Category > From the Box
I don't know how you guys feel, but politics and obviousness aside, Avatar rocks. And it's also led to a number of shared experiences among people my age who both love it and hate it. Like: two words suddenly dawned on me during that scene when Sam Worthington-Smurf and Zoe Saldana-Smurf are woken by a bulldozer after their alien-copulation: "Fern Gully." It's not like Fern Gully is the only environmentalist movie made, or even the only movie about deforestation. And it's …
| While sitting down to write this article, a trailer for the webisode series/eventual-DVD-movie of Circle of Ei8ht came on television, which inspired two thoughts: (1) I hate it when films replace letters with numbers in their titles, especially when the shapes don't even fit. Replacing "o" with "0" is one thing, but Se7en doesn't make any goddamn sense. Neither does 6ixty9ine. And (2) mass producers of food products should not make films.
Back From the Box with New-ish DVDs You may or may not have noticed that I disappeared from the Smile Politely premises sometime around September of this year. A new job and grad school applications have been distracting me from any sort of column-writing duties, though I somehow have managed to watch about thirty films and get way too into fantasy football in the meantime. I'm a little behind on the new releases as a result of all this other …
Despite my dismissive reference last week to a certain teen sensation (the namesake of a certain large, rural, and mountainous state on the west side of this country) and her new film being the only offering on video this week, there are a few releases worth checking out. Irrelevant to impecunious people such as myself, Criterion keeps shoveling out Blu-Rays, this week releasing both Jacques Tati's modernist farce Playtime and Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior). Playtime is well worth …
This week, anyone interested in an illustrative example of just what we lost with the death of John Hughes can watch the redundant teen film 17 Again, in which a washed-up Friends star is magically transformed into a young up-and-comer who has no idea of the misery, obscurity and addictions awaiting those who peak too early. I must admit I didn't bother watching this Freaky Friday/ 13 Going on 30/ Big/ that one movie with Judge Reinhold re-hash.
The impending release of G.I. Joe, a film surrounded by the noisome stench of box office death-but which nevertheless looks a thousand times better than the giant robot movie-has gotten me thinking: what terrible television program from my childhood haven't they adapted into an overbudgeted Hollywood film yet? Admittedly, I was old enough to catch the 1990s X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons that have sent young men my age and older to the cinemas for the last eight years, but Transformers? …
The San Diego Comic-Con is, for aficionados of comics and popular film, a lot like Disney World. It's a phony, overpriced, overhyped, capitalistic scheme that originated as something (at least imagined to be) organic and beautiful. Comic conventions were once cheap, fan-run events where people could get together and talk about their mutual obsession in all those pieces of media and merchandise that were preventing them from getting laid. Now, as evidenced by SDCC, they're corporate-run, money-guzzling, exploitative excuses for …
New Releases From the Box Watchmen I'm saving the best for last here, so you can assume (and in fact, I'm telling you) that this is the worst. Zack Snyder's follow-up to 300 stays as faithful to the best superhero comic ever written as it can while still retaining virtually none of the book's brilliant but deadly serious self-consciousness. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's 1985 work is a post-modern masterpiece about the atomic age, American imperialism, and, that most important …
Among the few new DVD releases this week was a documentary on one of the Midwest's most popular and most droll author, Garrison Keillor, aptly titled The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes. Keillor has a very recognizable voice that has been in my life for as long as I can remember, from the time he was a nameless boring guy my parents listened to on the radio to today; I now think of him as the "dry" …
Physical copies of filmed media like DVD and Blu Ray are far from dead, but growing services like On Demand and online streaming technology could be signs of what's to come. Netflix and iTunes both rent (and iTunes sells) digital, disc-less copies of films online. As hard drives increase in size and home media becomes more and more consolidated, the pleasure people like me find in a shelf full of cases might be outweighed by the sheer practicality of having …
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I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively. Gold Coins
Zeleni, I had the exact same theory only with the mysterious Man in Black/Smokie granting the wishes. MIB promised Sayid he could have anything in the world he wanted, which turned out to be Nadia. Although he does not necessarily “have” her, she has not died yet…
Zelini, I really like this - I’ll try to follow the theory more closely. As they reveal more about Kate (possibly next week), it might give us more perspective. I agree with your observation about Ben and I think Michael Emerson has done an excellent job conveying his lesser stature.
