Notable Nights: Vol. 1: Good Luck @ Skull Alley

After the wonderful wedding of my good friends Paul and Sarah, I, along with a few friends, headed down to the wonderful Louisville all-ages venue called Skull Alley. I have been waiting for the show that happened there tonight for quite some time and I can't even begin to relay to you the excitement that I felt. I tried super-hard to think of the last time that I was literally giddy to see a show. You see, there is this band that I am currently in obsession with and their name is called Good Luck. They were playing with three other acts, but we only got to see the one right before them, which happened to be a wonderfully talented singer-songwriter named Paul Baribeau. Paul's set was heartfelt and spastic like a wonderful mess. A highlight was when he ripped through the mercilessly short "10 Things" and brought the room along for his sing-along. It's the kind of performance ability that your typical singer-songwriter could only dream about...

After Paul opened our hearts and left us a little down after his incredible but incredibly depressing last song, Matt, Ginger, and Mike took the stage and ripped apart the room with their high-energy, caution-to-the-wind, no-holds-barred set of transcendent pop songs. They played quite a few of the tracks off of their record Into Lake Griffy including my favorites "Pajammin", "The Stars Were Exploding", and the unbelievable chaos with their set-closer "Public Radio". I couldn't help but scream along during "Pajammin" when Matt rightfully noted "Oh, the feeling!/It's spreading up to the ceiling/When the band plays everyone's favorite song". It was a nice touch as the whole crowd bobbed up and down to their erratic and energetic rhythms. Their music is a wonderful mix-up of Sunset Tree-era The Mountain Goats and an endless amount of energy and fun. I can't remember the last time I saw a band have as much fun as they did on stage. It was inspiring and impressive. I couldn't recommend this band enough. Go to their site and buy their record, or go to a show and buy a record and a t-shirt or whatever. Just do yourself a solid and listen!

The Mix-Tape Ten: Vol (minus) 2

My past week has largely been occupied with preparing a large number of songs for the wedding of some dear friends of mine. This wedding occurred tonight and went very well and was a good time for everyone except for probably the gigantic pig with the bullet hole between its eyes that was at the end of the buffet line (which happened to be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen). It's always good to see good people joined together forever, and these were two of the best. So, if you ever read this Paul and Sarah, I think very, very highly of the both of you. Here is a track listing of the wedding playlist that I had to do:

1. "Sea of Love" performed by Cat Power off of Covers (and the Juno soundtrack)

2. "Whole Wide World" performed by Wreckless Eric off of Wreckless Eric (and the Stranger than Fiction soundtrack)

3. "Shady Grove" performed by Doc Watson off of The Best of Doc Watson 1964-1968

4. "I Gave My Love A Cherry" performed on a million different records by a million folkies

5. "Master's House" performed by Chemic off of Louisville is for Lovers Vol. 8: Black and Blue

6. "Be Thou My Vision" performed by Pedro the Lion on The Only Reason I Feel Secure

7. "Come Thou Fount" performed by Sufjan Stevens on Hark!

8. "All I Want is You" performed by Barry Louis Polisar on My Brother Thinks He's a Banana and Other Provocative Songs for Children (and the Juno soundtrack)


My personal favorites are 3, 6, and 7.

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All of this marriage-ing and music got me thinking about what I want played at my wedding. I will have that post to you shortly. For now, be comforted by the thought that you have a friend here who is not afraid to weep openly in the fact of danger.

Netflix Nebulous: Vol. 2

Once again, I am here with three more movies, this time each one has significant allusions and themes based in other works of art/film.

The first film is called Strange Brew and I've been meaning to see it for a long time because I've heard that this 1983 movie starring Rick Moranis (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and Dave Thomas (Stripes) is a modern, comedic take on the Shakespearean drama Hamlet. I am one who has a profound affection for the Bard's work and it can often be enjoyable when modern writer's get there hands on his concepts (see: Scotland, PA and Titus); this can also yield very different results (see: O and the 1999 version of A Midsummer's Night's Dream). Strange Brew is based on the comedic characters that Moranis and Thomas made famous in Canada called Bob and Doug McKenzie who are a beer-guzzling team that stayed popular for over 20 years north of the US border. The movie is about these two brothers who hatch a scheme to score some free booze and end up in the middle of a vicious and deadly power-struggle between a beer-company heiress and her murderous uncle. The results are ridiculous and pretty funny and make for a good Saturday afternoon movie. Rick Moranis is one of the most underrated comedians out there and he is hysterical as this blundering idiot who hash an unmatched intake capacity (you'll see what I mean...). This is part Escanaba in Da Moonlight and part Logan's Run-esque kitsch.


