The King of Comedy (1982)****
First of all, this is NOT a comedy. It is a harrowing, annoying, irritating exploration or annoying, irritating, crazy people obsessed over celebrities. Great performances, great casting, some absolutely perfect scenes makes this one of Scorsese's best. Not necessarily an "enjoyable" film, but very admirable.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, July 08, 2011
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Interview: Donald Sutherland for The Mechanic | The Hollywood News:
"Thats exactly what it was like and we staggered out of the room 3 hours later and you thought maybe you would never have sex again for the rest of your life (laughs). It was devastating but he cut it together in little sections of what appears to be you know conjugal relationships of married people who have lost a child.
They cut it together with no sound no ‘oooahhh’ none of that. Oh I don’t even know what it sounds like anymore-I’ve forgotten. And then the footage of getting dressed and this wonderful music. And what it did was-you don’t remember us making love, what you do when you see that movie is you remember yourself having made love. It’s not voyeuristic-and thats why it stays in peoples hearts. And now, I have a son named Roeg, which really is brilliant."
"Thats exactly what it was like and we staggered out of the room 3 hours later and you thought maybe you would never have sex again for the rest of your life (laughs). It was devastating but he cut it together in little sections of what appears to be you know conjugal relationships of married people who have lost a child.
They cut it together with no sound no ‘oooahhh’ none of that. Oh I don’t even know what it sounds like anymore-I’ve forgotten. And then the footage of getting dressed and this wonderful music. And what it did was-you don’t remember us making love, what you do when you see that movie is you remember yourself having made love. It’s not voyeuristic-and thats why it stays in peoples hearts. And now, I have a son named Roeg, which really is brilliant."
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Research find new way to measure penis length - latimes.com:
"Penis length cannot be determined by how big his hands or feet are -- those and other supposed indicators have been widely discredited for years. But now a team of Korean researchers has produced what may be a more reliable guide: the ratio of the length of his index finger to that of his ring finger. The lower that ratio, the longer the penis may be, the researchers wrote Monday in the Asian Journal of Andrology."
Apparently the author of this piece did not consult any women about the significance of this, because to most women it is width that is more important than length. (At least that is how I am able to make it through each day.)
"Penis length cannot be determined by how big his hands or feet are -- those and other supposed indicators have been widely discredited for years. But now a team of Korean researchers has produced what may be a more reliable guide: the ratio of the length of his index finger to that of his ring finger. The lower that ratio, the longer the penis may be, the researchers wrote Monday in the Asian Journal of Andrology."
Apparently the author of this piece did not consult any women about the significance of this, because to most women it is width that is more important than length. (At least that is how I am able to make it through each day.)
Monday, July 04, 2011
Klute (1971)***
It's called "Klute" but it's really about Bree Daniel and also very much about the time in which it is set. Not much of a thriller, but the actors are very good and the photography and casting are top notch.
It's called "Klute" but it's really about Bree Daniel and also very much about the time in which it is set. Not much of a thriller, but the actors are very good and the photography and casting are top notch.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
After Hours (1985)****
A combination New York office drone nightmare about the bad things that can happen "downtown" and an adult riff on The Wizard of Oz and Alice In Wonderland. Any way you look at it, it is entertaining, interesting and filmed with the standard Scorsese visual flair.
A combination New York office drone nightmare about the bad things that can happen "downtown" and an adult riff on The Wizard of Oz and Alice In Wonderland. Any way you look at it, it is entertaining, interesting and filmed with the standard Scorsese visual flair.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The real causes of the economic crisis? They’re history. - The Washington Post:
"The report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission detailed the recklessness of the financial industry and the abject failures of policymakers and regulators that brought our economy to its knees in late 2008. The accuracy and facts of the commission’s investigative report have gone unchallenged since its release in January.
So, how do you revise the historical narrative when the evidence of what led to economic catastrophe is so overwhelming and the events at issue so recent? You and your political allies just do it. And you bet on the old axiom that a lie is halfway around the world before the truth can tie its shoes."
See the previous post about Clarence Thomas. NOTHING will happen. So read the article, remember it, try to tell the kids how it all happened, but don't expect any justice. Don't expect any accountability. Don't expect any change. You and your families' lives were just fucked over and there is nothing you can do about it.
"The report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission detailed the recklessness of the financial industry and the abject failures of policymakers and regulators that brought our economy to its knees in late 2008. The accuracy and facts of the commission’s investigative report have gone unchallenged since its release in January.
So, how do you revise the historical narrative when the evidence of what led to economic catastrophe is so overwhelming and the events at issue so recent? You and your political allies just do it. And you bet on the old axiom that a lie is halfway around the world before the truth can tie its shoes."
See the previous post about Clarence Thomas. NOTHING will happen. So read the article, remember it, try to tell the kids how it all happened, but don't expect any justice. Don't expect any accountability. Don't expect any change. You and your families' lives were just fucked over and there is nothing you can do about it.
John Dean: John Dean Knows How to Get Rid of Clarence Thomas:
"There is also the reality that as long as Republicans control the House of Representatives there will never be an impeachment of Thomas. Should Democrats regain control of the House, well, Democrats don’t play hardball. In short, nothing is going to happen to Clarence Thomas. No one is going to truly challenge his conduct, and he will sit on the Supreme Court until he feels like leaving."
"There is also the reality that as long as Republicans control the House of Representatives there will never be an impeachment of Thomas. Should Democrats regain control of the House, well, Democrats don’t play hardball. In short, nothing is going to happen to Clarence Thomas. No one is going to truly challenge his conduct, and he will sit on the Supreme Court until he feels like leaving."
Monday, June 27, 2011
Dead Man (1995)**
Director Jim Jarmusch commits the ultimate movie sin: boredom! Leisurely paced to say the least, but the scenes are just not interesting enough to hold your attention. Maybe it all makes sense but if it does it is SO subtle that you have to do the director's work for him.
Director Jim Jarmusch commits the ultimate movie sin: boredom! Leisurely paced to say the least, but the scenes are just not interesting enough to hold your attention. Maybe it all makes sense but if it does it is SO subtle that you have to do the director's work for him.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Ana Mandara Restaurant ***
This is NOT a "Vietnamese" restaurant in the normal sense. It is a "fine dining" establishment in a touristy part of San Francisco. Despite that, the food I had (fried lobster ravioli appetizer, tournedos of filet mignon and scallops with black rice) was superb. It is priced well beyond my normal range so I doubt I will ever return, but if you have the cash, and the inclination for well prepared, surprising dishes in a grandiose environment, without having to get reservations, Ana Mandera is top notch.
This is NOT a "Vietnamese" restaurant in the normal sense. It is a "fine dining" establishment in a touristy part of San Francisco. Despite that, the food I had (fried lobster ravioli appetizer, tournedos of filet mignon and scallops with black rice) was superb. It is priced well beyond my normal range so I doubt I will ever return, but if you have the cash, and the inclination for well prepared, surprising dishes in a grandiose environment, without having to get reservations, Ana Mandera is top notch.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Biology of Ethics - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education:
"While Churchland's intellectual opponents over the years have suggested that you can understand the 'software' of thinking, independently of the 'hardware'—the brain structure and neuronal firings—that produced it, she has responded that this metaphor doesn't work with the brain: Hardware and software are intertwined to such an extent that all philosophy must be 'neurophilosophy.' There's no other way."
Every thought you have is a physical process.
via Arts & Letters Daily
"While Churchland's intellectual opponents over the years have suggested that you can understand the 'software' of thinking, independently of the 'hardware'—the brain structure and neuronal firings—that produced it, she has responded that this metaphor doesn't work with the brain: Hardware and software are intertwined to such an extent that all philosophy must be 'neurophilosophy.' There's no other way."
Every thought you have is a physical process.
via Arts & Letters Daily
Blood and Wine (1996)***
Good neo-noir with a picture stealing supporting job by Michael Caine as a tubercular Brit safe cracker with a temper. Dorff is weak in a pivotal role, and the score seems at odds with the images at times, but a surprising script and Jennifer Lopez keep things interesting.
Good neo-noir with a picture stealing supporting job by Michael Caine as a tubercular Brit safe cracker with a temper. Dorff is weak in a pivotal role, and the score seems at odds with the images at times, but a surprising script and Jennifer Lopez keep things interesting.
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Swimming Pool (1969)**
A good character study becomes a so-so thriller. Even a lovely Romy Schneider can't save it.
A good character study becomes a so-so thriller. Even a lovely Romy Schneider can't save it.
Jon Stewart's Rare, Unexpectedly Serious Interview with Fox News - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire:>
"Continuing in his serious vein, Stewart admitting that he voted for George H.W. Bush because 'there was an integrity about him that I respected greatly,...'"
Stewart just lost any "integrity" he may have had.
"Continuing in his serious vein, Stewart admitting that he voted for George H.W. Bush because 'there was an integrity about him that I respected greatly,...'"
Stewart just lost any "integrity" he may have had.
