Sunday, July 31, 2005

Sometimes good people do evil things.

It's a slow Sunday, I just watched A Simple Plan and I guess it's been a while since I've seen it because the movie really just rocked my socks. What a fucking heartbreaker, definitely sam raimi's best and most certainly billy bob and bill paxton best performacnces. What's so amazing about it is that you have these horrific and terrible things happening and you never once suspend disbelief. I imagine some people would but for me, throughout the film, I keep imagining to myself what would I do in that situation and anytime a movie creeps into your subconcious like that and makes you contemplate unspeakable things given the situation it makes for one damn poweful movie experience. Just so people know, that doesn't mean I am looking for an excuse to commit homicide or steal a bag of money I found in a crashed airplane. I just mean when you watch the film and understand the situation these people are in, you see that they are not acting out of malicious greed or homicidal insanity. They simply see murder, mayhem, and other forms of chaos as a means to an end, to them it's merely a process of rational thought. It's a very terrifying prospect seeing ordinary human beings do these things to each other, but that is probably what puts it above your average every day thriller like stealth for example. I remember seeing A Simple Plan and Affliction during the same winter of 1998, I think those two films single handedly turned me against winter for the rest of my life. Maybe its the uniform desolation that exists in those snow drenched towns or the fact that in both of those films, miserable people to miserable things to each other with no hope for salvation and not because they want to either. It's a shame because I used to love winter time, damn movies. Now I'm going to watch My Man Godfrey which the back of the dvd jewel case said is the definitive screwball comedy. I could use a laugh.

"Make it look like the bad guys did it, Hank."

Friday, July 29, 2005

..also that my cat smells nice and is pretty

That song is about a cat by the way.

wop a din din

Nice, a brew ha ha over my last post. You will survive the bloody mayhem? Only time will tell.

I had an early 90's flashback yesterday but not one of those stupid lame ass faux nostalgia ones they have on vh1 all the time with shitty comedians making obvious jokes about dated trends. I listened to nevermind and vs. yesterday, I've been listening to nirvana a lot ever since I saw last days. While I definitely don't think they were the mythic saviors of rock and roll like the media painted them out to be but they are definitely a consistenly solid band with some really great songwriting to boot. Pearl Jam on the other hand matured in a way that nobody really knew how to deal with so they pretty much ignored them. I know that sounds bitter but I listen to each progressive album and I think they just get better and better in a way that the great bands truly do. Yet for some reason, people wanted them to do the same shit over and over again. Whatever, Vs. after 11 years is still a kick ass piece of hot rock and i Think the song rearview mirror is my favorite rock song of all time. Nevermind is pretty damn good too, although I must say, my favorite nirvana album of all time is Unplugged in New York and their best studio album is in utero. In Utero is very difficult to listen to because you know that if cobain wasn't so screwed up nirvana could have matured into an amazing band (Based on that album), at the same time part of the album's genius is the insight cobain is able to achieve because he is so screwed up, being creative sucks apparently.

This song is for all the pet lovers in the house, and for all those who will see them soon.

She's got big green eyes
And a long Egyptian face
She moves across the floor
At her own pace
When I'm here in bed
She'll jump up on my chest
And when we lock eyes there's so much love
I wanna cry

She comes in near
When I scratch under her ear
And she lifts her head
When I kiss around her neck

Won't go to sleep
When she falls along my side
And two green eyes fade
To a porcelain marble white
And somehow when I sleep
She'll end up at my feet
And if I roll and kick her out
I might knock her to the ground
But she'll come back anyhow

Ella es muy vital
más triste que salir el sol
pura como el agua

The morning comes
She squints up to shield out the sun
And she'll go and lay
In the warmest dusty rays
And I hold her face
She lays perfectly in place
And she'll yawn and stretch
And stare me down expressionless
And lay back down into her nest

And if someone calls
She'll race me out the hall
When she hears the phone
Then she knows I'm leaving home
She don't wanna be alone

And I know it's wrong
That I'm going away so long
And for her it's rough
I can't be with her enough
But I'll never give her enough

Ella es muy vital
más triste que salir el sol
pura como el agua

And somehow when I sleep
She'll end up at my feet
And if I roll and kick her out
I might knock her to the ground
But she'll come back anyhow

Enjoy stealth everyone...

Thursday, July 28, 2005

take the soul in the hole...

Since I seem to have offended some the blue noses with yesterday's post. I will write a legitimate one with this here post. Something for you guys to think about...

