Big ups to Lego on their stupendous 50th Anniversary. I have a soft spot for the little Danish bricks stemming from a childhood building pirate ships, castles, towns, and perhaps even later on in life geeking out over the Star Wars series of Legos. As such, marvel at the awesome time-lapse video posted over at Boing Boing which I now repost here. I dig the 8-bit flavor of the soundtrack, but most of all, I get all nostalgic on how extensive the instruction booklets really were. Enjoy!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Coachella 2008
Yea, here we go. The Coachella lineup has been announced. I'm sorry to say it isn't as exciting as years past with no headliners I'm in love with. Definitely a little less motivated to spend a weekend in the desert, but the show is always a great place to listen to some good music. Here we go, the lineup from April 25-27, 2008:
Friday's lineup
Jack Johnson
The Verve
The Raconteurs
The Breeders
Fatboy Slim
Tegan and Sara
Madness
The Swell Season
The National
Animal Collective
Slightly Stoopid
Mum
Pendulum
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Stars
Battles
Aesop Rock
Midnight Juggernauts
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Minus the Bear
Spank Rock
Dan Le Sac Vs. Scoobius Pip
Diplo
Adam Freeland
Santo Gold
Jens Lekman
John butler Trio
Vampire Weekend
Dan Deacon
Architecture in Helsinki
Sandra Collins
Busy P
Cut Copy
Black Lips
Datarock
Professor Murder
Reverend and the Makers
The Bees
Porter
Rogue Wave
Modeselektor
American Bang
Lucky I Am
Saturday's lineup
Portishead
Kraftwerk
Death Cab for Cutie
Cafe Tacuba
Sasha & Digweed
Rilo Kiley
Dwight Yoakam
M.I.A.
Hot Chip
Cold War Kids
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
DeVotchka
Flogging Molly
Mark Ronson
Turbonegro
Scars on Broadway
Islands
Enter Shikari
Calvin Harris
Boyz Noise
Junkie XL
Cinematic Orchestra
Jamie T
The Teenagers
VHS or Beta
Carbon/Silicon
Erol Alkan
Yo Majesty!
Little Brother
Bonde Do Role
St. Vincent
Akron Family
MGMT
Institubes DJs: Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic
James Wabiela
Sebastian
Kavinsky
Dredg
The Bird and the Bee
Grand Ole Party
New Young Pony Club
120 Days
Yoav
Electric Touch
Uffie
Sunday's lineup
Roger Waters ("Dark Side of the Moon")
Love and Rockets
My Morning Jacket
Spiritualized
Justice
Gogol Bordello
Chromeo
The Streets
Metric
Danny Tenaglia
Simian Mobile Disco
Booka Shade
Murs
Dmitri From Paris
Autolux
The Field
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Les Savy Fav
The Cool Kids
Sons & Daughters
Sia
Holy F—
Black Kids
Black Mountain
The Annuals
Kid Sister with A-Trak
Man Man
Duffy
I'm From Barcelona
Manchester Orchestra
Deadmau5
The Horrors
Austin TV
Shout Out Louds
Platiscenes
Brett Dennen
Jack Johnson
The Verve
The Raconteurs
The Breeders
Fatboy Slim
Tegan and Sara
Madness
The Swell Season
The National
Animal Collective
Slightly Stoopid
Mum
Pendulum
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Stars
Battles
Aesop Rock
Midnight Juggernauts
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Minus the Bear
Spank Rock
Dan Le Sac Vs. Scoobius Pip
Diplo
Adam Freeland
Santo Gold
Jens Lekman
John butler Trio
Vampire Weekend
Dan Deacon
Architecture in Helsinki
Sandra Collins
Busy P
Cut Copy
Black Lips
Datarock
Professor Murder
Reverend and the Makers
The Bees
Porter
Rogue Wave
Modeselektor
American Bang
Lucky I Am
Saturday's lineup
Portishead
Kraftwerk
Death Cab for Cutie
Cafe Tacuba
Sasha & Digweed
Rilo Kiley
Dwight Yoakam
M.I.A.