The Stunt Man (1980)***
Good movie-within-a-movie about a manipulative director whose focus is "the shot" and not much else. Or is he the devil in disguise? Peter O'Toole is perfectly cast and gives a great performance, but Railsback is a big problem as the other lead. According to the IMDB trivia, Martin Sheen and Jeff Bridges were highly considered for the role. Either would have been a tremendous improvement. Still, worth watching for O'Toole and the smart script.
Good movie-within-a-movie about a manipulative director whose focus is "the shot" and not much else. Or is he the devil in disguise? Peter O'Toole is perfectly cast and gives a great performance, but Railsback is a big problem as the other lead. According to the IMDB trivia, Martin Sheen and Jeff Bridges were highly considered for the role. Either would have been a tremendous improvement. Still, worth watching for O'Toole and the smart script.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Midnight in Paris (2011)***
Nicely done riff on nostalgia in a city dripping with history. Owen Wilson does a good job in the Allen role.
Nicely done riff on nostalgia in a city dripping with history. Owen Wilson does a good job in the Allen role.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Bishops to learn best practices to fight sex abuse:
"The Vatican said Saturday it is working to give bishops information on the best ways to combat clergy sex abuse, teaming up with the Jesuit university in Rome to host a major symposium on abuse and launch an Internet learning center for follow-up guidance."
I can tell them the best way to combat sex abuse in 3 words: CALL THE FUCKING POLICE! Ok, that was 4 words but still. This symposium is designed to combat criticism of the Vatican only. The main problem all along has been that ever since Becket the priests consider themselves above civil law and beholden to no one but the Vatican. That must be changed.
"The Vatican said Saturday it is working to give bishops information on the best ways to combat clergy sex abuse, teaming up with the Jesuit university in Rome to host a major symposium on abuse and launch an Internet learning center for follow-up guidance."
I can tell them the best way to combat sex abuse in 3 words: CALL THE FUCKING POLICE! Ok, that was 4 words but still. This symposium is designed to combat criticism of the Vatican only. The main problem all along has been that ever since Becket the priests consider themselves above civil law and beholden to no one but the Vatican. That must be changed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
GM regulators chose ignorance over science | guardian.co.uk:
"In May, the journal Reproductive Toxicology published a paper that showed Canadian women now routinely have GM pesticides – called Bt toxins – present in their blood streams. So, too, do 80% of their unborn babies. Presumably, they acquired the toxins by eating GM corn or from livestock fed on it. By itself, this result does not prove that any harm has occurred – though it is hardly reassuring. And, as the first experiment of its kind, it needs repeating. What it does definitively prove, however, is equally important: the remarkable complacency of the global safety regulators of GM crops who have argued that this was impossible."
via @NekoCase
"In May, the journal Reproductive Toxicology published a paper that showed Canadian women now routinely have GM pesticides – called Bt toxins – present in their blood streams. So, too, do 80% of their unborn babies. Presumably, they acquired the toxins by eating GM corn or from livestock fed on it. By itself, this result does not prove that any harm has occurred – though it is hardly reassuring. And, as the first experiment of its kind, it needs repeating. What it does definitively prove, however, is equally important: the remarkable complacency of the global safety regulators of GM crops who have argued that this was impossible."
via @NekoCase
High Season (1987)**
The picture has everything going for it: gorgeous Greek isle location, luminous Jacqueline Bisset in the lead, top-notch supporting cast, but it ultimately goes nowhere.
The picture has everything going for it: gorgeous Greek isle location, luminous Jacqueline Bisset in the lead, top-notch supporting cast, but it ultimately goes nowhere.
Roman de gare (2007)***
Intricate thriller with some intriguing twists featuring the ravishing Fanny Ardant and a nice performance from Audrey Dana.
Intricate thriller with some intriguing twists featuring the ravishing Fanny Ardant and a nice performance from Audrey Dana.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Paul McCartney Talks Beatles Breakup:
"At the time of 'McCartney,' the author considered it an experimental work. 'It's easier in retrospect to look back and say I was doing something that laid the ground rules for people to follow,' he said. 'When you think about it, that's how an awful lot of records get made now – people are in their bedrooms or their garages – because the equipment's better. So I was actually starting a bit of a trend, without knowing it or really intending to.'"
Yeah we know, Paul, YOU were the trend-setter, the experimentalist, the true avant-garde artiste of The Beatles. OKAY. WE GET IT. We love your music, but geez you are a truly annoying person.
"At the time of 'McCartney,' the author considered it an experimental work. 'It's easier in retrospect to look back and say I was doing something that laid the ground rules for people to follow,' he said. 'When you think about it, that's how an awful lot of records get made now – people are in their bedrooms or their garages – because the equipment's better. So I was actually starting a bit of a trend, without knowing it or really intending to.'"
Yeah we know, Paul, YOU were the trend-setter, the experimentalist, the true avant-garde artiste of The Beatles. OKAY. WE GET IT. We love your music, but geez you are a truly annoying person.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Pastor's Laptop: Dressing modestly for the Holy Mass despite the summer heat - St. Joseph's Catholic Church:
"The biggest problem I see (and I have a particularly elevated point of view from the sanctuary steps) is cleavage."
If that's the biggest problem he sees, he's never seen a mirror. Seriously, the dude has severe female trouble to say the least.
"The biggest problem I see (and I have a particularly elevated point of view from the sanctuary steps) is cleavage."
If that's the biggest problem he sees, he's never seen a mirror. Seriously, the dude has severe female trouble to say the least.
David Mamet Gets Lanced-a-Lot | James Wolcott's Blog | Vanity Fair:
"If David Mamet wants to become Dennis Miller minus the self-conscious, self-applauding laugh, go ahead, be that thing, watch the Tonys from Colonel Kurtz's cave, who cares."
"If David Mamet wants to become Dennis Miller minus the self-conscious, self-applauding laugh, go ahead, be that thing, watch the Tonys from Colonel Kurtz's cave, who cares."
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Blood Simple. (1984)***
Some of the trademark Coen touches are there, but this is unusual for them. More like a slasher film than a true noir. I kept being reminded of Halloween.
Some of the trademark Coen touches are there, but this is unusual for them. More like a slasher film than a true noir. I kept being reminded of Halloween.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Illusionist (2010)****
Achingly melancholic, richly detailed near silent animated film about the unrelenting mysteries of life. Takes a bit of effort on the part of the viewer, with rich rewards.
Achingly melancholic, richly detailed near silent animated film about the unrelenting mysteries of life. Takes a bit of effort on the part of the viewer, with rich rewards.
The Second Pass: Behind the Scenes at Studio 8H:
"Chevy Chase and Harry Shearer come off as the most universally disliked. (NBC bigwig Dick Ebersol on Shearer: “He’s just a nightmare-to-deal-with person.” And writer James Downey: “[Bill] Murray can be a real asshole, but the thing that keeps bringing me back to defend him is I’ve seen him be an asshole to people who could affect his career way more often than to people who couldn’t. Harry Shearer will shit on you to the precise degree that it’s cost-free; he’s a total ass-kisser with important people.”)"
Hmm. If Shearer is "a total ass-kisser with important people" how come Dick Ebersol, probably THE most important person at the time, thought he was a "nightmare-to-deal-with person"? Maybe his ass-kissing wasn't all that effective? I guess the moral of the story is don't try to get a complete picture of a person from books like these.
via Robot Wisdom
"Chevy Chase and Harry Shearer come off as the most universally disliked. (NBC bigwig Dick Ebersol on Shearer: “He’s just a nightmare-to-deal-with person.” And writer James Downey: “[Bill] Murray can be a real asshole, but the thing that keeps bringing me back to defend him is I’ve seen him be an asshole to people who could affect his career way more often than to people who couldn’t. Harry Shearer will shit on you to the precise degree that it’s cost-free; he’s a total ass-kisser with important people.”)"
Hmm. If Shearer is "a total ass-kisser with important people" how come Dick Ebersol, probably THE most important person at the time, thought he was a "nightmare-to-deal-with person"? Maybe his ass-kissing wasn't all that effective? I guess the moral of the story is don't try to get a complete picture of a person from books like these.
via Robot Wisdom
Atlantic City (1980)***
Nice character study of a man and a city whose past was something special, at least in their own minds. Burt Lancaster is very good.
Nice character study of a man and a city whose past was something special, at least in their own minds. Burt Lancaster is very good.
Bank Shot (1974)**
Early 70's entry in the heist-comedy sub-genre about a crew of endearingly goofy would be criminals who attempt to rob a bank with mastermind George C. Scott. Some funny moments but it tries way too hard mostly.
Early 70's entry in the heist-comedy sub-genre about a crew of endearingly goofy would be criminals who attempt to rob a bank with mastermind George C. Scott. Some funny moments but it tries way too hard mostly.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Romney Defends Mormon View of Christ's Second Coming on EthicsDaily.com:
"Mickelson switched the conversation to the Second Coming of Christ. 'Your church says it is going to happen in Missouri,' he said.
