this image that I believe was taken by his son.
It is very similar to the images in the Man Ray book. Notice his mouth. Could he be performing the Ur Sonata? In the images in the book, there were four, he had his lips pursed in a different shape in each image.
And Here is a Schwitters collage that is typical of his work.
Looking through a book of Man Ray photographs yesterday, I came across a series of portraits of Dadaist artist and composer Kurt Schwitters. Schwitters is probably best known for his collages, but he is also the composer of the Ur Sonata, which was immortalized in Brian Eno's, Kurt's Rejoinder, from the album Before and After Science. The song features samples of a recording of the Ur Sonata in Schwitters' own voice.
I couldn't find the same images online, but I found this image that I believe was taken by his son.
It is very similar to the images in the Man Ray book. Notice his mouth. Could he be performing the Ur Sonata? In the images in the book, there were four, he had his lips pursed in a different shape in each image.
And Here is a Schwitters collage that is typical of his work.
Cabin Fever
As regular readers may be aware, I have a soft spot for horror and zombie movies. There was a time when George Romero, Tobe Hooper, David Cronenburg, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sam Raimi et. al. were churning out top quality genre pix that were both fun and intelligent. But as with all things Hollywood, the execs take over and Jeepers Creepers 2 is the result.
Once in a while though, and usually from the indie/arthouse circuit comes a little film that harks back to the heyday of 70s and 80s horror. Cabin Fever is just such a movie.
An interesting homage to seventies and 80s horror films. An astute eye will pick up bits of Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, (a lot of) Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Rabid. Director Eli Roth hauls out every cliche in the book, but still manages to make a highly enjoyable film. Because of, more than in spite of the self-referential style.
It is a movie that cares about the details, and gets them right. Starting with the soundtrack, the "Mike Curb" pastiche of the generic pop music that these horror movie college kids listen too, is perhaps the first sign that this movie is extremely aware of itself. Spice that up with the fact that the "Hills Have Eyes" types party to folk music, and some John Carpenter style title music, and to add to the general eerieness of the whole thing, a number of themes by David Lynch collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti.
Roth also doesn't shy away from the requistie teen sex and nudity that was never missing from many of the seventies classic slasher and horror pix. Recent horror films seem to hug the PG13 rating for dear life, while pushing the envelope in violence and missing the boat in real scares.
It's got a fair bit of gore, no one will win an Oscar for their performance, it definitely looks low budget, and it is not for everybody, but for fans of the "classics" of the genre, it fills a need. The ending does haul out about five variations on classic horror movie endings. Could be a bit tighter. And the tounge is occasionally too firmly in cheek. Comic relief yes, make it into a borderline comedy, no.
It also stars "Boy Meets World's" Rider Strong, who has the best pornstar name in the business.
Update: After posting this I discovered that Polly Frost also had something to say about Cabin Fever. Broadly speaking, we agree. Read her review here.
As regular readers may be aware, I have a soft spot for horror and zombie movies. There was a time when George Romero, Tobe Hooper, David Cronenburg, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sam Raimi et. al. were churning out top quality genre pix that were both fun and intelligent. But as with all things Hollywood, the execs take over and Jeepers Creepers 2 is the result.
Once in a while though, and usually from the indie/arthouse circuit comes a little film that harks back to the heyday of 70s and 80s horror. Cabin Fever is just such a movie.
An interesting homage to seventies and 80s horror films. An astute eye will pick up bits of Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, (a lot of) Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Rabid. Director Eli Roth hauls out every cliche in the book, but still manages to make a highly enjoyable film. Because of, more than in spite of the self-referential style.
It is a movie that cares about the details, and gets them right. Starting with the soundtrack, the "Mike Curb" pastiche of the generic pop music that these horror movie college kids listen too, is perhaps the first sign that this movie is extremely aware of itself. Spice that up with the fact that the "Hills Have Eyes" types party to folk music, and some John Carpenter style title music, and to add to the general eerieness of the whole thing, a number of themes by David Lynch collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti.
Roth also doesn't shy away from the requistie teen sex and nudity that was never missing from many of the seventies classic slasher and horror pix. Recent horror films seem to hug the PG13 rating for dear life, while pushing the envelope in violence and missing the boat in real scares.
