Hey there you, welcome to my web log. Each week I pick 17 new awesome things that I'm sure you'll love. This week's picks are below, but you can browse the archives all the way back to 2005.
Hello again! Fun stuff in store for you: Like the Citizen Kane of graphic novels and the demon slayer of sakes for starters. We'll also eat French Toast at home, Mexican food in Dumbo, and learn how to master Wendy's grill skills. We'll watch Kyle Maclachlan battle aliens, while listening to Robert Smith wonder "Why Can't I Be You?" and take a little trip to the land of Sourwurst.
When I was a kid I liked some decidedly non-kid friendly films, lots of oddball lesser known ones like Ruthless People, From the Hip, and this sci fi/action gem, The Hidden. I credit my dad for always keeping an eye out for movies that might not have had the biggest budgets and hype, but are always entertaining.
New daddy and dog bloggerKyle MacLachlan stars as an FBI agent who is not what he appears. A role that a lesser actor might fumble, McLachlan is pretty much a genius at playing gently strange good guys, a talent he just never seems to get enough credit for. Flashdance alumni Michael Nouri stars as the reasonably incredulous partner assigned to to the case–oddly enough, he bears a resemblance to Kyle’s later local police force helper, Sherrif Harry Truman.
Furthering the Twin Peaks connection, you’ll notice Hank Jennings in the first scene playing a mild mannered regular guy who suddenly goes on an unprovoked murderous rampage. And then the same thing happens again and again to other seemingly normal people. Could it be that something supernatural is afoot?
The Hidden is a solid B movie, the kind you wish for when browsing TBS in the in afternoon. It’s got sci fi alien stuff (in the form of a black slimy thing crawling out of peoples' mouths), bloodshed (a statuesque stripper turned mass murderer takes fifteen bullets in a rooftop shootout), a sense of humor, and a brisk pace.
After sitting through so many big “block busters” that just tend to bore, despite all their efforts to wow us, you watch a movie like this one and want to ask whoever is in charge (Michael Bay?), “See, was that so hard?”
While there may be nothing totally extraordinary or artful about this movie, what's extremely impressive is that it’s just so entertaining. Too bad director, Jack Sholder didn't do so well when he butchered my favorite horror franchise with Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge.
I was fascinated with long haired, silver clawed geek god Alan Moore long before I ever read a word he’s written. Now, after completing his magnum opus Watchmen, I'm just as obsessed as the everybody else whose read this book. It’s the mostly highly praised graphic novel of all time, often called “the Citizen Kane of comic books”; it’s the only graphic novel to land a spot on TIME Magazines “100 best English-language novels” and to win the coveted Hugo award. And yes, it’s about superheroes.
My expectations were high and they were met. I started it at JFK and read it straight through the flight, finishing right as I landed in Texas. It was the quickest four hours ever.
The plot, with its multiple shifts in time, numerous mysteries, dystopic politics, pages from a pirate comic book called Tales of the Black Freighter (which is read by a minor character), and chapters excerpted from a super hero tell-all called Under the Hood is, to say the least, complex. But it's also morally complex: the superheroes here are far from infallible; one in particular, The Comedian, is actually a sadistic rapist as well as a government-funded war hero. And the guy you sometimes end up rooting for is a ruthless vigilante weirdo who is beyond bitter towards the humans he has tried to save.
In direct revolt against the traditional super hero comic book, Watchmen is bleak, pessimistic, and harsh–in fact, there's a major part in the ending that I think audiences will have a very difficult time dealing with if it remains unchanged in the upcoming film adaptation. It's also an homage to the genre that so inspired it, Moore and artist David Gibbons are just taking the whole history of comics and running all the way with it; pushing the boundaries of the graphic novel itself, as well as our perceptions of good and evil.
It’s not totally perfect, the end has too much direct exposition for my taste, but it comes pretty close, and it's certainly as good as they all say. Which is why all the fans are worried about the upcoming movie. Moore himself has already taken his name off the production (twice bitten by Heather Graham and Natalie Portman) and passing on all his royalties to Dave Gibbons. In the articles I've read (in EW) director Zack Snyder (a fan himself) swears his film is as true to its source material as possible–a claim I might have bought if he hadn't changed the book's tights and brights costumes to "more menacing" modern looking slick black materials. Idiot.
Well sir, what do you fancy? Snarling, leather girl punk pop, or are you feeling a bit more psychedelic and peace lovingly dreamy? The beauty of Crimson and Clover is that you can have it both ways! Choose the cover by Joan Jett and the Black Hearts or the original number one hit by Tommy James and the Shondells. The lyrics are as simple as they are scant:
Now I don't hardly know her But I think I could love her Well if she come walkin' over Now I been waitin' to show her My mind's such a sweet thing I wanna do everything What a beautiful feeling
The rest is just "Crimson and Clover, over and over". And over and over and over.