'No it doesn't,' Romney objected. 'The church says Christ appears on the Mount of Olives and splits the Mount of Olives and appears in Jerusalem. That's what the church says, and then over a thousand years--the Millennium--that the world is reigned in two places, Jerusalem and Missouri. That's what the church says. The Second Coming, the arrival of Jesus Christ, our church says, is in Jerusalem. That's the church doctrine.'"
From lds.org: "Near the time of the coming of Jesus, the faithful Saints will build a righteous city, a city of God, called the New Jerusalem. Jesus Christ himself will rule there. (See 3 Nephi 21:23–25.) The Lord said the city will be built in the state of Missouri in the United States (see D&C 84:3–4)."
I stand corrected. I was led to believe The Second Coming of JC was to occur in St. Louis. It's actually on the western edge of the state near Independence. Glad to have that finally cleared up.
"Mickelson switched the conversation to the Second Coming of Christ. 'Your church says it is going to happen in Missouri,' he said.
'No it doesn't,' Romney objected. 'The church says Christ appears on the Mount of Olives and splits the Mount of Olives and appears in Jerusalem. That's what the church says, and then over a thousand years--the Millennium--that the world is reigned in two places, Jerusalem and Missouri. That's what the church says. The Second Coming, the arrival of Jesus Christ, our church says, is in Jerusalem. That's the church doctrine.'"
From lds.org: "Near the time of the coming of Jesus, the faithful Saints will build a righteous city, a city of God, called the New Jerusalem. Jesus Christ himself will rule there. (See 3 Nephi 21:23–25.) The Lord said the city will be built in the state of Missouri in the United States (see D&C 84:3–4)."
I stand corrected. I was led to believe The Second Coming of JC was to occur in St. Louis. It's actually on the western edge of the state near Independence. Glad to have that finally cleared up.
I, Cringely: iCloud’s real purpose: kill Windows:
"And what happens once all our data is in that iCloud, is there any easy way to get it back out? Nope. It’s in there forever and we are captive customers — trapped more completely than Microsoft ever imagined.
Apple and Google will compete like crazy for our data because once they have it we’ll be their customers forever."
The best thing about the PC has always been it's openness. It's a much more hackable and vulnerable platform, yes, but it's also much more versatile and uncontrollable. I'm gonna start stockpiling hard drives and desktops to keep all my data off the fucking clouds. Anything in there is going to be as bogus as I can get away with. They needed at least another generation to come along who don't really care about privacy to finally make this transition and it's finally here. Sad, sad, sad.
"And what happens once all our data is in that iCloud, is there any easy way to get it back out? Nope. It’s in there forever and we are captive customers — trapped more completely than Microsoft ever imagined.
Apple and Google will compete like crazy for our data because once they have it we’ll be their customers forever."
The best thing about the PC has always been it's openness. It's a much more hackable and vulnerable platform, yes, but it's also much more versatile and uncontrollable. I'm gonna start stockpiling hard drives and desktops to keep all my data off the fucking clouds. Anything in there is going to be as bogus as I can get away with. They needed at least another generation to come along who don't really care about privacy to finally make this transition and it's finally here. Sad, sad, sad.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Slipstream (2007)***
Lots to chew on in director/screenwriter Anthony Hopkins' semi-autobiographical excursion into David Lynch territory with outstanding cinematography by the great Dante Spinotti. Non-linear, at times nonsensical, but always interesting.
Lots to chew on in director/screenwriter Anthony Hopkins' semi-autobiographical excursion into David Lynch territory with outstanding cinematography by the great Dante Spinotti. Non-linear, at times nonsensical, but always interesting.
Weiner admits he sent lewd picture; won't quit - Yahoo! News:
"Weiner gained a national profile during the debate over President Barack Obama's health care plan when he outspokenly professed support for a government-run 'single-payer' program for everyone and later a 'public option' to compete with private health insurance. He got the notice of liberals even though both proposals failed to make it into law."
This is disputable. But there's no question he needs to resign. Anybody this stupid cannot be a member of congress. Wait a minute. What am I saying???
"Weiner gained a national profile during the debate over President Barack Obama's health care plan when he outspokenly professed support for a government-run 'single-payer' program for everyone and later a 'public option' to compete with private health insurance. He got the notice of liberals even though both proposals failed to make it into law."
This is disputable. But there's no question he needs to resign. Anybody this stupid cannot be a member of congress. Wait a minute. What am I saying???
Peter O'Toole Has a Few Words for Directors - NYTimes.com:
"Q. For this particular character, did you draw upon your experiences with filmmakers who’d directed you?
A. Look, for me, a person, a character, a part is on the page. I don’t invent, I don’t copy anybody or think of anybody. Something happens, and I can’t explain it. I’ve tried to write about it. How the ink from the page comes up into my eyes and forms itself into a part that I want to play, and I’ve no idea how it happens. Intellectually, I can understand that I read it and enjoy it. But why this particular one, I don’t know.
Q.So the notion that Eli Cross was somehow a gloss on, say, David Lean —
A.“That’s Orson Welles?” “That’s John Huston?” No, no, no. It’s Eli Cross. He lives for me. I don’t want to be anybody else, thank you very much. He’s not copying anybody. He’s himself.
Q.Did you do any background research to learn how to play a director?
A.I don’t play directors. I play men. No, I don’t do any of that. Unobserved, uninhibited, private study of the script. I rehearse myself, l lock myself away for a month, before film or any play, and I absorb every word and every moment. And when it comes to the curtain going up or the action being started, I’m there. Ancient old pro speaking."
"Q. For this particular character, did you draw upon your experiences with filmmakers who’d directed you?
A. Look, for me, a person, a character, a part is on the page. I don’t invent, I don’t copy anybody or think of anybody. Something happens, and I can’t explain it. I’ve tried to write about it. How the ink from the page comes up into my eyes and forms itself into a part that I want to play, and I’ve no idea how it happens. Intellectually, I can understand that I read it and enjoy it. But why this particular one, I don’t know.
Q.So the notion that Eli Cross was somehow a gloss on, say, David Lean —
A.“That’s Orson Welles?” “That’s John Huston?” No, no, no. It’s Eli Cross. He lives for me. I don’t want to be anybody else, thank you very much. He’s not copying anybody. He’s himself.
Q.Did you do any background research to learn how to play a director?
A.I don’t play directors. I play men. No, I don’t do any of that. Unobserved, uninhibited, private study of the script. I rehearse myself, l lock myself away for a month, before film or any play, and I absorb every word and every moment. And when it comes to the curtain going up or the action being started, I’m there. Ancient old pro speaking."
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954)***
Scorcese so changed the gangster genre that it is difficult at times to see a film made well before he came along. Still this French noir is enjoyable and shows an elegance and subtlety sometimes lacking in modern films. Some rich scenes and great characters.
Scorcese so changed the gangster genre that it is difficult at times to see a film made well before he came along. Still this French noir is enjoyable and shows an elegance and subtlety sometimes lacking in modern films. Some rich scenes and great characters.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Marlins' Cousins speaks out about Posey injury:
"Giants general manager Brian Sabean criticized Cousins on his weekly radio show on KNBR this week, calling the play malicious and unnecessary. Sabean also said that 'if I never hear from Cousins again, or he doesn't play another day in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy.'
'He chose to be a hero, in my mind,' Sabean said. 'If that's his flash of fame, that's as good as it's going to get, pal. We'll have a long memory.'"
Um...that's a threat plain and simple. Sabean needs to be relieved of duty immediately. What a completely ridiculous thing to say. The play was not only legal, it was required within the rules and traditions of baseball. The only reason Posey broke his ankle was because he was not standing properly and his leg was caught underneath him when the collision took place. It was an ACCIDENT. These collisions happen quite frequently in baseball and believe it or not, nobody gets seriously hurt. This time somebody did. Deal with it.
"Giants general manager Brian Sabean criticized Cousins on his weekly radio show on KNBR this week, calling the play malicious and unnecessary. Sabean also said that 'if I never hear from Cousins again, or he doesn't play another day in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy.'
'He chose to be a hero, in my mind,' Sabean said. 'If that's his flash of fame, that's as good as it's going to get, pal. We'll have a long memory.'"
Um...that's a threat plain and simple. Sabean needs to be relieved of duty immediately. What a completely ridiculous thing to say. The play was not only legal, it was required within the rules and traditions of baseball. The only reason Posey broke his ankle was because he was not standing properly and his leg was caught underneath him when the collision took place. It was an ACCIDENT. These collisions happen quite frequently in baseball and believe it or not, nobody gets seriously hurt. This time somebody did. Deal with it.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
uprisingradio.org - Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It:
If you don't have the time nor inclination to read the book, at least take an hour and listen to the interview. (Answer: It's sugar and refined carbs.)
via @garytaubes
If you don't have the time nor inclination to read the book, at least take an hour and listen to the interview. (Answer: It's sugar and refined carbs.)
via @garytaubes
Juggernaut (1974)****
Probably the best "disaster" flick of the 70's. A top notch cast, taut, clever script, and assured, imaginative, restrained direction from Richard Lester.