It's got a fair bit of gore, no one will win an Oscar for their performance, it definitely looks low budget, and it is not for everybody, but for fans of the "classics" of the genre, it fills a need. The ending does haul out about five variations on classic horror movie endings. Could be a bit tighter. And the tounge is occasionally too firmly in cheek. Comic relief yes, make it into a borderline comedy, no.
It also stars "Boy Meets World's" Rider Strong, who has the best pornstar name in the business.
Update: After posting this I discovered that Polly Frost also had something to say about Cabin Fever. Broadly speaking, we agree. Read her review here.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
A New Gallery
I took these pictures on a trip down to the Big Sur and Point Lobos areas along the Monterey Coast on Highway 1 about a month ago. A photographically inclined friend and I headed out before sunrise to capture the morning light. It was a day of odd and changeable weather, but we had a few opportunities that involved perilous U-turns and screeching into turnoffs along the highway to catch a good view.
These images were shot in Kodak Ektachrome Transparency Film and scanned into Photoshop CS.
Click here to visit Futurballa Photography and then click on the Big Sur & Point Lobos Gallery link.
I took these pictures on a trip down to the Big Sur and Point Lobos areas along the Monterey Coast on Highway 1 about a month ago. A photographically inclined friend and I headed out before sunrise to capture the morning light. It was a day of odd and changeable weather, but we had a few opportunities that involved perilous U-turns and screeching into turnoffs along the highway to catch a good view.
These images were shot in Kodak Ektachrome Transparency Film and scanned into Photoshop CS.
Click here to visit Futurballa Photography and then click on the Big Sur & Point Lobos Gallery link.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Goodbye Captain
Bad day in the obit column, we lost Ann Miller and I just read that Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan has passed away (here). The Captain, along with Romper Room, was the kid's show of my generation. A bit too young for Howdy Doody, and too old for Sesame Street, us Forty-Somethings were entertained and babysat by Captain Kangaroo and his pal Mr. Green Jeans, along with Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose. He was the surrogate grandfather of my generation.
Interesting factoid, Keeshan also played Clarabell the Clown on "The Howdy Doody Show" for five years.
Bad day in the obit column, we lost Ann Miller and I just read that Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan has passed away (here). The Captain, along with Romper Room, was the kid's show of my generation. A bit too young for Howdy Doody, and too old for Sesame Street, us Forty-Somethings were entertained and babysat by Captain Kangaroo and his pal Mr. Green Jeans, along with Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose. He was the surrogate grandfather of my generation.
Interesting factoid, Keeshan also played Clarabell the Clown on "The Howdy Doody Show" for five years.
Friday Phlogging
Looking through an iron turtle.
And staying on the theme. Looking through a....
Looking through an iron turtle.
And staying on the theme. Looking through a....
Glass Onion
I told you about strawberry fields
You know the place where nothing is real
Well here's another place you can go
Where everything flows
Looking through the bent backed tulips
To see how the other half live
Looking through a glass onion
I told you about the walrus and me, man
You know that we're as close as can be, man
Well here's another clue for you all
The walrus is Paul
Standing on the cast iron shore, yeah
Lady Madonna trying to make ends meet, yeah
Looking through a glass onion
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Looking through a glass onion
I told you about the fool on the hill
I tell you man he's living there still
Well here's another place you can be
Listen to me
Fixing a hole in the ocean
Tryin' to make a dovetail joint
Looking through a glass onion
- Lennon and McCartney
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Once, Twice, Three Times a Classic
Aaron Haspel posted A Critic's Dictionary several days ago, but it took me until this morning to have a minor epiphany about what it is I disagree with. The salient paragraph, which I would take a (small amount) of issue with is this...
While I agree with the basic premise that nothing is worth seeing that isn't worth seeing twice, I would, in fact, go Aaron one better and say that nothing is worth calling a classic (especially in terms of cinema) that isn't worth seeing thrice.
A couple of case studies.
The Usual Suspects: Kevin Spacey is Keyser Soze. In the initial viewing we are in suspense, it's a puzzle to solve, we have the "ah hah" moment at the end. Second viewing we can watch to see how the director left clues for us, we can enjoy the irony of being in on the joke. Third viewing it remains a sharply written, well acted film, and even though we are familiar with the twist, it remains fun.
