Control

Lost Themes Maybe I overthought my selection: I thought choosing someone like Carpenter, on this board, would lead to more listens. Oh well. So, I love John Carpenter's films. Even the terrible ones. And one thing that makes Carpenter's bad films bearable is the soundtrack. Carpenter usually provides the soundtrack, or at least the score, and they're always pretty bizarre. They're always synth-heavy and sometimes straight-up terrible, and you're left wondering why he didn't just leave things to a professional. But with this album, he's really improved the soundscape, coming up with a much fuller sound, and songs that actually feel like complete songs instead of mere amplification for the atmospheric/emotional state of the film. Despite the title, I'm not sure that the album is actually made up of "lost themes"--as in, I don't think that these were originally meant for film or, if they were, that they weren't massively reworked. Some of the comments he's made about the album make me think that this is just a straight-up album. Anyway, hardly a game-changer, but I think it's a fun album. I do a lot of writing and research at home, and it's good background music. Pat the Bunny First off, I like this. Quite a bit actually. But what's killing me is that it reminds me so much of ... something. And I can't remember what. It's one of those things when my frontal lobe actually throbs in frustration, because there's something that it's very clearly reminding me of, and I can't put my finger on it. Will try to say more.

Well I interpreted the thread not as "people who disappeared" but as "people who were great in one movie/were in one great movie." I mean maybe everyone mentioned went on to be great at something else. And I think THE NINTH CONFIGURATION is wretched, though it certainly gets a lot of mention. Terrible "mental illness played for comedy" tropes and really bad acting on the part of the antagonists.

Dagon by Fred Chappel is a pretty interesting read. The title would make you expect some full-on Lovecraft, but instead you get a story of Southern decadence and inbred hillbillies. Decent prose, too, perhaps because Chappel is also an English prof and a poet.

Jason Miller was amazing as Fathet Karras in THE EXORCIST and then did almost nothing.

Miracle Laurie is bad at acting. Emma Caulfield is kinda nutty, I think. I mean, she's at least a vocal Ron Paul supporter. That can't make you too popular in showbiz.

Breaking Bad doesn't really get good until Saul Goodman shows up, which is actually 6-8 episodes into season 2. Jesse Pinkman becomes much more interesting around the same time. Skylar is always horrible though.

"Worst Fantastic Four movie" is a pretty damning descriptor.

I have you in my sights, Natural!

First off, I'll believe Fedor in the UFC when I see it. Second, I actually think he'd be tough to book. He's too big of a name to put against some tomato can (I assume), but I also think it'd be risky to put him against a top guy in his first fight back from retirement, since if he gets absolutely smashed his stock is gonna plummet. Maybe that Barnett fight that never came to fruition can take place in the UFC?

The thing's overarching approach was to walk directly at its victim at a steady pace. I don't think it's much of a strategist.

Really closing the distance on 19th.

"Dumb Flesh" by Blanck Mass I keep trying to listen to this album on youtube, on my iPad. The app keeps inexplicably crashing--just while playing this album, mind you. Is it overwhelmed by awesomeness or trying to save me?

I got a really nice rejection letter today.

Thanks! My wife and I frequent a board game Cafe and are looking for something new. We own Splendor and Jaipur.

Any suggestions for two player board or card games?

Really going out on a limb with that prediction.

HBD!

What an ugly looking movie. All extreme close-ups and an awful colour palate.

Those are some astonishingly accurate comparisons.

