R-A-B-L-O-G

re: “The World’s Greatest Dad”

January 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Just finished the Robin Williams starring, Bobcat Goldthwait directed, ‘The World’s Greatest Dad’. Despite the fact that it stars Robin Williams and that the poster looks like a ‘Robin Williams type’ of movie, it is not. This is a GOOD movie, not to be confused with what Robin Williams has become known for. This is a movie about a father whose son dies while masturbating and the father (Williams) tries to play it off as a suicide to deflect the shame. Unlike Big Fan, this is meant to be a black comedy as much of Goldthwait’s material is. Or all of it. There’s just a really good balance of comedy and tragedy here and none of it feels forced. It could have been less lighthearted, but that would have detracted and it could have been more serious but that would have ruined the fun.

This movie is also on Netflix Instant. Go watch it.

It also has a pretty good soundtrack and a cameo by Bruce Hornsby. One particular song that stuck out is called “I Hope I Become A Ghost” by The Deadly Syndrome and it is up on their Myspace and you should maybe listen to it.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts · Reviews
Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

re: “Big Fan”

January 19, 2010 · 1 Comment

I just finished the movie ‘Big Fan’ starring Patton Oswalt. I enjoy the man’s comedy (when it’s not in an animated movie or sitcom), and I knew going into this that it wasn’t a comedy thanks to this NPR interview. It’s a tragedy about a guy named Paul (Oswalt) who lives with his mother, works as a parking a garage attendant and lives and breathes for NY Giants football. I couldn’t care less about football, this isn’t a sports movie. As is mentioned in the NPR interview, it’s a bit like ‘Taxi Driver’.

Big Fan

If you wanted to you could find plenty to laugh about in this movie. It just depends on how you take it. It borders on being a black comedy, but is really just sad. It’s a weird combination that only this writer/director, Robert Siegel, would probably pull off. He used to write/edit for The Onion and then came and wrote ‘The Wrestler’ which is also a tragedy with some humor to be derived rom it.

It’s on Netflix Instant. Go watch it.

→ 1 CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts · Reviews
Tagged: , , ,

Google Chrome

January 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I stopped using Google Chrome and went back to using Firefox. I use a Mac so I was one of the people waiting so long to get to use Chrome and it was cool. Really, all it made me realize was that there was stuff in Firefox I never knew existed. I decided I didn’t like how Chrome handles the storage/clearing of browsing history and I’m also applying to jobs and many of the application programs don’t work with Chrome (though a few still don’t work with Firefox either).

Oh well. That’s two strikes for Google now: Chrome and Wave. But my phone is a G1 so I guess they have me no matter what.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , ,

Playlist

January 11, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I made an iTunes playlist to listen to while editing/revising “I AM FINE”.

