Non-movie Endorsements
Music Video: Deerhoof “Secret Mobilization”
Against the vastness of the American desert plain, the beginning of “Secret Mobilization” strikes as a classic country western anthem. By the 0:30 mark, the song springboards into the avant garde pluckings that register on a noise scale only Deerhoof know how to navigate, bringing all the things indie rock they’ve pioneered, present and forefront. … Read more
Practice Space: Regina Spektor
There’s something about these snapshot-interview-following performances that get me every time. Sure, it’s Regina Spektor. What’s not to like? She’s a gorgeous singer/songwriter whose infectiousness could make skinning a newborn kitten adorkable (yeah, I said it). In this particular 4 minute peek, a plethora of quirks and idiosyncrasies come out. Like a Russian nesting doll, more and … Read more
“In The Loop”
Dir. Armando Iannucci 2009 If you’re in a satirical mood in search for something cynical of foreign policy, the war on terror, Washington bureaucracy, and the meat grinder tabloid-inclined septic tank that is contemporary news media, then look no further—In The Loop is your jam. Lightning fast with sharp-tongued jokes rounding every corner, this black … Read more
“The Girlfriend Experience”
Dir. Steven Soderbergh 2009 Before Entourage, there was this. Before this, there was porn. Who is Sasha Grey, and do we care to know? Clearly, and emphatically, we do. I mean, why would I, or anyone else, watch The Girlfriend Experience? Sure, two industry elites (whose bodies of work I respect tremendously) came together for … Read more
“Punching The Clown”
Dir. Gregori Viens 2009 Where most blokes (comedies) are playing at ten, Punching The Clown goes one louder. Eleven. Why the Spinal Tap reference? Because Punching The Clown is on that level of comedic brilliance. It follows Henry Phillips, a struggling singer-songwriter-comedian who lives out of his car and is somewhat a buffoon. When asked … Read more
“The Brain That Wouldn’t Die”
Dir. Joseph Green 1962 “Alive…without a body…fed by an unspeakable horror from hell!” What a tagline. The poster of this movie made me watch this movie. Just look at it. It’s on that ultra cool shit. Wild title. Severed head. Cyclops brain. Straight away, I thought Re-Animator. If you got no clue what I’m talking … Read more
Yours Truly: King Krule “Portrait in Black and Blue”
King Krule – Portrait in Black and Blue from Yours Truly on Vimeo. I’ve been following Yours Truly and Pitchfork for a while now, and it’s gems like this that make me glad I do. King Krule’s singer/guitarist, Archy Marshall, sounds like Randy Newman if he had a speech impediment (redundant?). But it’s no handicap. … Read more
“No Strings Attached”
Dir. Ivan Reitman 2011 There’s one movie I watched in 2011 which made me regret every penny of admission and that’s Black Swan. I didn’t care for Natalie Portman’s character or her bony structure, and as far as her dancing goes, I was unconvinced. I left the theater asking myself how Aronofsky managed to ruin … Read more
“Mystery Team”
Dir. Dan Eckman 2009 Fans of Community’s Donald Glover shouldn’t run to Mystery Team—they should run their cursor to the nearest Netflix link (below) and watch it like now. Its heart and grade-school-naivety could very well be a zany offshoot of Troy and Abed yet its raunch and perversion evokes Glover’s Hyde-rap-persona, Childish Gambino. It’s … Read more
“The Atomic Cafe”
Dir. Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, Pierce Rafferty 1982 Once, my brother and I shoved nicknacks in a coffee can and buried it. I guess we were looking for an elaborate way to lose shit because we didn’t mark where. A cornucopia of action figures and note-to-selves forever lost on account of our mindlessness. The Atomic … Read more
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