http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 19 May 2004 22:21:41 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/05/19/222141.php queenkvLast night, the WB succeeded in killing off the best thing it had going for them. Tonight was the series finale of Angel.... [from http://thewb.com]I know Joss Whedon wanted Angel to keep fighting the good fight...but damn it! The series needed a resolution....that final showdown seemed like a cop-out to a real ending. Ok, I'm biased. I didn't want the series to end. Maybe Whedon just wanted to it to be a clean cut - a fast good-bye.....no lingering over the past and what should have been and how Buffy should have joined Angel in that last fight.Ok - cool - Angel and co - knocked out the bad guys in the secret society.....but hell, even Buffy got a chance to end with a bang (get your mind out of the gutter now....).Angel keeps fighting....like a video game when you keep the reset button.....I was looking forward to this episode. I wanted Angel to get redemption. I wanted to see Wolfram and Hart go down in flames....Now....Whedon ends the series with Angel swinging his sword. It's a strong ending, to go down fighting.....but as a TV viewer who ran home from work to catch this episode - it's frustrating and it's not satisfying.well... maybe Whedon's holding out for a possible resurrection by some kind network out there - to bring his Buffy/Angel series back from TV syndication.grr grr grr...a great series - amazing writing and the characters (Spike, Wes, Gunn, Fred/goddess....ok Lorne got on my nerves) finally fleshed out into compelling people I invested emotion and care into. I wanted to see how Wes turned out after losing Fred. I wanted to know if Spike found any peace of mind. [from http://thewb.com]talk about blue balls....it's over. Video15806@blogcritics.org Wed, 19 May 2004 22:21:41 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/05/10/181802.php queenkvI caught the Apple Trailer for Shall We Dance with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.... I'm still wary about any re-make on this amazing Japanese film. Hell, when the narration in the American film said Richard Gere led a boring life, that was a difficult suspension of disbelief, given what I know about Richard Gere characters (ala Chicago, Runaway Bride, Pretty Women, First Knight....) - he's not boring....I guess I wouldn't mind so much if it were a remake of the 1937 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers flick....most of those dancing films were adorable and meant to be hammed up. Given J.Lo and Gere's tendancy to do so, especially when it comes to musical numbers....well - I just don't want to see that happen to Masayuki Suo's sensitive and sweet film. My favorite part is right at the beginning, when the accountant is going home and he's looking up at the dance studio. He sees a beautiful woman teaching another how to dance. You can feel in that moment - his longing for something so beautiful and passionate to touch his dreary existence. Have you ever been on public transporation when the rest of the passengers are going home? The desolation tends to eat you up, even if you had a good day from work. That was from my brief stint working in SF for CNN. Now here's a re-make that's getting me excited... The Manchurian Candidate - Denzel Washington is playing the Frank Sintra character, Ben Marco, - but in a more psychotic manner...I suppose Sintra could never bring himself to playing anything lese than macho....Meryl Streep looks amazing in the Angela Lansbury role...Funny thing about the orginal 1962 film Angela Lansbury, who was nomiated for an Oscar for her Mrs. Islein, was younger than the Laurence Harvey, who played Islein's son, Sgt. Raymond Shaw. The orginal movie was fascinating, especially with the sparse special affects and the Cold War enviroment. It truly went for the juglar when it came to psychological explorations of war veteran's mind. I hope this new movie doesn't get too caught up in the special affects and other updating techniques to lose track of a truly wicked plot on brainwashing....on Sgt. Raymond Shaw...his commrades can't help but say that: "...he's the kindest, bravest human being i've ever known..." Video15557@blogcritics.org Mon, 10 May 2004 18:18:02 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/04/04/163438.php queenkvSex and the City is coming to a TBS channel near you!I squealed when I saw Carrie wondering if she could do it all again....in a TBS commercial...."