Probably the best "disaster" flick of the 70's. A top notch cast, taut, clever script, and assured, imaginative, restrained direction from Richard Lester.
Facial Recognition: The One Technology Google Is Holding Back:
"'I'm very concerned personally about the union of mobile tracking and face recognition,' he explained, adding that the company feared that these capabilities could be used both for good and 'in a very bad way.' Schmidt described a scenario in which an 'evil dictator' could use facial recognition to identify people in a crowd and use the technology 'against' its citizens."
I'm more worried about a "good" leader using technology to track what people see, read, listen to, interact with, correspond with, talk to, record their movements, and use that to incarcerate them without trial, torture them, and kill them if the "good" leader saw fit. But that could NEVER happen, so don't worry Eric.
"'I'm very concerned personally about the union of mobile tracking and face recognition,' he explained, adding that the company feared that these capabilities could be used both for good and 'in a very bad way.' Schmidt described a scenario in which an 'evil dictator' could use facial recognition to identify people in a crowd and use the technology 'against' its citizens."
I'm more worried about a "good" leader using technology to track what people see, read, listen to, interact with, correspond with, talk to, record their movements, and use that to incarcerate them without trial, torture them, and kill them if the "good" leader saw fit. But that could NEVER happen, so don't worry Eric.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Goya's Ghosts (2006)**
A couple of the leads are mis-cast and the overall production feels more like a made-for-tv quickie than Amadeus for example, but it's a fascinating tale and quite relevant to the current political climate.
A couple of the leads are mis-cast and the overall production feels more like a made-for-tv quickie than Amadeus for example, but it's a fascinating tale and quite relevant to the current political climate.
John Ashcroft Lawsuit Thrown Out By Supreme Court:
"The lawsuit against Ashcroft, attorney general from 2001 to 2005, stemmed from comments he made shortly after 9/11 that the government would preventively detain people suspected of terrorist ties, even if it had no evidence they committed a crime.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, in allowing the lawsuit against Ashcroft to go forward, said using the material witness statute as a pretext to detain someone was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The appeals court also said Ashcroft should have known that such detentions would violate the law.
But the high court has said that an official must be tied directly to a violation of constitutional rights and must have clearly understood the action crossed that line to be held liable. No attorney general has ever been held personally liable for official actions."
Unbelievable that a unanimous decision absolves our top law enforcement officer from any culpability in violating an American citizen's constitutional rights simply because he claims incompetence? Since when is ignorance of the law an excuse? I mean, what else is left for there to be violated? Is there anything left at all of the bill of rights?
"The lawsuit against Ashcroft, attorney general from 2001 to 2005, stemmed from comments he made shortly after 9/11 that the government would preventively detain people suspected of terrorist ties, even if it had no evidence they committed a crime.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, in allowing the lawsuit against Ashcroft to go forward, said using the material witness statute as a pretext to detain someone was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The appeals court also said Ashcroft should have known that such detentions would violate the law.
But the high court has said that an official must be tied directly to a violation of constitutional rights and must have clearly understood the action crossed that line to be held liable. No attorney general has ever been held personally liable for official actions."
Unbelievable that a unanimous decision absolves our top law enforcement officer from any culpability in violating an American citizen's constitutional rights simply because he claims incompetence? Since when is ignorance of the law an excuse? I mean, what else is left for there to be violated? Is there anything left at all of the bill of rights?
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)****
A total joy from start to finish. Can be seen as a 12 year old boy's imagined adult reality or a representation of the fun and camaraderie Anderson feels when making a film, or as a straight up loony adventure with a great cast, great visuals, great heart.
A total joy from start to finish. Can be seen as a 12 year old boy's imagined adult reality or a representation of the fun and camaraderie Anderson feels when making a film, or as a straight up loony adventure with a great cast, great visuals, great heart.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Malcolm McDowell Grilled on the 40-Year Anniversary of 'A Clockwork Orange' | The Wrap Movies:
"Based on the materials on the disc, it’s easy to assume he wasn’t an actor’s director, he wouldn’t talk about character.
No, he wouldn't at all but that doesn’t mean to say that he’s not an actor’s director because it just means to say that he didn't really know."
So many myths about Kubrick but this one really irritates: that he was rigid, dictatorial, un-collaborative, had a fixed idea in his mind of what he wanted before he shot the film. Perhaps once he got a specific idea he was adamant that it was the best way to get the shot, but in all his films he was very open to serendipity on the set.
"Based on the materials on the disc, it’s easy to assume he wasn’t an actor’s director, he wouldn’t talk about character.
No, he wouldn't at all but that doesn’t mean to say that he’s not an actor’s director because it just means to say that he didn't really know."
So many myths about Kubrick but this one really irritates: that he was rigid, dictatorial, un-collaborative, had a fixed idea in his mind of what he wanted before he shot the film. Perhaps once he got a specific idea he was adamant that it was the best way to get the shot, but in all his films he was very open to serendipity on the set.
The Bed Sitting Room (1969)**
Richard Lester has a very good eye, but post-apocalyptic satires are notoriously tough to pull off in film. This is no exception. A great cast, a droll, dryly ironic script, but in a film, no matter how abstract you try to be, when you show the aftermath of the destruction of a great city, it's just not funny. Kudos for the attempt.
Richard Lester has a very good eye, but post-apocalyptic satires are notoriously tough to pull off in film. This is no exception. A great cast, a droll, dryly ironic script, but in a film, no matter how abstract you try to be, when you show the aftermath of the destruction of a great city, it's just not funny. Kudos for the attempt.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)**
Interesting casting choices add to the appeal, and there are parts of the film that are interesting and beautifully done, but they don't all come together.
Interesting casting choices add to the appeal, and there are parts of the film that are interesting and beautifully done, but they don't all come together.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Night Porter (1974)***
Not nearly as morally depraved as most critics have decreed, this is a well made and well acted character study. Thought provoking.
Not nearly as morally depraved as most critics have decreed, this is a well made and well acted character study. Thought provoking.
Wikileaks: Speculators Helped Cause Oil Bubble | Rolling Stone Politics:
"Well, thanks to Wikileaks, we now know that when the Bush administration reached out to the Saudis in the summer of '08 to ask them to increase oil production to lower prices, the Saudis responded by saying they were having a hard time finding buyers for their oil as it was, and instead asked the Bush administration to rein in Wall Street speculators."
"Well, thanks to Wikileaks, we now know that when the Bush administration reached out to the Saudis in the summer of '08 to ask them to increase oil production to lower prices, the Saudis responded by saying they were having a hard time finding buyers for their oil as it was, and instead asked the Bush administration to rein in Wall Street speculators."
Mitch Easter - Beyond and Back | Rocker: The Lifestyle Magazine for Mature Hipsters:
"When I go to a record store Chapel Hill, the vinyl side of the store – that’s where the kids are. And that whole thing of putting the download thing with the songs [when you buy a record] makes all the sense in the world. So yeah, now the thing that is so cool is the bands who are coming into the studio are doing vinyl and downloads and nobody’s doing CDs. Who would’ve thought just a few years ago that CDs would be the endangered format? It’s really on the way out."
"When I go to a record store Chapel Hill, the vinyl side of the store – that’s where the kids are. And that whole thing of putting the download thing with the songs [when you buy a record] makes all the sense in the world. So yeah, now the thing that is so cool is the bands who are coming into the studio are doing vinyl and downloads and nobody’s doing CDs. Who would’ve thought just a few years ago that CDs would be the endangered format? It’s really on the way out."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)****
Terrific John Huston noir examining the human animal in all his glory. Excellent screenplay, fine cinematography, and a field day for character actors who are all superb. Marilyn Monroe is luminescent in a small but pivotal role.
Terrific John Huston noir examining the human animal in all his glory. Excellent screenplay, fine cinematography, and a field day for character actors who are all superb. Marilyn Monroe is luminescent in a small but pivotal role.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The secret life of Terrence Malick - Features, Films - The Independent:
"He lifted his veil of secrecy to film a walk-on part in Badlands. He is also said to be such a fan of Zoolander, the 2001 send-up of the fashion world, that colleagues say he watches it regularly and likes to quote it. Ben Stiller, the star of the film, once dressed up in character and recorded him a special birthday video message."
via @ebertchicago
"He lifted his veil of secrecy to film a walk-on part in Badlands. He is also said to be such a fan of Zoolander, the 2001 send-up of the fashion world, that colleagues say he watches it regularly and likes to quote it. Ben Stiller, the star of the film, once dressed up in character and recorded him a special birthday video message."
via @ebertchicago
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Diabolique (1955)***
Nice thriller from Clouzot with remarkably frank murder scenes that still surprise.
Nice thriller from Clouzot with remarkably frank murder scenes that still surprise.
Lolita (1997)**
Different actors, different director but the same result. If you're not going to go all the way, stay home.
Different actors, different director but the same result. If you're not going to go all the way, stay home.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Disputes 'between friends': Obama, Netanyahu at WH - Yahoo! News:
"Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable. 'We cannot go back to those indefensible lines,' said Netanyahu."