Dreamworld 4:45 Rilo Kiley Under The Blacklight
My Favorite Accident 3:20 Motion City Soundtrack I Am The Movie
Third Engine 3:40 Saves The Day Through Being Cool
Little Black Heart 4:02 The Early November The Mother, The Mechanic, and the Path
Last To Know 2:37 Pop Unknown If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra
The Future Freaks Me Out 3:37 Motion City Soundtrack I Am The Movie
Man And Wife, The Latter (Damaged Goods) 3:42 Desaparecidos Read Music / Speak Spanish
Young Dumb and Stung 3:26 Say Anything Say Anything
Track 08 3:18 Justin Sane
This Is Fucking Ecstasy 2:40 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
As Your Ghost Takes Flight 2:28 Saves The Day Stay What You Are
Died A Jew 2:29 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
Hair 3:09 The Early November The Mother, The Mechanic, and the Path
Clementine 2:46 Elliott Smith Elliott Smith
Bloody Murderer 2:52 Cursive The Ugly Organ
Retarded In Love 3:07 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
Needle in the Hay 4:17 Elliott Smith Elliott Smith
Radio 4:41 Alkaline Trio Maybe I’ll Catch Fire
Dull 4:28 Samiam Hopelessly Devoted To You Vol. 3
Neely O’ Hara 6:22 Bright Eyes Every Day And Every Night Ep
If I Could Make You Do Things 3:00 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Death for My Birthday 4:10 Say Anything Say Anything
Wowee Zowee 2:29 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Nothing Gets Crossed Out 4:35 Bright Eyes Lifted or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Oh, You Are The Roots That Sleep Beneath My Feet And Hold The Earth In 3:10 Bright Eyes Oh, Holy Fools
Have At Thee! 3:04 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
Out On The Weekend (Neil Young) 4:03 Bright Eyes There Is No Beginning To The Story Ep
People Like You Are The Reason People Like Me Exist 3:28 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
Come On 1:44 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Jesus Christ 5:18 Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
Method Acting / Cortez the Killer 10:21 Dave Rawlings Machine A Friend of a Friend
Road Signes Always Look Better Looking Over Your Shoulder 2:39 Defiance, Ohio Share what Ya Got
Do Better 3:51 Say Anything Say Anything
Little Girls 3:53 Say Anything …Was A Real Boy
Piazza, New York Catcher 3:02 Belle & Sebastian Juno (Music from the Motion Picture) Soundtrack
Shoulder to the Wheel 3:20 Saves The Day Through Being Cool
I’ve Been Eating (For You) 2:58 Bright Eyes Drunk Kid Catholic Ep
Sorry, Dudes. My Bad. 2:43 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
The Recluse 3:03 Cursive The Ugly Organ
Every Man Has A Molly 2:50 Two Tongues Two Tongues
The Futile 2:45 Say Anything …Is A Real Boy
Crawl 3:03 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Hands down 3:08 Dashboard Confessional A Mark A Mission A Brand A Scar
We Looked Like Giants 5:33 Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism
100 Dollars 1:43 Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything to Nothing
Baby Girl, I’m A Blur 4:19 Say Anything In Defense Of The Genre
Tremors 2:37 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Third Engine 4:12 Two Tongues Two Tongues
Man Needs A Maid 3:20 Joan of Arc My Summerlong High Wipeout
If Winter Ends 3:26 Bright Eyes Letting Off The Happiness
The Sweetness And The Light 2:50 Saetia A Retrospective
Metal Now 2:44 Say Anything …Was A Real Boy
Guernica 3:23 Brand New Deja Entendu
A New Arrangement 5:13 Bright Eyes Every Day And Every Night Ep
I Will Follow You Into The Dark 3:09 Death Cab For Cutie Plans
Is It My Fault 4:06 The Early November The Mother, The Mechanic, and the Path
I Could Be President 2:20 Say Anything Say Anything
Love Will Tear Us Apart 3:27 Joy Division The Best Of Joy Division
aloC-acoC 3:42 Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
This Is Not An Exit 3:58 Saves The Day Stay What You Are
Georgia, Georgia 1:46 Elliott Smith New Moon
Rocks Tonic Juice Magic 3:28 Saves The Day Through Being Cool
At the Bottom 4:04 Brand New Daisy
Hate Everyone 3:14 Say Anything Say Anything
The Sound Of Settling 2:13 Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Deleted

January 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I deactivated my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I’m keeping the blog.

And doing revisions on my novel/novella.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , ,

re: “Swamp Gospels” by James Moffitt

December 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment

A friend of mine, James Moffitt, is publishing a book of short stories and related essays titled Swamp Gospels. James read at the release for my book and I had the pleasure of procrastinating on editing and proofing his book. Pre-orders are being taken now over at Sink/Swim Press. Buy it. We’ll hopefully be doing some readings together soon. You can find James’ writing, including versions of a couple of the stories and essays from the book on his blog: bsidesfiction.wordpress.com

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

re: “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri

November 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment

This weekend I read Interpreter of Maladies, the Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri.

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Some people might  be more aware of her work The Namesake which was was the basis for a movie staring the not-Asian guy from the “Harold and Kumar” movies who has amazingly gone on to a serious acting career. Speaking of which, it’s not surprising but kind of weird that an author like Lahiri is known more for her book that became a movie rather than the one that won a Pulitzer.

I haven’t read The Namesake but I will probably now get around to it. Interpreter of Maladies was really good. Reminds me kind of Michael Chabon but with Indians and Bengali instead of Jews and Yiddish. And the first story, “A Temporary Matter” is really similar to one from Chabon’s Werewolves in their Youth.

Interpreter of Maladies is what I like in a short story collection. With nine stories and none of them dragging on excessively this book is one that I would have read in a day or part of a day, but was also able to stretch over the whole weekend because I never felt threatened that if I had to stop I would be in the middle of a story with too much left to go. I hate when that happens.