...in a New York minute!"Joy! One of the best tv comedies in our generation is heading for syndication glory on TBS June 15, 2004. Program your Tivo and get ready to fall in love with those amazing ladies, one more time! I know folks have a love/hate relationship with this show.....as in, you'll love it or hate, after watching a 30 minute episode. I adored it from my first DVD set after watching Carrie, Sam, Miranda, and Charlotte get lucky and bummed out on love in the Big Apple. I loved that they have their priorities screwed with when it comes to their jobs and their relationships. I also love that they take risks with their hearts and sometimes, they get hurt.....but they bounce back.My Sex and the City DVD's cheered me up when I was having a rough time in my life. With a glass of wine and my blanket wrapped around me - I could escape into this wonderful world of fashion, sophistication and a dash of wackiness.I know it's not real.....it's just a wonderful fantasy....with real emotions.posted by queenkv Video14389@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 Apr 2004 16:34:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/12/10/132555.php queenkvClever lyrics, tight musical compositions, and a sick and twisted mind - bring The Silence of the Lambs to the stage.Ok, not yet - Jon & Al Kaplan have produced this thrilling CD of music for Silence of the Lambs. It's like Andrew Lloyd Webber musical stylings with a Weird Al sensiblity. I don't know how else to describe it. Should I letHim inside?Oh my God I'm terrifiedIf I don'tCatherine diesI'll let down the F.B.I.It may seem "wrong" to adapt such a dark story for a musical...but heck, they've had plenty of bloody stories drawn up for Broadway: The Legend of Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - the barber goes nutty - starts slicing his customers - his downstairs neighbor bakes the corpses into "meat pies" (Angela Lansbury did a fabulous job with this role) Little Shop of Horrors - Audrey Two can't get enough of human blood and humans.....and some brilliant business dude decided to clone her as houseplant for all American homes The Lion King I would love to see them get somebody like Lea Solanga for Clarice's role.....maybe Kelsey Grammer can do Hannibal Lecter. I'm wearing his face on my head...It's me!!! you can download the full mp3's at this sitethis was also posted on dj.queenkv.org Music10839@blogcritics.org Wed, 10 Dec 2003 13:25:55 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/24/184208.php queenkvNicole's blog pointed me to this site:Sonafide.com posted this blog on Jonathan Brandis. He killed himself a few weeks ago. [picture from http://www.sneksoog.demon.nl/jona-e.htm]I thought he was so dreamy on seaquest - I actually followed along with the series, through Prodigy's BBS pages. During the commerical breaks, they would have updated episode pages on the BBS's - and I would tie up my family's phone line to access this site. Why did he do it? He was still making films. 1. 111 Gramercy Park (2003) (TV) .... Will Karnegian 2. Puerto Vallarta Squeeze (2003) .... WeatherfordIt seemed like he came from a good family. I suspect he invested his film and television earnings, in a good way. Not like some other child actors who felt they had to run for Governor, to jump start their careers, to pay off the bills. Why did he do it? Maybe it was just the acting, but it seemed like he had a pretty decent attitude about life - decent towards other people and positive about the world, in general. From my own personal brushes with suicide and suicide attempts, I find it difficult to imagine Brandis giving in to such self-destructive behaviour. I thought he was stronger than that. I know it seems easier to give-up on life and on yourself, but it doesn't mean it's the right way to do things. Sometimes there are things so painful, that it seems like you would die from experiencing it. But you don't die, you end up surviving and it's how you survive and move on, that matters most. I thought Brandis had a wonderful sense of adventure - as Bastian in the Neverending Story, Part 2 - he had so much joy in that magical world and he managed to face his fears.I thought this actor knew about surviving adversity - Barry in Sidekicks, despite his asthma, he found he could do all those cool martial arts moves by training consistently.Finally, I thought he knew what it meant to believe in himself, like Lucas from Seaquest, DSV.Why did he do it?I guess he didn't see all those amazing things he's capable of. posted at bonvivant.queenkv.org Video10407@blogcritics.org Mon, 24 Nov 2003 18:42:08 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/13/194338.php queenkvDid anybody catch last night's South Park?Episode 711: Casa Bonita - Kyle's parents are taking him and three of his friends to Casa Bonita, Colorado's version of a Mexican Disneyland. When Kyle chooses to invite Butters over him, Cartman arranges to have poor Butters go conveniently "missing." This was a funny episode.....Cartman proves he has some Orwellean chops - convincing Butters that a meteor - the size of Wyoming - crashed into SouthPark - annihilating all life as they know it. Cartman convinces Butters to save himself and take shelter in an old bomb shelter.....and later in a fridge - which is eventually moved to the SouthPark dump.This elaborate - War of the Worlds - nightmare was concoted so that Cartman can revel away at Casa Bonita - the fun Mexican restaurant in Denver.......Yes - it's a real place. Amazing, yes? Video10111@blogcritics.org Thu, 13 Nov 2003 19:43:38 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/07/173228.php queenkvWesley Clark shows the cyber audience that his