While looking for up the lyrics I found this nerdy fact: “In the PC game Heroes of Might and Magic 2, there was a playable map based on this song. When the entire map was viewed in the overhead window, it looked like a green clover on a red background.” The worlds I am missing out on by being a mac-only nerd...
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is a perfect smattering of all that The Cure does best. Poppy, depressing, slow, catchy, hypnotic, gothy–each song offers something new. Why Can't I Be You, The Perfect Girl, Hot Hot Hot! and Just Like Heaven absolutely shine as the album's big hits but songs with less radio play like the moody, eerie Snakepit; the bass heavy Like Cockatoos; and the albums final song, Fight are just as awesome. They each get right inside and make you shiver with poppy nostalgic melancholy.
There's been some criticism of this album for being all over the place and not as tight conceptually as their next release, Disintegration, but I think the eclectic vibe makes this one of their most fun to listen to.
Robert Smith re-released this a couple years ago with the original long version of Hey You and an entire disc of bonus materials like demos and alternate mixes, but I only have the original version so you'll have to tell me how all the extra stuff sounds.
How is it that Boba Fett, who hardly speaks, who is a hired killer of sweethearts like Luke Skywalker, and–most importantly–never shows his face, can be so attractive a character? And let's just pretend the prequels don't exist because I refuse to put any of my long standing sexual attraction into a round headed New Zealand kid. And we'll also forget the long and detailed Mandalorian history that I just can't devote a lifetime to being interested in.
Fett was a cloned bounty hunter in a killer outfit of perfectly faded bright hues (Adidas should make a shoe based on him). The masked menace was mysteriously released to the public as an action figure before ever appearing on film, instantly omitting heat waves of intrigue and allure to kids everywhere. He appeared in the Star Wars Christmas Special (again before in any of the films) but even this lame introduction to the screen failed to put a dent in his total, rock solid coolness.
He's like the coolest guy in Star Wars high school, even making wise cracking Han Solo seem a little nerdy in comparison.
While his work is fun and imaginative, his own life was no bed of surreal roses. It's believed that the frequently used image of someone's head covered in fabric was inspired by seeing his own mother's body pulled from the river with her dress obscuring her face after she committed suicide.
Still, he ended up with a stunning career, counted Dali among his friends, and married a beautiful woman who he grew old with holidaying in Cannes.
I seem to have a soft spot for husky voiced little tough girls of privilege. I used to enjoy an occasional game of Scrabble with one back in Austin. She was scrappy and beautiful in an asexual way and she was constantly getting on or coming off prescription drugs and always teetered on the edge of something. Her tattered, semi-dangerous existence and my safe, relatively boring one fit together oddly but nicely.
Frequently nude actress Asia Argento reminds me of that old friend. I saw her once on the subway and at first glace I thought she was just another French teenage boy until a fan boy began fawning over her father–the famed and formerly absolutely genius horror maestro, Dario. It was very exciting once I realized who she was and since then, she’s become more famous in the US so when I tell people about my brush with fame, they actually know who I'm talking about. Unfortunately she’s got the Vin Diesel vehicle xXx and The Land of the Dead to thank for that. And about seven thousand naked photos.
Aside from having a famous body and tattoos, she is a strikingly good actress, usually the only spark of vitality and fascination in an otherwise boring movie (Marie Antoinette, anyone?) Right now she's starring in The Last Mistress and, while it's reported that she was a nightmare on set, word has it she gives an outrageously great performance.
Hecho en Dumbo (“made in Dumbo”) serves paninis and wine by day, but once the sun set, they dish out some of the best Mexican around. Chef Danny Mena (The Modern) is very proud of his newest venture. Proud of their use of local ingredients–he works with nearby Foragers Market to get the freshest and local-est; proud of his commitment to traditional and modern Mexican cooking; and proud to support a heritage of culture and art–the restaurant often hosts various artist and musicians.
This love for the food and the setting shows. A far cry from cashing in on the new found adoration of tacos around town, Hecho serves unique dishes, not carbon copy renditions in comfortable rustic chic (but not desperately chic) surroundings. Jim and I wanted to get a taste for the menu, so the sample platter was perfect. Nothing hit a wrong note: the mollettes (bean, cheese and pico de gallo on bread), the burritas, the tacos, and the sopes, all great, but three items really stood out.
