America's top ten hipster cities

Travel and Leisure magazine just came out with the top ten most hipster friendly cities, which got me reflecting on what is a hipster? what does that word mean? where did this all begin? Firstly, if you ask a hipster what a hipster is, they will describe with disdain a person who has ironic facial hair, tight jeans and a holier than thou attitude, while sipping on their soy latte and surfing Pitchfork on their MacBook pro. The actual definition is not really that elusive, its as simple as the definition for pornography "I know it when I see it" undoubtedly, many people who live in urban areas can point out a hipster when they see one but couldn't really give you a definitive definition. 
   Recently I re-watched "High Fidelity" staring John Cusack and Jack Black, and I realized that movie came out in 2000, at that time I was living in New York City, and Williamsburg was the birthplace, or origin of hipsterdom.  If High Fidelity were to come out now, those people would be identified as hipsters, ten years before that they were slackers, around 1980 they were new wave or part of the Madonna or Jean-Micheal Basquit art and music scene in SoHo.  If you go back further you can say the Velvet Underground were hipsters and before that Allen Ginsburg and his Beat Generation crew.  My point being, its a counter culture, you have a mainstream and then you have those that are either a bit ahead of the curve as far as societal values or those that are outsiders to what they consider a bland, corrupt, or evil mainstream of politics, banks and corporations.  In some ways they are right, but just like the hipster ethos will eventually become mainstream and co-opted by the corporations, you can look through history and see how this has happens with each counter culture movement along the way.    This is nothing new, and once Hipsterdom is fully mainstream it will die out and be reborn as something else. 

Jobs, career, what's admirable?

      It's funny what jobs society deems cool and which people look at with contempt, of course this varies on society, country and region, but universally some are seen as more admirable than others where ever you are in the world.  Actor, musician, writer, certain business people, artists, you get the picture.  Those jobs are seen as somehow better than janitor, garbageman, insurance salesman, but if you are going to die, and you can't take your job with you, what does it matter what you do for a living? Most people just need money to pay the bills or get by, so what does it matter what they do to make money.  Sure, you may say we admire those with talent, but that is something that should not be admired, it's like admiring someone for being tall, these are the gifts people are born with our without.   One should be admired for honesty, character, being humble, or better yet, no one should look down upon or admire anyone else.  The act of admiring others is basically an ego thing that comes down to putting yourself either above or below someone else, comparing, measuring.   Every person is on their own trip, it's your personal journey.  Do what you do to the best of your ability, don't worry about anyone else because you aren't perfect and neither am I. 

Slow Carb Diet week three

This is my third week on the Slow Carb Diet.  My weight this morning was 182 pounds down from my high of 197.5 around six weeks ago, I had started a version of the low carb diet but didn't start seeing real results until I started the strict slow carb diet.  This week my energy has been a bit lower but I feel this is because I have been eating mostly protein and vegetables, not as many beans as is recommended.  Today I had egg whites for breakfast with a bit of salsa and 4% cottage cheese, about one large scoop of the cottage cheese.  A chicken fajita bowl minus rice and cheese with some guacamole from Chipotle for lunch and a shredded beef fajita bowl minus rice and cheese for dinner also with a scoop of guacamole.  My mouth has been dry, I have been drinking quite a bit of water but this is something I am not sure why is happening.  Other than some minor cravings, for sugar and cheese, I am planning on continuing the slow carb diet for a long time, as long as I can.  Most of the restrictions can be adapted in most restaurants or places of dining once you get the hang of it.

Tape (film review) Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman

Very well written drama with sharp dialogue.  Linklater proves again here why he was one of the best writers of dialogue of the 90's.  Ethan Hawke plays a loose canon drug dealer and volunteer firefighter who travels to Lansing Michigan to attend his High School buddies film screening at the Lansing Film Festival.  The drama begins right as the two reconnect and keeps escalating.  Captivating interactions, great character studies and many twists and turns.  Again Linklater shows what can be done with solid actors, a good script and a low budget.  The entire film takes place in one room.  Incidentally this would be a good play as well.  Reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock s "Rope" which also took place in one room and built an intriguing story and film.  "Tape" is a thinking persons film, if you are looking for something cerebral this is a great choice, if you want lots of bangs and action look elsewhere.

Collapse (film review)

As a fan of Chris Smith the director of "Collapse" earlier work like "Home Movie" and "American Movie" I eagerly anticipated this 2009 documentary.  The film is well done, almost in Errol Morris style with a haunting score, and random clips played while the interviewee speaks.  Micheal Ruppert the subject of the film, has a long history of whistle blowing dating back to the 1980's.  He speaks in a style that is a combination of a conspiracy theorist and a professor but with a wealth of facts and knowledge.  Overall, his theories are intriguing about peak oil, and quite possibly he is right about what he says, however I disagree with his doom and gloom prophecies, I believe that necessity is the mother of invention.  With a combination of wind, solar, recycling and resourcefulness from local farming our species can avert the impeding depletion of the worlds remaining oil reserves assuming they are indeed running out.  He negates part of his own argument by referencing Cuba and how they turned to local farming and now are producing the best organic food they have had in years.  I do agree with him that our current industrial model of food production is completely wasteful and unsustainable.  Overall, a captivating film and worth watching.

Slacker (film review)

Oh college, good times.  Oh the early nineties, the pseudo intellectual college conversations with some small nuggets of wisdom here and there.  "Slacker" watching this film, 21 years after it came out it is clear how important this movie is now, was then in many ways.  The first is everyone in the film is much skinnier than people are today, no one is distracted by "Facebook" or "Twitter" on their phones while in a bar or coffee shop together.  People seem much more engaged in each others pseudo-intellectual conversations than they are today.  This film is a time capsule, in retrospect a more innocent time, a more peaceful and calmer time for America.   In many ways this movie was one of the first, if not the first to kick off the 90's independent movie renaissance, which only years later after "Pulp Fiction" became bought out by the Wienstiens.  This was before YouTube, before people could pick up a camera and make a movie but in many ways foreshadowed what was to come.  "Slacker" showed that good dialogue, a small budget and some creativity can produce an interesting, intriguing and fun film.  Cheers to Richard Linklater.

The Long Goodbye (film review)

Easily one of Altman's best films and an early precursor to other films later in the decade by the director. The Long Goodbye is a fine transition in style to Altmans later films like "Nashville" and "A Wedding" Elliot Gould does an outstanding job portraying the outre detective Phillip Marlowe, using his mumbling, bumbling, smart ass speaking style, as a technique to keep the film under the illusion that everything is in motion, like the ocean waves in the film, Marlowe speaks in a sort of beatnik type "Daddy-O" style combined with a smooth talking private eye, and the result works perfectly. The film works like it is timed by a metronome, it rolls along, seamlessly in a way that only Altman can achieve, and like the rhythm of the waves and Marlowe's speech, the camera is constantly in motion as well. The roving camera does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to feel as though they are witnessing more action than actually exists on screen.

