Movie list 2008.

Richard Roeper comments on Chicago and movies.

I'm saving this article for the best movie list of 2008.

READ IT HERE

After reading (the link above), I looked up Shawn Edwards.

If you're unfamiliar with Shawn Edwards, he's a quote whore - a critic who doesn't write reviews (though Edwards does an occasional column for a local magazine in Kansas City), but gives "quotes" to movie companies to put on the promotional material for the movie. The "whore" part comes in when the movie is so bad that few people beyond horney teeagers actually like.

Interesting.

Anyway, here is a list of Roeper's Best Movies of 2008.

Besides the obvious ones, I'm happy to see In Bruges, The Visitor, Frozen River, and Snow Angels made it. I have them on my must see list.

I'm a little surprised Man on a Wire didn't make it.

1. "Slumdog Millionaire"

2. "The Dark Knight"

3. "The Wrestler"

4. "In Bruges"

5. "I've Loved You So Long"

6. "Gran Torino"

7. "Milk"

8. "The Visitor"

9. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"

10. "Frozen River"

11. "Doubt"

12. "Snow Angels"

13. "Frost/Nixon"

14. "The Reader"

15. "Seven Pounds"

16. "Iron Man"

17. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

18. "W."

19. "Henry Poole Is Here"

20. "Burn After Reading"

21. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

22. "WALL-E"

23. "The Bank Job"

24. "Tropic Thunder"

25. "Che"

The Music of Chance.

James Spader has always been interesting.

I just saw him in the season (and series) final of Boston Legal.

His character, Alan Shore, was married to William Shatner's Denny Crane, officiated by Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia (it wasn't for sex).

Crazy show.

That reminded me of an old VHS movie I have starring James Spader:

The Music of Chance.

Quite an interesting cast. I have always thought Joel Gray, while very talented, very creepy.

It includes: James Spader, Mandy Patinkin, M. Emmet Walsh, Charles Durning, Joel Gray, Samantha Mathis, and Chris Penn.

TRAILER: (LINK HERE)

James Nashe (Mandy Patinkin), picks up a ragged drifter by the side of the road one day.

The drifter, Jack Pozzi (James Spader) turns out to be a down on his luck, seedy poker player.

Spader convinces Mandy to back him in a poker game against two eccentric (and harmless???) millionaires who have invited him(them) to their posh mansion.

That's the start of their problems...

From Rotten Tomatoes (some above, all below):

The film, based on Paul Auster's existentialist novel, is laden with symbolism and a growing sense of menace as the story progresses.

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From so what the fuss

Toots.

The Jamaican musical group Toots and the Maytals,

originally called simply The Maytals,

are one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups.

Their sound is a unique, original combination of gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock.

Reggae makes me smile. Puts me in a good mood.

Here are a couple by Toots and the Maytals.

Funky Kingston:

LINK

Pressure Drop.

The Clash covered the song Pressure Drop.

So did Robert Palmer.

Guitarist Izzy Stradlin recorded a version of the song with his sometime band,

the Ju-Ju Hounds.

It is you, oh yeah
It is you, oh yeah

I said a pressure drop,
Oh pressure, oh yeah
Pressure's gonna drop on you
I said pressure drop
Oh pressure, oh yeah
Pressure's gonna drop on you

I said when it drops
Oh you gonna feel it
Oh that you were doin' it wrong, wrong, wrong
Now when it drops
Oh you gonna feel it
That you were doin' it wrong and how

I said when it drops
You gonna feel it
That you've been doin' it wrong
Now when it drops, drop
You gonna feel it
That you've been doin' wrong

Now when it drops, drop
Feel it
You make the wrong move
Now when it drops, drop
You gonna feel it
That you've been it doin' wrong

I said, pressure drop
Oh pressure, oh yeah
Pressure's gonna drop on you
Pressure drop
Oh pressure, oh yeah
Pressure's gonna drop on you

Now when it drops on your dirty little head
Where you gonna go?
It's you, you, you
When it drop on, oh you're gonna feel it
What you're doing is wrong, wrong, wrong
Pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure...
I said a pressure drop

LINK

The Bothersome Man.

