Monthly Archive for October, 2008

With Halloween Spirit: Some Things That Scare Me

Published
by
Chris
on October 31, 2008
in Daily Blog and Politico
. 0 Comments


Though some of these may read as petty annoyances. It’s the larger implications that some of the items on this list may have on the world at large that scare me. My fear is real. So without further ado…

Being buried alive.

Being burned alive.

Being attacked by a shark.

Drowning after being tied up, attached to an anchor and thrown overboard.

Being attacked by a shark while drowning.

Obama’s infomercial

McCain’s everything

Gary Busey

Following a pattern.

Becoming part of a cycle.

Dying in some lame household accident like slipping in the tub or falling off a chair and breaking my neck while trying to change a lightbulb.

The fact that we don’t have the right to die with dignity in this country.

Justin Bobby’s hold on Audrina. It’s otherworldly.

That my once-atheist father got baptized at an alternative church a couple of weeks ago.

Elderly east side Armenian men. They don’t’ say much. They just sit and play backgammon and chain smoke cigars and give me strange looks when I walk by. When I say ‘hi,’ they turn away. I have to wonder what they’re planning.

Homophobes

Racists

Florida

Anybody in a cult other than Santeria.

Girls that can’t walk in high heels, but still wear them.

Feet

Priests

Germs

People who are sick and shake your hand without telling you first.

Impotence

Parkinson’s

Altzheimer’s

Dementia in general unless self-induced.

Springheel Jack

Stupid and/or violent people breeding.

People that get married because that’s ‘just what you do.’

Most people

Bush’s last stand, specifically the special-ops actions in Syria and bombings in Pakistan. And even though I’ll be totally stooping to his level when I do this, I’m going to punch that motherfucker in the face if I ever get the chance. I don’t care if he’s 80 years old. I’ll wait until some library dedication ceremony, put out my hand like I wanna shake his, do a switcheroo and give him a big fat knuckle sandwich. And when he’s on the ground holding his face, going ‘what’d you do that for?!” I’m going to loom over, point in his face and say, “that one’s for America motherfucker. That one’s for the world!”

The ease with which people can consitently lie to each other’s faces.

That Fallout Boy is still wildly popular amongst alternateens. Their new single is like an emo ZZ Top light as if produced by Jermaine Dupri. WTF? Seriously?

The man dressed in black that I lucid dream about who sits across the room from me in my old school desk chair and watches me sleep. He’s been sitting there for years and refuses to leave sometimes, even when I turn on the light.

Crackheads when they’re looking to score.

Methheads when they run out of shit to do.

People who paint their bodies and faces in their favorite sport’s team’s colors and attend sporting events.

Drunk soldiers

AA

Aspartame

Spray tans

And people who use the world ‘chic.’

Track of the Week (23 Years Late): Toothpaste “Oh Yeah Come On”

Published
by
Chris
on October 31, 2008
in Daily Blog and Track of the Week
. 1 Comment

Apparently Toothpaste played around the Chicago Punk scene between 1981 and 1985. The cover of their 1983 album satirizes Led Zeppelin’s first album cover substituting an exploding TOOTHPASTE tube instead of a fiery Hindenburg.

I don’t know if they’ve reformed or what, but the track’s dope. Makes me want to take my Powerll Peralta Tommy Guerrero (the first one w/out the flames), skate off loading dock behind the Jewel a few times and then go smoke cigarettes. Here’s it is…

For more on Toothpaste check out their Myspace where they list Fyodor Dostoevsky alongside the Suicide Girls in their top friends.

Now I love Obama

Published
by
Chris
on October 30, 2008
in Daily Blog and Politico
. 0 Comments


As much as the next youngish moderate liberal, but that whole half-hour infomercial last night was a bit too Big Brother for me.

Prime time on 7 networks? For real?!

It was hard for me to watch. No matter how encouraging and reassuring the message was intended to be, it felt like the intent was fueled by an assumption that he will win. It played as more like a lube job for the first year of an Obama presidency than a way to guaranty a win.

If McCain did it, it would be an act of desperation, but this felt contrived. He didn’t need to convince his base. He’s already been accused of being too slick for some and I’m not sure that a blowing an truckload of money on this Hollywood teaser for the upcoming Ron Howard directed docu-drama epic ‘Obama the President,’ was the best way to persuade skeptical swing voters that he’s not.

Feel like it should have been shown after he wins next Tuesday or 30 years from now, after he’s done two terms as president, at the dedication ceremony of some giant marble Obama monument in the center of some palatial Washington D.C. park.

I’m watching it again now and of course I like what he’s saying. I love this motherfucker, but it’s still freaking me out.

Am I alone in this? Wouldn’t be the first time.