Translated Netanyahu: If we go back to the 1967 borders, we will be unable to defend the land we stole and occupy illegally since then.
"Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable. 'We cannot go back to those indefensible lines,' said Netanyahu."
Translated Netanyahu: If we go back to the 1967 borders, we will be unable to defend the land we stole and occupy illegally since then.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Lolita (1962)**
I suppose it was admirable to attempt to film this novel in 1962 as a mainstream movie, but stripped of its excesses what's the point? It feels like half the scenes were left out and nothing makes sense.
I suppose it was admirable to attempt to film this novel in 1962 as a mainstream movie, but stripped of its excesses what's the point? It feels like half the scenes were left out and nothing makes sense.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Converting Mamet | The Weekly Standard:
"“But I saw the liberals hated George Bush. It was vicious. And I thought about it, and I didn’t get it. He was no worse than the others, was he? And I’d ask my liberal friends, ‘Well, why do you hate him?’ They’d all say: ‘He lied about WMD.’ Okay. You love Kennedy. Kennedy didn’t write Profiles in Courage—he lied about that. ‘Bush is in bed with the Saudis!’ Okay, Kennedy was in bed with the mafia.”
...
The conversion is complete: This is not a book by the same man who told Charlie Rose he didn’t want to impose his political views on anybody. At some moments—as when he blithely announces that the earth is cooling not warming, QED—you wonder whether maybe he isn’t in danger of exchanging one herd for another. He told me he doesn’t read political blogs or magazines. “I drive around and listen to the talk show guys,” he said. “Beck, Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved.” "
And so another "brain-dead liberal" becomes a brain-dead conservative. Either-or.
"“But I saw the liberals hated George Bush. It was vicious. And I thought about it, and I didn’t get it. He was no worse than the others, was he? And I’d ask my liberal friends, ‘Well, why do you hate him?’ They’d all say: ‘He lied about WMD.’ Okay. You love Kennedy. Kennedy didn’t write Profiles in Courage—he lied about that. ‘Bush is in bed with the Saudis!’ Okay, Kennedy was in bed with the mafia.”
...
The conversion is complete: This is not a book by the same man who told Charlie Rose he didn’t want to impose his political views on anybody. At some moments—as when he blithely announces that the earth is cooling not warming, QED—you wonder whether maybe he isn’t in danger of exchanging one herd for another. He told me he doesn’t read political blogs or magazines. “I drive around and listen to the talk show guys,” he said. “Beck, Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved.” "
And so another "brain-dead liberal" becomes a brain-dead conservative. Either-or.
Von Trier stirs up Cannes with Hitler, Nazi quips - Yahoo! News:
"Von Trier has a long history of agitating Cannes crowds. His 2000 drama 'Dancer in the Dark' won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, but the film sharply divided audiences, some loving it, some hating it. Two years ago, his marital saga "Antichrist" aggravated many Cannes viewers with its torture-porn images, though the film went on to win the festival's best-actress award for Gainsbourg.
Opening in U.S. theaters this fall, "Melancholia" casts Dunst as a woman in deep depression that turns her wedding day at the home of her sister (Gainsbourg) into a disaster. The story plays out against an end-of-the-world backdrop as a planet called Melancholia, which fittingly changes colors from blue to black, heads on a possible collision course with Earth.
The film also co-stars Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling and Udo Kier."
What? No Antichrist 2? No reboot for a comic book based "franchise"? I'm not a huge fan of Von Trier, but I love the fact that he makes bold, risky films that aren't based on other films. Having Charlotte Rampling in them is another huge plus.
"Von Trier has a long history of agitating Cannes crowds. His 2000 drama 'Dancer in the Dark' won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, but the film sharply divided audiences, some loving it, some hating it. Two years ago, his marital saga "Antichrist" aggravated many Cannes viewers with its torture-porn images, though the film went on to win the festival's best-actress award for Gainsbourg.
Opening in U.S. theaters this fall, "Melancholia" casts Dunst as a woman in deep depression that turns her wedding day at the home of her sister (Gainsbourg) into a disaster. The story plays out against an end-of-the-world backdrop as a planet called Melancholia, which fittingly changes colors from blue to black, heads on a possible collision course with Earth.
The film also co-stars Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling and Udo Kier."
What? No Antichrist 2? No reboot for a comic book based "franchise"? I'm not a huge fan of Von Trier, but I love the fact that he makes bold, risky films that aren't based on other films. Having Charlotte Rampling in them is another huge plus.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Goodfellas (1990)****
About as good as film gets. Exciting tale of one man's life as a gangster in the late 50's through the early 80's. Scorsese at full command of his abilities and imagination, a directorial tour de force. Highly influential film.
About as good as film gets. Exciting tale of one man's life as a gangster in the late 50's through the early 80's. Scorsese at full command of his abilities and imagination, a directorial tour de force. Highly influential film.
Bigger Than Life (1956)***
Beautifully shot examination of the effects of a "wonder drug" (cortisone) on the psyche of a mild-mannered school teacher. I suppose it could be seen as a fable of sorts about the consequences of unbridled male ego run amok, but director Nicholas Ray doesn't belabor the point. James Mason is quite good.
Beautifully shot examination of the effects of a "wonder drug" (cortisone) on the psyche of a mild-mannered school teacher. I suppose it could be seen as a fable of sorts about the consequences of unbridled male ego run amok, but director Nicholas Ray doesn't belabor the point. James Mason is quite good.
Sources: Raiders knew mission a one-shot deal - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times:
"U.S. officials believe Pakistani intelligence continues to support militants who attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and actively undermine U.S. intelligence operations to go after al-Qaida inside Pakistan. The level of distrust is such that keeping Pakistan in the dark was a major factor in planning the raid, and led to using the high-tech but sometimes unpredictable helicopter technology that nearly unhinged the mission.
Pakistan’s government has since condemned the action, and threatened to open fire if U.S. forces enter again."
Finally, a more coherent and plausible "official" story.
via Robot Wisdom
"U.S. officials believe Pakistani intelligence continues to support militants who attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and actively undermine U.S. intelligence operations to go after al-Qaida inside Pakistan. The level of distrust is such that keeping Pakistan in the dark was a major factor in planning the raid, and led to using the high-tech but sometimes unpredictable helicopter technology that nearly unhinged the mission.
Pakistan’s government has since condemned the action, and threatened to open fire if U.S. forces enter again."
Finally, a more coherent and plausible "official" story.
via Robot Wisdom
Monday, May 16, 2011
Parenting guru Bryan Caplan prescribes less fuss – and more fun | Life and style | The Observer:
"His book, which was published earlier this month, recommends that highly strung parents lighten up not only for their own and their offspring's good, but also for other would-be parents who may think that they cannot afford children. 'What do good sense and economics tell you to do when the prices turn out to be lower that you thought? Buy more. Stock up,' said Caplan. 'Quit fretting over how much TV your kids watch. Don't force them to do a million activities they hate. Accept that your children's lives are shaped mostly by their genes and their own choices, not by the sacrifices you make in hopes of turning them into successful adults.'"
"His book, which was published earlier this month, recommends that highly strung parents lighten up not only for their own and their offspring's good, but also for other would-be parents who may think that they cannot afford children. 'What do good sense and economics tell you to do when the prices turn out to be lower that you thought? Buy more. Stock up,' said Caplan. 'Quit fretting over how much TV your kids watch. Don't force them to do a million activities they hate. Accept that your children's lives are shaped mostly by their genes and their own choices, not by the sacrifices you make in hopes of turning them into successful adults.'"
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Dianne Feinstein sees Osama bin Laden kill photos:
"'I don't need to see those pictures, and no one needs to see them,' Sen. Dianne Feinstein said after viewing the kill photos of Osama bin Laden on Friday."
After all these years, the arrogance and hubris of these people still astounds me.
"'I don't need to see those pictures, and no one needs to see them,' Sen. Dianne Feinstein said after viewing the kill photos of Osama bin Laden on Friday."
After all these years, the arrogance and hubris of these people still astounds me.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Osama Raid Video Doesn't Exist: CIA | 25 Minute Video Blackout:
"It has emerged that US commandos were told to assume bin Laden was wearing a suicide vest and must be killed, unless they found him naked. They would have accepted surrender only if they could be sure he had nothing hidden under his clothing, meaning his fate was sealed as soon as he was found in his bedclothes."
via @ggreenwald
"It has emerged that US commandos were told to assume bin Laden was wearing a suicide vest and must be killed, unless they found him naked. They would have accepted surrender only if they could be sure he had nothing hidden under his clothing, meaning his fate was sealed as soon as he was found in his bedclothes."
via @ggreenwald
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Stevie Nicks: The men, the music, the menopause | Music | The Guardian:
"Nicks and Buckingham met at high school in California and started out as a duo. Had Fleetwood Mac, fame and drugs not entered the picture, she believes, the couple would have stayed in San Francisco and had success anyway. 'And we would have married and had children, 'cause we were headed that way. We didn't really mess up till we moved to Los Angeles. And that was when the whole world just ripped us apart.'