The Sixth Sense: First viewing, same as above. Second viewing, similarly, not too bad, because it is enjoyable to see where clues had been placed. Third viewing, don't bother, it's a bore.
Of these two, I would argue that The Usual Suspects is the really good movie, and that it takes the third viewing to establish that. Even a mediocre movie might deserve a second look, just to figure out where the mirrors were hidden, but there does have to be something beyond a twist to sustain a third viewing. Whether it be great dialog (see yesterday's post, here, for a snippet), great direction (Citizen Kane, it is of little consequence that you know what Rosebud is), or great acting. There are also movies, such as The Crying Game, or Memento that are all about the twist or the gimmick and hardly rate even a second viewing. However, in the case of The Sixth Sense, which is a clever movie but not a great movie, a lesser film may deserve, or at least remain enjoyable, for a second viewing.
Terry Teachout also had something to say on this (here), and thanks to Terry for a mention yesterday. Futurballa had a record (for this humble blog) number of hits. Welcome to our visitors from About Last Night. Thanks for stopping by.
Aaron Haspel posted A Critic's Dictionary several days ago, but it took me until this morning to have a minor epiphany about what it is I disagree with. The salient paragraph, which I would take a (small amount) of issue with is this...
Surprise! Nothing is worth seeing or reading that isn't worth seeing or reading twice, and the second time you know how it turns out. Dickens wrote three endings for Great Expectations; Hollywood tests movies with alternate endings all the time. What happens in the last two pages or the last thirty seconds just cannot make that great a difference. The chick in The Crying Game is really a dude, and Kevin Spacey's Keyser Soze, OK? If you're watching a movie or reading a book to find out what's going to happen, I suggest, with all due respect, a more productive use of time, like filing your corns or catching up on the details of Britney's annulment.
While I agree with the basic premise that nothing is worth seeing that isn't worth seeing twice, I would, in fact, go Aaron one better and say that nothing is worth calling a classic (especially in terms of cinema) that isn't worth seeing thrice.
A couple of case studies.
The Usual Suspects: Kevin Spacey is Keyser Soze. In the initial viewing we are in suspense, it's a puzzle to solve, we have the "ah hah" moment at the end. Second viewing we can watch to see how the director left clues for us, we can enjoy the irony of being in on the joke. Third viewing it remains a sharply written, well acted film, and even though we are familiar with the twist, it remains fun.
The Sixth Sense: First viewing, same as above. Second viewing, similarly, not too bad, because it is enjoyable to see where clues had been placed. Third viewing, don't bother, it's a bore.
Of these two, I would argue that The Usual Suspects is the really good movie, and that it takes the third viewing to establish that. Even a mediocre movie might deserve a second look, just to figure out where the mirrors were hidden, but there does have to be something beyond a twist to sustain a third viewing. Whether it be great dialog (see yesterday's post, here, for a snippet), great direction (Citizen Kane, it is of little consequence that you know what Rosebud is), or great acting. There are also movies, such as The Crying Game, or Memento that are all about the twist or the gimmick and hardly rate even a second viewing. However, in the case of The Sixth Sense, which is a clever movie but not a great movie, a lesser film may deserve, or at least remain enjoyable, for a second viewing.
Terry Teachout also had something to say on this (here), and thanks to Terry for a mention yesterday. Futurballa had a record (for this humble blog) number of hits. Welcome to our visitors from About Last Night. Thanks for stopping by.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Touche!
Terry Teachout taunts me with a clue to the source of his favorite film scene in the update to this posting. The scene in question is indeed a doozy. It is definitely noir. I thought at first Chandler, but then thought possibly James M. Cain, maybe the The Postman Always Rings Twice, but after a little sleuthing on my part (with a bit of help from Terry's cryptic clue) found out I wasn't far off.
Double Indemnity.
And here is the scene in question...
Terry Teachout taunts me with a clue to the source of his favorite film scene in the update to this posting. The scene in question is indeed a doozy. It is definitely noir. I thought at first Chandler, but then thought possibly James M. Cain, maybe the The Postman Always Rings Twice, but after a little sleuthing on my part (with a bit of help from Terry's cryptic clue) found out I wasn't far off.
Double Indemnity.
And here is the scene in question...
There's a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff, 45 miles an hour.