Dystopia (dîs-to´pê-e) noun

1. An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.2. A work describing such a place or state: "dystopias such as Brave New World"

(Times Literary Supplement).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Bothersome Man has been called a surreal dystopia, a dark comedy, a social satire, a Kafka-esque nightmare.

This is a Norwegian film directed by Jens Lien.

It starts out with Andreas (Trond Fausa Aurvaag) falling in front of a subway train.

He awakens on a bus with no idea of his destination.

In the middle of a very stark yet beautiful countryside is a small run down bus stop where Andreas is let off.

He is greeted by a friendly old man who drives him into town where he is presented with a new apartment, clothes, job, and even a wife.

Everything seems almost too good to be true yet there is something wrong. No one shows any real emotion, most things are bland and tasteless.

Escape proves to be impossible.

Finally a crack in wall of his cellar that is streaming beautiful music provides hope.

This film has won many awards including the 2006 ACID Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

I enjoyed it though it took me awhile to get a feel of the direction it was going.

A.u.t.u.m.n.

l(a

le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
li
ness

- e.e. cummings

For those not familiar with typographical /

visual poetry: (that includes me), anyway it says...

1(a... (a leaf falls on loneliness)

Taken last Sunday in my driveway

on a very windy day

summer turning into fall...

leaves blowing in a special way

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!"
- Humbert Wolfe

Worn me down.

Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977 in Arlington, Virginia) is an American singer songwriter and pianist.

She is a Yonsei or fourth-generation Japanese American on her father's side and of Italian and German ancestry on her mother's side.

Very pretty and very talented, her songs have been featured on several TV shows, including How I Met Your Mother, ER , Nip/Tuck, Men in Trees, Alias, One Tree Hill, Brothers & Sisters and The O.C.,

(from wiki)

Worn me down appears on the CD Happenstance.





"Worn Me Down"

Gone, she's gone
How do you feel about it
That's what I thought
You're real torn up about it
And I wish you the best
But I could do without it
And I will, because you've worn me down
Oh, I will, because you've worn me down

Worn me down like a road
I did everything you told
Worn me down to my knees
I did everything to please
But you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her

And you're wrong, you're wrong
I'm not overreacting
Something is off
Why don't we ever believe ourselves
And I, oh, I feel that word for you
And I will, because you've worn me down
Oh, I will because you have worn me down

Worn me down like a road
I did everything you told
Worn me down to my knees
I did everything to please
But you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her

She's so pretty; she's so damn right
But I'm so tired of thinking
About her tonight

Worn me down like a road
I did everything you told
Worn me down to my knees
I did everything to please
But you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her

Worn me down like a road
I did everything you told
Worn me down to my knees
I did everything to please
Worn me down like a road
I did everything you told to me to do
But you, you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her
No, you can't stop thinking about her

Wilco Pledge to Vote.

At Wilcoworld, when you provide your name and email address, and pledge to vote on November 4, Wilco will mail a location to download a cover of Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” recorded (with Fleet Foxes) in Bend Oregon on August 23, 2008.

Bob Dylan's "l Shall be Released" performed by Wilco and Fleet Foxes.

Delta Spirit: Trashcan.

Delta Spirit is based in San Diego.

They have a sound somewhere between indie-rock and alt-country.

They have been know to use unconventional instruments, including trash-can lids.

From their CD, Ode to Sunshine.

Trashcan:

Live at Lou's.

I love how bands will do anything to get their sound out.

A bit surrealistic with people walking by while they are setting up and then performing.

Trashcan, live:

Brothers hold the line till we got something

This world is way too small to feel like nothing

This world is way too small to feel like nothing
I was found near the train tracks looking so homeless at you
You came like a copper
You said, "son it's time to move"

My love is coming I can barely hardly wait around

When my mother left the bat was the only one here
He is just a reason why I'm still here
My mother's well spoken, though I didn't get that gene
But yes, I lost it, and yes, my eyes they are green

My love is coming I can barely hardly wait around

Well if you hide your questions there's no answer
I finally found the cure for my own cancer

My love is coming I can barely hardly wait
My heart is thumping I can feel it more with every beat
My love is coming I can barely hardly wait around

Shoot the moon.

See the moon the other night?

Fantastic.

I only wish I took more pictures.

I was watching the game.

I only noticed it after letting Cubbie out on Monday night.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.

From Almost full moon. The day before it.