Spielberg Face

Chromeo Video

You know that feeling when you go outside and it seems like everyone's gone.  No cars, no people walking around, and it's sort of like you might be the last person on Earth but you know there might be someone else still alive whom also happens to be the love of your life and the two of you will steal cars and dance around the shopping mall?  Or when you see a Back To the Future poster?
I sort of feel that when I watch Chromeo videos.
These are from their most recent album, Business Casual.

When The Night Falls


Hot Mess


Don't Turn The Lights On


Night By Night

What's Your Lake House?

This one is equally offensive

Don't judge a movie by it's awful DVD cover

Everyone has a movie that... 

1.  Is not popular.
2.  Is not hated.
3.  Hasn't won major awards.
4.  Is not a sequel.
5.  Is not a cult classic.
6.  No group considers it a guilty pleasure.
7.  The lead roles are well known actors.
8.  Didn't have a big budget.
9.  Is not independent.
10.  And most people don't believe you when you say it's good.

Mine is The Lake House.  I expressed my fondness of this film to two of my friends.  One of which immediately responded, "Mine's The Skeleton Key."  The other doesn't understand the concept as his is The Lord of the Rings.

What's your Lake House?

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Why do I like the The Lake House? Click here to find out.

Treasure Quest

Zeus - The ROV used by the Odyssey Marine Exploration team to explore the ocean floor

The recent announcement that there is over $250 million of silver at the bottom of the ocean has peaked my interest in treasure hunting.  Apparently there are over one hundred shipwrecks containing an estimated value of at least $50 million.  What the what?!

Looking back at my childhood I had no dreams of being anything.  But if I had, I would have dreamed of hunting treasure.  I've spent hundreds of hours watching the Discovery Channel, only to be left at the end of the hour with questions unanswered.  I owe my unabashed love for television to the Discovery Channel.  A lot of TV's content is trash but I knew I'd never see these places in real life.  Not having cable I'm once again behind the curve as I just discovered the Discovery Channel program, Treasure Quest.  With the first season available on Netflix I watched all thirteen episodes in the last three days.

5 reasons Treasure Quest is totally awesome:
1.  YOU SEE TREASURE!!!
2.  Now that I think about that's enough.

Scary Movies

For anyone looking to celebrate the upcoming holiday with scary movie screenings, I suggest checking out Cinema Du Meep for suggestions.  I guarantee you'll find movies you'll love and haven't seen.  It's a blog run, not by a man, but by a movie computer.  To check it out for yourself, click here.

The awesome mug my Mom just gave me.

Murder By Death

A lot of comedy is based on reference.  The obvious problem is with time the subjects lose relevance.  Murder By Death has this problem.  Sometimes I hate reference based comedy because nobody likes feeling left out of a joke.  Here is a cheat sheet to help.  The photos below are from onscreen adaptations of novels.  I haven't read any of the books so I'm just as much a cheater as you.

Warner Oland as Charlie Chan

SIDNEY WANG is based on the Chinese detective Charlie Chan.  Charlie Chan was originally a character from a book but was popularized by Warner Oland's portrayal of the detective in Charlie Chan Carries On (1931).

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade

SAM DIAMOND is based on the hard-boiled crime fiction characters of the 1930's, most notably Sam Spade from the Dashiell Hammett novel, The Maltese Falcon.  The character became a household name when Humphrey Bogart portrayed Spade in the Warner Bros. 1941 film adaptation.

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot

Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple

JESSICA MARBLES & MILO PERRIER are based on the Agatha Christie characters, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.  The numerous onscreen adaptations of the characters don't come close to the popularity of Christie's novels.

William Powell, Skippy, & Myrna Loy as Nick, Asta, & Nora Charles

DICK & DORA CHARLESTON are based on Nick and Nora Charles from the popular Thin Man film series.  William Powell and Myrna Loy teamed up to make five films between 1936-1947.

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And yes, that is Obi-Wan Kenobi as the blind butler, Jamesir Bensonmum.

Alec Guinness as OB1

Also, Truman Capote makes an appearance as Lional Twain.  I think the character is based on Truman Capote.

Best Casting Ever: Movies

Five of the best and most unlikely casting decisions ever...

#5.  Michael Keaton as Batman in, Batman (1989)

My image of Batman was shaped by Tim Burton's casting of Beetlejuice as the Dark Knight.

#4. Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy in, Bridget Jones's Diary

I wonder what was going through Colin Firth's head when he accepted the role of Mark Darcy after gaining fame playing the exact same role in the 1995 mini-series, Pride & Prejudice.

#3.  Marlene Dietrich as Mexican gypsy, Tanya in Touch of Evil

Orson Welles was clearly being Orson Welles when he decided that he'd cast the actress with the most recognizable German accent as a Mexican.  But it's Dietrich and she can pull anything off.

