:::the week in film:::

sorry for the slow site this past week, promise to update with some new treats later this week including the Boris/Michio Kurihara collaboration…this week’s film viewings were far less than stellar…blah…

:::Idiocracy:::should’ve listened to the reviews here…i understand the satire, i understand the undertones…i also understand that neither make it a very funny film. Rating – 40

:::V For Vendetta:::slim pickings when this is the best movie I saw this week. pretty entertaining if further proof of the troubles with adapting alan moore work effectively. Rating – 65

:::La Haine:::didn’t get what thrilled folks about this one. seemed like typical french fare to me. an ok watch. Rating – 58

:::Twentynine Palms:::an utter exercise in banality. the shocking final 15 minutes far from make it worth sitting through the first 100. Rating – 29 (pun intended)

let’s hope this week is better. i’ll be watching the first of Nicolas Wendig Refn’s “Pusher Trilogy”, “A Scanner Darkly” and most likely a couple others.

:::the week in film:::

this week i saw one absolutely brilliant film and three fair-to-midling types. you can guess by the headline image which one was the good one…

:::Don’t Come Knocking:::i’m sure i’ll give this a few more points than it deserves because i really like wim wenders, but honestly it’s just not that good. some beautiful shots early but otherwise not much to even look at. Rating – 50

:::Lady Vengeance:::i’ll start by stating that chan wook park is at the forefront of visual and stylistic direction in today’s cinema. i’ll follow up by saying his films lack so much in the script/plotting area that it severely dulls the impact. the “vengeance” trilogy couldn’t have ended any sooner for me. don’t get me wrong, i enjoyed each film, but strictly on their visual and stylistic merits, and little else. would love to see park perhaps follow up with a more subtle, restrained script…his talents are far too great to waste in a singular arena. Rating – 70

:::Kiss Kiss Bang bang:::fairly enjoyable mystery-comedy. nothing that’s can’t miss but enjoyable enough if you have a night to waste. Rating – 72

:::Children of Men:::now for the good stuff…so much better than i could ever have imagined cuaron was even capable of. without seeming cliche, i was completely rivetted to the screen and thought to myself the whole time “i can’t remember the last time i saw something so good on the big screen”….and that’s my recommendation to you, dear reader…see it ON THE BIG SCREEN. if you don’t like it, blame me or god…if you do, you have taste. Rating – 95

linkin’ park

thought i’d do a links post to shout out folks doin’ good thangs round the internets…

gorilla vs. bear is killin it lately with great tracks from marissa nadler and panda bear from upcoming albums…there’s a new update on foxy d with a feature on valerio cosi, tons of new reviews and a great new podcast…said the gramophone, as mentioned previously, has been ringing in the new year introducing us to some quality never-heard-of artists…definitely check out the aforementioned basia bulat as well as the francois virot track from yesterday…professor biblioklept is running a brilliant blogcourse in ontology, which we should all participate in…speaking of links, hop over to the ceaselessly original and interesting tomorrowland for a gaggle of links to the weird, wacky and just plain fresh…sir longlunch espouses on the orwellian nightmare and plenty of other tasty morsels…and last but least, everyone’s favorite assitant-to-the-regional-manager has posted a new blog for our enjoyment…dig in, people.

jesus presents: the best of television:::2006

a long deliberated top 10 TV series of ‘06…granted i just started watching showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter, and probably some others…this was the best stuff of ‘06, a pretty freakin awesome year for the tele…

10:::Always Sunny in Philadelphia:::the only FX show i have ever really watched…i checked this one out on a co-worker’s suggestion and it’s hilarious. a bit of a rip on the “Arrested Development” brand of humor but has it’s own thing going. check it out.

9:::Big Love:::i was far from blown away by this show, yet somehow found myself plopped on the couch watching it every sunday. more really high quality HBO fare.

8:::The Sopranos:::seemed like a bit of a tweener season for the always top notch mob series. still, better than most anything on the tube. HBO is the king of tv.

7:::Project Runway:::yes i love project runway…no that doesn’t make me question my sexuality.

6:::Battlestar Galactica:::too many people have preconceived notions about this show. trust me, it’s nothing like you imagine. watch it.

5:::Heroes:::this show was light years better than i ever expected…the comic book geek deep within me revelled. and the wife even liked it!

4:::The Office:::admittedly the current season is a bit of a dropoff from the previous one, still probably the funniest thing currently running.

3:::The Wire:::i am so hooked it’s not funny. going back and watching the three previous seasons now.

2:::Deadwood:::HBO again! plain and simple, the best show on the best channel.

and….the # 1 show of 2006 is…………………………

1:::Countdown with Keith Olbermann:::the only news show i’ve ever gotten addicted to…i watch this show every single night. that’s the main reason it’s #1…this is a 5 night a week show that never ceases to be entertaining and informative. watch it at your own risk!

motherfolkers

posting a few tracks from a few lady folksters that i think the world should enjoy…

Marissa Nadler is set to release her third album, entitled Songs III: Bird on the Water, the follow-up to 2005’s excellent The Saga of Mayflower May. i’m not sure if this version of this track will be on the album or not, but if it’s any indication, Songs could be her best material yet…
Diamond Heart

all praise due to said the gramophone for introducing me to this next artist, who looks to be fairly promising to blow up this year. Basia Bulat is yet another promising Canadian artist reminding us that they’re doing much better than us yanks lately. check out the track for proof…
Pilgriming Vine

and just to round it out with a solid trio, and oldie but greatie. she’s worked with Antony, Current 93, and is a street and circus legend. if you haven’t heard of Baby Dee i highly recommend you become acquainted. for fans of Antony and the like…in fact think Antony with alot more pain and sadness and introspection…yes i’m sure that’s hard to imagine…so here it is…
Lilacs

:::the week in film:::

in between watching tons of episodes of the wire and no reservations and partying like it was 2007, i managed to squeeze in a few flicks this week. here goes…

A Zed and Two Noughts - the first Greenaway film i’ve watched all the way through and suffice to say i will be seeing many more. he’s got a fantastically original visual style and narrative sense. can’t wait to see more. Rating – 80/100

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story – Winterbottom outdid himself on this one. Steve Coogan and Rob Cordry are great and the story is weaved perfectly. See it. Rating – 82/100

The Player – i’m a huge Altman fan, but his body of work is so huge that it’s hard to find time to see them all. this was one of his better known films that i hadn’t seen. i found it a bit dated, but his scripts are always enjoyable and feature of course a great ensemble cast. Rating -76/100

The Vice Guide to Travel - not so much a film as a series of short vignettes about the folks from Vice Magazine’s travels to some of the stranger parts of the world. when i say short, i mean VERY short. this could’ve been truly great, but the vignettes max out at about 6 minutes each and that’s hardly enough time to really nail anything home, though i do commend the bunch on how much they managed to fit in those timeframes. Rating – 75/100