Author Archives: will

The Hollywood Code

Matthew Inman over at drivl.com gives voice to what lurks in every movie-goer, especially those of us with computers, as a common gripe. Why can’t Hollywood get the cinema of code right? Here’s the link. I always notice when FX designers take special liberties in designing computers in the movies. Sandra Bullock, for example, uses […]

SFX: Buffalo Tom

Man, I love Buffalo Tom. And I’m only posting about them because I want to test out another music streaming plug-in. This one’s called PodPress. I think, with a little tweaking, it could work put better than the last one, which is a tricky pilfering of the Google Video interface I read about here. The […]

SFX: Julian Jabre

Several months ago I’m returning home from Amoeba. As usual, it’s late and Nocturna is on KCRW. The tune spinning across LA is called “Swimming Places” by Julian Jabre. I find it that night on eBay and place an order. It arrives a few days later, warped, but still playable, from a record shop in […]

Martial Arts Subtitles

The aimlessness of the blog continues for now. Want proof? Here’s a list of actual subtitles taken from martial arts movies. Enjoy them for now. I’ll tell some amusing tales about Hollywood later. When I shake this malaise. Dunno where these come from, but they’re presumably “authentic” inasmuch as a certain translation of martial arts […]

Carbon Tonite

Just one more plug for my DJ debut tonight at Carbon (see previous post.) In case that doesn’t inspire you to drop by, check out this spellbinding flyer:

DJ Cinema @ Carbon

Speaking of excellent DJ’s, I happen to know that there’s a cluster of good ones spinning on Wednesday, November 29th. That’s tomorrow, folks. At Carbon in Culver City. And one of those DJ’s happens to be me, finally participating in DJ Ned Learner’s What The DJ Wants night. I’ll be kicking things off at about […]

SFX: More James Holden

A couple weeks ago I waxed enthusuastic about the new offering from DJ Sandra Collins. But that was before I picked up the new James Holden comp. People who know me (some of them, anyway) know that I adore Mr. Holden’s work. It’s complex and intricate, and as dance music goes, inaccessible and relatively obscure. […]

Robert Altman, R.I.P.

We’ll miss him. Though his career was studded with highs (M*A*S*H, Nashville, The Player) and lows (Pret-a-Porter, Beyond Therapy) he was a force of nature. No one had his touch for ensemble pieces. He was a classic ringmaster, peerless and dedicated to the craft.

Heresy

Bad blog! Speak up! Okay, tonight I’m distracted by This American Life. They’re replaying one of my favorite episodes. “Heretics” is a beautifully produced piece on Carlton Pearson. He’s a pastor in Tulsa Oklahoma. he runs a church called Higher Dimensions. This installment of TAL describes his rise as an articulate, eloquent and intelligent preacher, […]

Kiwi

I’m just gonna continue my recent flow of single-thought posts. File this under, “Check It Out.” A kiwi realizes its dream of flight. Oddly touching.

Michael Keefe Reviews: October

Hey, it’s that time of month again. Actually, it’s a little past that time of month. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the latest batch of music reviews from Portland-based music genius, Michael Keefe. This week, he checks out new releases by Beck, Frank Black and my own current fave, The […]

Close Enough

After work at Amoeba on Sunday. We walk over to the lot behind Baja Fresh. Kirk is limping. His foot cramped up so badly on the way down from the mezzanine that he had to sit on the stairwell and grab his toes in agony. We reach my car… This is what I get for […]

Suicide Becomes Murder

I simply must update that story about Adrienne Shelly. Apparently, she complained to a construction noise he was making in a nearby office. He punched her. The punch killed her. He dragged her body back into her office and set her up to look like she’d committed suicide. “I was having a bad day. I […]

SFX: Sandra Collins

I swear, I’m the only person I know who’s excited about a new compilation by Sandra Collins. It’s not that no one else thinks it’s good. It’s because pretty much everyone I know in Hollywoodland aren’t into progressive house. It’s a Perfecto release. That’s Paul Oakenfold, for those of you who are in the know. […]

Adrienne Shelly, R.I.P.

In the film Trust, Maria, played by Adrienne Shelly, climbs up a low wall, stands straight and lets herself fall backwards. A surprised Martin Donovan catches her. This, she says, is a demonstration of love. Love is a combination of respect, admiration and, above all, trust. The words are Hal Hartley’s, but Shelly owns them. […]