Wade (Sterling Hayden) is a fantastic Hemingway-esque writer in the film. Hayden's size and booming voice, in conjunction with his alcoholism and potential brutality, lend an aroma of unpredictableness to his character. Wade's beautiful wife, who has a mysterious bruise on her face, is like a timid, loyal animal, subjected to the whims of her over bearing master. Henry Gibson, who plays Wade's doctor, is excellent as a sort of despotic mouse, who frightens an elephant into conforming to his will, this irony is one of the films intriguing, bizarre twists.

This film works well as a character study, and is one of the best films of the seventies. A must see for every student of film. 9/10

The Hangover (film review)

Like "Sex and the city" last summer was a film for women who acted stupid and vulgar, who dredged up the most moronic and insipid aspects of American culture, this is it's spiritual twin, the movie of the summer, the comedy that will make 300 million dollars, that morons will be quoting over and over even though the lines were not clever or quotable. The film is one five minute joke stretched out for what seems to be an eternity. I saw this today and spent 20 bucks including food on this piece of garbage, two hours of my life gone forever, if only I was as lucky as the characters in the film and could have forgotten the entire thing, what happens when you see the hangover stays with the hangover, that would be great. I actually left the theater hoping I didn't see anyone I knew as I was walking out because I was so embarrassed to have sat through the entire film. All in all this movie was no where near as good as the book, boring as hell, lame, stupid, embarrassing. It will make 300 million dollars this summer.

The Darjeeling Limited

As many people who have written comments on this film have said, I do believe that Wes Anderson is one of the most most important American filmmakers of his generation, however, not many other decent filmmakers exist in his generation. Obviously, he is better than Brett Ratner, or Micheal Bay, but compared to the generation before of Kubrick, Sydney Pollack and Roman Polanki (I realize he is from Poland) Anderson has a lot to live up to if he wants to be on the level of the big boys. That being said, Darjeerling Limited is a precious film which in theory is a great concept. Three emotionally damaged brothers from the leisure class exploring a land rife with spirituality, on a train together forced to cohabitat in close quarters while seeking "bonding" and "spiritual enlightenment", however, something is inherently contrived from the beginning. The opening short is somewhat pretentious in its attempt to become mysterious. Not without its charm, the hotel room is great, with its yellow and red interiors and Natalie Portman is gorgeous with short hair and grey overcoat, Wes Andersons true calling may be interior design because he dresses such pretty sets, but anyway, the film is clever without being laugh out loud funny and interesting for those like myself who have never been to India. The film does have its charm in that we have three lost souls drifting in a sea of loneliness all cramped together while speeding to some unknown and far off location. The problem is, we have seen Anderson do this before. I understand he is at the point now that he can pick and choose and continue to remake the same film, if he really wants to become a Kubrick, Polanski or Bunuel, he must make something different and show that he is more than a talented interior designer with a Beck like knowledge of film and the ability to cut and paste in order to build elaborate collages. Lets see him do a Horror film for starters, what made Kubrick great is that he could do comedy, horror, drama, period pieces, he was constantly pushing the envelope like any true artist yearns to do.

The Changeling (film review)

The first time I saw this film, I was about four years old. I'm not sure if I have slept right since, I am now twenty four and it still haunts me.

The tale of a lonely musician, who loses his wife and daughter in a terrible accident, and then decides to rent an old mansion in the pacific norhtwest, only to find the house has a history of it's own. The film is paced well, set perfectly, and reveals a darker side of the bourgeouis than most are willing to explore. A masterpiece.

The Cable Guy (film review)

When I saw this film for the first time in the theater in 1996 it was shortly after Ace Ventura had come out and a bit after Carey had left "In Living Color" what I was expecting was a screwball comedy, what I got was a dark cinematic masterpiece that I didn't appreciate until two years later when a friend insisted I watch it again. Jim Carey in this film demonstrates that he is a genius. One of the most talented, best acted, comedic performances of all time, no joke. This film is brilliantly written, not a bad note, skillfully directed and coupled with outstanding acting from Jim Carey this becomes one of those rare cinematic gems that like a fine French wine or Farrah Fawcet gets better with age, as time goes by this film gets better and better with each passing year and can only truly be appreciated with repeated viewings.

The Big Chill (film review)

First off, let me say this is a movie with a great cast of actors, most of them going on to really define themselves in other movies as true talents. That being said, this movie is really dated, and if it was other people acting in it would fail completely. Having lived in Ann Arbor for five years on the campus of the University of Michigan, I can honestly say that the director truly did capture the smug self importance of university of Michigan alumni. This he got down perfectly, as well as the narcissism and ego of the baby-boomer generation, who hypocritically dove head first into greed and money after sowing revolutionary oats in the sixties.

But most of all, this film seems to be about the confusion and despair those of that generation were during the early years of the , capitalist 80's. The characters reconnecting after one of their college friends killed himself because he felt he was a failure, speaks volumes for the self induced pressures placed on those of that time. Real or imaginary, failure didn't seem to be an option.

Tom Berrenger as the movie star character of J.T. Lancer, a take off of T.J. Hooker of course, seems the most out of place amongst this group of friends, he doesn't seem like a Michigan graduate, way too good looking and far less cerebral. Jeff Goldblum would be perfect, he would have been a student and graduate from Michigan, intelligent, smug, self important, selfish.

The woman who wants a baby, the character played by Mary Kaye Place, she claims she just wants someone to "Plant the seed" but when Jeff Goldblum offers she says something sarcastic about how it wasn't romantic, if she truly just wanted someone to plant the seed and nothing more romance shouldn't be a consideration. This of course is just one flaw in the film. Overall, at the time this came out, and for people of a certain generation I'm sure this was an important film, but now in this day and age it is way less relevant, as many wish they had the luxury of choosing to reject capitalism, most are struggling to get by during this time of the great reset.

Tenebre, (film review)

As a fan of Argento's earlier films such as Suspiria and Profundo Rosso, I found that Tenebre is in the same vane as the previous two. In saying that, a serpentine story that involves a great soundtrack and creative gore. As in most of Argento's films, it really is difficult to decipher who the murderer is and this is no exception. Not my favorite of his oeuvre, but worth while all the same. Argento is one the best Horror film directors of his day, or any day for that matter. For some reason the best Horror films came out of the 1970's, not only in America but worldwide. Something about the grain of the film or the lack of advanced special effects forced the directors to be more creative and use psychological rather than visual devices to tell the story. Hitchcock, Argento, Romero, and many others created the best horror in the seventies and to a lesser extent the early 80's.