If you didn’t see it last night, here’s the first part:

Part of the Weekend Never Dies

Published
by
Chris
on October 30, 2008
in Cinema Chat, Daily Blog and Soulwax
. 0 Comments

Flux screened the U.S. premiere of the Radio Soulwax “Part of the Weekend Never Dies” Tuesday night at the Montalban.

The film, shot on a single camera over 120 dates in 5 countries by Saam Farahmand, opened with an unexpected, charming half-spoken/half sung animation that introduced the Dewaele brothers overlapping projects: Soulwax, 2 Many DJ’s and Soulwax Night Versions. From there, Farahmand’s flick blasted out of the gate with sick footage of people around the planet universally losing their fucking minds at Soulwax shows.

To its advantage, the movie played like a two-hour extended remix of a what a typical three act documentary would be.

Simple effective sound-driven imagery and electric editing stood in where many of the talking head interviews might normally be. It appeared that, whether the decision was made in production or the editing room later, Farahmand chose to take the viewer on tour rather than explain life on the road to the them. Good choice.

Farahmand employed some simple successful techniques to keep the film in motion and the viewer engaged like that of a slow pan that transitioned from scene-to-scene, show-to-show, city-to-city and gave us the feeling we were globetrotting with the band.

‘One’ could argue that Farahmand did little to provide the viewer with any information about the backgrounds and lives of his subjects outside the world of Soulwax and ‘one’ would be right, but that’s not to say the movie isn’t a success. When you assume the life of a touring musician you’re constantly looking forward. You’re forced to. And reflection for many artists, impossible to achieve without solitude, ends up becoming part of the sound.

I expected nothing and had a blast. I was bouncing in my seat throughout and cheering along with the crowd. But that being said, seeing this flick in a proper theater on a huge screen with a few hundred people buzzed on tons of free booze, definitely added to the overall movie-going experience.

Have to wonder if it will translate to the small screen. Guess I’ll have to wait until it comes out on DVD and watch it a second time to find out.

I actually don’t think the trailer does it justice, but here it is anyway.

Smile Yet Today?

Published
by
Chris
on October 29, 2008
in Daily Blog and Politico
. 0 Comments

This one’s on me.

Chicago VS. Cleveland in a Battle to the Def?

Published
by
Chris
on October 29, 2008
in Daily Blog and Hollywood Holt
. 0 Comments

I know the title doesn’t make complete sense, but I like the way it reads.

Anyway, Hollywood Holt sent me his response to the challenge Cleveland’s 2 Boogie posed to him through me when I met him during ‘The Last Road Trip.’

I have to hand it Mr. Holt for his fairly even-keeled response to 2 Boogie’s threats. I know Nigel’s not afraid to throw a punch, so it’s nice see he’s willing to evolve for the sake of art and solve this on the dance floor.

World leaders take note: DIPLOMACY STARTS ON THE DANCE FLOOR.

I’d like to think this whole thing will end in a Midwestern ‘Thriller/West Side Story” style dance-off somewhere between Chicago and Cleveland. Detroit maybe?

8 Mile, high noon: Brakes squeal. Traffic stops. Backbiter Marv Albert (aka Marvin Philip Aufrichti) struts out between them, dressed in women’s lingerie and a flowing blonde wig and describes the scene to television viewers as two men enter, Holt on one side, 2 Boogie on the other, and one man leaves.

Let’s do this.

Video thumbnail. Click to play
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And if you haven’t seen Cleveland B-Body 2 Boogie’s Original Battle Challenge, here it is…
Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click to play

Man on Wire

Published
by
Chris
on October 28, 2008
in Cinema Chat and Daily Blog
. 0 Comments

When asked why he decided to risk his life and walk a wire suspended between the rooftops of the World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974, Philippe Petit simply answered, “There is no “”why.’’”

Fuck yes he did!

Probably should have written about this movie when I first saw it a couple of months back, but I figured it wasn’t playing in theaters anymore.

I was wrong.

It’s still running in some places, and for good reason. It’s one of those rare films where you’re still riveted by every moment even though you know how it’s going to end.

Instead of retelling the tale of Petit’s 1974 wire walk in the typical talking head/stock footage-combo documentary fashion, director James Marsh instead explores Petit and company’s 6 ½ year adventure with all the style and suspense of a classic heist movie.

So for those of looking for a reason your ass out of bed in the morning, here’s your reason for today and I’ll let the Philippe take it from there.

McCain Survives Vietnam/Narrowly Escapes ‘Meet The Press.’

Published
by
Chris
on October 27, 2008
in Daily Blog and Politico
. 0 Comments

It was ‘belligerence as usual’ for the American hero as he argued with Tom Brokaw over the results of a recent NBC poll, and then, staring down a 12 point Obama lead, guaranteed a win for himself, telling Brokaw they’d be up late election night.