The next flick I watched and am reviewing is here do to the suggestion from a good friend. I have been accused before of being an elitist and not liking "mainstream" movies (which is totally not true), but I am always up for suggestions of movies I might like. This film that was introduced to me is an Australian romantic comedy featuring Rhys Ifans who you might know as the rowdy and lewd-t-shirt-wearing roommate from Notting Hill. This movie, like any, definitely has its hits and misses, but is overall a very fun, enjoyable movie with a fairly ridiculous storyline that is about crack-pot enough to be creative. The story revolves around a construction worker named Danny who lives for his chance to go on holiday with his live-in long-term girlfriend. After said girlfriend cancels their upcoming holiday trip to have lunch with a new, secret friend, Danny is forced to spend a week at home with nothing but his restlessness and spontaneity in tow. Eventually at a barbie with all of their friends, Danny fulfills a fantasy of his by tying an enormous amount of gigantic balloons to his deckchair (we now understand the title!) and floats into the air and out of sight. Due to a storm he floats into, Danny is hurled into the arms/tree of a shy woman who helps him realize the importance of caring about people and surrounding yourself with people who care about you. At first, the town's people have a fascination with the two which is reminscent of the all-powerful collective narration in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily". Then Danny becomes a local hero and teaches the people as much as they teach him. All the while, the entire country of Australia is inspired by Danny's fate-al flight to start doing things they've always wanted to do. All in all, it's a cute movie about learning that life is much more than work and our day-to-day routine. It's not quite life without a whole lot of connection.


Our final film for today is a fairly new entry in the Woody Allen catalog called Cassandra's Dream which is a classic moral play from a man who has, in recent years, ventured a little more into the darker side of film. Cassandra's Dream stars the duo of Ewan MacGregor and Colin Farrell (the latter I can barely stomach) and is a great example of Woody trading in New York and it's jazzy coolness for London and it's classical opulence. The style of this film is very much an homage to classics by Kieslovski and Bergman like The Decalogue and Scenes from a Marraige respectively. This is not a film for those with a weak stomach as this moral conundrum is gritty and effective. Some publications have blasted the film for bad acting and unrealistic characters, which isn't off-base, but I don't think that it makes this particular one bad. The situations the characters find themselves in are far-fetched, to be sure, but are completely necessary for a moral struggle of this magnitude. Woody raises tough questions about life, privilege, dreams, and most of all family and the answers are not always easy to digest, mostly because Allen has a deft touch when it comes to asking questions without actually ever giving the answers. It is not an enjoyable film to watch, but it most certainly was good.


Strange Brew: B-
Danny Deckchair: B
Cassandra's Dream: B+

Agree? Disagree? Questions? Comments? Complaints?

The 5 Spot: Possible LHC Ramifications!

So, if you haven't noticed, there was a scientific experiment called the Large Hadron Collider started this morning that could possibly be the biggest deal in history. If you're not up on what's happening then click here. I've been taking bets at work to see who thinks what will happen. Here's my take on the most interesting possibilities...


#5- They don't find the "God" particle/Higgs Boson: This would be crazy actually! This would force a lot of fundamental physics theories to have to take about a million steps back and re-examine everything. Super-physicist Stephen Hawking wrote about this mysterious physics concept in his book A Brief History of Time and is reported to be betting $100 that they don't find it, but he's really not that smart anyway...

#4- A black hole is created: This could theoretically end the world and would definitely be a bummer for my schedule of weekly movie watching. I'd advise not putting your money on this option though, because even if you win, you lose...

#3- Discovery of New Dimensions: We might just find out that we're living in a 14-dimensional world! Just think what that'll do for Brendan Fraser's career.

#2- Time Travel!!!- I could only wish!!

and last but not least.........................................
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#1- All the beautiful women of the world become attracted to nerdy dudes!!!!!!- Which subsequently re-launches the career of this dude...

Culture Clash Vol 2: The Corner

In the beginning of American history, the success of the white man was largely accomplished on the backs of their black slaves. That tradition of exploitation has been an undercurrent of American culture that has continued to thrive until this present day. This is found very densely in the Hollywood system where Charles S. Dutton even quips in 1999 that “there isn't a single black person in Hollywood with any power.” He says that not even the top stars such as Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman could get a project greenlit without some serious white backing. Whether or not that sentiment is true or not is something that is argued constantly. And that brings the fundamental question that is tackled by the piece “Who Gets to Tell a Black Story?” by Janny Scott on the racial and personal conflict that permeated the set of the hit HBO mini-series “The Corner.”

This award-winning serial drama was the work of a white writer named David Simon who had been collecting data on the drug problem of Baltimore, Maryland for years as a reporter. Simon appeared to have put countless hours on the street learning the rhythm and language of the people and learning the real stories that sprang up from the pavement so he could regurgitate them without any personal slants. What Simon set out to do was almost impossible; to tell the stories of the largely-black drug community members and not come of as exploiting a racial stereotype. Naturally, Charles S. Dutton was concerned and skeptical of Simon because of the scope of the piece and the sensitivity of the subject. The show would be depicting drug addicts (most of them black) so it would be all too easy to make out the characters as your common petty black addicts who's only personality trait consisted of their need to score the next hit. Black people have enough negative images floating (often cemented) around in the American consciousness that they didn't need another movie that glorified the drug problem or wrote off the people as sub-human automatons with nothing good to add to the world's conversation.

I believe that Dutton was sincere and justified of his initial mistrust of Simon because, as a black man with a substantial amount of clout, he considers himself responsible for the images that are projected onto the screen. Unfortunately, I think Dutton was largely blind to the fact that he and Simon had the exact same intentions; to tell the stories of these folks caught up in the drug world, but who still had something to teach all of us. Dutton comes off much more as a passive-aggressive pouter who suppresses his feelings about what is going on on the set, but refuses to bring his misgivings up to the writer or the HBO executives. Without a doubt, it would be great if a black writer was writing the script because in a perfect world, black writers would be the ones exposing black problems. Unfortunately, a white man wrote it, but he also did it with a care and understanding that very few writers, regardless of race, have ever been able to express. Dutton made great points about keeping the film team racially diverse to reflect the actual plight of the city and it was powerful that he was actually able to affect some change in that regard. But, like the two white writers who wrote the fantastic “Nothing But a Man,” Simon deftly and carefully painted this picture of the Baltimore drug culture with a respect for his subjects and a clear respect and understanding of the racial barriers that he was butting up against.

