moments of vindication: chapter four

When I was in third grade, Mrs. Powers was my favorite teacher EVER, making education collaborative and fun. One thing she would do was pick a student to read a story to the class every Friday, and I was asked the most out of anyone, reading from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (usual class pick.)

One day she sent me to the health office because I was squinting at the chalk board. I took the eye exam and was told with more than a degree of apathy that I was pretty damned nearsighted. When I came back to the classroom, Mrs. Powers stopped everything to ask me if I was going to have to wear sunglasses and a cane from now on, then proceeded to imitate being blind, making everyone laugh at my expense. Miserably, I told her I needed glasses. Her smile faded and everyone shut up.

Having glasses hasn't been all bad, however. An accessory in themselves, they've enabled me to appear as if I have my shit together even when I don't. What did 20/20 vision do for Mrs. Powers? Keep her on a low salary job in Bangor, Maine, that's what.

saturday night showcase: jangula

Here's something I've been meaning to hype for a long time. I love this song, this video and this band. Jangula: led by Barak and Johnny, a dynamic duo if ever there was one. If you check out their Myspace, "Pachinko" is a current favorite, and "Genji Glove" sounds not unlike a Franz Ferdinand demo (early Franz, circa "Michael"). Though a few years old now, the "Kick Attacks" video is a great example of their self-deprecating sense of humor and their borderline masochistic/stripped-down sensibility. They're raw, they're high energy, they rock the tight pants.

"Kick Attacks" by Jangula


My cross-cultural experimental short, BLIND, featuring "Kick Attacks"


Withnail downs lighter fluid in Withnail & I


King Khan & BBQ Show's "Fish Fight" video


Beavis & Butthead watch the "Fake Plastic Trees" video by Radiohead
(thanks to Josh)

I like to mellow out to these videos.

this is what i get for watching twilight.

Had a dream last night that global warming caused all of North America to be flooded, and the Chinese came in and took control because of their farming efficiency in marsh-like conditions. The water was knee-deep in every town and city so people no longer wore shoes. Our staple diet consisted of water chestnuts and baby corn, which grew everywhere, even where pavement had once been, and which we harvested with our feet.

saturday night showcase: alex lopez

Nearly a year ago I blogged about being one of the vagina clowns in Alex Lopez's senior film MARRIED GIRL. Recently I posted her classic short film Edward 40oz Hands. Now, for those who demanded it, I give you the sequel--featuring Michael Borowiec of Astro Club Blonde, Alan Lapointe and Jamie Wright. Alexandra herself is an independent filmmaker whose specialty is documentaries on the colorful characters littering the alternative scene, as well as pop culture iconography and 60s counterculture.

The Return of Edward 40oz Hands by Alexandra Lopez


"Married Girl" video by The Slackers


Jimi Hendrix performs "Hear My Train A Comin'"
in A Film About Jimi Hendrix


"Freakin' Friends" video by Mystik Spiral
(ie Trent's band from Daria)


The Runaways perform "Wasted" live on Old Grey Whistle Test

When dead clowns can't clown, we'll still be freakin' friends.

my fucking ridiculous dog

and my crappy-ass kitchen


photo credit: missy

saturday night showcase: sam jaffe

It's weird. This week I was developing three different doc treatments and suddenly I'm thinking about Sam Jaffe's senior thesis doc--can't remember what it was called, but it's about a communal apartment building in DC. I was remembering the moment where one of the main subjects argues with two strangers on the street.... an epic roller coaster ride of emotions in just a few minutes of human interaction. And what should be posted this week on Youtube? But that very fight! So, I'm showcasing it here, largely for being in line with my current interests, and somewhat for nostalgia, for the days when he was cutting it directly behind me in the school's lab.

Interview and argument from Sam Jaffe's senior doc


2009 video for "Let's Take a Walk" by Raphael Saadiq
directed by Edouard Salier


Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys interviewed by Jools Holland
discussing the album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables


The Young Ones have a party
and Rick plays with a tampon


Bad Brains perform "House of Suffering" @ Daytona Beach 1988

you guys, let's take a walk

tim heidecker's oscar tweets

I was going to post a selection of tweets that I love, but instead I'm just going to post all of Tim Heidecker's Oscar-night tweets because I just found them and because he actually managed to convince some people that there was a fire backstage ready to consume the building.

A song to set up the premise of dual hosts. What a waste of time. #oscars 8:36PM

And this is sweaty Baldwin 8:37PM

Hope someone's monitoring the smoke coming from behind that giant 82. 8:39PM

Getting word of large "contained" fire backstage at oscars. Hope they won't need to evacuate. 9:10PM

Downey jr. Hiding burns well. 9:13PM

LAFD: heros for allowing the show to continue, even at the great risk to all in building. 9:46PM

Fire may have been started by Jake Gylenhaal's disposed cigar in trash can. 9:50PM

Smoke starting to effect breathing on stage. 9:52PM

Irony of Inglorius basterds ending and tomight's disaster not lost on Quinten tarintino! 9:54PM

Small fires reported in lobby. Not going to be easy to escape now. 9:55PM

I for one would not be sticking around! Robin! Take charge! Start a line and get people out of there!! 9:58PM

Fire is now out of control backstage. Producers worried cables holding glitter proscenium won't hold. 10:05PM

"Structure of building likely to hold but smoke and heat will leave few alive" - oscars producer (speaking anonomously) 10:08PM

This poor guy only has minutes to live! RUN!!! 10:08PM

Sarah Jessica Parker badly burned but insisted on presenting. Another hero tonight. 10:11PM

Wish George clooney would set aside his ego and lead his people to safety! 10:12PM

"has been decided evacuation would lead to panic. We're going down with the ship" /via @lennykravitz 10:15PM

Emergency pre-recorded bits to put out spot fires on stage! Great producing! 10:18PM

Temperature in theater 112 degreees. Hot! 10:25PM

You get the sense that some people there may want to live instead of watch the highlights from a pre-recorded awards show. 10:29PM

@LAFDtalk ooops! 10:33PM

So seriously: no joke. I just got a message from LAFD asking me to stop - there is no fire at the oscars guys, c'mon!!! 10:35PM

@LAFDtalk sorry guys. 10:37PM

And finally... James Taylor 10:41PM

saturday night showcase: motion sick

Since I spent my Saturday at Purchase burning DVDs of my senior thesis, I thought it'd be appropriate to showcase Motion Sick... for a limited time. So through the month of March you can watch it on Vimeo, if you have 28 minutes to spare in you're oh so busy schedule.