Still, she says, 'Fleetwood Mac was our destiny.' But Buckingham doesn't feel the same way. 'I think he regrets it totally. I think he wishes we hadn't ever joined Fleetwood Mac and had just stayed together. Even though his life has now wound around to where he's married to a lovely girl and he's got three absolutely beautiful kids.'"
"Nicks and Buckingham met at high school in California and started out as a duo. Had Fleetwood Mac, fame and drugs not entered the picture, she believes, the couple would have stayed in San Francisco and had success anyway. 'And we would have married and had children, 'cause we were headed that way. We didn't really mess up till we moved to Los Angeles. And that was when the whole world just ripped us apart.'
Still, she says, 'Fleetwood Mac was our destiny.' But Buckingham doesn't feel the same way. 'I think he regrets it totally. I think he wishes we hadn't ever joined Fleetwood Mac and had just stayed together. Even though his life has now wound around to where he's married to a lovely girl and he's got three absolutely beautiful kids.'"
Asia Times Online :: How Bush gave Osama a free pass:
"Milton Bearden, the former CIA station chief in Pakistan during the Mujahideen war against the Soviets, observed to the Washington Post two weeks after Bush had rejected Muttawakil's new offer that the Taliban needed a face-saving way of resolving the issue consistent with its Islamic values.
'We never heard what they were trying to say,' Bearden said.
The Bush refusal to negotiate with the Taliban was in effect a free pass for Bin Laden and his lieutenants because the Bush administration had no plan of its own for apprehending him in Afghanistan. It did not even know what level of military effort would have been required for the United States to be able to block Bin Laden's exit routes from Afghanistan into Pakistan. "
"Milton Bearden, the former CIA station chief in Pakistan during the Mujahideen war against the Soviets, observed to the Washington Post two weeks after Bush had rejected Muttawakil's new offer that the Taliban needed a face-saving way of resolving the issue consistent with its Islamic values.
'We never heard what they were trying to say,' Bearden said.
The Bush refusal to negotiate with the Taliban was in effect a free pass for Bin Laden and his lieutenants because the Bush administration had no plan of its own for apprehending him in Afghanistan. It did not even know what level of military effort would have been required for the United States to be able to block Bin Laden's exit routes from Afghanistan into Pakistan. "
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
MSNBC.com: Man arrested in bra, panties, accused of stabbing goat:
"The police reported that Thompson said he had been on bath salts for about three days. Officers found the small gray and white goat wearing a pink collar lying dead on the floor, blood coming from its neck, according to the complaint, The Gazette reported. There was a pornographic magazine photo lying a few feet from the goat, the complaint said."
What a piece of work is man! How noble in Reason! how infinite in faculties!*
"The police reported that Thompson said he had been on bath salts for about three days. Officers found the small gray and white goat wearing a pink collar lying dead on the floor, blood coming from its neck, according to the complaint, The Gazette reported. There was a pornographic magazine photo lying a few feet from the goat, the complaint said."
What a piece of work is man! How noble in Reason! how infinite in faculties!*
Monday, May 02, 2011
Phone call by Kuwaiti courier led to bin Laden - Yahoo! News:
"The helicopters lowered into the compound, dropping the SEALs behind the walls. No shots were fired, but shortly after the team hit the ground, one of the helicopters came crashing down and rolled onto its side for reasons the government has yet to explain. None of the SEALs was injured, however, and the mission continued uninterrupted."
My guess is they will have to edit that little sequence out of the forthcoming biopic of the event. Nobody would ever believe it.
UPDATE: According to the New York Times, "One of their helicopters stalled and could not take off. Rather than let it fall into the wrong hands, the commandos moved the women and children to a secure area and blew up the malfunctioning helicopter." This was at the end of the mission rather than the beginning and makes a lot more sense.
"The helicopters lowered into the compound, dropping the SEALs behind the walls. No shots were fired, but shortly after the team hit the ground, one of the helicopters came crashing down and rolled onto its side for reasons the government has yet to explain. None of the SEALs was injured, however, and the mission continued uninterrupted."
My guess is they will have to edit that little sequence out of the forthcoming biopic of the event. Nobody would ever believe it.
UPDATE: According to the New York Times, "One of their helicopters stalled and could not take off. Rather than let it fall into the wrong hands, the commandos moved the women and children to a secure area and blew up the malfunctioning helicopter." This was at the end of the mission rather than the beginning and makes a lot more sense.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Brother Orchid (1940)**
Not funny enough to be a comedy, and not serious enough to be a drama, this strange little picture about a racket boss who yearns for "class" misses the mark and ends up being watchable but not memorable.
Not funny enough to be a comedy, and not serious enough to be a drama, this strange little picture about a racket boss who yearns for "class" misses the mark and ends up being watchable but not memorable.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)***
Entertaining, well-made re-telling of the Faust legend in 1840's New England. Walter Huston is exceptional. Very good black and white cinematography.
Entertaining, well-made re-telling of the Faust legend in 1840's New England. Walter Huston is exceptional. Very good black and white cinematography.
Monday, April 25, 2011
David Eagleman and Mysteries of the Brain : The New Yorker:
"Yet “brain time,” as Eagleman calls it, is intrinsically subjective. “Try this exercise,” he suggests in a recent essay. “Put this book down and go look in a mirror. Now move your eyes back and forth, so that you’re looking at your left eye, then at your right eye, then at your left eye again. When your eyes shift from one position to the other, they take time to move and land on the other location. But here’s the kicker: you never see your eyes move.” There’s no evidence of any gaps in your perception—no darkened stretches like bits of blank film—yet much of what you see has been edited out. Your brain has taken a complicated scene of eyes darting back and forth and recut it as a simple one: your eyes stare straight ahead. Where did the missing moments go?"
"Yet “brain time,” as Eagleman calls it, is intrinsically subjective. “Try this exercise,” he suggests in a recent essay. “Put this book down and go look in a mirror. Now move your eyes back and forth, so that you’re looking at your left eye, then at your right eye, then at your left eye again. When your eyes shift from one position to the other, they take time to move and land on the other location. But here’s the kicker: you never see your eyes move.” There’s no evidence of any gaps in your perception—no darkened stretches like bits of blank film—yet much of what you see has been edited out. Your brain has taken a complicated scene of eyes darting back and forth and recut it as a simple one: your eyes stare straight ahead. Where did the missing moments go?"
Neowin.net - Man suspected of child porn simply didn't secure wireless router:
"A Buffalo, NY man had a rude awakening one morning when federal officers broke down the door to his house, threw him down the stairs and aimed assault weapons at him while yelling, “Pedophile!” After the investigation was completed, it turned out that it wasn’t this man but rather someone using his unsecured wireless router."
I'm glad we have our priorities in order. Porn and gambling call for aggressive action, but fraud and war crimes? Look forward!
"A Buffalo, NY man had a rude awakening one morning when federal officers broke down the door to his house, threw him down the stairs and aimed assault weapons at him while yelling, “Pedophile!” After the investigation was completed, it turned out that it wasn’t this man but rather someone using his unsecured wireless router."
I'm glad we have our priorities in order. Porn and gambling call for aggressive action, but fraud and war crimes? Look forward!
Friday, April 22, 2011
iPhone and iPad security: iPhone, iPad can track a user's location history - latimes.com:
"Illustrating the data in dramatic, understandable form, security researchers Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan released a software program Wednesday that allows iPhone and iPad users to download and plot their location histories onto an interactive map, showing their trail over time.
The maps show clusters of colorful dots in hundreds or thousands of precise locations visited by the device's user.
"I have no idea what Apple thinks it's doing in collecting this," said Christopher Soghoian, a cybersecurity researcher at the University of Indiana and formerly a Federal Communications Commission employee. "You'd think they would've learned the lesson Google learned, which is: Don't surprise your users on privacy.""
I had assumed this capability was a requirement of The Patriot Act. (And it's not just iPhones, Androids also track user location and upload it for keeping.) Perhaps the beef is that the data is in an unencrypted, easily obtainable format, which probably points to lazy programming and not some nefarious plot. But when are people going to wake up? EVERYTHING you do is being recorded. This is the reality. Bush started it, Obama continued it and now it's institutionalized so it can never be undone.
"Illustrating the data in dramatic, understandable form, security researchers Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan released a software program Wednesday that allows iPhone and iPad users to download and plot their location histories onto an interactive map, showing their trail over time.
The maps show clusters of colorful dots in hundreds or thousands of precise locations visited by the device's user.
"I have no idea what Apple thinks it's doing in collecting this," said Christopher Soghoian, a cybersecurity researcher at the University of Indiana and formerly a Federal Communications Commission employee. "You'd think they would've learned the lesson Google learned, which is: Don't surprise your users on privacy.""
