Tue - January 23, 2007

Non-Disposable Hero Alert

It's encouraging to find another musician, who, like Tracy Chapman, asks: "Why are the missiles called peacekeepers, when they're aimed to kill?"

Michael Franti was even willing to travel around Iraq with his guitar asking these kinds of questions--and filmed a moving documentary in the process. I'd heard of one of his previous bands, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, but knew next to nothing about Franti before a friend invited us to watch his copy of I Know I'm Not Alone.

In an interview with Mother Jones, he was asked: "What were some of the biggest dangers you faced?" His reply was: "Driving out of the Baghdad airport when we first got off the plane, there were two cars blown up coming into the airport—bodies inside them, the cars were still on fire. There were soldiers all around pointing their weapons in ready position. We tried to videotape it, and the driver, who we had just met, slammed the video camera out of our hands and said, “Don’t ever shoot any U.S. military operations, or else they’re going to open fire on our vehicle.” That was just the awakening."

Let's just say the movie gave me goosebumps. And I've heard that his shows are near-religious experiences, so I'm hoping to see him live in concert in the next few months. His music can be described as funk, hip-hop, reggae, etc., but the common denominator is his deft, heartfelt lyrics. And although they lean toward political topics, Franti said in his film, "This trip made me realize one very important thing, which is that I’m not on the side of the Americans, Iraqis, Israelis, or Palestinians. I’m on the side of the peacemakers...whichever country they come from.” My kind of guy.

Posted at 10:35 PM     |

Tue - January 16, 2007

Little Miss Can't Be Sunshine

I can't remember the last time a movie made me laugh and cry at the same time...

It may have been Terms of Endearment or Fried Green Tomatoes, but it's been a long time. Then came Little Miss Sunshine. Many of my friends (and even my boss!) recommended it to me. My only complaint is that I wish I hadn't seen the previews (so I won't be spoiling much of the plot here) but it wasn't any less brilliant, even so. The ending really was one of the best on film, even if some of the minor plot points feel as if they came straight out of a fiction writing exercise (ie, write a story in which pornography helps someone escape a difficult situation).

My one burning question, though, is whether British children's author, Roger Hargreaves, got any royalties:


It's almost too perfect that the first line of the book (which I read as a kid) is "Welcome to Miseryland." And I've discovered, I'm not the only one to make this connection.

Posted at 09:59 PM     |

Wed - January 10, 2007

Thu - February 23, 2006

What the Bleep Are They Not Telling Us?

When I first saw What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? at the theater I thought it was completely mindblowing and recommended it to all my friends. Admittedly "What the Bleep" felt more like a television special than a feature film, but I kept thinking that if science had been presented that way when I was in high school I might have been a better student. Not only did it make scientific theories appealing to someone who quit the subject before Chemistry, I also enjoyed how it attempted to integrate science and religion.

I dismissed the crazy blonde lady who'd had too much plastic surgery as "a little out there," but the rest of the interviewees seemed credible. I thought it a great sign of our times that people wanted to think and were hungry for something more. The film echoed themes from I "Heart" Huckabees (in an apparent trend of existentialist films with unfortunate titles) and seemed to mesh well with the concepts Julia Cameron explores in The Artist's Way--like paying attention to synchronicity and making a conscious effort to open yourself up to possibilities... Well it may have been a sign of our times, but if so then a very bad one.

If I had visited the What the Bleep website right away, instead of recently after a rewatch with friends, I would have recognized it for the wacko recruiting video that it is (whether the filmmakers deny it or not). It turns out that the bizarre lady credited as Ramtha at the end of the film, is actually JZ Knight--a woman who claims to be channeling a 35,000 year old warrior spirit from Atlantis. Oh, and the film's three directors are students of hers at the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, as well as at least two of the interviewees... At least one other admitted in Popular Science that his interview was edited to sound as if he agreed with tenets of the sect.

Shame on me for not reading up on it and happily accepting its mysterious science explanations. Much like nutritious snacks, I should've known there was something too enjoyable about the whole thing for it to be healthy. If only I'd read the Seattle Weekly or Salon reviews sooner. And for those who are still curious, you'll find more on Ramtha here and the best review of this year's sequel (read: director's cut re-released as a longer film), What the Bleep Do We Know: Down the Rabbit's Hole here. The best we can hope for is that people who unwittingly swallowed the first one will see this one as the infomercial it is.

Posted at 07:30 PM     |

Mon - July 18, 2005

My Kind of Vegetable

"Sure he was just some Johnny Saucep'n
When he walked into that kitchen
But his genius with the foodstuffs
Got the old chef's tastebuds itchin'"
~Moxy Fruvous, "Johnny Saucep'n"

As my friends can attest, I'm not really that keen on vegetables (especially canned green beans)... but I've loved animated veggies since I heard Larry the Cucumber sing the words, "Oh, where is my Hairbrush?"

But the earnest VeggieTales have been the subject of much ridicule (however funny it may be) and there's a new group of vegetables on the scene who are clean in a totally different way. They're organic!

You gotta watch Store Wars to meet Cuke Skywalker, Ham Solo, Chewbroccoli, Tofu D2, and join the organic rebellion...

And if that's not your bag, you'll just have to wait until October when Lord of the Beans comes out.

Posted at 08:17 AM     |

Sun - July 17, 2005

Depp, The Amazing Chocolatier

"Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I’ve tried"
~Sarah McLachlan, "Ice Cream"

Johnny Depp as Wonka:
"Everything in this room is eatable. Even I'm eatable. But that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is, in fact, frowned upon in most societies."

Cannibalism, anyone?