Black Columnists Rap Rap Movie
Hustle & Flow received mostly positive reviews when it opened on Friday and was the second-highest grosser on a per-theater basis (behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), but the film is receiving decidedly mixed notices from African-American columnists. New York Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch calls it, "the latest update of blaxploitation and the most recent neo-minstrel development in black popular culture." He also expresses disappointment that the film was produced by John Singleton with support from Spike Lee and Will Smith. He writes: "This is not minor because all three of these men have previously remained removed from celebrating the sort of scum that this film -- and that the worst of the rap industry -- raises high from the dung heap of popular culture at its most irresponsible and dehumanizing." Wendi C. Thomas, writing in the Memphis Commercial Appeal (the film was shot in Memphis), writes that the film is "giving me nightmares," noting that the city is depicted as a place populated by "pimps given to preachifying, prostitutes as dumb as they are loyal, and block after block of some of the most rundown neighborhoods this side of Ethiopia." A lot of money was spent in Memphis by the filmmakers, Thomas notes, "but all money isn't good money, especially if the money is made pimping on the silver screen the worst Memphis has to offer." On the other hand, Armond White, writing in the New York Press, comments that the film "isn't really about a pimp. Its concern is with the emotional turmoil a man faces while dealing with women on top of the social difficulties that beset impoverished black men." And Desson Thomson in the Washington Post calls the film "rather wonderful .. a surprisingly charming story that -- in certain sections -- almost crystallizes into the sweetness of a Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical."

later days,
-e

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Ow, it's hot...the butter in my pocket is melting!

I'm at work, normally I don't do this. I have a respectable internship and I don't want to take advantge of it but I have a few minutes so I am going to post some thoughts about the unbearable heat that has been bestowed upon us these last couple of days. Consider if you will the following primers...




"Man, it's hot! How hot is it? It's so hot, I poured McDonalds coffee in my lap to cool off! Johnny Carson said it."

"Wow! That ice dispenser is so big, the ice crushes you! Yakov Smirnov said it.
"No he didn't."

"Strange... Why would Nixon - an awkward, uncomfortable man - suddenly throw a party? One of the most social events imaginable! It's a trap is why!"

PEACE OUT Y'ALL!!!!!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Baby Jesus Born to Rock

That last song was too depressing, here's a bloopy....


remember last year when you were on your own
you swore the spirit couldn't be found
december rolled around and you were counting on it
to roll out

well, everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas

well everybody's lookin' for you down at the house
the tree is looking so inspired
there's a yuletide groove waitin' for you to move
i'll go and throw another log on the fire

everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas

as days go by the more we need friends
and the harder they are to find
if i could have a friend like you all my life
well i guess i'd be doin' just fine

everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas
everything's gonna be cool this christmas

Chumps and Chumpettes

Just a song today...

This is the place
You'll end up when
You lose the chase
Where you're dragged against your will
From a basement on the hill
All anybody knows is
You're not like them
They hit you in the head
And send you back to bed
Isolation called you and passed a tunnel into a
Bright world where you can rule a place of state
Here's a little house for you to stay
But everybody's scared of this place
They're staying away
Your little house on memory lane
The mayor's name is fear
His voice patrols the pier
By a mountain up of cliche
That advances everyday
The doctor speak in clowns
He rings out loud
He'll keep the doors and windows shut
And swear
Never join a soul again
But isolation chased you ‘til every muscle ached
Down the only road it ever takes
But everybody's scared of this place
They're staying away
Your little house on memory lane
If it's your decision
To be open about yourself
Be careful or else
Be careful or else
Uncomfortable apart
It's all written on my chart
That I take what's given to me
Most cooperatively
I do what people say
And lie in bed all day
Absolutely horrified
I hope you're satisfied
Isolation pushes past something and chained to
A place where suffering’s a game
But everybody's scared of this place
They're staying away
Your little house on memory lane
Your little house on memory lane

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Anderson-Esque

Just saw a film that is supposed to come out in october, it's called the squid and the whale. Much love to Bone for getting me into the press screening tonight. It's directed by Noah Baumbach who co-wrote Life Aquatic with Wes Anderson, and I can't tell who came first because they've obviously inspired each other. Squid and the Whale has the kind of melon-comedic tone that anderson has perfected over the years. It's about a family going through a divorce amongst other things, I won't describe any more because I feel it's best to go into these kinds of movies without a lot of pre-knowledge. Anyway it's obviously one of those lived-in movies, where you can tell some of these scenes have been lifted directly from real life. The movie is really funny and touching in such an unforced way, movies like this always seem to lift me up. It's nice to see that you can convey years worth of regret with just a look or a throw-away line. Anderson has also become the master of this. Anyway you should check it out when it comes out in theatres, I'd like to see it again. Again, thank you tess. I really appreciate it.