Being a white person myself, it is tough to demonize either Dutton or Simon because I can definitely see both points of view. Simon is writing with responsibility and passion about a story that no one else was writing about. But, I also can't imagine how frustrating it is to have white people assert themselves as the primary leaders and chief thinkers when it comes to the black identity.

Show and Tell (your friends)

This show is happening tonight at Skull Alley (1017 E Broadway @ corner of Broadway and Barret).

What's Eating You?

If you are blessed, like I am, to live to in the wonderful city of Louisville, Kentucky then you probably already know that there are some of the most incredible culinary treasures at every turn. People ask me all the time where a good place to go out to eat is and I thought I would compile a short-list of dishes that I think are must-haves that can be found exclusively in our fair city. Here we go!

Breakfast:

Orange Spiced French Toast @ The North End Cafe: This heaping portion of french toast has been infused with orange peels and tastes like heaven. It is one of the most creative and stunning breakfast dishes I've ever had. Absolutely delicious!

The Loaded Omellette @ Barbara Lee's Kitchen: Make sure you go to Barbara Lee's with an open heart and a pocket full of cash because you will fall in love and they don't take credit cards.

The King @ Toast on Market: This incredible breakfast treat is a french toast sandwich filled with peanut butter, bananas and mascarpone cheese. Filling for sure, but not before every taste bud you have is delighted.

Other:

Green Chili Won-Tons @ The Bristol Bar and Grille: I have to admit that I work here, but these little poppers are filled with hot pepper cheese and diced green chilis and when dipped in some flavorful guacamole, offer up a satisfyingly subtle little treat.

Fish and Chips @ Molly Malone's: Get ready for a perfect plate of battered and deep fried white fish that will make you wish you were actually as Irish as everyone who works there.

Bumble Bee Stew @ Gumbo A Go-Go/J. Gumbo's- This incredible dish is sweet and hot and served in huge portions! This happens to be one of the best deals in town and if you're missing out, then you are missing out!

Hot Brown @ The English Grille (inside Brown Hotel)- Get this classic straight from the source! This world-famous open-faced turkey and mornay cheese sauce sandwich was invented in the restaurant in the late 20s a few years after JG Brown opened up the hotel on the corner of 4th and Broadway. It's not too pricey (approx $18) and it'll be worth it to dine like a classic movie star in this uber-posh old-style restaurant.

Eggplant Parmesan @ Ray Parella's Italian Restaurant- This is a classic Italian dish served with perfection and tender loving care by a classic Italian man. Chances are that Ray will come out to your table himself and tell you how to re-cook it and turn it into another dish later on.

Bison Burger @ Cumberland Brews: Wash this Kentucky classic down with a glass of Matt's Red and you're in for a perfect, hearty meal.

Last, but absolutely not least is...

Fried Chicken @ Flabby's Schnitzleberg: There is no doubt in this young dude's mind that there isn't a joint this side of heaven that serves up such a wonderful basket of fried chicken. I'm generally not one to go ga-ga over some greasy drumsticks, but Flabby's has built their reputation on the wings of these beautiful birds that are filled with juicy, white meat. P.S. Wash it down with a bottle of Warsteiner Dunkel and call it a night because it doesn't get any better than that!

There are certainly more to come! Feel free to recommend stuff to me too! I will post more at a later date, but I needed to tell you about these first!

Also, word on the street is that these places are quite stellar:

Varanese: A newer restaurant run by head chef John Varanese with a fantastic menu that doesn't stray to far above $18 and lists all the prices without the decimal points so you can feel like you're being really fancy!

Seviche: Upscale dining with a latin flare. This restaurant is all the rage these days. I've been trying to come up with a good enough special occasion to go!

The Beginners Guide to Woody Allen

There has been much dialogue about the validity of Woody Allen's contributions to the world of film. There has also been quite a bit of rhetoric about Woody Allen's troubles off-screen and his possible lack of moral judgment. This blog is not one for questioning moral judgment so we'll concentrate on the former. I believe, with all of my opinionated vigor that Woody Allen belongs on the extremely short-list of Great American Auteurs. I'm not talking about a list that includes Romero, Spielberg, and Geoge Lucas, but we're talking more about the likes of Orson Welles, Martin Scorcese and maybe Robert Altman on a good day. I also fully expect Wes Anderson to be added to this list if he keeps his creative juices flowing for a few more films at least. That being said, Woody Allen has, more or less, made a movie every single year since 1967 when he bought the rights to a Japanese spy drama and over-dubbed it with a wonderfully ridiculous story line about a stolen egg-salad recipe. This movie What's Up, Tiger Lilly? was the start of a long and celebrated career for Allen as he would hone his aesthetic, break it, then return to it and perfect it again and again.