How fast was I going, Officer?
I'd say around 90.
Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.
Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.
Suppose it doesn't take.
Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.
Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.
Suppose you try putting it on my husband's shoulder.
The Agony, The Agony
I hope for Terry Teachout's sake that Amazon is treating him better than Barnes and Noble is treating me. Shipping of The Rules of the Game has been delayed.
Heavens to Murgatroid!
And for the cinephiles among us Terry opines on Casablanca. And then gives his favorite bit of movie dialog, but I can't for the life of me place it. Terry, help me out here?
I hope for Terry Teachout's sake that Amazon is treating him better than Barnes and Noble is treating me. Shipping of The Rules of the Game has been delayed.
Heavens to Murgatroid!
And for the cinephiles among us Terry opines on Casablanca. And then gives his favorite bit of movie dialog, but I can't for the life of me place it. Terry, help me out here?
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Elsewhere
A Mac, iMovie, a couple hundred bucks, and off to Sundance. Amazing what you can do with a computer and free software these days. From Wired.com.
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? I have.
Lisztomania... AC Douglas puts on his trenchcoat to solve a musical mystery. Here.
Couple of nice postings by Terry Teachout. Commenting on Lileks love of 60's opening credits here. On how a compulsive dogearer could never tear a page out of a book, here (and Terry, I'm with you 100% on this one). And on why blogs are the place for slightly late book reviews and it's ok to promote yourself, here.
And speaking of promoting yourself, shop at futurballa, here.
Mahalo
A Mac, iMovie, a couple hundred bucks, and off to Sundance. Amazing what you can do with a computer and free software these days. From Wired.com.
Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? I have.
Lisztomania... AC Douglas puts on his trenchcoat to solve a musical mystery. Here.
Couple of nice postings by Terry Teachout. Commenting on Lileks love of 60's opening credits here. On how a compulsive dogearer could never tear a page out of a book, here (and Terry, I'm with you 100% on this one). And on why blogs are the place for slightly late book reviews and it's ok to promote yourself, here.
And speaking of promoting yourself, shop at futurballa, here.
Mahalo
What Happened?
We will stay on politics for another posting because something great happened last night. Conventional Wisdom got a kick in the pants, and I always enjoy that. After weeks of listening to cable pundits (and I probably watch way too much cable news) say that Dean was unstoppable and the rest of the Dem candidates could just go home, things turned out very different in Iowa. John Kerry took 38%, John Edwards 32%, Dean came in a distant third with 18%, and Dick Gephardt is scheduled to drop out of the race today after garnering only 11%.
No one knows now what will happen in New Hampshire next week, where Wes Clark is added to the mix and the momentum from Iowa will certainly give a boost to Kerry and Edwards' campaigns.
Personally I could live with Kerry, Clark or Edwards as the party candidate. I am leaning Clark, but think Kerry or Edwards would make fine candidates. The problem with Dean is not his politics or his positions, but his ear. Last night I watched the speeches, concession and otherwise. Dean's triumphalism in the jaws of defeat did not come over well to me in comparison to the graciousness fest that the other candidates were taking part in. And personally, in spite of the pronoucements by the media in recent weeks, I don't think the math adds up for Dean.
Dean seems to have energized a base in the party and have a pretty solid support in the area of 20%. But what happens when other candidates start dropping out, who does their support go to? Will Lieberman supporters go to Dean? I doubt it, they will want someone with a more centrist reputation. I say reputation because I think most of the Democratic candidates, at least the ones I've mentioned, are centrist, but reputation and how the media paints them is equally important as reality. Now that Gephardt is out of the race will his supporters rally around Dean? I think not, much more likely to go to Kerry or Clark. I think you get the point. I just don't see Dean being the last man standing when the field starts thinning out.
Just a quick note to end this posting about yesterday's rant. I just want to say that I admire Michael Blowhard's writing and more often find his postings on culture and the arts to reflect my views than not. I merely took issue with how he framed the argument. In fairness I've read Michael's responses in the comments of his blog and read his interview with Jim Kalb this morning. It seems to me that both Michael and Jim are reasonable people who came to a personal political philosophy that is positive and well thought out. The problem with these sorts of discussions is we all define the argument in our own way. Michael and Jim define the terms conservative and liberal and build an argument that supports those definitions. Myself I am a more pragmatic and less philosophical type. I define the terms by the actions of those who label themselves conservative and liberal. I see people calling themselves conservatives pushing the country into war, giving tax breaks to the very rich, and participating in corporate cronyism. I see progressive and liberal voices for a multilateral foreign policy, helping the middle class find jobs, giving tax incentives to the poor, and protecting our environment. I form my worldview based on what I can see, not on abstract philosophy.