I just have to say that Charlie & the Chocolate Factory does not disappoint. I'm a huge fan of Gene Wilder's portrayal of Wonka, but Burton's version is definitely more faithful to the book (Charlie & Grandpa Joe never transgress with Fizzy Lifting Drink, and it's squirrels and bad nuts instead of geese and bad eggs), while providing a back-story to Wonka's obsession with candy, and ultimately seems to have more heart. The new film is amazingly cast with Freddie Highmore (of Finding Neverland) as Charlie, Noah Taylor (of Shine and Life Aquatic fame) as Charlie's father, and Helena Bonham Carter (whom I've loved since 1986's Lady Jane and now mother of Burton's kid) as Charlie's mother.

I'm definitely going to see it again--I have a theory brewing about Burton including nods to his other flicks--and I may have to get the Golden Ticket t-shirt, too. The only downside is that Willy Wonka's theme song may be suck in my head for the rest of the year. Oh, and that I have a terrible craving for chocolate now, dammit.

Posted at 11:41 PM     |

Tue - June 21, 2005

Spurlock Spurs Moore Discussion

"Now I’m not looking for absolution
Forgiveness for the things I do
But before you come to any conclusions
Try walking in my shoes"

~Depeche Mode, "Walking in My Shoes"

Remember filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock, of Super Size Me fame? It turns out the former playwright turned Oscar nominee for Best Documentary is still on the list of Ones to Watch. Last month, Penguin-Putnam released his book Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America, and now he has his own television show on the FX channel called 30 Days, where people agree to experiment with their lives for one month.

The concept is great and I caught the tail end of the first episode where he and his girlfriend try out what it's like to live on minimum wage jobs in Columbus, Ohio. It actually looked pretty good--but then I'm just glad there are people like Spurlock and Michael Moore challenging the American people to think--even if I don't agree with everything they say or find their tactics flawless.

The upcoming topics for 30 Days seem interesting--ie, a Christian living as a Muslim, a straight conservative living in San Francisco's gayest neighborhood--but it may just feel like another dumb reality show when Spurlock's not featured as the main character. At any rate, I plan to catch a full episode tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22, at 10pm EST to find out. If you'd like to find out more about this so-called "benevolent muckracker," check out his blog.

For an interesting counterpoint to all this cheer for progressive voices, you should also read this rant by Jennifer Nix called "Sleeping With the Enemy: Why do our favorite progressive writers flock to corporate publishers?" Touche!

Photo Credit: Julie Soefer

Posted at 10:50 PM     |

Tue - June 7, 2005

Better Living Through Death

"Death is the surname of sleep
But the surname unknown to us
Sleep is the daily end of life
A small exercise in death"

~Peter Murphy, "Shy"

Yay--the first episode of the last season of Six Feet Under aired last night on HBO!

I don't really think of myself as being obsessed with death... Yes, I've always secretly wanted to drive a hearse like the one in Harold and Maude, but my inner goth seems to be coming out even more since I turned 30 a few weeks ago.

I know, I did pick up a copy of The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch at a used book sale, but didn't think much of it.

But when I came back from vacation in Hawaii and posted my photos online, I got this email from my cousin:
"Only you would go all the way to HAWAII and come back with a bunch of CEMETERY pictures!!!"

What can I say--a taste for the macabre isn't just for goth breakfast anymore.

Posted at 08:28 AM     |

Mon - January 24, 2005

Dreams Do Come True

"What's this?
I can't believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
Wake up, Jack, this isn't fair
What's this? "

~Jack "Pumpkin King" Skellington
from The Nightmare Before Christmas

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of fellow-lover-of-all-things-creepy, director Tim Burton. I have a Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirt, watch, knit cap, lunchbox, figurines... I even own an action figure of Johnny Depp from his role in Sleepy Hollow--doctor bag and autopsy tools included.

So you can imagine my joy to discover that not only will I get to see his remake of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory with Depp as Wonka (release date: July 15), he's also releasing another stop-action movie called Corpse Bride on Halloween! Dear Johnny is voicing the groom's part, alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson--two of my all-time faves. Honestly, I feel like I'm making this up, it's so dreamy. And both flicks will be scored by genius composer, Danny Elfman, of course--so the fantasy is complete. I'd say I can die now, but I have to see them first!

Posted at 10:24 PM     |

Sun - January 9, 2005

Stevie Nicks: Unlikely Mother of Goth?

Ironic Scene from Sid & Nancy:
Nancy Spungen (played by Chloe Webb) is racing down the street wearing one of Sid Vicious's Mom's flowy dresses, catches her reflection and immediately strips screaming, ""I look like f**king Stevie Nicks!"

To my knowledge, Gypsy 83 is the first coming-of-age movie about goth kids--and it's about time. I may see Stevie Nicks in a whole new light (we all know who the real gothmother is), but there are lots of pluses for a former goth like me: you've got your eye-candy costumes, your graveyard dancing, your Cure & Bauhaus soundtrack, and a roadtrip complete with irritatingly familiar rural gawkers, rude old women, and prank playing frat boys. You've also got the familiar stories of family tragedy/divorce, and the classic relationship of a queer and his fag-hag.

While I think the gay theme is truly important, and the friendship between the two main characters especially poignant--in a way, it's unfortunate that it could either make the film inaccessible to thousands of parents trying to understand their "misfit" boys, or worse, confirm the false suspicion that all goth boys must be homosexuals.

The rest-stop sex scene may be too much for some, but if you do brave renting or buying the DVD, I recommend watching the deleted scene called "The Accident" which gives a lot of important back story and touts an impressive performance by both Sara Rue (of ABC's "Less Than Perfect" fame) and Kett Turton.

If you ask me, the world needs films that address the reality of this sub-culture and I hope we see more of them. In fact, I wish I'd known Gypsy and Clive in my day. Wait a minute, maybe I did...

Posted at 04:13 PM     |

Mon - January 3, 2005