My body may be in Lincoln right now, but my heart and mind are somewhere in Dundas Square.
J. Robert Parks on Little Miss Sunshine: the movie isn’t some disillusioned attack on the suburban family. Instead, it achieves what few comedies can—a balance of tone. The slapsticky moments give way to scenes of genuine pathos, the stinging satire is offset by the warm camaraderie. The characters snap at each other as relatives do and get underneath each other’s skin, but there’s also a deep undercurrent of affection.
A short interview with Emma Anderson (Sing-Sing, Lush) on the legacy of shoegaze.
The Toronto International Film Festival announced their official schedule earlier today, and so I’ve spent a good amount of time carefully going through the film list, juggling screenings and locations, and trying to figure out how to get the most bang for my buck. In other words, woo hoo!
Unfortunately, the downside to all of this is finding out which films I won’t be able to see, due to scheduling conflicts, our departure date, etc. Certain films, such as Invisible Waves and The Host are absolute must-sees, and so any conflicting films automatically get the boot.
What kills me are the films that I’ll miss because we’re leaving the second-to-last day of the festival. I’m especially bummed that I won’t get to see Feng Xiaogang’s The Banquet, a wuxia-fied take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, since it’s only playing on the 15th and 16th (we’re leaving the morning of the 15th).
Ah, the frustrations of the film festival.
Roger Johansson reviews DOM Scripting: Like most really good hands-on books, DOM Scripting makes you eager to start putting what you’ve just read about into practice, making your own scripts more efficient and less obtrusive.
I’ve looked at numerous JavaScript resources, and DOM Scripting is easily one of the clearest, most well-written and practical ones that I’ve found yet. Highly recommended for all of you web designer types.
...maybe that’s the best I can do; flash the big middle finger of love in the midst of despair, fly hope as an act of defiance, quietly insist, through the way I live my life, that meaninglessness and death and destruction are not the final word.
Do you even have to ask why Andy is one of my favorite bloggers?
Maybe I’m still a junior high boy deep down inside, but Wierd Al‘s music will always have a soft spot in my heart. His latest single, “Don’t Download This Song”, is as cheeky as ever.
According to lovesliescrushing’s MySpace page, their Chorus album is finally available for preorders. The album will initially be released in a limited edition edition run of 500 copies, with handmade artwork. Folks can preorder them directly from the band for a short while, before all remaining copies are sent to such fine mailorder places as Darla and Tonevendor.
Chorus was scheduled to come out quite awhile ago, but apparently got wrapped up in some sort of legal proceedings that delayed its release. The album is a noted departure from the group’s signature guitar-centric sound, utilizing only sculpted, effects-laden human vocals. The resulting sound is as ethereal as ever, but also incredibly surreal and even spooky given the incredibly strange-yet-familiar sounds utilized this time around by the band.
I’ll say it again and again: Roadside Monument was the most underappreciated band in the history of Tooth & Nail Records. They were too heavy and chaotic to be lumped in with the punk rock bands, too melodic and delicate to be lumped in with the hardcore bands, and too damn good to be lumped in with the emo bands.
The band officially broke up in 2003, but the band’s three members have managed to keep busy. Bassist Johnathon Ford is, of course, doing his own thing with Unwed Sailor, drummer Matt Johnson is playing drums with Jeremy Enigk (who has a new album coming out soon), and now vocalist/guitarist Doug Lorig has a new band called Patrol (or visit their MySpace page).
I’m listening to one of their MP3s right now, and it’s a logical progression from the sort of thing the Monument were doing circa I Am The Day Of Current Taste. Just like Roadside Monument, it’s ugly, in-your-face, and heavy enough to crush your chest—and yet there’s something beautiful about Lorig’s strained voice howling over those twisting and turning melodies and ragged guitar shards.
Patrol’s debut album, Destinations, is now available from Stiff Slack Records.
Opus is a website masquerading as a blog masquerading as a webzine. It’s where I (that’d be Jason Morehead) write about music, movies, art, web design, religion, family, and whatever else happens to interest me at the time. More...
Not sure where to start? Then check out this revolving hand-picked list of some of my favorite articles and reviews.