Yesterday during work a 75 year old woman said I had a nice voice on the phone and asked me if I was interested in the mormon church. I guess people with only nice voices can join the mormon church, I don't know if it's a compliment. Do I want to have a mormon voice? She also said she didn't believe in credit cards, and she's never used them, that's pretty admirable like people who don't watch T.V.

I guess that's enough.

Royal takes the dalmation over to Chas.
ROYAL I got you a new dog for the boys.
Chas looks at the dalmation. He looks back to Royal.
CHAS What’s this?
ROYAL I just bought him.
CHAS You did?
Royal nods. Silence.
ROYAL I’m sorry I let you down, Chas. All of you. I’ve been trying to make it up to you.
Royal holds out the leash. Chas hesitates. He takes it.
CHAS What’s his name?
ROYAL (quietly) Sparkplug.
CHAS Thank you.
ROYAL You’re welcome.
Chas suddenly starts crying. He stares at the ground.
CHAS We’ve had a rough year, Dad.
ROYAL I know you have, Chassie.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

me no speaka da english

Sorry about that last post, it's kind of late and I suck at grammar. Fill in the errors as best you see fit. Thanks

-ethan

Emotions are dumb...and should be hated.

So I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory friday night, and I gotta say, I loved it. But before I get into that, I gotta say a few things about this, which hopefully will trigger some honest debate. I love the original, it was the very first movies I discovered I could watch over and over again, that could probably attributed to a fondess for the writing of Roald Dahl, but I digress. I stole a copy from my friend Tim when I was maybe 7 or 8 maybe older and there's something so lovely about watching that movie after a couple of years. That being said, I was totally not against the remake, in fact I was all for it. First of all, the official version of Charlie is not this film, it's not the 71 version, it's the book. So as far as I'm concerned, the only one that really matters is the book, so by that deduction, this film is not a remake. It's a re-interpretation of the original text, and as far as I'm concerned, this story is one of my favorites, Tim Burton is one of my favorites how could I possibly be upset about this combination. In that vein, being someone who adores the original, I completely understand the opposition to the film, I see the mindset, I however disagree.
So, the movie, it rocks, it is one of the most exhilirating visual experiences I have ever had in a movie theatres, let alone with a Tim Burton film. It was like he had to hole himself for a while, drive himself crazy and spill that craziness all over the page, this movie is definitely in tone with pee-wee more than any of his other films and I love that about it.
The oompa loompas are better in this film than they were in the original, as much as I love them, their numbers in 71 were a little standard, the lyrics are great but the presentation lacked any kind of flair. Burton goes absolutely ass kicking crazy with it this time, the references piled on top of one another, and just the choreographed madness of it all, trying to figure out how his team pulled it off is maddening. Danny Elfman blows almost all of his earlier work out of the water with this film, this is definitely up there with nightmare before christmas, if not better.
Freddie Highmore's performance goes so much deeper and more soulful than the original charlie did, you really get to see the sadness that seeps through all of charlie's kind acts. Sure he's a really sweet kid, but you see that kind of come through as a sense of desperation, like doing kind things is the only bright spot in this guy's life.
Johnny Depp, now this is where most of the debate will start between admirers of the original film and this one. For me, neither performance is better than the other. I think Johnny Depp is a much better actor than Gene Wilder, and I feel his performance is a little more complicated and braver, but on the whole they both work and accomplish what each was trying to do plus more. Which is what I think was Depp's goal, to have his own version of willy wonka, and he definitely succeeded because you walk out of the theatre not imaginging anyone else being able to play this role, except for Gene Wilder of course. Wilder's wonka is still amazing to watch, just how funny and fake he seems, he makes me laugh every time.
There were some things I missed of course, like all of wonka's little poetic references and all the jokes he makes at the kid's expense, there are some of those their but with Depp it's more like a fellow kid teasing another, whereas Wilder is a grown man making fun of children. I missed wonka wash, I didn't really miss fizzy lifting drink (That along with cheer up charlie were always the two parts of the film i fast fowarded through when I was a kid). But theses are things that work in the original just like there are things that work only in this film. What I'm most happy with is now I have a choice between two radically different takes on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story, one to whatch depending on whatever mood I happen to be in, if I'm in a Tim Burtony kind of mood than i watch his. If I'm in a Mel Stuart mood, I watch his. What more could I ask for as a fan than two versions of one story that I both love.

