Sunday, December 31, 2017

¡Adios, 2017!


I hope you leave more gracefully than you arrived.

Here's wishing the best to all my loyal readers in 2017. I know I have not been posting as regularly this past year as much as you all might like but I hope to improve on that in the coming year. May you all have a safe celebration tonight.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The Muse and the Murderer: Art School Confidential


You really captured my otherness.
--Sophia Myles, Art School Confidential (2006)

I must admit that I really like this quote. It comes from the original screenplay for the 2006 film Art School Confidential yet it never appears in the actual movie, director Terry Zwigoff instead choosing to go with a less verbal approach.

For that matter, I also like this quote:

You know, nobody ever gives the model any credit, but in a way, they're just as important as the artist. It's really much more of a collaboration than people think.
--Max Minghella, Art School Confidential (2006)

However, I can see why Zwigoff also left that quote out of the actual movie.

That said, there was not much else to say about this movie. On one hand, it had some amusing visuals in the opening segment as well as a great parody of the nude scene from Titanic. On the other hand, it seemed to spend a lot of time beating what most people outside the artistic community -- and no doubt, many within it --would consider to be a dead horse. After all, it was not like the pompousness of modern artists has never been ridiculed in pop culture before.

Anyway, just because many real-life artists have a well-deserved reputation for being arrogant and pretentious does not mean that it seems very sporting to devote a whole movie to pointing that out. Especially when we live in a country when all too many artists are stranded in obscurity.

If we lived in a country where artists had more power and more prestige, then they would be more of a valid target. But unfortunately, we don't.

The movie itself was best appreciated as a character study. The protagonist was a young art student (played by Max Minghella) who wished to become a famous artist, only to become derailed on his journey when he developed a crush on a beautiful artist's model (played by Sophia Myles). There was a brief subplot involving a series of murders involving local residents but Zwigoff seemed to be not as interested in the resolution of that subplot as he was in showing repeated images of ridiculous artwork. He did manage to include a few nice scenes as well -- for example, the way the artist's model winced when kissed by an ex-lover said more about the character than a more vocal reaction would have -- and it was also nice to see Anjelica Huston appear once briefly as a sympathetic art teacher even though she was not given a lot to do.

Ironically, the movie's climax made our hero look less sympathetic than he was at the beginning of the movie. On one hand, he was accused of a crime of which he was obviously innocent. On the other hand, it seemed obvious that the artist in question was guilty of an even bigger crime for which he was never punished. And of course, said crime went unmentioned at the movie's end even though it led to a loss of life. Of course, it could be argued that the artist's crime was unintentional and that it ultimately punished a murderer who might have otherwise got away scotfree. But I suspect the filmmaker would rather have us concentrate on his film's final image -- one that is ultimately more attractive than the moral issues one might otherwise think about.

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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Kill the Moon”

Well, I always wanted to see a Doctor Who episode with Mexicans in it. However, after seeing this episode, it seemed quite obvious that I should have been more specific.

On the plus side, we got a surprisingly convincing picture of a post-NASA world in which a would-be astronaut finally got to fulfill her lifelong dream of travelling to the Moon, only to find out she had to blow it up.

The Doctor, fortunately, had a better idea but unfortunately, said idea was based on one of the most idiotic ideas about the Moon ever to be presented on TV. (Indeed, one would have to go back to the old Night Gallery episode "The Nature of the Enemy" to find a dumber idea.)

For that matter, this episode managed to come up with a surprisingly silly pro-life metaphor. I suppose my inner Catholic should be offended but that would mean taking the episode more seriously than it deserved to be. However, I would not be surprised to find out that the makers of this episode had to do some serious penance.

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): "The Caretaker"

It's official.

The Doctor is the new Greg House.

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Listen”

Oh, no! Steven Moffat is being haunted by the ghost of M. R. James!

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Robot of Sherwood”

Boy, I miss Bugs Bunny.

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Into the Dalek”

#NotAllDaleks#: Part II.

But seriously, folks...

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): “Deep Breath”

The new Doctor got swallowed by a dinosaur.

No, seriously.

Also, Vastra -- everyone's favorite lizard lady -- and her "wife" returned to help out the Doctor and Clara. It turned out that the Doctor had regenerated again and this time he had turned into Peter Capaldi. And Vastra had turned into Leo DiCaprio.

No, seriously.

Plus Clara got a phone call from Matt Smith who played the old Doctor.

No, seri--

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Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Doctor Who (The Second Series): "Asylum of the Daleks"

#NotAllDaleks#: Part I.

This was the episode that introduced the viewers to the concept of a crazy Dalek -- which, given the fact that all Daleks were homicidally insane by definition, seemed like a contradiction in terms.

It also introduced us to English actress Jenna-Louise Coleman -- AKA Jenna Coleman -- a woman so cute that she undoubtedly makes Amy Adams feel like an old hag. Unfortunately, Jenna's character did not survive this episode, but that was okay. Steven Moffat had seen to it that she would return again that season not just once but many times. So many times that it would be a wonder if you didn't get sick of her.

