Happy Independence Day

(*pics of last night's fireworks didn't come out well, so here's a lifted pic showing nearby where we were.)

Pop Soda & related etiquette.

A quick and informative video from a favorite blogger of mine, Busan Kevin:

Crawling in the Sky.

Sky Crawlers review up at Gold Lion today.

Food, Inc. (2008/9)

Well Food, Inc. was alright; seeing that it's is indeed, essentially, a redux of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. Reading that book in 2001 made whole many of the ideas I held concerning factory farms and the corporate farming game in general, and to that end its history lessons, insider eyewitness sources, and plethora of expert testimony (adapted into the book's chapters/topics. then to the whole) was a groundbreaking effort that reached those who until then existed outside of the activist movements. Now I'd hardly say I'm an activist, only that I speak with my dollar. The language they understand. That is also a major point Food, Inc. returns to in several ways during its runtime. And they're performing Yeoman's work indeed.

Robert Kenner's doc is split, much like Fast Food Nation, into clever chapters that each contribute to the overall message; one concerning beef cattle, one hogs/pork & chicken, one corn, one soybeans with special attention towards multi-national soybean giant Monsanto, and yet there's plenty of crossover to keep the story moving forward. In particular, an relatively small organic farm that grass feeds its cattle and hand farms its poultry, with amazing results; a real, genuine farm.

So while its not an entirely fresh endeavor, a bit pro forma maybe, the doc is well worth seeing for those who haven't partook in Schlosser's book (or movie) and desire to wet a toe. And while its critics call it one-sided, I tend to believe people will see it for what it is: a clear, albeit brief, look into where our food comes from.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

My first impression of Drag Me to Hell was this could be the best horror film in a few years, let alone stateside horror, my second was that there's some sort of sinister groundwork behind the Raimi Bros' screenplay. I'm not talking about the in-film demon called Lamia, the seance, or the curse, I'm talking about the Christine Brown character and her specific tribulations. Sure, in all likelihood the story is just a wild throwback to late 70s / early 80s cult horror like Phantasm, Psychomania, (very much like) House, or even earlier The Horror of Party Beach; but strip away the sizzling effects and colorful dialogue and buried somewhere inside is the kernel that set this movie in motion.

The basis of Drag Me to Hell is as confounding as any that have ever propelled a film; a public shaming. An Eastern European gypsy (is there any other) begs mortgage officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) for a third, or was it fourth extension of her loan but with the pressures surrounding a vacant managerial desk developing, Brown regrettably denies the extension. This is where Sylvia 'The Georgian Gypsy' Ganush becomes unhinged and some things go down in the bank's parking garage which culminate in Grandmother Ganush placing a curse on Christine. Well, she places the curse onto a button from her coat, to be precise.

The mortgage device is as suspect as it is relevant, but more importantly it is just innocuous and pervasive enough to pass as motivation without a second thought. The remainder touches on every canon in B-horror history though everything from possessed handkerchief to hungry dessert to foul-mouthed goat to the act of being physically pulled directly into hell somehow comes off as profoundly worthy.

As for the underlying nature of Drag Me, I' m sure that the Christine Brown arc is rooted in reality's soils; if only so much as to be based on the generic small town girl in the big city character, with a less-than desirable experiences abound. But all tragedy and supposition aside, Raimi's film is most definitely a breath of fresh air for American horror, and for fans that crave an accessible and excitable theater experience.

Look (2007)

Adam Rifkin's faux-found footage / surveillance-based thesis won a few of the film circuit's top kudos back in 2007 yet shortly after arriving on dvd it didn't take long for people to lower the proverbial boom on Look. But the criticism didn't run so deep as to preclude somewhat robust rentals. It's not a voyeurism argument Rifkin is making, although several scenes might warrant the tag, it's the thousands of mechanical eyes that prompted Rifkin to sell the found and purposeful arcs motif to producers; a tough sell it was.

A note on a few of the story-lines: one of a pair of hyper-sexual high school students tries mightily to bring to fruition a liaison with one of her teachers, a teacher who's wife is currently pregnant; A suave department store floor manager makes his rounds within the ranks of female employees; a nondescript husband and wife install a nanny-cam, but it may not catch the irrevocable; a convenience store clerk comes face to face with some rather unsavory people; and an office employee becomes frustrated by childish high jinks. The entire film is laced with random closed circuit vignettes and comes together in a rather Magnolia-like way, with halted laughs but sans the overtones. That doesn't mean it's any less sobering.

Title Pending.

So it has been a while, and while nothing spectacular has happened to spark a posting during the getaway, now is as good a time as any to return; in better form? Only time will tell.

That being said, I really have nothing to post about here other than to mention the slightly new layout. I like the halved look right now, it's clean enough and there's space for different content types on either side. What content that will be also remains to be seen. I always intend to write about something but then for whatever reason back out because it comes off as droll, esoteric, or uninteresting. The latter must apply to this very post! Anyway, that, in combination with it being summertime, could make for a spotty few months at stones. In any case, don't be surprised to find anything and everything thrown into the pot.

Moshi moshi. Yes, ship the mushi mushi to Yamanashi.

Of note to myself at least, what ill flavor of fate took control of my cell phone as it fell out of my coat pocket? Rather than fall out and away onto the grassy grassness of the grass just to my right, as I turned to retrieve a letter from the mailbox, my cell dropped straight to the sidewalk like it was one of those giant 1980s portables. Not only directly down but exactly flat, on it's face. A face made of glass. The kind of glass that breaks. I didn't even know it slid out until I heard the smack. What are the odds? I guess however it landed it would have been ugly, but in this case I can only call out; no ringing, no vibrating, not even a sliver of the screen to be had. And sadly, the warranty has long since run out.

Now to the bright side! The iPhone 3G was just dropped to $99 for the base model, the 3GS is due next next week (but not so fast...) , and the vaunted Palm Pre is also out there to be had. Some killer phones for sure. One will be mine. And soon. No phone equals no good.