I had assumed this capability was a requirement of The Patriot Act. (And it's not just iPhones, Androids also track user location and upload it for keeping.) Perhaps the beef is that the data is in an unencrypted, easily obtainable format, which probably points to lazy programming and not some nefarious plot. But when are people going to wake up? EVERYTHING you do is being recorded. This is the reality. Bush started it, Obama continued it and now it's institutionalized so it can never be undone.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Public Enemy (1931)****
80 years after it was made, still a shocking, relevant and exciting film. Cagney is pure energy, the script is tight and believable, the direction is smart, energetic and innovative. Beryl Mercer plays Ma Powers a bit too broadly almost to distraction. But she can't stop this runaway train of a picture. Heavily influenced Scorsese, especially in Goodfellas.
80 years after it was made, still a shocking, relevant and exciting film. Cagney is pure energy, the script is tight and believable, the direction is smart, energetic and innovative. Beryl Mercer plays Ma Powers a bit too broadly almost to distraction. But she can't stop this runaway train of a picture. Heavily influenced Scorsese, especially in Goodfellas.
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)**
Let's face it: Hemingway is tough to do on film. A lot of the "action" takes place in someone's head, there's all that uber-macho mindset to deal with, all those location shots all over the world, etc. You try to Hollywood-ize the story and you are REALLY asking for trouble. We have all those things taking place in this picture. Gregory Peck does a pretty good job but the leading ladies are left to fend for themselves in difficult roles to pull off. What I DID enjoy about the film was the modern, almost Scorsese-like cuts during flashbacks with continuing voice-overs from the previous scene. I didn't expect that and it added a lot to the picture. Not enough though.
Let's face it: Hemingway is tough to do on film. A lot of the "action" takes place in someone's head, there's all that uber-macho mindset to deal with, all those location shots all over the world, etc. You try to Hollywood-ize the story and you are REALLY asking for trouble. We have all those things taking place in this picture. Gregory Peck does a pretty good job but the leading ladies are left to fend for themselves in difficult roles to pull off. What I DID enjoy about the film was the modern, almost Scorsese-like cuts during flashbacks with continuing voice-overs from the previous scene. I didn't expect that and it added a lot to the picture. Not enough though.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
One U.S. Nuclear Reactor Uses as Much Water as All of D.C. - Technology - The Atlantic Wire:
"It takes the same amount of water required by a city of 5 million to fuel a typical U.S. nuclear power plant for one hour: 30 million gallons, Fast Company reports. Charles Fishman, author of the book The Big Thirst, notes that 'the U.S. has 104 nuclear power plants--more than any other country, a quarter of all plants worldwide.' As the world's largest energy consumer, '49% of the water used in the U.S. goes to generate electricity,' Fishman notes. That's 'the single largest use of water' in the country."
This cannot be correct, can it? After the water is used is it radioactive?
"It takes the same amount of water required by a city of 5 million to fuel a typical U.S. nuclear power plant for one hour: 30 million gallons, Fast Company reports. Charles Fishman, author of the book The Big Thirst, notes that 'the U.S. has 104 nuclear power plants--more than any other country, a quarter of all plants worldwide.' As the world's largest energy consumer, '49% of the water used in the U.S. goes to generate electricity,' Fishman notes. That's 'the single largest use of water' in the country."
This cannot be correct, can it? After the water is used is it radioactive?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Jane Eyre (TV 1970)***
Strong lead performances and nice production values make this a very good version of this oft told tale, such as it is.
Strong lead performances and nice production values make this a very good version of this oft told tale, such as it is.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)***
Damning with faint praise, yes, but this is certainly the best of the Star Trek films. It's a weak 3 stars because director Nicholas Meyer can't rein in the cheesy one-liners and the winking at the camera and the scenes that are obvious set ups for self-referential humor. But even with all that, this is an enjoyable and, finally, a worthy follow-up to the original television series.
Damning with faint praise, yes, but this is certainly the best of the Star Trek films. It's a weak 3 stars because director Nicholas Meyer can't rein in the cheesy one-liners and the winking at the camera and the scenes that are obvious set ups for self-referential humor. But even with all that, this is an enjoyable and, finally, a worthy follow-up to the original television series.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Jungle Book (1942)***
Rudyard Kipling's man versus nature fable imaginatively directed and featuring a charismatic Sabu as Mowgli.
Rudyard Kipling's man versus nature fable imaginatively directed and featuring a charismatic Sabu as Mowgli.
Friday, April 08, 2011
In search of David Foster Wallace's Pale King | Books | The Guardian:
"These lines could support a contention that the novel's apparent incompleteness is in fact intentional. David ended his first novel in the middle of a line of dialogue and his second with large plot questions addressed only glancingly. One character in The Pale King describes a play he's written in which a man sits at a desk, working silently, until the audience leaves, at which point the play's action begins. But, he continues, 'I could never decide on the action, if there was any'."
That's a fascinating premise and might perhaps speak to Wallace's feeling that the "action" of reality takes place after life? Or the feeling of incompleteness in life, that there must be something more taking place off screen or off stage or after the novel has been read, something just beyond our grasp.
via Robot Wisdom
"These lines could support a contention that the novel's apparent incompleteness is in fact intentional. David ended his first novel in the middle of a line of dialogue and his second with large plot questions addressed only glancingly. One character in The Pale King describes a play he's written in which a man sits at a desk, working silently, until the audience leaves, at which point the play's action begins. But, he continues, 'I could never decide on the action, if there was any'."
That's a fascinating premise and might perhaps speak to Wallace's feeling that the "action" of reality takes place after life? Or the feeling of incompleteness in life, that there must be something more taking place off screen or off stage or after the novel has been read, something just beyond our grasp.
via Robot Wisdom
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Scarlet Street (1945)**
The story strains credulity a bit too much even for a noir, and the performances are not strong enough to make it all compelling. Still, watchable.
The story strains credulity a bit too much even for a noir, and the performances are not strong enough to make it all compelling. Still, watchable.
Friday, April 01, 2011
Household Income Short of $68K? Welcome To the New Poverty:
"So we are now officially living in a country where more than 60% of households are not making enough money for a basic household — the bottom three quintiles of American household income top out at $62,000."
And yet, we have plenty of dough for Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya...
"So we are now officially living in a country where more than 60% of households are not making enough money for a basic household — the bottom three quintiles of American household income top out at $62,000."
And yet, we have plenty of dough for Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Everyone Is Laughing at Alan Greenspan Today - Business - The Atlantic Wire:
"Last night, the Financial Times ran an op-ed from Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It starts out pretty dry. Greenspan argues, in effect, that the Dodd-Frank financial regulation act is a bad idea, because 21st-century financial systems are really, really complicated. Greenspan also complains that "regulators are being entrusted with forecasting, and presumably preventing, all undesirable repercussions that might happen to a market when its regulatory conditions are importantly altered." This is an impossible task, says Greenspan. We should just leave it up to the free market, because "with notably rare exceptions (2008, for example), the global 'invisible hand' has created relatively stable exchange rates, interest rates, prices, and wage rates."
OMFG. I think the problem is Greenspan actually believed all that "maestro" bullshit and feels compelled to spew his "wisdom" upon us. Just go away. You've done WAY MORE than enough already. Asshole.
via Robot Wisdom
"Last night, the Financial Times ran an op-ed from Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It starts out pretty dry. Greenspan argues, in effect, that the Dodd-Frank financial regulation act is a bad idea, because 21st-century financial systems are really, really complicated. Greenspan also complains that "regulators are being entrusted with forecasting, and presumably preventing, all undesirable repercussions that might happen to a market when its regulatory conditions are importantly altered." This is an impossible task, says Greenspan. We should just leave it up to the free market, because "with notably rare exceptions (2008, for example), the global 'invisible hand' has created relatively stable exchange rates, interest rates, prices, and wage rates."
OMFG. I think the problem is Greenspan actually believed all that "maestro" bullshit and feels compelled to spew his "wisdom" upon us. Just go away. You've done WAY MORE than enough already. Asshole.
via Robot Wisdom
Monday, March 28, 2011
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)*
There is a kernel of a decent film here. And whether it was William Shatner's lack of directorial talent or Paramount's lack of financial support, we may never know for sure. As it stands, this is a pretty awful film. Almost entirely cringe inducing. For Star Trek completists, and other masochists only.
There is a kernel of a decent film here. And whether it was William Shatner's lack of directorial talent or Paramount's lack of financial support, we may never know for sure. As it stands, this is a pretty awful film. Almost entirely cringe inducing. For Star Trek completists, and other masochists only.
To Have and Have Not (1944)***
Better than Casablanca, the screen debut of Lauren Bacall is an entertaining excursion into the many tropes of Ernest Hemingway upon whose novel the film is based (see Islands in the Stream.) Bogart is solid, Bacall sizzles, and "free French" intrigue abounds in the Caribbean.
Better than Casablanca, the screen debut of Lauren Bacall is an entertaining excursion into the many tropes of Ernest Hemingway upon whose novel the film is based (see Islands in the Stream.) Bogart is solid, Bacall sizzles, and "free French" intrigue abounds in the Caribbean.
Camelot Revisited: The Creators of "The Kennedys" Speak Out - NYTimes.com:
"Is it fair to say that all biographical films have to rely on a certain amount of reconstruction, and creating scenes where there’s no record of what was said or what occurred?