Woody Allen is best known for his movies featuring a revolving and ever-changing cast of characters who all interact with a nebbish and neurotic self-aware Jewish man in New York played by none other than Woody Allen himself. Another character that was prominent in almost all of his movies until recently is the city of New York and often, more specifically, Central Park. The city has a life all of its own it seems and there is no doubt that Woody Allen is in love with the city of New York and this culminated in his love-letter to the city in the film Manhattan. It could easily be argued that almost every one of his films is a love letter to the city because he infuses it with so much beauty and he captures it with his romanticizing eye.

It is well known that almost any actor and actress in Hollywood would beat down the walls of heaven and hell to be cast in one of his movies. It seems that playing in a Woody Allen movie gives the right amount of publicity with a heaping dose of artistic merit. There is no doubt that there are some not-enjoyable Woody Allen movies, but more often than not, his movies rarely disappoint if you are one who follows and enjoys the aesthetic that he is so well-known for. In the artistic world, there is certainly a school of thought that believes an artist should stick to a key aesthetic and explore it and mine it for its full potential. Woody Allen has certainly done that and even recently has broadened his aesthetic to mirror, yet expand what he previously was known for. Instead of characterizing the city of New York he moved his personification across the Atlantic to London. His love for the city seems no-less than it did in New York which is a testament, I think, to his artisan-ship. Another aspect, which I haven't touched on yet, is that he often focused on a single female actress and featured her in several films, elevating her to an off-beat heroine who, in Woody's eyes seemed to be Beauty herself. The classic Woody starlets are include Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow and Dianne Wiess but these leading ladies have been updated in Woody's frequent use and featuring of the lovely Scarlett Johannson (personally my favorites are Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton).

The world of Woody Allen can be a tough one to wade through. That's where I come in! I've literally watched almost every single one of his movies (with a few exceptions that I'm working on ridding) and I thought I would give you a list of a few films to start out with. This list contains a few films from various stages of Woody's career and should give you a fairly good idea of whether or not you are going to enjoy his catalog. If it isn't ridiculously obvious by now, I am a fan.


1. Annie Hall (1977)- This is, without much contention, the best entry in Woody's entire catalog. This won the Best Picture Oscar in '77. It is a nearly-perfect blend of romantic comedy, artistic musings, childhood and relationship satirization, and a celebration of self-loathing, but not in a off-putting kind of way. It's marvelous. One of my Top 10 favorite films of all time. Rating: A+

2. Scoop (2006)- This is a late-career entry from Mr. Allen. This is one of those films that substitutues New York for London and Mia Farrow/Diane Keaton for Scarlett Johansson. It is a pretty standard Woody-Allen-murder-mystery-movie (see: Manhattan Murder Mystery) that is elevated to new heights by the interaction between Woody and Scarlett and the often hilarious interaction between a deceased journalist and a few real world inhabitants. Rating : B+

3. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)- This, I believe, is by-far one of the most underrated of Woody's entire catalog. This movie is sweet, creative in it's blurring of the lines between fiction and fact and features knock-out performances by Mia Farrow and, especially, a young Jeff Daniels. Rating: B+

4. Small Time Crooks (2000): This particular film came as the last breath of fresh air before a string of post-millennium Woody Allen films that failed to live up to his previous standard (see: Anything Else, Hollywood Ending, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion). This was a return to form for Allen after he had tried a very different, yet successful venture of The Sweet and Lowdown. It wouldn't get this good again until Scoop, 6 years later. Rating: B

5. Bananas (1971)- This is an early entry from this great auteur and it involves an underachieving New York gentleman who goes down to a Latin American country to help the rebellion in order to impress/get back at the girl who broke his heart. Madness and hilarity ensue and Allen is a master of reigning that in to help us see just how subtle his ridiculousness can really be. Rating: B+

Any questions?

Web Obsession of the Week: Crack Fox

I have to thank/blame my friends Dan and Claire for showing me this...it's taken from a British show called The Mighty Boosh. I've watched it about 7 times today.




Enjoy!

The 5 Spot: Taco Bell

I'm the kind of guy who likes to make a run for the border every now and again. Some of you may scoff, some may silently condone, some may even celebrate my brash disregard for nutrition, but in the words of the immortal strongman " I yam what I yam."

Here's the 5 best menu items at Taco Bell:


#5 The 7-Layer Burrito- This delicious burrito is packed to the gills with 7 DIFFERENT THINGS!! Usually, you end up with a mouthful of guacamole, but sometimes, it's downright divine.

#4 The Beef Baja Chalupa- This was always kind of a sleeper hit for me, one of those things that kind of snuck up on me. I used to get this every now and again, and then I realized just how awesome that sauce goes with the meat-ish stuff they put in there. Perfecto!

#3 The Double Decker Taco: Supreme!: Can't decide between hard or soft? You don't have to! This beastly combo has not just one tortilla, but 1+1. That's like twice as much as one. It's a crunchy taco with refried beans smeared around the outside acting as a paste to hold on the soft tortilla that clings so refreshingly. If that doesn't sound amazing to you, then go eat your rice cakes and drink your Perrier! Plus, get it with sour cream!!

#2 CBRBNF (Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito with no Fiesta Salsa)- This was an instant classic the first moment it crossed the threshold of my discerning mouth. The fiesta salsa is a buzzkill so skip that stuff, but you should probably order 2 or maybe even 3 because this is what you've been waiting for all day....pure, unadulterated heartburn.

and the best thing on the Taco Bell Menu is............................................