Sweeney Tod, (film Review)

As a Tim Burton fan going back to seeing "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" in the theaters, I have followed Tim Burton's career and seen all his films. He is a true talent and "Sweeney Todd" did not disappoint. In Victorian England, Sweeney Todd returns to his home of London after being falsely imprisoned for fifteen years by the dastardly Alan Rickman, to find his wife ostensibly dead and his daughter imprisoned. He seeks revenge and quickly decides to take it out on all of London, not just the man who did him wrong, this was an interesting twist. The tone, as one could imagine, is very dark and Gothic, what Burton does best, but what makes Burton stand out amongst almost everyone else is that his visual style is accompanied by a very brilliant and dark sense of humor. The combination of these two things, together with fine acting performances, the boy who played Toby was outstanding, truly made this a haunting, surreal, dreamlike film that was well worth the price of admission. Who doesn't love Tim Burton's take on London? Dark, dirty, foggy and man those meat pies!

Single White Female, (film review)

I saw this movie in theater in 1992 and remember it being very entertaining and somewhat racy. Fourteen years later the film holds up well to the test of time. A major difference is in the level of nudity between this film and the thrillers of today. Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh are hot! lets see them naked and often. Barbet schroeder understands this, and we see them both naked from the onset of the film. The story and acting develop well, the dialog is well written and the camera work is adequate.

Jennifer Jason Leigh steals the show in this film, she does a superb job handling the transition in the character of Heddy with her body language and shyness into the transition of a sexually charged woman, who is assertive and obviously losing her grip on reality. She takes more risks and becomes bold and violent. Overall much better and more entertaining than any of the crap you will find being made today in Hollywood. Don't expect Shakespeare and just enjoy the ride.

Sideways, Alexander Payne, Film Review

After hearing much hullabaloo about how great this film was, it was hard to see it with an open mind. As a big fan of the previous Alexander Payne film Election, I was expecting a wry film with some interesting shots and editing. As a whole, this film disappointed me, it took a long time to get going and when it did, the characters depressed me, but not in the way they were supposed to. I have no problem watching two guys in a motel room, watching golf, as long as it is a home video of myself on vacation with a friend. As a matter of fact on second thought, I would rather watch a pot that was going to boil than watch two guys sitting in a motel room watching golf.

What stuck out in my mind the most about this film was its obvious parallel to Midnight Cowboy. You have the crippled con man who makes the oddest of friendships with the all American, ruggedly handsome, American man. Paul Giamatti of course being emotionally crippled and Dustin Hoffman physically, but you get my drift? Both blonde men in both films, have no problems with women, while the friends struggle just to survive in the world at all, the blonde men both believe that life is all about sex, and give the friends a hard time for not "getting any", and the crippled friends will let you believe that is the furthest thing from their minds. They don't seem believable as friends, yet they both need each other, and after time you see how they fill each others voids. I digress, back to Sideways, and put Midnight Cowboy on hold, the film tried to be too smart, the dialogue about why Paul Giamatti loves pinot was an obvious attempt at clever script writing, if you are watching a film thinking this is trying to be intelligent, rather than getting carried away by it, it is a failure and pretentious. The acting was pretty good however which is the only thing that saves this depressing waste of time about two men going through midlife crises. The only reason this film is worth while is for the acting. Go see Midnight Cowboy, and if you've already seen it, see Sam Peckinpahs Straw Dogs.

Shortcuts, Robert Altman (film review)

This movie exemplifies why Altman is one of the greatest American directors. It paints a picture of a community using broad strokes, you have every type of person here, all personalities represented and we see much in the way of human weakness and lust.

Altman is a master at weaving together stories that ostensibly shouldn't connect, other film makers like P.T. Anderson attempt to achieve the same effect with varied results. The uneven Magnolia and the stellar Boogie Nights are examples of mimicking the Altman style. Of the four films Altman attempts this technique "The Player, Short Cuts, Pret A Porter, Nashville and to a lesser extent M.A.S.H and McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Short Cuts is the most effective.

Highly recommended piece of American Cinema.

Sheitan (film review)

This was an amusing film but not for the reason it was meant to be. It was amusing as a cross between Psycho and Cabin Fever. During the film you had no idea where the Hell it was going, it was completely serpentine in the story line, while at the same time being straight forward in a bizarre way. The characters were jerks, so you didn't mind seeing bad things happen to them.

Interesting to watch and some good performances. Genuinely disgusting and creepy at times. Cassell does a great job at playing a French psychopath. This movie is interesting, moves quickly, however without giving away the ending, its built up to a disappointing conclusion. Probably a good idea to check it out if you are a fan of French horror films, or Vincent Cassell, but other than that rent something else.

Search and Destroy (film review)

This is a gem that is lost amongst the crap that came out in the mid nineties American cinema. The first time I saw this film I thought that it was bizarre, yet in some odd way compelling. I have since seen it seven or eight more times and it gets better each time. The humor is dark and unconventional, and the dialog is odd in that it is difficult to determine whether or not its meant to be funny or is simply poor writing, I still have not figured that out which is probably one of the reasons I love this film.

The cast is of course outstanding, which is why I first rented this film knowing nothing about it. It must have had a very short theater shelf life. Dennis Hopper, Ethan Hawke and produced by Martin Scorcese, how could you go wrong? But the truly outstanding performance, and the majority of the quotable lines are spoken by Christopher Walken. His characters name is Kim Ulander, classic, and walken does what walken does best in this role, he plays a psychopath. See this film, and see it again and again and again.

Schizopolis

The first time I saw this film I was entertained and mildly confused by what I had just witnessed, it primarily represents a satiric look at modern life Pre Office Space, but saying just that does not do the picture justice. The combination of surrealism, satire and general creativity make this film worth while and most importantly worthy of multiple viewings. At times it feels as though it is being weird for the sake of weird but remains to peak curiosity. Some very funny situations and lines. Not for everyone, but for those looking for something different and willing to keep an open mind this is an excellent, original film. If you want loud bangs and shiny things, watch Soderberghs other films like Ocean 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 etc.

Rosemary's Baby

A great film from the mind of Roman Polanski, one of the masters of twentieth century suspense. Over the course of time, this film has stood the test, remaining horrifying to an entirely new audience. The suspense is fantastic, and the characters well developed. Without a doubt, one of the films that should be on every movie fans list.

Mia Farrow plays an innocent, naive woman, who mature's overnight, in lieu of her motherly instinct in reaction to losing her child. The fear of losing her baby is countered only by the realization that keeping it possibly entails endangering the fate of the human race.

an interesting note about this film, Mia farrow was going to walk off the production because her then husband Frank Sinatra wanted her to quit. Robert Evans the producer told her that the buzz on the street was she would win the Oscar for best actress. Her response was "Frank who?"