Hot Chip
Cold War Kids
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
DeVotchka
Flogging Molly
Mark Ronson
Turbonegro
Scars on Broadway
Islands
Enter Shikari
Calvin Harris
Boyz Noise
Junkie XL
Cinematic Orchestra
Jamie T
The Teenagers
VHS or Beta
Carbon/Silicon
Erol Alkan
Yo Majesty!
Little Brother
Bonde Do Role
St. Vincent
Akron Family
MGMT
Institubes DJs: Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic
James Wabiela
Sebastian
Kavinsky
Dredg
The Bird and the Bee
Grand Ole Party
New Young Pony Club
120 Days
Yoav
Electric Touch
Uffie
Sunday's lineup
Roger Waters ("Dark Side of the Moon")
Love and Rockets
My Morning Jacket
Spiritualized
Justice
Gogol Bordello
Chromeo
The Streets
Metric
Danny Tenaglia
Simian Mobile Disco
Booka Shade
Murs
Dmitri From Paris
Autolux
The Field
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Les Savy Fav
The Cool Kids
Sons & Daughters
Sia
Holy F—
Black Kids
Black Mountain
The Annuals
Kid Sister with A-Trak
Man Man
Duffy
I'm From Barcelona
Manchester Orchestra
Deadmau5
The Horrors
Austin TV
Shout Out Louds
Platiscenes
Brett Dennen
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
01 - 18 - 08
Since Disneyland first opened the most recognizable motion ride in American, Star Tours, I have been loathe to ride any of them. The first time was awesome. Ever since then, however, I've been susceptible to the rocking back and forth with no real point of reference beyond the screen and find myself walking around dizzy and ready to pop for about an hour afterwards. This weekend, I had a similar experience, but somewhat less displeasurable, after watching Cloverfield.
A lot of mystery has surrounded this movie given it's oblique marketing campaign and the shroud of secrecy enveloping actors, director, and producer alike. The first glimpse of the movie was in fact one of the earliest shots: the shaky handicam trailer pasted in front of the Transformers movie featuring a party ending with the decapitation of the Statue of Liberty landing in the middle of the streets of Manhattan. There was no title or rating, just the release date tacked on the end of the trailer. Speculation was rampant and few details leaked out aside from the general premise and casting of relatively unknown actors. There were rumors of Cthulu mythos, a remake of Godzilla, and even the outlandish assumption that JJ Abrams and Bad Robot were remaking Voltron. The reality of it all ended up being a lot more interesting not in spite of, but because of the speculation.
Cloverfield is essentially an American Godzilla flick told from the first-person perspective of an average citizen caught in the middle. In the modern era of self-publishing and micro-information, the presentation was perfect, albeit very disorienting. I felt that was the point, to bring the viewer as close to the action as possible. In a sense, it preys on the general feeling of a city on edge, but never feels like an exploitation. Well, at least for me it didn't.
The creature design itself is unlike anything I've ever seen on screen. Far be it from me to try and describe it, but I'd have to say it's best left experienced on the big screen. You get a sense for how enormous this beast is, how vicious it can be, and the horror of the otherworldy. As one of the character repeated throughout the film, it was a "terrible" beast.
What I wasn't prepared for - and was most surprised by - were the smaller moments that brought it from run-of-the-mill to extraordinary. Matt Reeves, the director, spliced in taped-over footage featuring two of the main characters enjoying an intimate day together. It was a small thing, but significant enough to make one more invested than usual. In contemporary genre films, the wide shot is king. Showcasing the expensive visual effects is primary, and I for one welcome the change from faceless bitmaps scurrying away like fleas to something more engrossing.
If I could complain, it would be for the erratic movements of the hand held digital shots. Halfway through, I wasn't sure I could watch the entire thing without puking, and I guess the frenetic shots are intentional, but there could have been more steady shots for the audience's sake. Aside from having to "cool down" post-viewing, I left the theater in stunned. From what I had seen, it was a fresh take on an old convention and leaves as much to the imagination as it can. There aren't a lot of answers, but I believe that's the fun of the ride. As JJ Abrams says, it's the mystery of the box that's exciting, not the contents of the box. For that, I will still be faithful in his work.
Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars.