Speaking of fans, something else I noticed today. I completely understand people getting sick of star wars and just wishing it would go away. I experienced something similar today with the release of the new harry potter book, I just wish it would go away. Yes, I am one of those miserable party poopers who has never read a single line of Rowling and probably never will, that stuff doesn't really interest me. Plus I think the movies are kind of lame, except for the last one which was slightly less lame. I don't mean to put down the Potter franchise, i totally understand why people dig it, having such a complex and large story interwoven into a series of books must be enormously satisfying. It just does nothing to me and since it is such a giant entity in our culture, I can't help but become surrounded by it and thus dislike it more. I personally think Roald Dahl did this stuff much better, but what do I know.

If you don't mind, I'll be shutting down for a while....

"Can your heart still break once it's stopped beating?"

Monday, July 11, 2005

Where were you in '02?

Inspiration has just struck me. Okay this is probably going to sound really lame, but it's something that I really really want to do. Obviously, the imaginary friend movie is first (a new source of inspiration has struck me for that, but I have to talk to nate first to make sure its cool) But anyway, I want my first full script to be a high school teen epic, it will be the teen movie to end all teen movies, okay maybe not but I'll try. The main conceit will be about a relationship (obviously) that rises and falls, that's all I got. And it will be a combination of say anything, chasing amy, and all the real girls, three of the greatest romance/couple movies ever made. But what's really getting me going is the totally unoriginal plan I have for the music and soundtrack. If anybody has seen american graffiti, and they should its basically dazed and confused but instead of drugs its about cars. The soundtrack though is incredible, even though I really don't dig any of that late 50's early 60's rock and roll music, but it's wall to wall pop songs, no score, just songs. I heard Lucas even wrote the script to certain songs and with certain songs in mind. So with this teen epic, the one i would like to write, I'm going to completely ape off of that concept, and forsake a score in favor of wall to wall emo type music. Now this will either be the most embarassing thing ever made, or slightly better than that. But my thinking is people who hate emo type music will at least accept the fact that this is part of the culture of the movie, kind of like the rock and roll of graffiti. So there we go, that's all i got, music and a main plot but that should be enough to get me going. I've always wanted to make a teen movie, I feel like they're such fertile ground for a really emotional story but they always get bogged down by mtv shit and demographics, they always feel the need to be hip and now. I don't want none of that shit, and who knows if it can be pulled of, but the idea would be to go for the big T-word, timeless. Kind of like American Graffiti, weird that the lucas movie that inspired me in this way isn't star wars, what does that mean? Diddly shit, star wars will always rock my socks. And the movie will have soo many references....



Hey man, I'm sorry if I scared ya!
You're gonna hafta do one hell of a lot more than that to scare me!
Hey I've been lookin' all over for ya man. Didn't nobody tell ya I was lookin' for ya?
Man, I can't keep track of all you punks runnin' 'round here backwards.
Hey you're s'posed to be the fastest thing in the Valley man, but that can't be your car. It must be your mama's car! I'm sorta' embarrassed to be this close to ya!
Yeah, well I'm not surprised, drivin' a field car!
Field car? What's a field car?
:A field car runs through the fields, droppin' cow shit all over the place to make the lettuce grow.
Ha ha! That's pretty good! Say, I like the color of your car there. What's that s'posed to be? Sort of a cross between piss yella' and puke green ain't it?
Well, you call that a paint job, but it's pretty ugly. I bet you got to sneak up on the pumps just to get a little air in your tires!
Well at least I don't have to pull over to the side just to let a funeral go by man.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Entroducing...

I just saw an ESPN segment about Jeffrey Jordan, Michael's 16 year old son. Jeffrey is playing at the McDonalds high school all american basketball camp, going into his junior year of high school. Apparently, he says he's decent. Anyway the point of all this is despite the obvious shit this kid is going to face because of his name, I found it kind of touching. Now, I am fully aware this will sound weird but just bear with me. You see I remember watching one of those Michael Jordan basektball videos, (I think it was Air Time, somebody correct me if I'm wrong) when I was a kid and seeing Older Jordan playing basketball with his kids when they couldn't have been any older than 6 or 7 years old. And there's something about seeing him as a kid then and now he's sixteen years old and playing basektball, it's like I pseudo-watched him grow up. I mean, obviously I didn't but I do know that if he ever becomes a professional basketball player, I'll have a new jordan to root for. Won't be the same but maybe it will get me to watch the NBA again.

Anyway, what I wanted to write about, rather copy and paste from a website were the lyrics to a song I haven't really stopped listening to since the cd came out. And now after the London attacks, it's taken on a whole new meaning for me. The song is called Lord, I Know We Don't Talk and it's by kevin devine. Anyway the song is about a guy asking god to prove his existence by stopping the terror our country seems to be reigning down upon the world. Or so I thought, when I first heard the song I said to myself, oh yeah anti-war song, nice. But after last week I remembered (I don't know how I forgot), that there are a lot of other people out there who like to blow shit up indiscriminately thinking they have the might of God on their side.