Rocky Balboa

Am I the only one who thought this movie was painful to watch? Major plot holes, huge disappointment. Had I not seen this movie about ten years ago when it was the last rocky picture I would have possibly enjoyed this film. Aside from the initial problems with the premise, a sixty year old man boxing the twenty two year old heavyweight champ, the rest of the film is cheesy, lame and pointless. Am I the only one that remembers him having serious brain damage in the previous Rocky? How the heck can he box now after the damage would certainly be worse as he aged. He would be a virtual vegetable. The relationship he has with his son seems unreasonable and aside from that, his son is not a person I would even care to know. Rocky was the heavyweight champ and now he lives in what looks like a dilapidated shack, yet he has enough money to own an upscale Italian restaurant. Like the previous Rocky, he takes in a surrogate son because he has problems relating to his own son, yet after one conversation with his son the boy is suddenly in his corner and forgotten about living in shadow, he simply resigns to it. Don't waste your time with this one.

Raging Bull

Raging Bull ranks among the most talked about and most respected films of all time. For the most part this is justified. Call me crazy, but I found some major flaws in this film. First, La Matta's relationship with his first wife is obviously tumultuous, however, we see them argue, and then La Matta and his brother go out together, and of course La Matta meets and falls in love with the blonde Vicki, but after that point we don't see his first wife again. She simply vanishes from the story! The audience is left wondering, what happened to his first wife? Deniro's character shows very little wit early on with the exception of the scene at the club with his wife when he says "Why don't i beat the sh#t of of bout of yous and then you can f##k each other" Aside from that, he is humorless. Obviously a talented boxer, and an emotional wreck, at the end of the story, he jumps into being a Lenny Bruce type stand up at clubs and eventually opens his own club playing host to groups of people and is the life of the party! where did this side of his character materialize out of? How did this happen?

Overall, outstanding acting by Pesce and Deniro, but aside from that, major plot holes obscure the integrity of this film. As the old saying goes, just because its shot in black and white, doesn't make it art.

Quintet, Robert Altman, (film review)

After tracking down this video and reading predominantly negative reviews, this perplexing, yet interesting and forgotten Altman film has something going on, I'm just not sure if it was accidentally interesting or intended. In a room without an air conditioner, in the beginning of August in New York City, this film actually made me feel cold. It was amazing how well the mood is set by ice in every scene. The acting by Newman is stiff, which may have been intentional in order to portray the concept of the frozen atmosphere? Who knows, I would love to extend Altman that credit.

The Vaseline on the lens of the camera was a horrible mistake, the intended goal was missed, all it accomplished was making the viewer feel as if the film were out of focus, what an idiotic mistake that was by Altman! To give Altman some credit, this film is bold, perplexing and worth a look. It may be perplexing for the sole reason that the lines are difficult to hear on a fifteen year old VHS copy of an ex-rental. Far superior to "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" which ironically was the other film Newman starred in which Altman directed, and his previous film to "Quintet" in addition to being one of the other misses by Altman in the seventies, when the man was creatively on fire. Newman and Altman did not connect on a good film, which is perplexing in and of itself. As a whole, worth a look for serious Altman fans, but not recommended for those who are not into sci-fi, incomplete ideas, or blurred vision. A must see if you are sweating in an apartment with out air conditioning.

Deep Red, Profundo Rosso

This is arguably the best Argento film. The camera work in this is outstanding and the acting is tight. The plot twists and turns in typical Argento style and keeps you guessing till the end. Some very gory scenes and an excellent soundtrack by Goblin. This is one of those films that could only have been created in the mid nineteen seventies. The best horror was made before special effects were firmly established the directors had to be more creative and actually worry about things like plot and character development as well.

Argento is skilled at mixing heavy metal with horror, he does it in a way that is imitated but never duplicated. A must see for any fan of horror films.

The Passanger (film review)

The way to watch this film is with the Nicholson commentary. This is a very good art film with intriguing ideas and an existentialist theme, however the pace is so slow that at times you would get bored, Nicholson's commentary fits perfectly into this and adds a great deal. Today this would be considered way to slow. In the seventies art films like this were able to have long shots with little or no dialogue. In this world of video games and high budget cgi action its refreshing to see something that you can get absorbed in or lost in like a dream, and reflects more accurately the pace and events of real life.

The story narration flips between past, present and location. At times it can be a bit difficult to follow, both where they are and when they are, but this adds to the overall intrigue of the film. Identity, time, place are all interwoven together. The themes are Bunuelian in many ways and this type of film, with real ideas and themes about the existence of life and what it means to live with an identity are explored very well. Movies like this simply aren't being made today.

The name of the game in this film is "understated." Everything, from the performance by Nicholson to the sex scene, or implied one, and car chase, or implied one is not over the top. Maria Schnieder doesn't give a stellar performance. In the commentary, Nicholson states she was on pain pills for a back problem, however it was well known at the time she had a drug problem. Seems like she was on drugs throughout the film. Maybe heroin or some kind of downer, I watched this film in many ways to see her follow up to "The Last Tango in Paris" where she was vibrant, charismatic, and very sexually charged. This film, seems like she is more subdued, jaded and reserved and she is still only 23 at the time this was made. "Last Tango In Paris" took its toll on her, even by this point it is apparent she was damaged by what had happened during the aftermath of that film.

No Country For Old Men

This is getting sad, really really sad. This was AT BEST an average film. Like so many films of 2007, gimmicks and marketing as well as hype take the place of good film-making. I'm starting to think people don't know what makes a film great anymore. This story HAS been done MANY times, don't go crazy for this movie because it is a COEN brothers and you think you MUST like it. The story worked for the most part, but WAKE UP PEOPLE! this wasn't that great or original a film! We have seen this story before, we have seen these characters before, because he had a cattle killer and an off-center haircut, don't think this was something fantastic.

Monks - The Transatlantic Feedback

I saw this film at the Chicago film fest knowing absolutely nothing about this story or the band. This was a great film from start to finish, fascinating. The story chronicles the current lives of the members of an avant garde musical group in Germany in the mid 1960's. A group of American G.I.'s who met each other while playing around on instruments in the equivalent of the Army mess hall, and got good enough as a band to play local gigs as a band called the Torquays around Germany. A team of German producers discovered them and turned them into The Monks, and branded them with corporate identity insisnting wherever they go they are monks dressed and acting like monks. The music was ten to twenty years ahead of it's time. A combination of techno, punk, metal and rock and roll, they have a sound unlike anyone else at the time. After a few years of touring Germany they came home to the U.S penniless, and found out thirty years later they were a cult band. Very worth while, well done documentary, highly recommended to all.