1. Where did you grow up, and what was it like? Brandon, MB. There is not a lot to do there. 2. Was anyone else in your family into movies? If so, what effect did they have on your moviegoing tastes? I think everyone was, except maybe my sister. I'm sure that they affected my tastes--I grew up with them, after all. 3. What's the first movie you remember seeing, and what impression did it make on you? 4. What's the first movie that made you think, "Hey, some people made this. It didn't just exist. There's a human personality behind it." No idea. 5. What's the first movie you ever walked out of? I don't think I've ever walked out of a movie, but we discussed it during BATMAN & ROBIN. 6. What's the funniest film you've ever seen? BLAZING SADDLES comes to mind. 7. What's the saddest film you've ever seen? Either UMBERTO D. or THE BICYCLE THIEVES. Vittorio De Sica knows how to gut his audience. (And oh, when I looked up UMBERTO D. on IMDB I saw that it was scheduled for a remake. What.) 8. What's the scariest film you've ever seen? I saw JU-ON as an adult and found it very unsettling. I still make the ju-on throat-rattle sound to freak out my wife. As a kid, I saw this movie, POPCORN, which probably isn't scary but gave me nightmares. 9. What's the most romantic film you've ever seen? Right now BIG FISH comes to mind. Two scenes: Young Ed Bloom bringing all of the flowers for Young Sandra, and Senior Sandra climbing into the tub with Senior Ed. 10. Is there a movie that you think is great, or powerful, or perfect, but that you never especially want to see again, and why? Well I don't know if I'll ever have enough time to spare to watch DAS BOOT or LOVE EXPOSURE again, and both are quite great, as I recall. I'd be tempted to say that something unsettling like IN A GLASS CAGE or DOGTOOTH would fit the bill, but I could totally see myself watching those again. 11. What movie have you seen more times than any other? As an adult, it's either THE BIG LEBOWSKI or HOT FUZZ. As a child there were many films I watched weekly, like the first NINJA TURTLES flick. 12. What was your first R-rated movie, and did you like it? I dunno--my parents were pretty lax about that sort of thing. Definitely something with Arnold Schwarzenegger. (It's awesome that spell check will get his name for me) 13. What's the most visually beautiful film you've ever seen? Oh man, I should be able to dazzle y'all with an answer on this one, but I'm sure I'm missing some great choices. THE FALL is visually stunning. AGUIRRE and FITZCARRALDO have some really unparalleled scenes. 14. Who are your favorite leading men, past and present? Cary Grant, Kang-ho Song, Tatsuya Nakadai, Gary Oldman (though I guess he's rarely a leading man). There was a time when Bruce Willis and Harrison Ford could do no wrong in my books. That time has passed. 15. Who are your favorite leading ladies, past and present? Faye Dunaway, Isabell Huppert, Tilda Swinton, Audrey Hepburn. 16. Who's your favorite modern filmmaker? There are a lot of filmmakers whose work I will always seek out. Foremost among them is probably the Coen Brothers. 17. Who's your least favorite modern filmmaker? I find Martin Scorsese films to be a tough slog, for the most part. Obviously there are dozens of hacks who aren't even worth mentioning, though. 18. What film do you love that most people seem to hate? PROMETHEUS? Honestly, I like a lot of films that people just don't feel very strongly about. THE ZERO EFFECT and BEING THERE come to mind. 19. What film do you hate that most people love? HEAT. I find a lot of the writing and performances laughably bad. 20. Tell me about a moviegoing experience you will never forget—not just because of the movie, but because of the circumstances in which you saw it. When I saw BLACK HAWK DOWN in theatres, the film had to be stopped because an audience member had a seizure. The weird thing is, that film starts with a dude having a seizure. Anyway, someone yelled "she's having a seizure!" and everyone looked on, open-mouthed, and I couldn't believe that no one was going out to get help, so I ran out to the lobby and got them to call 9-11. 21. What aspect of modern theatrical moviegoing do you like least? A) Smartphones, B) the prices 22. What aspect of moviegoing during your childhood do you miss the most? Cheap Tuesday (being actually cheap) 23. Have you ever damaged a friendship, or thought twice about a relationship, because you disagreed about whether a movie was good or bad? I really don't have the patience for those kinds of debates anymore. To each their own. 24. What movies have you dreamed about? None that I can recall. 25. What concession stand item can you not live without? Popcorn

I've been imagining a version of CHAPPiE that takes place in California. Swap Die Anterwood for Death Grips, maybe replace Hugh Jackman with Jesse Ventura. I'd watch that shit.

Fedor-Shamrock. Book it.

Kimbo-Fedor. Book it.

The weird thing is that having Die Anterwood in the film (playing versions of themselves?) isn't even the most baffling part. I mean, he almost made that work. The real issue is that he doesn't seem to understand human motivations. Or dialogue. The people in PROMETHEUS acted more humanly. And sensibly.

In retrospect, Apple Paltrow is downright mundane.