In a motel room,
with the Bible out,
combing scripture for answers about
what's happening now.
I can't believe my eyes,
and I just can't trust my ears,
but I've heard a man can always come find
some solace here.

Lord, I know that we don't talk
often at all anymore,
but desperate folks do desperate things,
so I'm stapling this note to your door.

Please: turn the ship around,
and lock the course in place,
and keep the train tracks nailed to the ground,
but pull the emergency brake.
I've lost my faith in man
just like I once lost faith in you,
and I've been covering all kinds of ground
thinkin' hard 'bout what else I could lose.
And I know how I look, to come crawling back,
acting like you owe me proof,
but this is bigger than me,
and I think it's bigger than you too.

So if this gets to you,
if you ever come home,
just know I won't be awaiting the postman.
I will not be glued to my phone.
I'll know a change has come,
I'll know that you exist,
when all our bombs stop exploding and when
all of our landmines are stripped.
When we stop blowing up strangers' houses
and making orphans of innocent kids,
and people stop thinking the world's theirs for the taking
'cuz your will once told them it is.

'Til then, I'm gonna shake my head,
I'm gonna bite my tongue
when people tell me, "Have faith and be patient.
We're waiting for God to show up."
'Til then, it's one more skeptical song.
But I'll be glad as hell
if you come prove me wrong.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

I'd rather forget the days we spent trying to stay afloat in shallow water.

I have an assignment to all the readers of this blog, since there are so many of you and some even think I'm still retired.
I was eating lunch in cosi today and there was a large group of tourists taking up at least four tables around me. At first I was annoyed by all their shenanigans especially since one of them had a mcdonalds cup with them. Not that cosi is elegant dining or anything, but come on mcdonalds, pull your head out of your ass. Anyway one of them noticed this too and said something like, mcdonalds! we're in new york and you are eating at mcdonalds! I thought this was interesting because new york has never been an exotic place to me but that's probably because we've always lived within comfortable driving distance and we have friends who live here longer than i can remember. The point of all this is, some people, probably from the middle and opposite coast and many other areas of the country, hold new york in the same regard as a foreign country. It's like there's a different culture, different set of customs and things you ordinarily do in your normal life are considered irrelevant here. That being said, it got me thinking that while I have kind of lived here for almost three years now (kind of being i've never owned the place where i live and have never stayed continuously for more than 5 months), I really know nothing about this city. It's still that place with the huge buildings and cool stores, it's not exotic enough to make me a tourist but it definitely hasn't been personalized to any extent, but i really want it to be. So I what i want you good folks to do is to contribute your favorite spots in any part of the city, they could be anywhere. An example is a park nate showed me and mom a little while ago, I cant remember where it was, but you should remember navigatin' nate. To wrap this crap up, I'm not excluding this list to any particular set of locations, it could be the empire state building, it could be a bench in Bed-Stuy. Anyway let me know, cause I'm trying to figure this city out. I guess that's all, oh and I should also mention, my freaking voicemail is set up so you can all sleep easy tonight. There I said it.

But don't go feelin' all stuck and shamed for your damned ol' dad,
'cuz I've seen troubles that could kill ten stronger men.
It's just that all this weight from la-la-livin's
been catchin' fire in my hands.
Well, fuck this town, son. I wanna make 'em crawl again.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Now Miss Leela, on the date in question, were you or were you not wearing a hoop skirt?

I remember the first time I met Elliott Smith- it was at a party in Portland, OR. He was telling me about a new band he was starting called Heatmiser, I remember him being shy, yet incredibly warm and funny. Afterward, every time I read an article about him or heard people speak of him, it colored him as a sad recluse, much like his music implied.

Elliott Smith's fragile, character-driven songs feature desperate people harboring sad illusions, substance addictions and aching longings; his lyrics seem to act as a sort of confessional for the troubles of friends and strangers. He sand as if he were in a constant state of feeling lost, which resonates with anyone who feels they lack a home. And that was the genius of Elliott Smith- he enveloped you and made you feel with him and never for him. Writing music that makes people truly ache is a rare talent, as it means you have given your soul to your art. I've never felt that assessment to be more accurate than when applied to Elliott Smith, a songwriter who was all soul, who was always searching, and who has hopefully found at last that elusive feeling of going home.

-some guy named Buddy Humberston

Note: I am not trying to suggest that I somehow see myself in elliott smith, that guy dealt with shit I could probably never dream of (knock on wood that is). But this was a really nice summary of his work and his music really kicks ass. Let's hope he's found some peace.

Good day to you.