Misery, (film review)

This film is an excellent piece of American cinema. The story is gripping, entertaining, funny, and scary. Bates and Caan deliver flawless performances. The dialog is perfect, and very quotable. One of the best adaptations to film of any Stephen King book with exception of The Shining and possibly Shawshank redemption and Stand by Me. With a brilliant concept, most likely a fear of Stephen Kings at one point, a Romance writer Paul Sheldon is caught in a blizzard driving in Colorado and rescued by his self professed number one fan Annie. She saves him by pulling him out of his car and nursing him back to health. Although he may have been better off freezing to death in the snow

Medium Cool (film review)

This film is better upon the second viewing, the first time I saw this I thought it was somewhat dated or boring, I couldn't have been more wrong. Initially I watched this film because it was directed by Haskell Wexler whose work I admire, and I'm from Chicago and had heard it shows much of the city and the riots of 68. I enjoyed seeing the city forty years ago to see what was the same and what had changed, much has changed yet much remains the same from what I have seen of the people, places, buildings etc. It was great to see the Kinetic Playground on there, Chicago's electric ballroom, and other area's such as Lincoln Park. On the second viewing, I realized that this is a very important film in that it adroitly captures a moment in time, a moment we can never have again that is lost forever, that one second in our history that pivoted us as a nation between innocence and awareness and possibly that crucial moment which has brought us to the point we are at today. This movie is very important as a document of history, not to mention how well it's shot. The angles, the color, the way he goes in and out of focus make this a true gem that gets better the more you see it. Great soundtrack as well, Zappa, Mike Bloomfield and others.

Manhattan, Woody Allen (film review)

from the opening shot of "Manhattan" with Woody Allen speaking over the pictures of Manhattan and the music of Gershwin, this film is pure magic. Firing on all cylinders, Allen hits an artistic peak with this film following success from "Annie Hall" and the brilliant "Interiors" Allen finishes out the seventies with a crescendo that matches that of the Gershwin song that opens film.

The stark black and white images of New York City, in the summer, in the winter in snow, and with fireworks truly demonstrates Allen's love affair with the great city, this is an ode to the city of his birth as well as a fantastic period piece, the last second of the 1970's and it feels that way when watching this movie. It has such a strong 70's feel that its great for that one aspect alone, however, many more fantastic aspects exist in this film. Mariel Hemingway is beautiful and outstanding, the love triangle with Diane Keating, Allen and Michael Murphy is skillfully expressed and crafted, and the ending is superb. This is one of those rare films that gives the viewer chills, and not just once but many times. Simply stated, this movie is why people who love film, love film.

Little Murders (film review)

I asked the clerk at my local video store to suggest a comedy from the 70's on VHS as my DVD player was broken. He recommended Little Murders and got a glazed over look in his eye and an idiots smile on his face, obviously reminiscing over a scene in the film. That was enough for me to want to rent it, and I'm glad I did. The acting in this film is outstanding, the highlight for me was Alan Arkin playing a Dr. Strangelove esquire police officer and of course the scene with Donald Sutherland as the minister. The film holds up remarkably well for having been filmed over 35 years ago, it must have been ahead of it's time when it came out. Aside from a few slang terms that were definitely from a by gone era, the film could easily take place today. All in all worth the effort if for nothing else than an outstanding cast of Arkin, Sutherland and Gould. Did it get any better than that acting wise in the 1970?

Knocked Up (film review)

After my friends, who I consider moderately intelligent, raved about this movie for weeks, I decided to rent It, hey why not? I'd give it a shot. The movie was a total rip off, not funny, waste of time. The underlying premise is not believable, thus every thing that happens after the initial one night stand is pointless. I don't know what star system these characters live in, but I have been to many bars and have never seen a girl that looks like Kathryn Heigl go home with a guy who looks like Seth Rogen after just meeting him at a bar no matter how drunk or how much tic she has snorted previously that evening to have unprotected sex on a one night stand. How stupid and desperate is this girl? and on top of that we are supposed to believe she is an otherwise intelligent A-type personality who has it together who just made a mistake? For a guy who looks like Seth Rogen, knocking up that girl and having her keep the baby is the equivalent to winning countless scratch and win one dollar lotteries. On top of that, no women I know are dying to go out with fat, unemployed, pot heads, no matter how funny and how big their jew-fro is or how many stains they have on their shirts, I know this because that is what I look like. It's just a movie you may say, NO this was an insult to everyones intelligence involved in the film, watching the film or citizen of any country where this went to number one. On top of all this, we have a scene of Ryan Seacrest losing it off camera, like we are getting a glimpse into his non American Idol real personality, WHO THE $$$$ CARES ABOUT SEACREST? This was weird and not funny, edgy or smart. The scene with the bouncer was awkward and strange, I don't know what they were going for but in the world I live in you don't call someone a "Faggot" for doing their job and if you do you deserve to be pimp slapped. The only good thing about this film that I did enjoy was it strangely resembled watching a car wreck or trainwreck, it was mildly entertaining to see how low it would sink which too me I can go to a kindergarten class during recess and watch the kids play outside in the mud and get the same effect for free. His friends were lame and uninteresting, countless jokes about one of them having a beard, wow, lets think of how many times we can come up with different names to call a guy with a beard that is so funny! The Asian girl who was laughing at everything was unlike any stoner I ever knew, and I've know hundreds, The dialog which was supposed to pass for edgy or witty was just plain stupid and embarrassing, not embarrassing as in the Amish would blush, but embarrassing in the way that if you have more than a modula oblongata operating your bodily functions, and have conscious thought, you are sad and stunned that humans can pass this off as conversation. these are the types of people I have gone my entire life trying to avoid why would I want to watch a two hour movie with them? I'm amazed that this film made so much money, truly what passes for humor in this country is unbelievable. I'm moving to Canada as soon as I can find a time machine to take me back to 1977 when SCTV is just beginning and Saturday night Live is peaking. Truly we have lost our comedic way

Juno (film review)

Sadly after the success of such films as "Napolean Dynamite" and "little Miss Sunshine" the studios are attempting to market "Indie" as a brand. Those in Hollywood aren't stupid, they know that the less money they have to spend on a film in production the higher the profits if it pays off, however, what makes films great or charming that are small is that they aren't contrived to make 100 million dollars. The studios are attempting to bottle cuteness or preciousness, pass it off as original because a character drinks sunny d or chews orange tic tacs or watch out! has a hamburger phone! in order to fool the masses into believing that they are watching something fresh and original and those that disagree "just don't get it" or are "haters" however, the problem is not that people "don't get it", its that some people "do get it" and can see through this attempt at marketing a Twinkie like its moms homemade Apple pie. The entire film is so wrought with verbal prestidigitation that if anything resembling a true film were in there it was buried beneath cunning linguistic masturbation.

Juno is the first movie of this kind, that is being marketed prior to wide release as a cult film. Shouldn't it be around for a bit before it's deemed cult or at least get a wide release into theaters? This insidious marketing ploy is an evolution of commercial advertising which is beginning to penetrate all forms of art and media and as long as people keep spending money and falling for this drivel they will continue to churn out plastic pictures under the illusion of art.