We will stay on politics for another posting because something great happened last night. Conventional Wisdom got a kick in the pants, and I always enjoy that. After weeks of listening to cable pundits (and I probably watch way too much cable news) say that Dean was unstoppable and the rest of the Dem candidates could just go home, things turned out very different in Iowa. John Kerry took 38%, John Edwards 32%, Dean came in a distant third with 18%, and Dick Gephardt is scheduled to drop out of the race today after garnering only 11%.
No one knows now what will happen in New Hampshire next week, where Wes Clark is added to the mix and the momentum from Iowa will certainly give a boost to Kerry and Edwards' campaigns.
Personally I could live with Kerry, Clark or Edwards as the party candidate. I am leaning Clark, but think Kerry or Edwards would make fine candidates. The problem with Dean is not his politics or his positions, but his ear. Last night I watched the speeches, concession and otherwise. Dean's triumphalism in the jaws of defeat did not come over well to me in comparison to the graciousness fest that the other candidates were taking part in. And personally, in spite of the pronoucements by the media in recent weeks, I don't think the math adds up for Dean.
Dean seems to have energized a base in the party and have a pretty solid support in the area of 20%. But what happens when other candidates start dropping out, who does their support go to? Will Lieberman supporters go to Dean? I doubt it, they will want someone with a more centrist reputation. I say reputation because I think most of the Democratic candidates, at least the ones I've mentioned, are centrist, but reputation and how the media paints them is equally important as reality. Now that Gephardt is out of the race will his supporters rally around Dean? I think not, much more likely to go to Kerry or Clark. I think you get the point. I just don't see Dean being the last man standing when the field starts thinning out.
Just a quick note to end this posting about yesterday's rant. I just want to say that I admire Michael Blowhard's writing and more often find his postings on culture and the arts to reflect my views than not. I merely took issue with how he framed the argument. In fairness I've read Michael's responses in the comments of his blog and read his interview with Jim Kalb this morning. It seems to me that both Michael and Jim are reasonable people who came to a personal political philosophy that is positive and well thought out. The problem with these sorts of discussions is we all define the argument in our own way. Michael and Jim define the terms conservative and liberal and build an argument that supports those definitions. Myself I am a more pragmatic and less philosophical type. I define the terms by the actions of those who label themselves conservative and liberal. I see people calling themselves conservatives pushing the country into war, giving tax breaks to the very rich, and participating in corporate cronyism. I see progressive and liberal voices for a multilateral foreign policy, helping the middle class find jobs, giving tax incentives to the poor, and protecting our environment. I form my worldview based on what I can see, not on abstract philosophy.
Monday, January 19, 2004
In Honor of Iowa
It seems that it is a day for culture bloggers to foray into politics, as Michael Blowhard, here, explains his evolution to the right and George Wallace waxes poetical over caucuses (cauci?), here.
First Mssr. Blowhard, describing what drove him from lefty to righty, writes, "But something kept nagging at me. It was the voluptuous pleasure so many of the lefties I knew took in demonizing something they called "the right." They'd get this gleam in their eyes; they'd start muttering about racism and sexism; they'd start feeling all rabid and charged-up ... It seemed like the behavior of lunatics; what it reminded me of most was the way depressed people try to raise their spirits. (Interesting how many lefties -- so pleased with themselves for being so liberated -- turn out to struggle with bad, long-term depression.)"
Anyway, it bugged me. I started paying attention, and I started noticing something else dismaying: the righties who were being denounced, ripped apart, and cursed were often my people -- "my people" in the sense of my family, my childhood neighbors, my friends from public school: the kind of people I grew up among, Republicans almost to a soul. People I love, in other words, and who (whatever their faults) are among the kindest, most pleasant and generous people I've known. I've never seen them not wish other people well; whatever voting lever they pull, on a person-to-person level they're far more human and welcoming than many of the vain, cockatoo lefties I now live among."