I would definitely recommend the flavorful pork tacos (conchinita pibil), the steak filled burritas de res–and the tacos rajas con queso, which are a great option for vegetarians, ae filled with poblano pepper, onion and cheese. Prices are totally reasonable too ($8-$12 for main dishes), so you can also share some fresh guacamole and down some of their (pricier) cocktails. I recommend the nice and spicy Michelada Cubana and the Margarita Tamarindo which, thankfully, bears no resemblance to the overly sweet usual "margarita" monstrosities served in most restaurants.
It’s worth noting that the place only sports a small sign saying “café” and it’s not open on Sundays. Also, try to get there on the early side as the buzz on this worthy addition to the neighborhood is only getting louder.
I was going to make a batch of palmiers. I have the pastry dough sitting in my freezer... but it’s hot... I’ve been busy and I happened to walk into Ceci Cela and found a huge, perfect, already made one staring me in the face.
Sure, at $2.50 it cost as much as it would to make twelve or so by hand, but I have to admit, I just can’t make them this good. Flaky and sticky, this cookie alone is worth a visit to the Soho pastry super star bakery.
If you’re feeling less lazy than myself and want to make your own, this is a good recipe.
Wakatake Daiginjo Sake was recommended by our waitress at Zenkichi and we loved it. So now, instead of my usual complete and utter ignorance and confusion when faced with sake choices, I have a name I can turn to.
We got a bottle at Mitsuwa last week and it’s as good we remembered. Easy to drink, clear, but with a strong little kick. It is according to this site also the drink if you:
“Want to drink like a Japanese gangster? Japan's Sake wines are rated by purity, and Wakatake's Daiginjo-rated Onikoroshi ($30/720ml) is one of the purest and craziest available. Though there are many Onikoroshi ("Demon Killer") sakes out there, this particular one is guaranteed to have you slouched and fuming spicy vapors after only a single glass. Just make sure you get the right brand — it won't taste quite the same unless it's Wakatake Daiginjo Onikoroshi.”
Whoa, who knew? Diaginjo does indeed mean demon slayer (!) But in sake terms I’ve gathered it means that the rice has been highly polished through labor intensive means. This process gets rid of the less desirable parts of the rice and results in a finer sake.
From this photo of Jim and I attending the last Collective Comedy show, you might be lead to believe that Jim was the funniest guy in the room. Happily though, the room was teaming with people whose entire job is to make you laugh. Brandon, a friend who was once an extra in the legendary rollerblading film Airborne, invited me to the event and started the proceedings off right with a sketch that featured a funny drunk guy, his ex-girlfriend, and Dracula meeting up in the mall.
This underground event, hosted by Amy Schumer, Chuck's niece and former contestant on Last Comic Standing (but don't hold that against her, she's far more charming than her history as a reality show star would suggest) takes place at the Actor's Temple, a darkly lit, real life Temple that lends an air of strange dignity to the proceedings.
The tickets are twenty dollars but this includes all the wine and Genny beer you can drink. This (the free beer) and the huge line ups mean that seats are in high demand and it is imperative you get there early.
On the night we went, I have to say I laughed more than I expected (you just never know with comedy). Sure, there was lots of material about just having broken up with your boy/girl friend, which is a stand up comedy staple, but there were some real stand out stand ups that night.
Sean O'Connor was pretty adorable and really funny, the kind of jolly kid that could be a girl's best friend in Junior High. Eric Andre, who you can now see in the Shining parody Verizon commercial, raunched things up a bit, but did so in a way that made everyone roar with laughter. Craig Baldo, a guy that unlike O'Connor, I could not really see myself getting along with in real life, was admittedly very funny and had one of the best bits of the night with his analysis of the classic Rupert Holmes song, Escape (The Pina Colada Song).
Plus! Every gay man and straight woman's favorite sexual icon Michael Ian Black was there to read from his new book My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face. Which has one chapter titled "What I Would Be Thinking If I Were Billy Joel Driving to a Holiday Party Where I Knew There Was Going to Be a Piano". But instead of reading from that he gave the horny crowd what they really wanted and read "How to Approach the Sensitive Question: Anal?".
There were a few misses, Joe Derosa getting mad at Sex and the City and people who read books really wasn't my thing at all and Esther Ku's raunch fell pretty flat but to each his own, you know.
The next event is August 7th at 7:30 and I hope to make it. The line up includes:
Gallery Hanahou is becoming one of my favorite hidden little corners of sunshine in the big city. Nestled in a great building with a very classic New York City lobby and awesome catwalk hallways that look into offices, it’s on the seventh floor behind a locked door (hint: press the buzzer with the glitter star on it). So while it’s not the easiest place to find, it’s worth seeking out.