This film wanted so badly to be something special yet the over written dialog and quirks stamped on the characters ruined what could have been a good story. Everyone tried too hard on this picture from the writer, director, to Fox Searchlight who has already stamped "One doodle that can't be undid" on t-shirts in an obvious and obnoxious attempt at creating dialog that will be echoed and reverberating in the high school halls of America like the latest Justin Timberlake album, who knows, maybe it will work, however I doubt something as saccharine as this will gain a cult audience but I was wrong with "Garden State" "Napolean Dynamite" "Little Miss Sunshine" to name a few, never underestimate the stupidity of the American public.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (film review)

Like many people out there I'm sure, I had a loose understanding and knowledge of Basquit, but this film is very enlightening by filling in the missing gaps that I personally hadn't known about his life as told through those closest to him. The Director, who had a friendship with Basquit, does a wonderful job of interviewing people who knew him to really paint a full portrait of the mans character. Brilliant, creative, very sensitive.

Basquiat of course, rose to fame from the streets even though his father was a well off accountant. His life story is sad, in the crusty, white world of art in the late seventies and early eighties in NYC, the obnoxious liberals who Basquiat was often demeaned by, because of his ethnic background which he felt, probably rightly so, like he was being viewed as some kind of primitive animal. Very sad, very moving film about a gifted artist and one of the best of the 20th century.

Interiors, Woody Allen (film review)

Like the title of the film "Interiors" is as much about the psychology of the characters as it is about the mother who decorated the inside of homes. Fantastic, scorching drama by Woody Allen, one of his best. The film centers around the lives of one family, they each have issues to work out and they interact with each other based on personalities that are in strong opposition to one another. As the film unravels it resembles something close to a Bergman film, dark, brooding and deeply subconscious. Allen definitely was influenced by Bergman while making this film.

Allen, who is typically known as a comedic writer and director shatters the his own mold with this one and demonstrates his range and insight.

Images, Robert Altman (film review)

Under the assumption that Altman was creatively peaking between the years 1970 and 1975, (I realize this is debatable) I sought out every film that was made during that period. Surprisingly, I could not locate the brilliant, chilling lost treasure that is the film "Images" it seemed to have simply vanished into history. Although Susannah York deservedly earned best actress at Cannes for her performance, and it was sandwiched between "The Long Goodbye" and "Mccabe and Mrs. Miller" this film, like "3 women" and "California Split", remain mysteries. Luckily, "Images" was released on DVD this past September. I immediately bought it without a second thought. I am very thankful that I did.

Images is one of those gems that make you appreciate cinema, directors and the creative process in general, because of the exploritive potential within the medium. Dredging up the inner fears and archetypes of the subconscious and weaving together what comes to the surface synergistically is Altmans vision in this film. Sadly, lately, film is about loud bangs and shiny things and very few adroitly capture the lost art of character development.

"Images" seems to be one of those films that could only have taken place in the early seventies. During the era of psychedelic drugs, the film indubitably feels as though it is on some kind of mind altering substance. It is completely trippy and unnerving. Logic seems to have flown out the window from the onset of the story. I won't give anything away, because you need to go into this film knowing nothing, or little to nothing about it, and just enjoy the ride.

Idiocracy (film review)

The fact this movie wasn't seen by many people is more proof of it's greatness. This film is hilarious and sad, it's so on point that it is sickening. What is ostensibly five hundred years in the future is right in front of us today. Human's are de-evolving, becoming far less intellectual and are in no ways advancing. Thanks to this brilliant, scathing look at society and our future, we could change it, but of course we will all prolly be too busy "batin" to care. This should be required viewing in high schools all across America along with "1984" and "Utopia" as well as "Animal Farm" At times you don't know whether to laugh or cry when watching this masterpiece, from the mind of Judd, we are given another glimpse into the greatness that is the great unwashed, a view into the ugly mind that is the American psyche, and treated to many product placement advertisements. A must see for everyone, even if you don't quite understand what its about, go see it!

Helvetica (film review)

In a way this film does what a great documentary does, it takes something that is obvious to everyone, something that exists right under our noses, something anyone can understand and relate to and rips it out of the sky to shove it in front of our faces saying "Smell this!" Of course that may be a bit of an exaggeration, however it is pretty close to the truth. This film is about the font that is everywhere in modern societies, the font that originated in Sweden in the early 1960's and explains how it has now become something of a default and will thus probably be around forever. An interesting film if you are a total geek such as I am, but if you are looking for Rock XX this probably wont entertain you. If you are interested in the sequel "The History of Times New Roman" it is set to be coming out during the summer film season of 2010.

Gummo (film review)

I have been an avid movie goer my entire life, this is the only film I've ever seen that I had to stop watching half way through. The story revolves around a small town in Ohio that was wiped out by a tornado and never fully recovered. The kids in the town indulge in all kinds of deviant activities in order to pass the time and entertain themselves, as well as make money. It seems as though the director thought about the most disgusting, depressing and depraved things he could, and then threw them all into a film, I can appreciate that, for the sake of imagination, but this film was nearly unwatchable. It wasn't really one part, or scene in particular that did it, but was the entire film as a whole was uniquely disturbing. If you are going to see this film don't eat for about six to eight hours before, and please for the love of God, don't watch it under the influence of psychedelic drugs.

Ghengis Blues (film review)

This is an excellent documentary, one of the best if not the best of 1999. Very sad, and moving as well as incredibly intriguing.

The film chronicles Paul Pena an old musician who was plagued by illness and blind from birth. While surfing on his ham radio Paul hears Tuvan throat singing and searches all over the place to find the source of this bizarre and fascinating music. He becomes a natural throat singer and travels to Tuva to compete in a competition.

Beautiful music throughout the film, and the Tuvan countryside looks as if it is a mystical land inhabited by friendly descendent's of Genghis Kahn who maintain a rich and textured culture.

This is worth while for anyone who is interested in music, documentaries or Tuva.

Following Sean (film review)

I stumbled upon this film on Netflix while perusing the documentary section and I'm very glad I did. This was very moving and thoughtful film, the filmmaker weaves his own life story into that of the subject, who was a precocious four year old boy in the Haight Ashbury sixties and now an adult trying to figure out his own place in the world. A very quiet meditation on life, relationships, the impermanence of everything we think will last forever. It was like watching years fly by in the blink of an eye, which in a way they actually do, both beautiful and depressing. Possibly not for everyones taste but as someone who didn't live in the sixties or have anything to do with those times it was still a fascinating peak into life at the time and the people who lived during that era.

Flirting With Disaster (film review)

This film is well worth seeing. The characters and story are very entertaining and funny. This is what Ben Stiller should be doing now, films like this one. Unfortunately, Ben has fallen into the same rut that haunts Eddie Murphy and others who have lost the sense of humor they once possessed after having children. Comedians should be sterilized for the good of their work. Ben stiller made the film Envy right around the birth of his first child and hasn't been funny since.

The plot revolves around Mo Copeland, a thirty year old man who has just given birth to his first child and is having problems naming the child due to his lack of identity from being adopted. He sets out on a misguided journey to find his birth parents and hilarity ensues. Very funny movie.

Go into this film expecting and knowing nothing and you will be entertained and laugh out loud. I guarantee it.