While I would not question his politics or his good intentions, and have no doubt that many of his arty/lefty friends took delight in demonizing the right, I think he is guilty of making some specious comparisons here. To say that the right is not capable of demonizing the left is to ignore the 90's and all of talk radio, much of the internet, Fox News, Ed Gillespie, Pat Robertson, Tom Delay, and Trent Lott, to name a few demonizers. And to say the attitudes of urbanite, artistic lefties is not as down home friendly as suburban middle America Republicans ignores that there are down home, suburban lefties outside the arts that are just as friendly and real and generous as the people he grew up with.
If Michael wants to broaden his horizons, fair enough, broaden them from the middle out in all directions. But it would seem that he is more concerned with justifying his political evolution than in truly spreading his wings. I lean left, no question, but I will not argue that the left is incapable of demonizing their opponents and political correctness is the bane of intelligent discourse, but to ignore the abuses of the right is to ignore reality.
Mr. Wallace who is one of the nicest, right-leaning people I know offers a double dactyl on Iowa. Which I'm sure he will not object to my reprinting here...
All Have Won, and All Must Have Prizes
Caucus race, caucus race:
Iowa Democrats,
Gathered in living rooms,
Diners and gyms,
Listen attentively,
Ponder their options, then
Iconoclastically
Follow their whims.
The Fool is becoming double dactyl central.
It seems that it is a day for culture bloggers to foray into politics, as Michael Blowhard, here, explains his evolution to the right and George Wallace waxes poetical over caucuses (cauci?), here.
First Mssr. Blowhard, describing what drove him from lefty to righty, writes, "But something kept nagging at me. It was the voluptuous pleasure so many of the lefties I knew took in demonizing something they called "the right." They'd get this gleam in their eyes; they'd start muttering about racism and sexism; they'd start feeling all rabid and charged-up ... It seemed like the behavior of lunatics; what it reminded me of most was the way depressed people try to raise their spirits. (Interesting how many lefties -- so pleased with themselves for being so liberated -- turn out to struggle with bad, long-term depression.)"
Anyway, it bugged me. I started paying attention, and I started noticing something else dismaying: the righties who were being denounced, ripped apart, and cursed were often my people -- "my people" in the sense of my family, my childhood neighbors, my friends from public school: the kind of people I grew up among, Republicans almost to a soul. People I love, in other words, and who (whatever their faults) are among the kindest, most pleasant and generous people I've known. I've never seen them not wish other people well; whatever voting lever they pull, on a person-to-person level they're far more human and welcoming than many of the vain, cockatoo lefties I now live among."
While I would not question his politics or his good intentions, and have no doubt that many of his arty/lefty friends took delight in demonizing the right, I think he is guilty of making some specious comparisons here. To say that the right is not capable of demonizing the left is to ignore the 90's and all of talk radio, much of the internet, Fox News, Ed Gillespie, Pat Robertson, Tom Delay, and Trent Lott, to name a few demonizers. And to say the attitudes of urbanite, artistic lefties is not as down home friendly as suburban middle America Republicans ignores that there are down home, suburban lefties outside the arts that are just as friendly and real and generous as the people he grew up with.
If Michael wants to broaden his horizons, fair enough, broaden them from the middle out in all directions. But it would seem that he is more concerned with justifying his political evolution than in truly spreading his wings. I lean left, no question, but I will not argue that the left is incapable of demonizing their opponents and political correctness is the bane of intelligent discourse, but to ignore the abuses of the right is to ignore reality.
Mr. Wallace who is one of the nicest, right-leaning people I know offers a double dactyl on Iowa. Which I'm sure he will not object to my reprinting here...
All Have Won, and All Must Have Prizes
Caucus race, caucus race:
Iowa Democrats,
Gathered in living rooms,
Diners and gyms,
Listen attentively,
Ponder their options, then
Iconoclastically
Follow their whims.
The Fool is becoming double dactyl central.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Votes and other Bizness
Here is my vote for this weeks Showcase.
From The Truth Laid Bear's New Webblog Showcase:
c h a n d r a s u t r a: You're Soaking in it
And if you feel like having a look, I've made some site updates at the Futurballa Store. It is a constantly evolving project.
Here is my vote for this weeks Showcase.
