Daily consumption: Nov. 7
COMEDY: Louis CK: His second set of the day, and he did seem a bit worn down, but that didn’t particularly detract. Aside from seeming to drop one anecdote, everything was pretty much spot on, with the usual knack for finding the right vulgarity for any situation and the right mix of insight and depression. … Continue reading
Daily Consumption: Nov. 5
No entry for the 4th, because I didn’t actually manage to listen to a single new record or watch a new movie. Hooray for days off. FILM: Pirate Radio: The British version was criticized for its length, but I doubt that’ll be the main issue with the new, 20-minute-shorter cut. It’s a heck of a … Continue reading
Daily consumption: More Nov. 3
FILM: The 400 Blows: Aside from accidentally asking for a ticket to The 200 Blows (lowered expectations, maybe?), this one went fairly well. A fantastic movie, although it’s hard for me to see exactly what was so revolutionary about it. I assume it’s just that it offers a realistic depiction of youth and juvenile delinquency … Continue reading
Daily consumption: Nov. 2 and 3
I am going to attempt to make note of all of the movies I watch, CDs I listen to and so on for as long as I can keep up the habit. Likely, this will not last, but it seems worth a shot. Most of the CDs are on in the background while I work, … Continue reading
The ultimate meet-cute: Pseudo-doc’s appeal depends on your tolerance of twee
Your appreciation for Paper Heart, a doc/mockumentary about love, will be closely tied to your appreciation for quirk. Co-star Michael Cera is probably the best barometer: If you find his awkward stammering irresistible, the movie will likely resonate. If the thought of the Arrested Development star wooing an even more awkward comedienne is anathema to … Continue reading
Film review: Unmistaken Child
Depending on your perspective, there are two separate storylines running through the documentary Unmistaken Child. If you believe in reincarnation, director Nati Baratz has captured the story of Buddhist monk Tenzin Zopa’s quest to find the newest corporeal form of his late master, Geshe Lama Konchog. He and other experts examine everything from astrological charts … Continue reading
Review of Law Abiding Citizen
Director F. Gary Gray’s Law Abiding Citizen wants to be all things to all people. In its opening scenes, it quickly moves from home-invasion horror to legal drama and torture porn before eventually settling comfortably into the thriller template. Beneath it all, it also aims to be an allegory on both America’s domestic justice system … Continue reading
Review of Where the Wild Things Are
With the possible exception of Calvin & Hobbes, it’s hard to think of a property that would be trickier to adapt than Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. The book only contains nine sentences, but it also holds a great deal of sentimental value to a great many readers, who were drawn in by … Continue reading
Review of Enlighten Up
Skepticism is a healthy trait in documentary filmmaking. After all, without a healthy mistrust of their subjects, documentarians would basically be PR flaks. With Enlighten Up, first-time director Kate Churchill attempts to provide a skeptic’s view of yoga. The twist is that Churchill is a firm believer in the practice as both a physical and … Continue reading
Review of Dead Snow
All you need to know about Dead Snow is in the press photo that accompanies this story: It is a movie about zombies who are also Nazis. If the idea of combining the tenets of National Socialism with an unyielding thirst for flesh and brains strikes you as silly, ridiculous or just plain dumb, read … Continue reading
The Consumption 