#2. Nicolas Cage in everything.

My friend recommended this movie that highlights Cage's unique acting style.

#1. Peter Sellers honoring the Charlie Chan character as Sydney Wang in Murder By Death
Charlie Chan is a character made popular in part due to the ridiculousness of Caucasian's playing the Chinese detective.  Sellers is genius.

Friday Night Feature: Manhattan Murder Mystery

Manhattan Murder Mystery is a great movie. Here are five reasons you should watch it tonight.
1.  It's basically Annie Hall: Part 2
2.  Woody Allen snobs hate it. (But probably secretly love it.)  I strongly suggest it for people who don't usually enjoy Allen.
3.  Diane Keaton at her best.
4.  It's currently streaming on Netflix.
5.  Anjelica Huston.

A dead body and a broken elevator, "A neurotics jackpot."

What is Art?

In an earlier post I mentioned liking films that question the fine art community.  In case you wanted to watch a couple I suggest...

Teri Horton with her thrift shop find.

Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollack?, is a documentary about Teri Horton, a retired long haul trucker, and a piece of art she purchased for $5.00.  

Marla Olmstead...poor kid.

My Kid Could Paint That, is a documentary that questions if a toddler is a prodigy, if her father is a fraud, and why the value of the pieces in question are dependent on the maker.

Orson Welles', F is for Fake, questions who decides, what is art?  I got half way through it before deciding it was too much Orson Welles.  But some people can't get enough of him, so there you go.

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To read my aforementioned post click here.

Revenge

 ABC's new 1 hour drama is supposedly a retelling of Alexandre Dumas', The Count of Monte Cristo.  They go so far as to credit him as a writer.  I'm not sure how he would feel about Edmond's reincarnation as Emily -a beautiful blonde determined to financially ruin those who falsely accused her father of crimes he did not commit.  Revenge isn't great.  Not even really good.  But there are two, maybe three things about the show that will have me tuning in tomorrow night.

1.  Emily delivers.  Emily has succesfully ruined two people, 1/episode.  She does so without remorse all the while being bombarded by flashbacks of little Emily before she lost her father.  As a viewer, I can't help but be on her side.  The formula will eventually become stale when at some point she'll run out of believable victims, develop a conscience, or a love interest. 

2.  Watching the game unfold.  She has the awesome ability to predict the actions of everyone around her as only a rich, beautiful orphan can.

3.  Revenge.  We all want a little.

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If you want more revenge watch: Machine Girl - To read my post on it click here.

Street Art: Melrose

Melrose, between Fairfax and La Brea has some beautiful street art.  With nothing to do on Saturday I took some photos of the rotating art in the Hollywood area.

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Photos 1 and 5 Courtesy of Tim Seitter

Me Wizard

Hot Nights

Follow the leader...

Delta Force

Delta Force can be watched in its entirety on YouTube.  The 1986 film stars Hanna Schygulla, Chuck Norris, Lainie Kazan, and Robert Forster plays a guy named Abdul.

For the second half click here.

Too Hot

 I find it strange when people talk about celebrities as though they are friends.  When their personalities are discussed, admired for their beliefs, or when people believe their character as truth.   This is not a rant about the overly processed parade of palatable misfits churned out for mass consumption.  I appreciate the process and all those who contribute to the molding of the fake humans we love so much.  But I will never look at a performer and think their actions or words are in any way real or without prompt.  I bring this up because the greater public, including myself find it distasteful when a star makes the facade known by acting out of character.  It's beyond irritating when pop stars become slightly self-aware and as a result get hard.  You have been molded like plastic, please stay in your candy coated shell where you belong.

This brings me to the point of this semi-rant, Alanis Morissette.  Morissette made all the moves that would generally cause me to roll my eyes.  She started off one way and we all know how she ended.  But in her case, I sincerely believe that every one of Morissette’s actions is her own.  I believe the heartache of Jagged Little Pill.  I believe it left her without the will to dance.  I believe that both Alanis’ coexist and the earlier didn’t require erasing for the other to get a little mad.  I also believe that the below video is Alanis hanging out with friends and a camera just happened to be present.
 

Lode Runner

"What's that computer game where a ninja looking guy runs around in a mossy maze?"
After years of asking, I finally got the answer.  "Are they collecting gold?" my office mate asked in response.  "Sure."  I can't remember.  With no hemming or hawing he responded with Lode Runner.  This isn't Oregon Trail buddy.  I didn't ask, "What's that computer game we played in school where our electronic family ventured west to manifest destiny, had multiple options of how to get the wagon across a river, killed oxen, and could potentially die of a snakebite or dysentery?"  No, that was not my question.  My question was a vague attempt at describing what could have very well been an adolescent hallucination induced by those awful Nescape sounds.  But he was right.