#1 Mountain Dew
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Now before we end here, I just want to mention that there is an item that no longer is on the menu that trumps every piece of food that has been slung through a Taco Bell Drive-Thru window. That glorious masterpiece was called the Frito Burrito. Not only did the words sound awesome together, it was the perfect mix of crunch and spicy and oozy delicious. Why do the good ones always have to die young!?

Favorite Movie Moments...

"DOMINIC!!!!"

Awesome Roles from Awesomely Bad Actors

I was thinking today about some actors that I don't really like who actually have some roles/movies that are really great. I thought it was worth mentioning.


1. Patrick Swayze as Darry in The Outsiders

2. Kevin Bacon as Timothy Fenwick Jr in Diner

3. Keanu Reeves as Ted Logan/Evil Ted in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey

4. Nick Nolte as Pete Bell in Blue Chips

5. The Governor of California (it's easier to spell) as Detective John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop

6. Stephen Baldwin as Doyle Johnson in Bio-Dome

7. Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston in The Shadow

8. Billy Baldwin as Ivan the tennis pro in The Squid and the Whale

9. Gary Busey as Chet "Rocket" Steadman in Rookie of the Year

and last but certainly not least....

10. Sinbad as Kevin Franklin in Houseguest

Any others?

The Mix-Tape Ten: Volume 1

Here are ten songs that are currently on my list of Top Jams!

1. "Public Radio" - by Good Luck off of Into Lake Griffy

2. "Moose Collision" - by The Secret Life of Sofia off of Seven Summits

3. "Honor Among Thieves" - by These United States off of the upcoming Crimes

4. "Presidents Day" - by Away With Vega off of A Year At Home EP

5. "Hindsight" - by The Long Winters off of Putting the Days to Bed

6. "Young Alumni" - by Maritime off of We, the Vehicles

7. "RE: Stacks" - Bon Iver off of For Emma, Forever Ago

8. "Little Bit of You in Everything" - by The Rentals off of Last Little Life EP

9. "There Goes the Sun" - by The Pernice Brothers off of Discover a Lovelier You

10. "Kasa No Hone (The Umbrella's Bones)" - by Anathallo off of Floating World

I'm super curious!!

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the newish Hot Chili flavored Ramen noodles!?!?!?! Oh man, oh man!

The 5 Spot: John Cusack

The top 5 best John Cusack movies

#5: The Grifters- You can't go wrong with this con-man movie featuring the always lovely and wonderful Anjelica Huston. Rating: B

#4: Broadway Danny Rose- An interesting yet wonderful entry from the Woody Allen lexicon. I know you haven't seen it so check it out. It features Allen-favorite Dianne Wiest and a ruthless Chazz Palminteri. Rating: B

#3: Say Anything- Some people would consider this to be his best one, but they would be wrong. It's the third best one obviously. Although I still get choked up when I hear "In Your Eyes." Rating: B+

#2: High Fidelity- This is definitely the best movie Jack Black was ever in. It is the perfect movie for us music snobs and Nick Hornby has a way of turning unlovable people into very lovable, yet flawed humans. Rating: A-

AND THE NUMBER ONE JOHN CUSACK MOVIE IS...................................

#1 Better Off Dead- This is not only John Cusack's best movie, but probably one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. That's right, I said it!! Come on! You've got Booger and all of that crazy food Lane's mom makes and his high-rolling little brother and the paperboy....it's a bonafide classic folks! I love it. I love it. I love it. Rating: A


Honorable Mention:

*Gross Pointe Blank- Most people would say this should be in the top 5 and they might be right, but this isn't their blog so....(sticking out tongue)

*The Ice Harvest- A more recent entry featuring Billy Bob Thorton. A chilling dark comedy...hahaha...I sleigh myself...hahahaha...ok, I'm done.

*Stand By Me- This would have been in the top 5 easy, but his part is super small so its not. Needless to say, this Stephen King-penned yarn is one of my faves.

*Being John Malkovich- Of course a lot of people will think that this Charlie Kaufman story should be in there as well. Well, at least we all agree that he's had a great career so far.

Also, he's got 4 different films in that are either filming, in production, or in post-production so let's hope he's got one up his sleeve that's better than the last few he's been in.

Generic Gems

This particular entry is a celebration of the gloriousness that is finding a generic food item and it tasting great!! Let me just tell you, I love generic brand food. I try to buy it more than I buy name-brand stuff. There are some things that just don't taste good or are not well made, but some of it is as good if not better than the expensive stuff. If you are a college kid, close to broke, or just plain ole poor, then this post is for you!


Great Generic Food:

Kroger's Big K Black Cherry Soda: Part of me wishes I didn't know about this so I wouldn't feel so obligated to buy every time I'm in the store.

Winn Dixie's Dr. Chek Soda: This is by-far the best in the line of Dr. Pepper clones. It handily beats out Dr. Thunder, Mr. Pibb, and even....Dr Pepper.

Sav-A-Lot's Mountain Holler Soda: This is a great version of Mountain Dew and who can resist it with a name like that!

Kroger's Crisp'n Fruity Rice: This the cheap version of Fruity Pebbles. Get this stuff by the bag!! That's the best way to enjoy it.

