Image via WikipediaA friend writes: "The biggest puzzle that lingers for me after Avatar isthe message that young ones take away having seen the recruitment videos for the Marines and the Air Force before The Show.  I think of the militaristic characters in Avatar as rogue Blackwater mercenariesviolating land and people but I wonder how kids connect the dots to all of the layers of allegory and analogy.  Any insights from your position as interlocuter with people ages 9-24?"TR: I saw the film as outrageously … [Read more...]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/nyregion/09nyc.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper … [Read more...]

Or: How I Spent My Downtime: at cinemasterpieces. For more cheap thrills, go to http://images.google.com/advanced_image_search?hl=en, enter "http://www.cinemasterpieces.com" in the "results images from this site or domain" box, and then tweak your size option settings to "medium" or "large." Make sure to take time out for meals. Robert De Niro, Raging Bull, martin scorses … [Read more...]

"I've long known about Smith's recordings and his obsession with documenting what went on at the building where he lived and worked from the late 50s until the early 70s. One story, which has stuck with me since I first heard it, was of Smith cutting a hole in his ceiling to insert a microphone through the floor of the upstairs loft while Monk was rehearsing for his 1959 concert. I talked with the owner of the building, Mr. Ho, and we gained access to the hallowed ground, now filled with boxes of Chinese imports. We set out to find the hole. … [Read more...]

Was it uplifting or depressing to see Young MC take down Up In the Air's cheezy corporate splash? Nelson George called it "the highlight," but I thought the one-hit wonder looked like Andre Braugher.This gets reviewed as a yuppie comeuppance, but its generational gags shoot the curl. When Anna Kendrick blurts out her appreciation for early feminism while cracking up, you want to hug her and enroll her into history of western civ...  … [Read more...]

Bobby Fuller via last.fm George Clooney at his best: he doesn't even need that smile...Best Use Of: Beach Boys "Heroes and Villains" Best Climactic Number: Bobby Fuller Four's "Let Her Dance" Related articles by ZemantaAFI Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox (cinematical.com)New Jarvis Cocker - "Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey's Song" (stereogum.com)Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox (cinematical.com)Five Albums You Should Have Bought in 2009 (popdose.com)Lushlife - Cassette City (scissorkick.com) … [Read more...]