Fear (film review)

This movie came out when I was in High School and I remember it being a decent thriller/action film. After reviewing it over ten years later, it stands up fairly well to the test of time. This film is more important as it was the first lead role by Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon as well as a big role for Alyssa Milano. When I saw this film in the theaters Mark Wahlberg was known primarily as the model dude for underwear and a rapper, I distinctly recall this performance as proof the guy had talent as an actor. Of course he went on to become primarily an actor and has come into his own as a leading man. Overall the film moves along nicely and is entertaining, a few parts are cheesy but worth seeing if you are in the mood to be entertained.

Fargo (film reveiw)

Set against the white canvas, Fargo is one of those rare films that comes along once in a decade. Arguably the best film of the nineties, this gem gets better with repeated viewing like most Cohen brothers films pre Ladykillers. The acting is superb, the cast perfectly picked. Some defining roles in the careers of Steve Buschemi, Peter Stormaire and William H. Macy.

The serpentine plot is just one of the outstanding facets of this film, the cinematography set against the white canvas of the Minnesota winter, creates a lonely, sad, isolated feeling. Isolation in general is a major theme in this film, as well as the distances between people, the lack of communication, lies and deception that can be humanity at its worst. In fact very few people in this film are not total degenerates. The Cohen brothers are clearly expressing our existential despair through black humor and they do it like no one else when they have all cylinders firing as they do in Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, and Millers Crossing.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Wow, what a great documentary. Having said that, hilarious, disturbing, brilliant, where to begin with this one? The story of street art which took a serious turn from straight up graffiti somewhere along the way to becoming the new hottest thing, but this story has a twist.

The John Belushi looking Thierry who is crazy, and was obsessed with filming street artists, having fooled many to believe he was a documentary filmmaker, when in reality he was just a French guy with a camera. Became obsessed with meeting the brilliant, elusive street artist Banksy and one day does. Banksy, who is everything Thierry is not, being humble, low key, a true artist, not looking for fame. Imagine that? Actually attempting to avoid the spotlight. Or is Banksy not what you would think and just brilliant at creating a mystique, like Batman who everyone wants to know his true identity, who doesn't want recognition and operates at night in the cover of darkness in order to create that scarcity many artists desire in order to sell for more money? that is up to you to decide. I feel that Banksy is the real deal, a true artist, not in it for the money and a true genius.

Banksy, who is the Michael Jordan of street artists encountered Theirry In L.A. and warmed up to him after he took a metaphorical bullet for him at Disneyland in a hilarious post 9/11 scare, encouraged Thierry to go back to L.A. and put on a show after he realized the horror that was his attempt at a documentary film. With Banksy's endorsement, Thierry became a million dollar art seller on his first show.

This film is as much a commentary on the creative movement of street art as it is the death of the movement. Innovators come along, do something new, than it becomes mainstream because some hack imitates the originators and sucks all the air out of the movement. Same old story...

Donnie Darko (film review)

This is a very rare film, one that doesn't come out that often and in many ways is not as aware of how big it actually is and how close to the truth about realities. In the film, each reality has its own time line and events that must happen within it, because time is predestined and has already happened in a sense, all events that occur are going to play out exactly as they are meant to, however, if something occurs that changes a reality in the slightest amount, a divergent realty will be entered by the characters involved. As we see in the film, because Donnie isn't killed by the jet engine Frank and Gretchen are killed in what appears to be a random set of events but is actually set up to play out exactly as they should, and Donnie is urged to push into a divergent reality by the rabbit, where he burns down the perverts house, thus enacting a separate chain of events, and breaking the water main at the school which allows him to walk Gretchen home. When we see Donnie killed by the jet engine at the end, we are then at the beginning of another reality, where Donnie and Gretchen hadn't met, yet we see some familiar essence exists between the higher energy connection between Donnie's mother and Gretchen. Before Donnie is killed by the jet engine, he is laughing because he has realized he doesn't ever really die, just splinters into divergent realities.

Children of Men (film review)

This is a very interesting film from start to finish. Very well shot, great action and an interesting premise. The year is 2027 and for some reason that is unknown women are infertile. By some miracle a "Fugee" becomes pregnant and is set to give birth to the youngest person in the world. The next oldest is 19.

Clive Owen delivers a solid performance playing the hero in this film and Michael Caine does a good job adding some humor and color to the bleak, dark future that is Britain. The film seems as though it is shot through a fog, it is very dark through out. This technique expresses the world of the future, dirty, polluted and unlivable.

Overall worth while, some minor problems with plot and story but nothing to bad.

Black Snake Moan

This movie is a solid effort, it is well done and because it is well done I have some problems with it. That is, to make more clearly, that because I actually liked this film I wanted it to be perfect. Easily Christina Ricci's best performance which isn't saying much compared to her other films Love Actually, the opposite of sex and numerous other poor choices and less than stellar performances. She shines in this, or rather radiates a troubled young girl who somehow is still sexy with band aids on her knees and bruises on her face not to mention eyes that make her look like she has been on a year long extacy and morphine bender. Sam Jackson as always does a great job.

Here is where my complaint comes in, why Timberlake? Why not cast someone who we haven't seen much of before for his part? He looks way to pretty to be playing the part he plays and doesn't seem nearly screwed up enough, at least not enough to match Ricci's performance. Also, it is hard to get it out of your head that you are watching an actor and not Justin Timberlake.

The plot is solid, the acting very good, it is obvious the writer/director has talent and is going to produce some good films in the future. He uses slow motion in some interesting ways and knows how the camera should capture the action, he also mixes music well with the action. All in all this film is worth seeing.

Being There

"Being There" is one of those unique films that will stick with you for months and years after you have seen it. Peter Sellers is so good its scary. The commentary in the film is hilarious and the shots outstanding, as a whole the film sparkles with brilliance, it is haunting, funny, thought provoking, entertaining and aesthetically pleasing to watch. It seems as though Ashby wanted to capture a Magritte painting and set it in motion on the screen, he does this and Sellers puts on arguably the performance of his career, how he did not win a best actor is baffling.

Barton Fink

An outstanding achievement by the best American Filmmakers of the nineties. Like most of the Cohen Brothers films, this gets better with repeated viewing. Outstanding shots of peoples expressions, pacing and tempo in conjunction with fantastic acting and an interesting story make this essential viewing for any student of film.

John Tuturro is at his best as Barton Fink, a pretentious writer from New York City who travels to Los Angeles to write for the pictures. The dialogue is quick and witty, the pacing and tempo are constantly switching from long drawn out scenes of relative silence, to people speaking quickly and loudly. The entire film is dreamy, or rather closer to a nightmare. This is one of the best black comedies of the nineties, but then again every film the Cohen brothers made in the nineties is one the best.