Aldi's Millville Peanut Butter and Chocolate Spheres: This is the cheap but delicious version of Reeses Cereal. A pure delight for your mouth and your pocketbook.

Kroger's Private Selection Hot and Sweet Stone Ground Mustard: Do yourself a favor and get this mustard. It turns a plain old bologna sandwich into a wonderful deli-style turkey sandwich!!! Magic!

*There is quite a bit of confusion over whether or not the Faygo company out of Detroit, Michigan is a generic beverage company. I prefer to think that they are not a generic company, just a company that makes incredible products at a very low cost to the consumer. Here are a few of their most celebrated and most delicious flavors:

*Creme Soda: A new take on an old classic. Check it out!
*Rock and Rye: A red-pop with kick and taste to boot!
*Moon Mist: Probably the best Mountain Dew imitator.

Buying cheap doesn't have to mean buying crap...

Taste Makers: Vol 1- The Beers (and Wines) of Summer

I like to think that I am a man that enjoys the finer things in life as well as the not-so-fine things in life. Today I am going to concentrate on 2 of the biggest things that bring the people together: beer and wine. I work at a restaurant part-time and get to try lots of different beverages so I have been compiling a list of my favorites.

Let's start with the brews...I have had a number of beers this summer that surprised me or intrigued me and thought I would share:

Westmalle Trappist Ale: (A) I found this at Kroger for $5.99 no less! I haven't seen it in there since...needless to say, it is a rich, full bodied ale bottled by monks and tastes like it has been blessed.

Ommegang Abbey Ale: (A-) This had some rich flavors of nuts and berries and was a delicious treat...serve warm for best results

Hoegaarden White Ale: (B+) This is the original white beer from Belgium. It has a bite to it that you won't soon forget, but it's somehow still so very smooth.

BBC Small Batch Hefeweizen: (B+) This is a local beer that, in my opinion, far surpasses anything I have ever tasted from them save for their Hell for Certain Wheat bear. This Hefeweizen is an unfiltered wheat beer that has a grainy, unfinished quality not unlike orange juice with pulp still in it. My favorite surprise of the summer.

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy: (C+) I can safely say that I started picking up Leiney's Red when I first saw it pop up in Kroger for $4.99 and have seen more Leinenkugel products pop up over time and the price has popped up as well to about $7.49 for a six-pack. Anyway, this summer shandy is a blend of wheat beer and lemonade. It didn't sound good at first, but it wasn't as bad as expected. That being said, it's an interesting drink, but be sure to have a lot of friends over because you'd be a trooper to go a full six rounds with this little guy.

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Now for the grapes...This summer has seen my tastebuds celebrating with my new appreciation for white wines. I'm sure by late fall, I will be cuddling up with a nice Beaujolais, but here are a few of the whites that have blown me away this summer...

Domaine Richou "Chavigne" Dry Chenin Blanc '05: (A) Lots of experts would say never to touch a Chenin Blanc from France, but they obviously never had this citrus and apple-infused crisp summer wine. This particular bottle comes from the Loire Valley region in France and is specifically from a smaller region within the Loire Valley called Anjou. It is a fantasticly dry French wine with lots of flavor and character and I have never had such a pleasant experience than sitting down with this bottle and bowl of blackberries.

Nigl Freiheit Gruner Veltliner '07: (B+) This Austrian grape has a wonderful herbaceous character and this bottle is an exquisite example of it done right. A wonderful summer wine that is the perfect complement to a night out on your back deck with a big pot of Shrimp Pesto Fettucine.

Mark Tempe Alsace Reisling '00: (B) I know what you're thinking..."an 8-year-old riesling can't still be good" but you'd be wrong. This honey-colored delight was sharp and crisp and was a wonderful surprise. Make sure to drink it one sitting though because it won't store once you open it.


That's it for now...enjoy your Labor Day! I'm going to a cookout!

Culture Clash Volume 1: An in-depth look into the fim Sankofa

In 1993, Haile Gerima, an Ethiopian-American filmmaker, released the movie Sankofa which he had also written and directed. The movie was an underground hit because of its realistic portrayal of slavery and its call for the black community to take stock and recognition of the black backs that were broken for them to be where they are. The actual word “sankofa” comes from a Ghanian language called Akan which means to “go back and take.” It is also an Adinkra symbol from the Akans which depicts a bird with its neck stretching back to the back of its body and also a symbol that looks much like the Western symbol of the heart. Each use of sankofa has the same purpose which is to signify the importance and necessity of learning from the past.

The movie Sankofa is about an African-American model named Mona who is doing a photo shoot in Ghana. She is depicted as very self-absorbed and very unaware of where she came from. While she is doing this photo shoot on the beach right outside of the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, she is confronted by a witch-doctor named Sankofa who considers himself the guardian of the castle. He starts yelling at her in an African language (presumably Akan) and puts a curse on her that she would go back to where she came from. She is thrust back in time and finds herself as a slave named Shola who is constantly being raped and abused by the white slave owners. She is a timid house-slave that has been born into slavery, but she is constantly being inspired by a West Indian slave named Shongo, whom she loves, and a venerable African woman named Nunu who helps the other slaves remember their homeland. As Shola, Mona gets to witness firsthand the horrors of slavery and just what her ancestors had to pay for in order for her to enjoy the glamorous life that she does, and Shola herself learns the importance of her African heritage and of standing up for yourself. There are many conflicts among the slaves including Nunu's despair over her son, Joe, who is the head slave and also the product of a white man raping her when she was coming over on the boat.

