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Jul 20

Where The Wild Things Are Not

I am a very big fan of Dave Eggers, and I’m excited to see his first screenplay, for Where The Wild Things Are, which is being directed by Spike Jonze, another man of whom I am quite a fan. Unfortunately, the release date has been pushed back repeatedly, and now apparently the studio wants some scenes reshot because the film’s tone is too dark. I know we’re living in a world where all kids movies seem to need to be Shrek the Third, but it didn’t always used to be this way. Remember Dumbo?

What a frightening-freaking movie. But even for a kid, I think there’s something to this. Kids may not like intense horror movies, but they like some range of emotion. It doesn’t all have to be saccharine sweet.

Here’s a test clip that got leaked.

Spike Jonzes says this is an embarassingly early test, but even so, it feels totally on track to me. I really think this movie needs to come out now, before the studios can screw it up. Have Eggers or Jonze given us any reason not to trust them?

Jul 12

Say what you will about Pitchfork, but their music festival, held in Chicago every year, is amazing. I went in ‘07, and it was one of the most enjoyable two days of my life.

Within this video, you can find the moments I:

1) Fell for the New Pornographers

and 2) Fell for Kathryn Calder (Forget Neko Case).

The sound’s not great, but you get the idea, I think.

UPDATE: The Pitchfork.tv site is being really flakey, so I pulled a video from YouTube instead. Here’s the original link to Pitchfork.

Jul 9

"Our research in an animal model establishes a causal link between abstinence from alcohol drinking and depression."

Jun 14

Better in context, but still worth memorizing and bringing out at most inappropriate times.

A cool site to discover new music: The Sixty One

“Don’t be afraid to ask for credit, for our way of refusing is very polite.” Paths of Glory quote. I love an eloquantly worded defensive of atheism. In this scene, a(n innocent) man on death row is being told to turn to God, because, hell, why not? He replies: Where I live, there’s a bar, and above the counter is a sign that reads:

FOX News refers to Michelle Obama as Barack’s “baby mama.” Get it?? Get it?? Because black people don’t have children in wedlock, so “wife” would be an incorrect term.