KRONISH Of course. For example, the scenes between Jack and Jackie in the bedroom, where nobody knows exactly what was said, but we do know what the attitudes were and we do know, for example, that she knew about several of his affairs and was deeply distressed by them, but she stayed with him. Although she would periodically leave, she would always return. We know that. That is historical fact. And so we used those facts to create scenes that had that basis in mind. You’re compressing 50-odd years of a family’s history into eight hours. That compression is going to have to show somewhere. It doesn’t mean that the facts are changed or invented."
I think when you "create scenes" that is kind of equivalent to "invented". I would just like for once to see a bio-pic where not one scene is invented, not one conversation is "imagined". If you cannot or will not do that, then you must not use real names or claim any sort of veracity to your film or book. Because everyone who sees this will believe that ALL the scenes really happened. And that is wrong.
"Is it fair to say that all biographical films have to rely on a certain amount of reconstruction, and creating scenes where there’s no record of what was said or what occurred?
KRONISH Of course. For example, the scenes between Jack and Jackie in the bedroom, where nobody knows exactly what was said, but we do know what the attitudes were and we do know, for example, that she knew about several of his affairs and was deeply distressed by them, but she stayed with him. Although she would periodically leave, she would always return. We know that. That is historical fact. And so we used those facts to create scenes that had that basis in mind. You’re compressing 50-odd years of a family’s history into eight hours. That compression is going to have to show somewhere. It doesn’t mean that the facts are changed or invented."
I think when you "create scenes" that is kind of equivalent to "invented". I would just like for once to see a bio-pic where not one scene is invented, not one conversation is "imagined". If you cannot or will not do that, then you must not use real names or claim any sort of veracity to your film or book. Because everyone who sees this will believe that ALL the scenes really happened. And that is wrong.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Alice in Wonderland (1933)***
Faithful to the source in spirit and form if not verbatim, this heavily critically disparaged version of Alice defies narrative conventions. There really is no story and no narrative flow which most people demand of their films. Instead we are treated to a literate young girl's fantasy-dream of unusual and surreal encounters with all sorts of creatures, clever word play and strange, unexplained antics. Just like the books.
Faithful to the source in spirit and form if not verbatim, this heavily critically disparaged version of Alice defies narrative conventions. There really is no story and no narrative flow which most people demand of their films. Instead we are treated to a literate young girl's fantasy-dream of unusual and surreal encounters with all sorts of creatures, clever word play and strange, unexplained antics. Just like the books.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Chloe (2009)***
Not a bad little exploration of identity inside a trashy thriller. Good actors, crisply directed.
Not a bad little exploration of identity inside a trashy thriller. Good actors, crisply directed.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Somewhere (2010)**
I might revise my rating after a second viewing, but at first blush this is a mis-step for Ms. Coppola, one of my favorite directors. Wonderful soundtrack, wonderful images, sparse, minimalist direction, but it does not seem to add up. Admirable effort, but no results.
I might revise my rating after a second viewing, but at first blush this is a mis-step for Ms. Coppola, one of my favorite directors. Wonderful soundtrack, wonderful images, sparse, minimalist direction, but it does not seem to add up. Admirable effort, but no results.
Winter's Bone (2010)**
You know, it's an intelligent, well made film with great directorial restraint by Debra Granik and a fine, star-making performance by Jennifer Lawrence, but it's just not very entertaining. Critics would complain about Scorsese making pictures about vile people like Travis Bickle and Jake LaMotta but you know what? Those films were great! Highly entertaining, compelling, stunning. This film is not at that level. It's a passable noir.
You know, it's an intelligent, well made film with great directorial restraint by Debra Granik and a fine, star-making performance by Jennifer Lawrence, but it's just not very entertaining. Critics would complain about Scorsese making pictures about vile people like Travis Bickle and Jake LaMotta but you know what? Those films were great! Highly entertaining, compelling, stunning. This film is not at that level. It's a passable noir.
Don't Look Back (2009)***
Very entertaining French psychological thriller featuring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. That's more than enough reasons to see the film.
Very entertaining French psychological thriller featuring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. That's more than enough reasons to see the film.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mailbag: Charlie Sheen, 9/11 Truthers, Oil Prices | Rolling Stone Politics | Taibblog :
"The blame for all of this is going to be laid at disruptions in the Middle East and other factors, but the inescapable fact is that commodity index speculation was up $80 billion last year, meaning that there was $80 billion of new money coming on the market betting on the rise of commodity prices. The total amount of commodity index speculation approached $400 billion last year, meaning the amount of speculative money on the market was roughly twenty times pre-2003 levels – and again, this is all “long-only” speculation, i.e. money betting on prices to go up."
"The blame for all of this is going to be laid at disruptions in the Middle East and other factors, but the inescapable fact is that commodity index speculation was up $80 billion last year, meaning that there was $80 billion of new money coming on the market betting on the rise of commodity prices. The total amount of commodity index speculation approached $400 billion last year, meaning the amount of speculative money on the market was roughly twenty times pre-2003 levels – and again, this is all “long-only” speculation, i.e. money betting on prices to go up."
NFL becomes victim of its own success | ProFootballTalk:
"The NFL’s success has suddenly become a weakness. The NFL and its players don’t have the luxury to wait until August before they look like greedy fools that take their success for granted. Fans are understandably outraged that the richest league in the country is in a work stoppage — even though it’s only March."
Another false equivalence. There was a CBA, collective bargaining agreement, in place that the OWNERS decided they wanted to abandon. Why can't sports "journalists" get this right? The players were perfectly happy with the CBA as it stood and apparently everyone was making A LOT of money with it. The true greedy party in this dispute is quite clearly the owners. They are the ones who decided to renegotiate this thing, not the players.
"The NFL’s success has suddenly become a weakness. The NFL and its players don’t have the luxury to wait until August before they look like greedy fools that take their success for granted. Fans are understandably outraged that the richest league in the country is in a work stoppage — even though it’s only March."
Another false equivalence. There was a CBA, collective bargaining agreement, in place that the OWNERS decided they wanted to abandon. Why can't sports "journalists" get this right? The players were perfectly happy with the CBA as it stood and apparently everyone was making A LOT of money with it. The true greedy party in this dispute is quite clearly the owners. They are the ones who decided to renegotiate this thing, not the players.
Leaving (2009)***
Trying to beat Isabelle Huppert at her own game, Kristin Scott Thomas is a knockout as a married bourgoisie who falls in love, perhaps for the first time in her life. Trouble is it's not with her husband and he doesn't like that, to say the least. Great performance by Thomas.
Trying to beat Isabelle Huppert at her own game, Kristin Scott Thomas is a knockout as a married bourgoisie who falls in love, perhaps for the first time in her life. Trouble is it's not with her husband and he doesn't like that, to say the least. Great performance by Thomas.
Little Caesar (1931)**
Influential gangster picture with a star-making performance by Edward G. Robinson, but it doesn't date well at all. Most of the acting is in that very broad silent film type style. Threadbare script and production.
Influential gangster picture with a star-making performance by Edward G. Robinson, but it doesn't date well at all. Most of the acting is in that very broad silent film type style. Threadbare script and production.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Megamind (2010)*
Completely forgettable CGI animated riff on superheroes. Superman meets Shrek. Not a good thing.
Completely forgettable CGI animated riff on superheroes. Superman meets Shrek. Not a good thing.
Watership Down (1978)***
Excellent animated version of Richard Adams's novel about a group of rabbits longing to be free. Quite moving in places.
Excellent animated version of Richard Adams's novel about a group of rabbits longing to be free. Quite moving in places.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)****
Magnificent debut film from Sofia Coppola. Perfectly captures mid '70's teenage angst which is astounding since Ms. Coppola was born in 1971. The way the actors look and move and talk is remarkable. Exceptional use of period music. A directing tour de force. Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett are outstanding.
Magnificent debut film from Sofia Coppola. Perfectly captures mid '70's teenage angst which is astounding since Ms. Coppola was born in 1971. The way the actors look and move and talk is remarkable. Exceptional use of period music. A directing tour de force. Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett are outstanding.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Rango (2011)***
Ups the ante on Pixar for CGI prowess. Incredibly realistic animation for everything except actual human beings although they come pretty close. The story is weird and meandering and not entirely coherent and maybe it is profound but I didn't get it. Funny in parts but doesn't resonate as a complete and satisfying tale. Too long and feels it.
Ups the ante on Pixar for CGI prowess. Incredibly realistic animation for everything except actual human beings although they come pretty close. The story is weird and meandering and not entirely coherent and maybe it is profound but I didn't get it. Funny in parts but doesn't resonate as a complete and satisfying tale. Too long and feels it.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
The Swan (1956)**
Alec Guinness is fine as usual but miscast as a prince hunting for a princess. Grace Kelly is lovely as usual but the picture drags too often and a few lively sequences and a fine ending cannot compensate.
Alec Guinness is fine as usual but miscast as a prince hunting for a princess. Grace Kelly is lovely as usual but the picture drags too often and a few lively sequences and a fine ending cannot compensate.
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