In the beginning of the film, Mona is a typical American who is oblivious of everything around her. She is trying to do a sexy photo shoot with a white photographer on sacred land of the Akan people and does not even seem to understand why that would upset the local people. Being a black American, it would be tough to assume that Gerima wanted us to think that Mona did not even know about the slave struggle, but instead I believe he wanted us to think that she had forgotten about it. He was making a statement saying that the African-American people cannot afford to forget the struggles of those who have gone before. Shola, in contrast to her present-day self Mona, is a woman who is constantly learning from the people around her just how enslaved and displaced that she is. She states at one point that because she was born into slavery she did not have the sense of loss for home that the other slaves felt. It was a special cruelty to the African and other enslaved black people to know that the more that children were born into slavery, the more they would forget that this was not the world that was meant for them; this was not their home. Mona learns through all of this to take heed of the eyes that are watching her from the past. The eyes that are saying, “Look what we went through. Make it worth something, and please don't forget.”

This film is probably one of the most realistic portrayals of the the actual slavery system ever put on film, especially up to the point when Gerima put out the movie. It is not a typical Hollywood movie that depicts slaves as happy, singing, dancing farm-help who would love nothing more than to cater to the whims of their white masters. The film showcased the fact these people, who were uprooted from their homeland, were beaten, raped, abused, branded, murdered, and brainwashed all in the name of keeping them in their place. A few of the slaves were given special treatment from the white authority figures because of their willingness to be head slaves and dole out punishment when needed to ones that were out of line. Joe, Nunu's son, was the most egregious of the head slaves and was an interesting take on the tragic mulatto type made famous and ultimately defined by Dorothy Dandridge in the 1950s (Bogle 167). He is not a typical tragic mulatto which was often a woman's role, but I took him as a hybrid between a tragic mulatto and the unfortunate role of the uncle tom. He was apparently brainwashed as a child into believing that the African people were heathens, and he hid behind the white god that told him to turn his back on his black people. In the end, he amps up the tragedy by killing his mother Nunu and then realizing the extent of the hate that was mainlined into his heart by a religious system that had nothing to do with his black roots.

I believe that this film fits very well into the discourse which was calls for more accurate and intelligent portrayals of the black community in film. It closely relates to many of the films that are important in the black film community. There were several scenes throughout Sankofa which showed the slaves banding together and forming a covert alliance to overthrow their white masters; one being when they all meet down in the caves to initiate their new members. That theme of unification to fight against the white power regime is a common one in the great black films. One of the most important connections, I believe, was in the documentary entitled Malcolm X (not the Spike Lee film). His discourse about bridging international barriers to connect the black community of the world together to abolish the hatred and discrimination that they were facing globally is directly connected to Sankofa especially since you see black people from multiple nations (Shango was from the West Indies, Shola born in America, and Nunu and others were directly from Africa) working together to rid themselves of the white supremacy that was beating down on them. Of course, this idea of unity and standing your ground was also shown in the film Nothing But a Man when Duff tries to get the mill workers to come together and in the film The Spook Who Sat By the Door when Dan Freeman organizes the black street gangs around the country.

Another common theme was the dynamics of the parent/child relationship and how that affects a person's identity. Throughout Sankofa, Nunu grieves because of the outcome of her son Joe. This is most obvious when Joe chases her to the pond and she is telling him that she carried him in her stomach for nine months and that he was nourished from her breasts, and brought up in her arms, but he still kills her in his rage. One originally thinks that she failed in passing on her code of ethics and identity to him, but it appears, through his remorse for what he does to her, that she did pass on her sense of pride and morality to him, but that it was only suppressed under the white Catholicism and hatred that was drilled into him by the white man. This idea of passing on values was another common theme in a lot of the important black films such as in The Learning Tree when Sarah teaches Newt about judging people by their character. It also is a common theme in Edward Jones's book Lost in the City brought up in stories like “A New Man,” “The Store,” and in “His Mother's House.” An interesting look at what happens when that passing on of values is deteriorated is noted by the parental failure of Gary and Fran in the HBO mini-series The Corner.

There is one more scene that has really haunted me, so to speak, from Sankofa. In the early part of the movie, the witch-doctor, Sankofa himself, not only curses Mona sending her back in time, but runs off a crew of white tourists out of the castle. After reading the piece “Who Gets to Tell a Black Story” by Janny Scott, I realized the inherent irony when white people academically and artistically delve into the struggle of the black people. In the scene where Sankofa runs off the tourists and curses Mona back to her roots, I was struck by the idea that it often seems the vast majority of white people are tourists of the black struggle. They may be generally interested and concerned, but they really do nothing more than put a quarter in the viewfinder and look at it from a safe distance. Also, from reading and watching various texts of the black film discussion, I have sensed such a huge need for black individuals to tell the black story. Some of the greatest artistic racial documents have been put together by white people such as Nothing But a Man and The Corner, but it almost seems like a false sentiment when white people exercise their abilities to further the black cause or knock down stereotypes and barriers. It seems to me that the best way a white person can help the black struggle is to do everything possible not to make change themselves, but to facilitate a person of color making that change for their own community.