A Scanner Darkly (Film Review)

As a huge fan of the work of Philip K. Dick, I am usually disappointed with the film adaptations of his books, aside from Total Recall, It is not entirely because of the attempts by the filmmakers or change in dialog per say, but due to the fact that much of what he writes about is incredibly subjectively visual to the individual reading the story that is difficult to capture on Film the images and ideas expressed so elegantly in his books. For example, The scramble suit was a very interesting concept in the book but was difficult to carry off in the film even with the rotoscoping, overall the film was a very disappointing adaptation and pretentious as a translation from a difficult book to the screen. I have no doubt Linklater tried very hard when making this film and I can't help wondering if the only reason Linklater used the rotoscoping technique was to compensate for the difficulty of creating a scramble suit. The film would have been much stronger if it was not in animation. The animation lent it to seem like a Japanamation, or Anime which puts it more in the realm of fantasy. Keep it real man! this was a story about Dick's real life experience's set in very near future under the mask of "Science Fiction", if anything, it would have been better shot in black and white. Couldn't get into the parts where they were paranoid about the house being surveyed or broken into, or set up. Most of the jokes seemed forced or trying very hard to be funny. Woody Harrelsons character was over the top and uneven, Winona was hot, but other than that pointless, They fail to demonstrate a larger world around them in the context of the individuals drug abuse, that is, we only see four people in a house and they hardly interact with anyone in society, which is alledgedly a society of narc corps and population of 20 percent addicts, They only semi dabble with the actual experience of being on the drug, we don't see them high enough or hallucinating, but then again Johnny Depp and Benicio in "Fear and Loathing" are a high standard to beat. Is Substance D a hallucinogen? speed? downer? we don't know. All in all, worth seeing if you are a PKD fan or a fan of drug films as other people have mentioned on this site, but overall could have been more realized and slightly less pretentious.

I can't help but wonder if a director like Terry Gilliam or David Fincher may have been better suited to direct of dark film of this caliber. Kubrick would have been fantastic!

Annie Hall

This is the quintessential Woody Allen film and defined a generation of people at the time it came out in 1977, many of his later films repeat the same ideas and themes of this one. Great romantic comedy, possibly THE romantic comedy of romantic comedies. The film centers around Allen in his typical nebbishy character, and his romantic involvement with Diane Keaton. Very funny, great 1970's feel, really captures the mood of Manhattan at the time, a time capsule which feels slightly dated but in a fantastic nostalgic way, not in a outdated campy way. Sums ups Allens theory about life pretty well, people in New York don't have to worry about much so they create their own neuroses. A template for what a romantic comedy should be to all those trying to write or make films.

The Trayvon Martin Case

While horrific and terribly sad, the Trayvon Martin case has captured the nations attention unlike anything since the murder of Emmett Till.  While the cases are different, many parallels do exist.  Young African American male visiting someone in the deep south is murdered.  Much of suburban white America wants to believe that racial stereotypes and attitudes don't exist anymore, but anyone who lives in a large city, or the south can tell you they are alive and thriving.  I have heard the argument that "We have a black president now, racism has ended" this is of course ludicrous. The racial stereotypes are deep seeded and have been around for generations, passed down like religion or love for a certain sports team.   In conjunction with the occupy movement, anti-war movement and other social and world wide issues being brought to light, we will see a rise in spotlighting all inequality globally.  This is a product of the 24 hour news cycle, as well as internet and more people having access to more information.  Not since the 1960's with the mass distribution of the television spot lighting the student demonstrations and Democratic convention of 68' have we had such a burst of varying movements and causes.  Our global enlightenment and quest for peace will come directly out of these movements.  While awful and tragic the death of Trayvon Martin is not something new, but hopefully the good that can come out of this senseless tragedy is awareness, and acknowledgement that we still do have problems in this nation and hopefully in the not to distant future we can rise above these problems and evolve.

Factotum

I just finished watching "Factotum" on Netflix and while it was an entertaining film, and Matt Dillon did a good job in conjunction with Lilly Taylor and Marissa Tomei. My only complaint with the film is that the actors were all good looking, this of course detracts and diverges from Bukowski's real life.  He was ugly, he knew he was ugly and that is what made him the person he was in reality.  The other gripe was just as simple as seeing it portrayed in modern times, people these days do not smoke as much as he did and others in the film.

Tim Ferriss, Slow Carb Diet

I started the Slow Carb Diet based on the book "The 4 hour Body" by Tim Ferriss over three weeks ago.  While my weight has fluctuated, I am down from 193 to 183.5 with little exercise, light walking.  I have had epic binge days, this past Saturday I had three donuts from Dunkin Donuts, angel hair pasta with broccoli, a bag of m&m peanuts, a 20 oz. bottle of Squirt, can of cherry coke, can of regular coke, 12" cheese and pepperoni pizza, Extra large coffee with cream and sugar.  My weight spiked five pounds after that, weighing in on Sunday at 188.5 off of the 183.5 Saturday morning weigh in.  I should mention I am a 5 foot 10 inch male.  Aside from my binge days, which according to Ferris prevent your thyroid from switching you down into starvation mode and keeps your metabolism guessing, I have followed the diet pretty close to his guidelines, occasionally I may have a pork sausage or a bit more 4% cottage cheese than he suggests having but all in all mostly accurate.  I have also not has as many beans as he suggests.  My review of the diet so far, after three full weeks, is that its a great way to adapt to a healthy lifestyle and long term plan.  The binge day, while counter intuitive, does seem to be helping me with cravings for things I would want and probably abandon the diet for if it wasn't allowed on the one day per week. 

Which American City Has The Most To Offer?

I realize this is a subjective argument depending on a variety of factors, age, interests, marital status, income etc.  After living in the Bay Area, Michigan, Chicago, New York City, Southern Florida and visiting over forty states I often wonder which American city is the most dynamic, has the most to offer, where is the vibe the best?  My biased opinion is the west coast for me personally, Portland, Seattle, San Fransisco and even LA to lesser extent.  I live in Chicago now and the city is vibrant, energetic and has over 77 unique neighborhoods.  Public transportation is solid, not as good as NYC in my opinion, but you can get most places by bus or train.  Chicago also has a dense urban core, the loop, which the city radiates out from, stretching as far as southern Wisconsin and northern Indiana.    The bay area has the B.A.R.T. which is pretty solid as well, and that area cannot be surpassed in regards to natural beauty, funky vibe and outdoor variety of activities.  New York City is not as clean as Chicago but offers a unbridled enthusiasm which makes it an exciting place to live.  Someone once said, "it's like a soda, it just keeps bubbling up to the top."  When I lived and worked there, it was before, during and after 9/11 and I lived in Manhattan.  In those days the lower east side and Williamsburg where the hip areas, Brooklyn was just starting to become cool and the place to be.  I visited this past September and while hanging out with a Director of Photography buddy of mine in his Alphabet City condo, he lamented that all the good stuff was now going on in Brooklyn.  I'm eager to find out what others think? What do you believe to be the city with the most to offer an early 30's, artistic type?