Or you can be a dick and watch the Oscars.

Written & directed by Yours Truly
featuring Pamela Fila, Lora Lee Ecobelli, Andrew Marine
and actor/filmmaker Alan Lapointe


Hilarious music video for Adira Amram's "Mom Song"
featuring Lora Lee Ecobelli (as her actual mom)


featuring Nathan and Mike
and shot by Andy and Joel
all crew members for Motion Sick


Rustwire covering "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
featuring Andrew Marine on drums


Installation piece by Alan Lapointe

"Entertaining the audience. THAT'S what's going to win you an Academy Award." - 2 minutes ago. Uhhhh... OK, so where's the Oscar for Dunston Checks In?

Update: best Oscar coverage I've seen so far.

have you heard: alice in wonderland

Don't know if you heard, but everyone's all up in arms about this Alice in Wonderland thing. Now I know what you're thinking: "Hmm, Alice in Wonderland... never heard of it."

Well it's this book, see, and it'd make a GREAT subject for a movie!!

1903


1951


1985


1988


1995

The 90s one is a personal favorite. According to Wikipedia one of the last episodes is called "White Rabbits Can't Jump" and features OJ Simpson teaching the White Rabbit to play basketball?

I bet OJ was all over the White Rabbit.

Thanks to Alex and John for 1903 and 1985.

EPIC BEARD MAN

Probably old news by now? But boy do I love this shit so into the blog it goes.

The fight, caught on tape


Follow-up interview with EBM (Epic Beard Man)


Mortal Kombat style

There are countless responses to this, from animated re-enactments to Hitler and Nintendo parodies. What I find especially fascinating, beyond the delusions of both involved parties, is the decidedly positive reaction people have had to the EBM for "not taking shit from angry youths" and standing up for himself. Some have actually used the word "hero" (although once the interview came out, the reactions cooled down to "He's sick and I feel sorry for him... but he's still a badass"). There are further criticisms against the victim because his friends who videotaped it stole the EBM's stuff when it was over, and people generally accuse him of "starting it" by, I don't know, getting riled up over what sounds an awful lot like a racist remark.

I mean, I pretty much feel that the two got what they deserved, but it's strange to see ignorance and public assault being hailed on Youtube. Although according to my boyfriend, people in Turkey have street fights all the time without police intervention, so maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

DiG!

Late to the party as usual, but fashionably late, one can only hope.

Every once in awhile a documentary comes along and says SAM I'M GONNA MAKE LOVE TO YOUR EYE AND EAR CAVITIES. It happened with Monterey Pop, Storefront Hitchcock, Instrument. It happened with Stop Making Sense, and now it's happened again with DiG!

Directed and funded by Ondi Timoner, the movie follows The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre over a period of 7 years; the bands started out as friends and gradually became less so. I knew nothing about either of them before watching it. Now I think they would make one hell of a Celebrity Deathmatch--pretty boy Courtney Taylor-Taylor vs. the mad genius of Anton Newcombe.

What we have here is a clashing of two artists' ideals: I deserve to make money off my records--You are a hipster sellout. I am not for sale--You are out of your goddamn mind, and you're a junkie. Personally I think the problem with the Dandys is they have their heads in the right place but ain't got no soul, and BJM are complete fucking idiots about 50% of the time (which kind of validates everything that's brilliant and cool about them).

FiGHT!


"And people say I'M crazy."
--Anton, inexplicably wielding a gun


Deleted scene: Joel Gion being... well, Joel Gion

Sorry to leave out the Dandys but I couldn't find any good clips.

If you haven't seen it, and you can't afford Netflix cuz you're a broke-ass mother fucker like me, then I have good news: you can watch it for free.

If you have seen it and you're all, fuck the Dandys, fuck BJM, Anton Newcombe is full of shit and I'm not buying, then I have two things to say to you: that's only fair, and way to not support the revolution.

I can't say there ISN'T a revolution when music is being shared as freely as it is now and bands as big as Radiohead are allowing their fans to name the price for their albums. The business is no longer in the grasp of the industry--so Anton might be self-obsessed and ego-maniacal, but that doesn't make him wrong. He's got something driving him, something to express, a desire to provoke change in this topsy-turvy world. I think that's dandy. And I think that's important. However, I'm still not sure what he considers to be THE revolution, as downloading music for free is harming artists like Anton who are self-funding their records, and he's most definitely against it. He encourages all to buy music from your local record store and support musicians; they need help "now more than ever."


I found DiG! to be an amazingly personal, well-crafted film. Like many documentaries, it's criticized for "misrepresenting the truth", mostly by Anton. While I'll admit that most non-fiction films are guilty of dramatizing reality--squeezing every last drop of cinema out of moments real people are actually living through--I can't help but think that's more of a kneejerk reaction to the mirror, if you know what I'm saying.

You: That's all well and good but I want MORE!
Me: OK.
Nice interview with Joel Gion from 2008
Anton's Youtube channel (rarities, new videos, weird shit)
The Committee to Keep Music Evil

doublevision i