Fims mentioned in this post:

The Learning Tree (1969)

The Spook Who Sat By the Door (1973)
Malcolm X (Documentary)
Nothing But a Man (1964)
The Corner (2000 HBO Mini-Series)


Books mentioned or used:

Toms, Coons, Mulattos, Mammies, and Bucks- Donald Bogle
Lost in the City- Edward P. Jones
"Who Gets to Tell a Black Story?"- Janny Scott

The Secret Life of Sofia- Seven Summits

The Secret Life of Sofia- 'Seven Summits'
Released: April 30, 2008
Label: self-released
Home: Brooklyn, NY
Rating: 8.3 out of 10


I was talking to a good friend of mine and we were discussing the blessings and the curses of MySpace and the new digital age of music. One of the biggest double-edged swords of things like MySpace is that anyone with a computer can make an album these days. This is such a great accomplishment in the sense that it opens up the medium to an endless amount of different artistic perspectives, but it can be crippling trying to wade through the white noise to find a truly creative and talented band. This prompted my friend to say that finding a great, new band is like finding that great item at Goodwill for $0.50. It takes some digging, but its definitely there if you're willing to put in some time to work for it. Make no mistake about, Brooklyn's The Secret Life of Sofia is one of those truly creative bands for which I like to dig. The band members gently wrap their sonic textures around, Kyle Wilson, the principle songwriter's melodies and stories like a welcome and warm blanket on the couch of friends. To say that TSLOS is a talented band is a gross understatement. Any band can have a 15-passenger van full of talent, but not many can helm subtle sonic structures like TSLOS can. Even live, the band rarely misses a note and somehow makes their incredible songs even more beautiful and injects their orchestrations with even more of the beautiful melancholy which makes their songs so engaging.

The meticulous orchestration of each song is impressive on many accounts; from their Anathallo-esque multi-percussion approach to songs like "Outside" or the layered guitar work of "Moose Collision" and the hard-hitting but perfectly straightforward drumming on the stellar opening track "Fifty Fourteeners". This is a band that knows what to put in, and often even more importantly know what to keep out.

This album, puts them in the ranks of other phenomenal New York bands like Grizzly Bear and Interpol and makes me think that this just might be the best unsigned band in America.

RIYL: Anathallo, Midlake, Interpol

The Netflix Nebulous: Part 1

I watched a trio of movies this weekend that offered up a few surprises and a whole lot of time well-spent.

The first movie I watched is called 'Wristcutters: A Love Story' and it was written/directed by Goran Dukic based off of a short story by Etgar Keret. The film stars the usually great Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), the oft-overlooked Shannon Sossamon (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), and the incredible Shea Whigham (Tigerland, All the Real Girls). It also has some wonderful, small roles played perfectly by Tom Waits and Will Arnett.

The movie centers around Zia (Fugit), a twenty-something who has just had his heart broken by the woman he loves. Before you tune out, there is actually a creative development here! Zia decides to end his life and is immediately finds himself in the Land of Those Who Off-ed. Apparently, in the movie's world, when you kill yourself you are sent to a parallel world that is very similar, but just a lot crappier where in the words of Mikal (Sossamon) it is "a place where you can't even smile? It's hot as balls, everybody's an asshole." This leads to some dark and unexpected comedy throughout the whole movie. The fact that no one in this alterna-verse is happy means that everyone connects with everyone else on a level that is completely devoid of fun or joy or happiness. This melancholic connection of its characters is sometimes heartbreaking sometimes hilarious, and often both at the same time. I can't remember the last movie that left me feeling so content.

The second movie I watched was called 'Eagle vs. Shark' and it was written/directed by Taika Cohen. It features relative newcomer Loren Horsley and, to my surprise, Jemaine Clement who we all know to be Jemaine in Flight of the Conchords. Anyway, this is an off-beat comedy which finds Lily (Horsley) being rejected by her co-workers and friends and looking for love in the almost unloveable Jarrod (Clement). Jarrod is driven by the need for revenge against his high school bully and he drags Lily along for the ride. Horsley's performance absolutely makes the movie. She is somehow naive yet aware, awkward yet incredibly cute, and a loner with a big heart. This is definitely an independant off-beat comedy that'll make you wish that more movies were made like this.

The third and final film I watched this weekend was the third and final film in the 3 Colors trilogy by Krzysztof Kieslowski, entitled 'Red'. The previous films in the series were both great (Blue being the best) and I had pretty high expectations for this one as well. Kieslowski is best known for these 3 films and a set of films he did for Polish television entitled 'The Decalogue' which are films based on the 10 commandments. Kieslowski always paints this swatch of humanity so beautiful that it could not possibly be real, but also so tangible that it could hardly be fiction. His use of music and color has been noted a million times over, but equally impressive is the vast amounts of tragedy and complexity that he imbues into each characters. This last film in the series showcases the fraternity of France which is represented by the red of the French flag, but this fraternity is found in degradation and Kieslowski seems to be saying that we are connected not through our triumphs and joy, but through our failures, loneliness, and lies. It is a haunting movie that sticks with you long after you are done watching Valentine (Irene Jacob) model fashionable coats. A truly remarkable film.


Wristcutters: B+
Bear vs Shark: B
Red: A-