We went to a fun plush show last December and returned for the Chris Long illustration show “This if Fun” which is up until the end of the month. The center of the room is taken up by a little table, just for kids to make their own pieces of art that hang alongside Long’s joyfully innocent acrylic delights. Reminiscent of children’s books from the sixties, but also thoroughly modern, he depicts kids having fun: climbing up tree house ladders, feeding their favorite pony, playing dress-up in over sized clothes and, in my favorite of the bunch, having a pirate-themed birthday party.
Bright in color and feeling, the title of this show couldn’t be more apt.
Recently, good friends Astrid and Marcus took a dream vacation in Austria, and this week she wrote up a portion of their trip for Brix Picks, Thanks again to Astrid for sharing her adventures! (And for loaning me her Cure album).
Our first stop was Eisenstadt, a very small but picturesque town, home to the composer Joseph Haydn and a large Esterhazy wine cellar. We later discovered the Esterhazy vineyard was right near our hotel in Rust so we stopped by to taste more wine and buy some bottles. There was also a field trip of high school students tasting wine there, (though the teachers seemed more tipsy than the students!!!)
We stayed in Rust, a small town bordering the Neusiedler Sea and close to the border of Hungary. Its the Burgenland region, which has some of the nicest weather in Austria and is known for its wine!
Almost every other house is a Heuriger- a local wine maker that produces and sells his own wine, if the doors are open you just walk in and can taste or buy wines, (bottles start at around 2-3 euros). Because we got to Rust on a Monday most places were closed, (Austria considers Mon/Tues rest days, so its tricky to find places that are open) but we still managed to find my favorite treat- Austrian iced coffee. It's more a coffee Sunday than an iced coffee, so I have to limit my consumption but its a vacation treat!
Tuesday we ate at the Hofgassl, which was tucked away in a courtyard. Asparagus or "spargel" was in season so we started with a Spargel Variation plate- asparagus 4 ways- asparagus sushi, asparagus soup, foam and steamed asparagus... we shared a salad, perch entree and drank more amazing wine!
Our next day trip was Baden- A resort spa town, famous for its sulfur springs and royal gardens. We spent the day walking through their massive pedestrian zone and their parks, and of course we drank more wine and giant beers!
There’s very little to read, just a basic descriptive paragraph, so it’s pure no thinking visual pleasure. Too bad there are annoying pop ups, but what are you going to do?
Despite a 2008 Oscar win for best short animation and some really intriguing still photos, Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, a new adaptation of the classic piece of music, has been just sitting unwatched in my DV-R for months. I guess I can’t always trust that kid friendly equals interesting but, in this case, I can promise that it will be an exceptional visual treat for anyone, regardless of their age.
Eerie and slightly mournful, this retelling is very reminiscent of the Eastern European legacy of stop motion animation that has permanently changed the look of the medium. I assumed it was Russian since the story takes place there, but I learned from watching the making of (which is just as interesting) it's actually a Norwegian, Polish and British affair, with Brit Suzie Templeton at the creative helm.
After making a name for herself with the haunting short Dog, Templeton spent five years on this project from writing the script to designing the characters–and she has done a phenomenal job. Each character is so lovingly rendered, they breathe with such life and charm it’s almost hard to remember they're not real. The long neck duck, Peter’s best friend, and the bowling-ball-fat fluff ball cat are my personal favorites.
We saw it on PBS’s Great Performances, but no airings on currently on their schedule. According to Wikipedia there are plans for tours of the film with accompanied orchestration during 2008. However you can manage to see it, try to. It’s a testament to the painstaking art of stop motion animation and the worlds of wonder it can create in the right hands.
This Grill Skills Wendy's training video is totally legitimate, I even knew a guy who knew a guy who had to go through the teenage humiliation of not only working at Wendy's but having to learn "grill skills" from a terrible rapper designed to be identifiable to teens (as opposed to boring "old man" Dave Thomas reading from a teleprompter) who doesn't even rhyme:
"A towel for keeping your station clean
But most of all you have to have your... tools!"
Other words of wisdom of what to do with those tools (aside from playing rapping air guitar like the guy in the video):
"It takes about four minutes to cook But just to make sure, you can have a look Use your tool and double check It should by gray and moist to be correct"
Ugh. Grey... and moist... uck. How could anyone use those two words to describe food as "correct"?
If you can't catch all the lyrics the first time around, no worries. Each step is belabored in semi rap duet as the white kid tries his hand at the grill station while the rapper yells "all right" behind him. The inane rhymes (or semi rhymes) are made far more embarrassing this way.
Do Enjoy, but "Don't touch it with your finger, cause that's a big no no!"
And by the way, it's in two parts and is pretty long, but I recommend you watch it all if you want to see burger patties with big purple lady lips yelling at you about what to do to them.