What if the sideways alternatives are where Jacob actually grants them their wishes, but in ways they didn’t quite expect? The elimination of one regret. Sayid gets to be with Nadia - although through his brother. Maybe he ends up with her at the expense of his…
I understood this totally differently than the other people that posted…this is what I got from it: - the more background you have going in, the more of the allusions you will understand when watching - afterwards, you can do a little research to fill in the…
Jason — I know you are busy with your own thang too, but, whenever you are ready: http://www.smilepolitely.com/contribute/ Word.
Fair enough. This is my second attempt at writing for Smile Politely, and I agree that my playful review did not go over well, or at all like I intended it to. Thank you, Jason, for your advice. I’ll definitely take it to heart.
Tracy, I think there are two halves to this. Even if you are not familiar with the “history of the American film,“ you are always a few Google strokes away from digging up the basics on iconic films and actors that would have registered a big “A-HA!“…
J, I promise I meant no disrespect. The last thing on my mind was disrespecting anyone. I was at a disadvantage because I was reviewing a play whose subject matter I know very little about. And I was trying to be funny. I enjoyed the…
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Can we please refrain from ever EVER comparing running a marathon to childbirth? Especially when the comparison is made by someone without a vagina? Kthx.
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I think we are in. But being blown out again by OSU might give the selection comittee doubts. I dunno anymore.
Mark: You raise some interesting points. I’m impressed by anyone who runs a marathon, no matter their finishing time. It’s the commitment people show to accomplishing a goal they set for themselves that impresses me most. A sign I saw at the Illinois Marathon last year along…
To get back to the show, if that’s allowed, we saw it last night. I know a lot about the films of the 30s and 40s and appreciated what Durang was trying to do, though some was pretty obvious and the ending was forced. A literal kitchen…
Every band in CU - I realize this is just a cheeky comment, but I wanted to respond anyway. I think this column is more about the scene and the support system than the bands themselves. The last thing I would ever want is for someone to…
Interesting article, John. I second your comments Doug. I’d really like to see the two of you do a Siskel & Ebert-style review of albums. Can SP make this happen? And if Noiseboy could reappear to DJ one day at Mike & Molly’s…
@Ty I think this article from last year is what you’re looking for: http://www.smilepolitely.com/food/talking_breakfast_at_the_market/ Enjoy!
Thank you SP editors for removing a not-so-nice word from Pope’s comment. I was just going to comment on it myself, wondering if we need an article titled “Down with the F-word”. John, very interesting read. Huzzah for well-written local music opinion.
Ok folks, now that its obvious the wonder bread, gas station eggs, and pasteurized processed cheese food can be marked up sufficiently enough to open two restaurants during a recession and in the same five year span, ya think we can be a little demanding? I’m all…
Everyband in CU - shutup (REMOVED BY SP EDITORS) at least this writer is speaking for himself, at least he has a real opinion you spineless capslock drunk fuck. sorry, anyways… what’s good, what’s bad. what’s rock, what’s indie. what’s real what’s not. In 2010, never has…
WE’RE SORRY JOHN WE’LL TRY HARDER
There went the neighborhood.
Now all you need is large Marge and the picture is complete! Congratulations Tony. I can’t wait. -Manna
I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively. Gold Coins
I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively. Gold
If you’re bored than you’re boring…damn I must be boring too!
...Papa Bear was applauding.
Zeleni, I had the exact same theory only with the mysterious Man in Black/Smokie granting the wishes. MIB promised Sayid he could have anything in the world he wanted, which turned out to be Nadia. Although he does not necessarily “have” her, she has not died yet…
I like Kaiyo A LOT, but at Sushi Kame (next to the art theatre) you can get an absolute shitload of good sushi, plus miso, and a bit of noodles in a vineagar cucumber salad for $21, and you know it was made just for you. I…
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To get back to the show, if that’s allowed, we saw it last night. I know a lot about the films of the 30s and 40s and appreciated what Durang was trying to do, though some was pretty obvious and the ending was forced. A literal kitchen…