A lot of mystery has surrounded this movie given it's oblique marketing campaign and the shroud of secrecy enveloping actors, director, and producer alike. The first glimpse of the movie was in fact one of the earliest shots: the shaky handicam trailer pasted in front of the Transformers movie featuring a party ending with the decapitation of the Statue of Liberty landing in the middle of the streets of Manhattan. There was no title or rating, just the release date tacked on the end of the trailer. Speculation was rampant and few details leaked out aside from the general premise and casting of relatively unknown actors. There were rumors of Cthulu mythos, a remake of Godzilla, and even the outlandish assumption that JJ Abrams and Bad Robot were remaking Voltron. The reality of it all ended up being a lot more interesting not in spite of, but because of the speculation.
Cloverfield is essentially an American Godzilla flick told from the first-person perspective of an average citizen caught in the middle. In the modern era of self-publishing and micro-information, the presentation was perfect, albeit very disorienting. I felt that was the point, to bring the viewer as close to the action as possible. In a sense, it preys on the general feeling of a city on edge, but never feels like an exploitation. Well, at least for me it didn't.
The creature design itself is unlike anything I've ever seen on screen. Far be it from me to try and describe it, but I'd have to say it's best left experienced on the big screen. You get a sense for how enormous this beast is, how vicious it can be, and the horror of the otherworldy. As one of the character repeated throughout the film, it was a "terrible" beast.
What I wasn't prepared for - and was most surprised by - were the smaller moments that brought it from run-of-the-mill to extraordinary. Matt Reeves, the director, spliced in taped-over footage featuring two of the main characters enjoying an intimate day together. It was a small thing, but significant enough to make one more invested than usual. In contemporary genre films, the wide shot is king. Showcasing the expensive visual effects is primary, and I for one welcome the change from faceless bitmaps scurrying away like fleas to something more engrossing.
If I could complain, it would be for the erratic movements of the hand held digital shots. Halfway through, I wasn't sure I could watch the entire thing without puking, and I guess the frenetic shots are intentional, but there could have been more steady shots for the audience's sake. Aside from having to "cool down" post-viewing, I left the theater in stunned. From what I had seen, it was a fresh take on an old convention and leaves as much to the imagination as it can. There aren't a lot of answers, but I believe that's the fun of the ride. As JJ Abrams says, it's the mystery of the box that's exciting, not the contents of the box. For that, I will still be faithful in his work.
Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Glut of Winter Movies
Three movies in the last two weeks. All of them independent, two of them seen at fancy theaters and one of them seen at the good ol' AMC megaplex. Award nominations are rampant for two and yet the third has flown under the radar enough to be just as charming. It's officially the season to watch cerebral flicks.
We'll start in chronological order of screening, the first of which being The Savages, starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. As brother and sister, Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Linney do an excellent job portraying a sibling relationship beset by the apathy and cruelty of their dying father. The Buffalo Winter setting is a perfectly drab backdrop for what are superficially incomplete lives of regret and depression. The acting jobs are superb and the story itself is both sad and endearing. Beside seeing the downward spiral of aging, seeing the self-acceptance of brother and sister of their childhood resentment stuck with me after the film.
From small indie flick to large indie flick, There Will Be Blood is a subtle epic hearkening from the days of Citizen Kane and John Huston. Daniel Day-Lewis portrays a burgeoning oil tycoon in the early 20th century with all the intensity and bluster of a southeastern tornado. Just as powerful as his performance is, the film itself is an incredible feat of cinema. I'm still thinking of it, three days after having seen it, and have yet to feel that I've seen beneath all the layers of subtext. P.T. Anderson has built himself a movie worthy of the accolades it's receiving, due in part to the ferocity of his lead actor, and in whole to his remarkable vision.
In the same weekend as this monstrous work of art, I finished with Juno. Worth as much critical acclaim as There Will be Blood, Juno was an excellent finish to the already cinematically packed slate of movies. As sweet a film as Blood was intense, Juno rests all of its charm on the able shoulders of Ellen Page in the title role and the film's mix of quirkiness, comedy, and pathos. One person said it reminded them of Napoleon Dynamite and while I can see the similarity in production values, this is a no-nonsense film about maturity and love. Granted, the subject matter of teen pregnancy could turn off those with a more conservative viewpoint, but it's this relationship that Juno forms with her predicament that makes it work so well. Of all these films, I could say that this is the one I liked the best.