As for the plot... The Doctor was invited to a distant planet to help out the Daleks. No, seriously, that was what he did in this episode -- travel to a distant planet to help out one of his worst enemies. Apparently, the Daleks were having trouble with one of their fellow Daleks so naturally they called the Doctor for help.

No, seriously.

Plus Amy and Rory came all along for no good reason. Though it was kinda cute that Amy was more gung-ho about this adventure than poor Rory.

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Monday, December 25, 2017

¡Feliz Navidad!


Ms. Simon wants to wish all my readers a happy holiday season and I'm sure she'd want you all to have a merry Christmas as well.

May you all have a blessed holiday season.

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Pop Song of the Week: "Bad Romance"

Who says I don't ever showcase new music?

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Christmas and Movie Song of the Week: "December the 25th"

From the soundtrack of the 1970 musical Scrooge, it's an oddly appropriate but rarely played song for the current season.

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Saturday, December 23, 2017

Quote of the Week

God did not wrap himself up in flesh, humbling himself to the point of birth in a stable and death on a cross, eating, laughing, weeping, and suffering as one of us, so that I can complain to management when a barista at Starbucks wishes me "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." The incarnation isn’t about desperately grasping at the threads of power and privilege. It’s not about making some civic holiday "bigger and better." It’s about surrendering power, setting aside privilege, and finding God in the smallness and vulnerability of a baby in a womb.
--Rachel Held Evans, "Mary, the Magnificat, and an Unsentimental Advent," Rachel Held Evans' Blog, December 05, 2017

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Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Non Angli Sed Angeli II


From a photo I took two years ago.

Apparently not everyone wants a blonde angel on top of their Christmas tree. And who's to say that the original Christmas angel wasn't Hispanic? We do tend to get around.

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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Pop Song of the Week: "Heaven Knows"

And now a more grown-up version of Taylor Momsen. Three years ago, she recorded this song with her group The Pretty Reckless. It has been compared to the work of Queen and Joan Jett but it actually reminds me of some of Pink's tunes. This being the 2010s, it also includes the obligatory homage to Miley Cyrus as well but you don't have to look at that if you don't want to.

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Christmas and Movie Song of the Week: "Where Are You Christmas?"

From the 2000 movie The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, I post a song by a young Taylor Momsen. She played Cindy Lou Who in that movie and she sang pretty good for someone who was no more than two.

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Friday, December 08, 2017

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Hermano y Mi Mamá!

It's that day again.

It's my mother's birthday and my youngest brother's birthday.

It is also the Catholic religious holiday known as Feast of the Immaculate Conception but you all probably knew that already.

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Wednesday, December 06, 2017

R.I.P. Harry Dean Stanton


American actor Harry Dean Stanton -- best known for his roles in Alien and Repo Man -- walked off the set for the final time on September 15, 2017, at age 91.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Len Wein


American comic book writer and editor Len Wein -- best known for having co-created DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comic's Wolverine -- finished his last story on September 10, 2017, at age 69.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Don Williams


American country singer Don Williams -- best known for such songs as "Tulsa Time" and "I Believe in You" -- played his last note on September 8, 2017, at age 78.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Jerry Pournelle


American science fiction writer and journalist Jerry Pournelle -- best known for his collaborations with Larry Niven on such novels as Lucifer's Hammer and Inferno--finished his last story on September 8, 2017, at age 84.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Walter Becker


American musician Walter Becker -- best known for being the co-founder of the musical group Steely Dan -- ended his last show on September 3, 2017, at age 67.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Shelley Berman


American comedian and actor Shelley Berman -- best known for his role on the cable TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm -- told his last joke on September 1, 2017, at age 92.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Richard Anderson


American actor Richard Anderson -- best known for his role as Oscar Goldman in the 1970s TV shows The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman -- shut down his department for good on August 31, 2017, at age 91.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Tobe Hooper


American film director Tobe Hooper -- best known for his direction of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre and of the 1982 horror film Poltergeist -- called "Cut!" for the last time on August 26, 2017, at age 74.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Jerry Lewis


American comedian and actor Jerry Lewis -- best known for being the former comedy partner of singer/actor Dean Martin and for such films as the original Nutty Professor and The Disorderly Orderly -- made his last pratfall on August 20, 2017, at age 91.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Dick Gregory


African-American comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory told his last joke on August 19, 2017, at age 84.

He will be missed.

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R.I.P. Brian Aldiss


English writer Brian Aldiss -- best known for his novel Frankenstein Unbound and his short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long” (the basis for the 2001 movie A.I. -- finished the last chapter of his autobiography on August 19, 2017, at age 92.

He will be missed.

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Tuesday, December 05, 2017

Christmas Song of the Week: "Mr. Heat Miser"

This week I post one of my favorite versions of an old standard.

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Saturday, December 02, 2017

Hey, I Remember This Show: King Kong (1966)

I haven't thought about this show for years. Yet I used to watch it religiously when I was a young boy even though I had no fantasies involving giant apes -- or at least no such fantasies that I can remember.

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Hey, I Don't Remember This Show: King Kong (2000)

I don't remember this series but then I wasn't watching a whole lot of cartoons in 2000.

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Friday, December 01, 2017

Show Tune of the Week: "Glitter and Be Gay"

In honor of the late Barbara Cook.

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