positions are many and diverse - from the Iraq war and beyond. He wants people to know he doesn't care what the other Democratic candidates think.fo'rizzle.... Culture9936@blogcritics.org Fri, 7 Nov 2003 17:32:28 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/04/195829.php queenkvWhen I first saw the trailer for Reno 911 - I thought it was going to be a total disappointment - one of those pathetic attempts to spoof Cops.....Well - this comedy has caught me by surprise. The officers of Reno 911 are dedicated to protecting serving the citizens of Reno, Nevada - even though they're certainly ill-equipped, ignorant, cowardly, and down-right childish about the whole, "upholding the law" bit. I think it's amazing that the officers are so totally committed to their jobs - even though they're doing it all incorrectly - with hilarious results. A great example is the episode in which the officers land a major cache of illegal fireworks - inside a ice cream truck located in the middle of the desert. The book the driver on possession of illegal fireworks and they proceed to literally have a blast at setting off all that contraband. Some officers gleefully joined in with some riot gear - to get up and close to the exploding party. Of course, the show also needs to illustrate some of the consequences of their actions - so one officers makes mistake of aiming a flaming roman candles at the ice cream truck - which still had the rest of the fireworks loaded up inside."That's what's happening!" This show totally panders to your guilty pleasures in satisfying all those inappropriate comebacks - that you've ever wanted to engage in. I think it's fabulous that these officers have no inhibitions of acting on all those inappropriate responses to mis-understood insults. One great scene is when two officers team up to beat-up a mime - in the middle of the day - simply because the Mime refused to break character and answer their questions. Another great scene is when Dep. Williams encounters a perp - who seems to be high.....the perp makes the mistake of saying the Deputy looks like Dee from "What's Happening." Her response - she whips out her pepper spray and shoots at the perp's eyes - as he's screaming in pain - she sass back: "That's what's happening!""God - I hate religious people!" Finally, Reno 911 indulges in all those cool immature pranks that only officers can get away with. In one episode - officers competed in a "perp" bingo - to win tickets to the next Nevada execution. Deputy Jones and his partner proceeded to call up a pizza joint on the other side of town - and promised the driver a hefty tip if he could make it in 30 minutes or less. When the pizza arrived - the drive found himself in a speed trap - the officers determined he was speeding dangerously. Lucky for them - the driver also fit a perp description for their bingo - the driver was at least 6 feet tall. So they book him on driving without a license - after they take his wallet and toss his license into the gutter. Video9831@blogcritics.org Tue, 4 Nov 2003 19:58:29 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/20/172121.php queenkvSophia Coppla's dreamy film about two Americans trying to make sense of their foreign enviroment and brainstorming what makes life worth it all - has an excellent soundtrack to accompany those musings. The album is woven with the introspective melodies of shoegazer pop - and several notable artists make their mark on the film's landscape. Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine - added several tracks of daydreaming - like "City Girl" and "Are you Awake?" These tracks ease you into the surreal world Coppla has laid out for Charlotte and Bob Harris - as they navigate through the jarring billboard lights, the unfamiliar words, and through uncharted territories in their life experiences. Squarepusher - provides some great electronic plinking to higlight the otherworldy quality of this film. The Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine also have some wonderfully rich tunes in this album. If you're looking for some music to chill to and to reflect upon - the soundtrack to Lost in Translation is a good place to start Music9343@blogcritics.org Mon, 20 Oct 2003 17:21:21 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/17/201017.php queenkvDillon Works! presents this amazing "10 seat custom home theater, complete with automatic doors and twinkling star fields. (It even has a THX sound system!) ". Apparently, the theater is based on The Empire's Death Star....why not? The rebels kept destroying and the Empire kept bringing it back. From the pix linked on this site - this theater is all tricked out with automatic doors and "low-voltage LED and Xenon lighting systems that integrate into the stair risers and walls." Can you imagine watching any of the Star Wars flims in this place? It certainly beats out Disney's puny Star Wars ride - piloted by that freaky android. Hmm - then you can add this theater to the Star Trek apartment and live out all your Sci-Fi fantasies..... Video9290@blogcritics.org Fri, 17 Oct 2003 20:10:17 EDT