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December 31, 2004
December 31st Film Releases
It is the last day (okay evening, I got off to a late start) of 2004, and we all know what that means - the studios are pushing our their last attempts at Oscar nominations. Movies with good buzz, but executives were unsure if it was Oscar worthy buzz.
So now you can push these out in hopes of generating some late breaking Oscar quality talk, without looking like a schmuck if it doesn't work out and you get completely ignored in the nomination process.
In my eyes, you'll still look like a schmuck.
1) In Good Company
2) The Merchant of Venice
3) A Love Song for Bobby Long
Beyond the Sea
If it weren’t for the fact that this was a biopic of Bobby Darrin, the movie would have been more appropriately titled, "Jerks and the Gorgeous Women the Mysteriously Love Them." No doubt entertaining, but there are far better choices available and this will be out on DVD soon Sandra Dee.
In Good Company
I was tempted to ignore this weekend entirely, but I really wanted to talk about this picture.
A good husband and father gets demoted and then a young and uncertain business school grad gets his old job and becomes his boss. The fresh-faced manager then falls in love with his subordinate's daughter, which adds new layers to an already complicated work relationship.
It looks funny, poignant, and touches on the nature of pride verses responsibility and the bond between fathers and daughters.
Crap like that always brings me to tears.
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
Don't bother. It's all about a guy who's so depressed he feels that killing the President is the only solution. Because he's depressed, it makes for a very slow movie, which makes you depressed, and no good can come of that.
The Merchant of Venice
Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fines, and Al Pachino interpret the words of Shakespeare. How can you go wrong?
A Love Song for Bobby Long
I guess Scarlett Johanson has been a very busy girl. Here she plays young (almost but not quite) white trash, who co-inherits a house in New Orleans along with a ner-do-well English professor and his protégé. She moves in and begins to change things for the better.
It sounds tired but the dialogue seems interesting.
Posted by xx - Ms. Lauren - xx at 5:48 PM | TrackBack
December 28, 2004
Gifts for the Office Machiavellian
Just when you thought it was safe to sexually harass people in the workplace, executives can now buy desktop guillotines, hypnodisks, and siege engines!
Apparently they all work dangerously well, but I would much rather keep them as a source of implied power through intimidation rather than actual use, or out of just plain morbidity. Well, maybe I would use the guillotine to cut grapes and carrots into more manageable pieces (possibly in front of an incompetent subordinate). I could also play with the ballista nervously during an annual review while popping uppers faster than a second grader going through ritalin withdrawal.
I wish I could collect them all like free prizes in Happy Meals. Only in my perfect world (sigh).
Posted by xx - Ms. Lauren - xx at 7:53 PM | TrackBack
December 22, 2004
Music for Hamsters
I don't often invite my dad to punk shows, but I did tonight. He called it, "A music for hamsters on speed."
There you go. He also said of one of the bands, "This is a band that just completed their 4th music lesson ever today." Even so, he, master hamster, ended up bopping along...
Posted by Ms. Jen at 11:15 PM | TrackBack
December 9, 2004
December 10th Film Releases
This Hanukkah weekend we have been gifted with two movies. Two. I may be a little rusty on my Judaism here, but I'm pretty sure we're entitled to EIGHT days of presents. Two is for the goyem. Eight is whole reason Hanukkah kicks Santa's ass. Don't cheapen it.
And they say Jews run Hollywood.
1) Ocean's 12
2) Blade Trinity
3) Closer (released last week, but I'm trying to catch up)
Ocean's 12
And the Lord sayeth, "Women - I gift onto you the handsome presence and charm of George Clooney." And there was much rejoicing. Then the Lord speaketh, "Ladies you have endured much hardship - I bless you with the all powerful good looks of Brad Pitt." And domesticated animals were sacrificed in His name. This pleased the Lord and he announceth, "Girlfriends thou art awesome! Enjoy yourself a hunk of Matt Damon." And all womankind threw themselves into a fit of unbridled mirth.
Guys may enjoy this movie too.
Blade Trinity
Wesley Snipes gives vampire hunting one last shot by going after the first vampire. I hear it’s all of the stuff you loved about the first two without all the crap that made you want a refund.
The casting alone is interesting enough to be worth the price of admission. Parker Posey, HHH, Jessica Beals, and Ryan Reynolds. An indie queen, a pro-wrestler, a choir girl, and a hottie known for lukewarm comedy. Huh?
Closer
My favorite topic! Screwed up people doing screwed up things (to each other).
Finally, someone gave Clive Owen (aka Super Hotness) a role where he can show some personality and actually, well, act. It's about time. If he did one more stoic hero movie I was going to have to cut him from my list of potential soul mates.
Posted by xx - Ms. Lauren - xx at 8:44 PM | TrackBack
December 7, 2004
New York Dolls Redux
The New York Dolls, sans Johnny Thunders, have reformed briefly this year for the Meltdown Festival last summer and a few shows here and there this fall.
David Johansen speaks about the reunion, the good "bad" old days, and other funny bits today on Fresh Air.
Posted by Ms. Jen at 1:29 PM | TrackBack
December 2, 2004
The 3 P's
The longer I live, the more stunned I am at the juvenile petty behavior that occasionally pops up in various folks who are old enough to hopefully know better.
The area of life that I see frequently petty, juvenile behavior that surprises me is the ultra insular psychobilly scene. Psychobilly is fun. It is good music. I like psychobilly. But as someone who would like to book the bands at a venue or write about them or .... I have come up against more silliness than any other underground scene. Odd, but true.
Today was a prime examble of the 3 P's - Petty Political Psychobillies. Yep, an international band that we booked at Alex's cancelled late this afternoon for very spurious reasons. As the day unfolded I spent much time on the phone trying to decipher what was up, at the end of the day I knew three things:
1) The Rezurex rock. Daniel and co. are men of their word and honor. Need way say more? Oh, yeah, they are hot and make good music, too. ;oD
2) Certain European bands would rather shoot themselves in the foot over some bizarre point of misguided honor against the promoter from the night before, who was not us, than just play music they love and make their long suffering fans happy. Odd but true.
3) When bands cancel for byzantine reasons late the day of the show, fans from the Moreno Valley and South Orange County who drive to Alex's are very unhappy. If you play music for a living, don't you live to make your fans happpy so that they can worship your little self some more????
Did I say that The Rezurex are lovely men who saved the evening?
Hey Tim, Sign the Rezurex. They rock and are men of their word.