When Brokaw attempted to question him further regarding matters of public opinion, McCain flatly refused to answer questions based on any polls that he didn’t agree with; polls including those conducted by NBC, ABC and The Washington Post.

Tom then brought up Colin Powell’s endorsement of Obama. McCain said he was disappointed in Powell, but bragged about how happy he was to have the endorsements of five other former Secretary of State.

Cornered and on the defense, McCain tried to drop the names off the top of his head while twisting the life out of an innocent Sharpie, and in a sad ‘senior moment,’ forgot one of the five.

Red in the face, the old man crunched his brow, tried again, tapping out the count with his side of his hand on the desk to help himself along and forget the final name AGAIN!

Embarrassed for him, Brokaw quickly moved to another question and a few seconds in to the lead in, McCain exploded. ‘George Schultz!’ he howled over Brokaw, with a big stupid grin, apologizing to Mr. Schultz before allowing Brokaw to continue.

When asked about defending Palin in the press, McCain claimed he didn’t have to ‘defend’ Palin, instead insisting that he was ‘proud of her,’ then went on a rant defending her again.

When questioned about his talk of Obama being a socialist, he defended his position lamely and was unable to do much to separate himself from video clips where he aligned himself not only with Bush in the past, but also with Barack at times.

I could go on forever, but what scares me the most is how angry he is. So angry.

To me his weather-beaten, war-torn mind has traveled far beyond delusion at this point. He projects this sense of entitlement when he speaks as if the White House were his ‘destiny,’ that his whole life led up to this moment and the country owes him for his service.

At times during the interview, it felt like he was seconds away from hopping over the table and choking Brokaw to death with his bare hands, all the while screaming, ‘I was in a fucking cage! Don’t you get it?! I was in a cage for five fucking years, man!’

But he didn’t. Thankfully.

And now for your viewing enjoyment I bring you “Dramatic McCain,” submitted by “Invisible Forces.” Thank you “Invisible Forces.”

Misery Loves Company

Published
by
Chris
on October 27, 2008
in Cinema Chat and Daily Blog
. 0 Comments

When Spike Jonez introduced ‘Synecdoche, New York’ at the Flux screening last Tuesday he said he had texted Charlie Kaufman to ask him what he wanted to tell the audience at the Montalban about the film and that Charlie texted back something like, ‘Tell them I don’t want to talk about his film anymore.’

Everybody chuckled. Thought he was kidding.

Apparently he wasn’t.

It’s sad and true what Charlie Kaufman says about the business and the process in this interview and yet somehow my sad and selfish self felt better yesterday after reading it. Thank you Charlie. I feel less crazy now.

‘Synecdoche, New York’ is another piece of Charlie Kaufman’s soul - LA Times

Are you a feminist?

Published
by
Chris
on October 24, 2008
in Daily Blog and Politico
. 0 Comments

Simple question, right?

fem·i·nist:
person whose beliefs and behavior are based on feminism.

fem·i·nism:
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests

Not for Sarah Palin.

Last month she answered “I do,” when Katie Couric asked if she considered herself a feminist, but check out the transcript of her equally inept and evasive response to Brian Williams when asked the same question on NBC Nightly News last night. (The second paragraph’s my favorite).

PALIN: I’m not going to label myself anything, Brian. And I think that’s what annoys a lot of Americans, especially in a political campaign, is to start trying to label different parts of America, different backgrounds, different–I’m not going to put a label on myself. But I do believe in women’s rights, I believe in equal rights, and I am so thankful I was brought up in a family where really gender has never been an issue. I was expected, growing up in a–in a family that was very athletic, very active, very much into equal opportunities and education and everything else, to–I was expected to do the same thing that the guys were doing. And that has been a good foundation, too, for me in the position that I’m now as his running mate, understanding that, hey, gender’s not going to–this isn’t going to hold me back.

In fact, it’s time for women to be provided that opportunity to finally shatter that highest and hardest glass ceiling that is still in place in America’s political system. But we’re going to shatter that because I think more and more American women are recognizing, `Right on. We’ve got someone whom we can believe in also, someone who is committed to putting our country first, who recognizes that the life/family balance that’s so necessary, as we try to progress our families and the businesses that we own.’ We recognize that they can see and be someone committed to protecting our small businesses so that more jobs can be created, someone who is committed, also, to supporting John McCain in the strategies that we need in place to win these wars so that our families, our children are safe in this homeland. So I’m not going to label myself feminist or not, but I do believe that American women can recognize in me an advocate and a friend. And I want to be in the White House for them.