 

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts · Reviews
Tagged: , , , , , ,

re: Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father

October 31, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Today I added a bunch of movies to my Netflix instant queue because I had nothing better to do and figured I might watch something later. I currently have 84 items in my instant queue and when I sat down to choose something to watch my only hope is that it would leave me feeling utterly emotionally exhausted and helpless.
I chose to watch Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father. It’s a documentary and normally I don’t much care for documentaries because I don’t care about other people’s opinions/points of view. But I read the description:

Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne’s poignant tribute to his murdered childhood friend, Andrew Bagby, tells the story of a child custody battle between the baby’s grieving grandparents and Shirley Turner, Bagby’s pregnant ex-girlfriend and suspected killer. Initially, Kuenne made this documentary as a memorial for Andrew’s loved ones, but it morphs into an emotional legal odyssey when Turner goes free on bail and is allowed to raise her son.

Sounded good enough.

Holy shit I had no idea what I was in for.

This documentary is one of the hardest things to watch. It is heartbreaking and infuriating. I implore you to watch this film. I watched it alone didn’t cry but resisting tears was a backbreaking labor. The tale told in Dear Zachary is one that makes me wish there was a “reset” button in life, if not for single events than for the whole thing. That something as horrible as this happened, and that it was basically given permission to happen as people with the power to stop it sat back and did nothing…it just makes me think that it’s time for us to be done as a species.

If you have Netflix, put this movie in your instant queue and watch it sometime when you’re ready to have at least the rest of your day ruined by what you will see.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Masc. 491 Posts · R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , , ,

Creigh Deeds

October 29, 2009 · 1 Comment

So I was just sitting in Crossroads, my usual pre-class coffee shop and a bunch of people with Creigh Deeds signs showed, and I asked the obvious question and got the answer that yes, Deeds was going to arrive soon and he was going to talk about higher education. I always carry my digital voice recorder around with me so when he arrived I turned it on and recorded. I’m going to attach the unedited audio here, I haven’t even listened to it.

All I can say is that I hate his ads and so far he has done nothing to convince me that he is actually running for governor and not just running against Bob McDonnell. But hearing him speak was pretty all right. When he actually lays out plans it’s a lot better than just hearing him/his supporters bashing McDonnell’s plans. The election is next Tuesday and today was the first time I got any idea of what Deeds is for.

deeds

Creigh Deeds at Crossroads in Richmond, Va. on 10/29/09

Click these links for the audio. The First one is Deeds speaking inside Crossroads and the second one is him answering questions from the press outside.

CreighDeeds1

CreighDeeds2

PS Any cheering you hear in the recordings is from the Deeds campaign volunteers.

→ 1 CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , , , , ,

October 28, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The last time I blogged was also the last time I received a Netflix movie in the mail.

Both went neglected.

But I’ve been checking up on my blog and felt like it was kind of doing all right. I’ve still been getting steady hits every day even thought my last post was on sept. 15 and it probably wasn’t anything.

I bought Borderlands for X-Box 360 last week, actually, a week ago exactly I think. and I beat it today. It’s an awesome game the whole way through until the end, and I mean like, the very end. The final boss battle was ‘bull shit’ and so was what came after. But I still feel like the whole rest of the game was great and I’ll probably replay it, probably starting tonight or something. It reminds me a lot of the Diablo games and I used to play Diablo II for hours every day. I think I once played Diablo II for 10 hours straight. I found myself getting sucked in to Borderlands like that, but not enough to play for 10 hours straight.

 

I think I also went through a couple of other games since I last blogged. I have bought, beaten and traded in Batman: Arhakm Asylum and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

I would recommend Batman to everyone and MUA2 to anyone who has played any of the X-Men Legends games of MUA the first and enjoyed them. Or maybe the Gauntlet games. they’re similar, but definitely not for everyone.

I have Modern Warfare 2 pre-ordered.

I also pre-ordered the new self-titled album by Say Anything. Such an under-appreciated band that has the potential to be the alpha and omega of music as we know it. Not sure what that means, but it seems ‘epic’ so I think I believe it.

 

And what’s up with the new Facebook?

And Chuck Klostermann has a new book out?

Oh yeah, I don’t live in Richmond anymore. Back in Fredericksburg. I graduate from VCU in early december, then I turn 22 and hopefully get a job and move.

 

 

→ Leave a CommentCategories: R-A-B-L-O-G Posts
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,