Overall scores:
The Savages - 3.5 out of 5 stars
There Will be Blood - 4 out of 5 stars
Juno - 4.5 out of 5 stars
We'll start in chronological order of screening, the first of which being The Savages, starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. As brother and sister, Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Linney do an excellent job portraying a sibling relationship beset by the apathy and cruelty of their dying father. The Buffalo Winter setting is a perfectly drab backdrop for what are superficially incomplete lives of regret and depression. The acting jobs are superb and the story itself is both sad and endearing. Beside seeing the downward spiral of aging, seeing the self-acceptance of brother and sister of their childhood resentment stuck with me after the film.
From small indie flick to large indie flick, There Will Be Blood is a subtle epic hearkening from the days of Citizen Kane and John Huston. Daniel Day-Lewis portrays a burgeoning oil tycoon in the early 20th century with all the intensity and bluster of a southeastern tornado. Just as powerful as his performance is, the film itself is an incredible feat of cinema. I'm still thinking of it, three days after having seen it, and have yet to feel that I've seen beneath all the layers of subtext. P.T. Anderson has built himself a movie worthy of the accolades it's receiving, due in part to the ferocity of his lead actor, and in whole to his remarkable vision.
In the same weekend as this monstrous work of art, I finished with Juno. Worth as much critical acclaim as There Will be Blood, Juno was an excellent finish to the already cinematically packed slate of movies. As sweet a film as Blood was intense, Juno rests all of its charm on the able shoulders of Ellen Page in the title role and the film's mix of quirkiness, comedy, and pathos. One person said it reminded them of Napoleon Dynamite and while I can see the similarity in production values, this is a no-nonsense film about maturity and love. Granted, the subject matter of teen pregnancy could turn off those with a more conservative viewpoint, but it's this relationship that Juno forms with her predicament that makes it work so well. Of all these films, I could say that this is the one I liked the best.
Overall scores:
The Savages - 3.5 out of 5 stars
There Will be Blood - 4 out of 5 stars
Juno - 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Holiday Limbo in the Vineyard Valley
Without ceremony, I present our Temecula pictures. With all confidence I can say that we've visited the major wine areas of California and each of them are superb. While there are virtues of each that stand out, I'll only discuss the casual expanse of Temecula.
Not quite as prestigious as the lauded Napa Valley vineyards, each Temecula vineyard presented itself in a stately and non-pretentious environment. The varieties are the usual cabernet and chardonnay, but what I was most surprised by was the tendency to offer port wines on the menus. My favorite of which was probably the Wilson Creek chocolate port. That and their almond champagne made for some excellent dessert flavors, but as Don put it, the caramel flavored port from the Ponte Family estate was positively flammable.
In any case, we made a trip to a good four vineyards on our first day out, with the help of the Grape Line and an extremely absent-minded bus driver. We found time to nab lunch (baked mac and cheese with black truffles and bacon!) and after it was all over we even hit the Pechanga buffet and casino.
I shan't elaborate much, but suffice it to say it was an excellent way to spend a tiny bit of our holiday shutdown period.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
The Year '07
This last year's keyword was "Travel." I don't think I've been on a plane more than I have in the last 4 months than I have ever been in any one year. Well, aside from numerous trips back and forth during the college years, the plane trips have never been so densely packed. What can I say though, but none of our trips were disappointing. Highlights for me have to be the Luau in Lahaina, the Night Markets of Taipei, the December snow of Vail, and even the lush vineyard paths of Temecula (more on that later).
Nothing was of more importance to me though, than our wedding. I will always remember 2007 as the year Grace and I made a promise to each other that I look forward to keeping for the rest of my life. As my partner, best friend, confidante, and wife, I could imagine no one else more perfect to start this incredible journey with.
Thanks to everyone for making it an incredible year and I look forward to much more in the months to come.
Nothing was of more importance to me though, than our wedding. I will always remember 2007 as the year Grace and I made a promise to each other that I look forward to keeping for the rest of my life. As my partner, best friend, confidante, and wife, I could imagine no one else more perfect to start this incredible journey with.
Thanks to everyone for making it an incredible year and I look forward to much more in the months to come.
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