From The Truth Laid Bear's New Webblog Showcase:
c h a n d r a s u t r a: You're Soaking in it
And if you feel like having a look, I've made some site updates at the Futurballa Store. It is a constantly evolving project.
Friday, January 16, 2004
He's a Bad Mutha... Shut yo mouth!
Michael Blowhard asks some interesting questions about what has become of exploitation movies as a genre in today's world where mainstream fare is a product of Hollywood's basic aim to exploit the viewing public. Of the methodology of movie marketing and production today, Michael writes, "Whatever the virtues of some of these movies (and some did have virtues), there's been a huge shift in the culture. These days, many if not most mainstream movies are conceived of in the "exploitation movie" way."
I tend to agree with his basic premise. There was a time that major studios were concerned with quality projects and directors like John Ford could flourish in a studio system, but let us not wax too nostalgic about those days of yore. Much main stream studio fare has always been driven by marketing campaigns and "hooks", and many a great director was chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood studios.
Probably the greatest purveyors of exploitation film were Roger Corman, along with American International's Samuel Z. Arkoff. There was a looseness and fun sensibility to those movies that is lacking from most Hollywood films. Mainstream movies, even though they are made with the marketing driven intent of exploitation movies, have the problem of taking themselves way too seriously. I can forgive schlock and even revel in it, but I can't forgive schlock posing as quality film making, no matter how expensive it was to produce.
Today's movies that fill the hole left by the exploitation movies of the past are more likely to be found in art houses than in drive-ins. Films that are the true heirs to '60s and '70s exploitation flicks are either the little art house horror jobs, like Cabin Fever, or possibly masquerading as high art, like most of Tarantino's work such as Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill. Occasionally Hollywood will do it right, such as with The Fast and the Furious, which Michael credits for the fun movie it was, but mostly even movies like that are saddled with too big a budget, too many big names and egos, and a marked lack of humor.
Read the whole thing here.
Michael Blowhard asks some interesting questions about what has become of exploitation movies as a genre in today's world where mainstream fare is a product of Hollywood's basic aim to exploit the viewing public. Of the methodology of movie marketing and production today, Michael writes, "Whatever the virtues of some of these movies (and some did have virtues), there's been a huge shift in the culture. These days, many if not most mainstream movies are conceived of in the "exploitation movie" way."
I tend to agree with his basic premise. There was a time that major studios were concerned with quality projects and directors like John Ford could flourish in a studio system, but let us not wax too nostalgic about those days of yore. Much main stream studio fare has always been driven by marketing campaigns and "hooks", and many a great director was chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood studios.
Probably the greatest purveyors of exploitation film were Roger Corman, along with American International's Samuel Z. Arkoff. There was a looseness and fun sensibility to those movies that is lacking from most Hollywood films. Mainstream movies, even though they are made with the marketing driven intent of exploitation movies, have the problem of taking themselves way too seriously. I can forgive schlock and even revel in it, but I can't forgive schlock posing as quality film making, no matter how expensive it was to produce.
Today's movies that fill the hole left by the exploitation movies of the past are more likely to be found in art houses than in drive-ins. Films that are the true heirs to '60s and '70s exploitation flicks are either the little art house horror jobs, like Cabin Fever, or possibly masquerading as high art, like most of Tarantino's work such as Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill. Occasionally Hollywood will do it right, such as with The Fast and the Furious, which Michael credits for the fun movie it was, but mostly even movies like that are saddled with too big a budget, too many big names and egos, and a marked lack of humor.
Read the whole thing here.
Well Terry, it's about bloody time
From DVD Journal...
Up from Fox is a two-disc collector's edition of Alan Parker's cult favorite The Commitments, which will sport a director's commentary, three featurettes, a music vid, stills, and more (March 16).
This should take the foul taste of the pan and scan, no extras, lousy transfer, unavailable dvd release out of our mouths. This is just about the best music movie ever made.
From DVD Journal...
Up from Fox is a two-disc collector's edition of Alan Parker's cult favorite The Commitments, which will sport a director's commentary, three featurettes, a music vid, stills, and more (March 16).
This should take the foul taste of the pan and scan, no extras, lousy transfer, unavailable dvd release out of our mouths. This is just about the best music movie ever made.
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