'The Thing'

If I'm going to spend any time in the South Pole, I would look just like Kurt Russell in this movie. He's awesome.

This is a 26-year-old film that still freaks the bejesus out of you. Scary, suspenseful, gory. It still holds up and in fact probably trumps a lot of the same genre of the past 20 years.

It's good because it's simple. Other than the creature being an alien, there's nothing supernatural about it. It's only real defense is that it can shape shift providing constant cover. Otherwise, it's mano y alien.

By the way, you know in films with ghosts, aliens, supernatural shit, etc. how things start to happen and things are getting weird, but no one is just ever in shock that something so beyond belief is happening? Is that because everyone grows up watching films about aliens and ghosts? It's this fake reality that prepares us for the time when we're scientists in the South Pole and a man-eating alien starts killing us one by one?

'Blur'

When I was about 13 or 14 years old, I always watched The Box. It was a satellite cable channel which showed all music videos (no veejays or personalities that I remember) based on viewers calling in and paying money to request music videos.

It was the anti-MTV even for the time. Not only was it music driven but they played a ton of artists that a dumb, pre-teen me would never have noticed.

Including Blur. It was the video for "Boys and Girls" from the Parklife album that initially caught interest because it was basically about sex (I think) and at 14 I was into, at least, the thought of sex. Plus, it was pretty catchy.

I also thought it was what gay people listened to.

Not that Blur went away after that but their next big impact on my life is when Blur was released and that annoying "Song 2" came out. Everyone was into it and all I could think about was the semi-gay video for "Boys and Girls" with its electronic cacophony.

'Birth of the Cool'

A friend of a friend once said, "If peeing in the bed is cool, then I'm Miles Davis."

No truer words have ever been uttered.

'This is Hardcore'

An interesting little sidenote, I had really liked the song "Like a Friend" early on in college because I dated a girl who had the "Great Expectations" (the Ethan Hawke-Gwyneth Paltrow version) soundtrack, on which the song is included.

Then I heard it on this record. And was taken back eight years. Good times. Kinda.

This is a good album. Highly recommended.

'Journey to the Center of the Earth'

I'm a sucker for dinosaurs and pre-historic animals.

Otherwise, this was a pretty dumb story. I'm willing to suspend any notion of reality, in terms that an entire world (atmosphere and all) could exist beneath the crust of the Earth.

I just find the storytelling off putting. For one, there's an entire sequence that's a dream -- a tribe of apes kill a giant crocodile monster. All this time and it's a dream. Why not make it real? What's the point? I mean, it's fantasy to begin with why feel the need to make one sequence a dream? Was the idea of apes bashing int the skull of a giant croc with dinosaur bones just too unbelievable?

Then the story ends with the three adventurers surviving a volcanic eruption (them, in a wood raft being themselves spewed out of a volcano with magma and shit) and making it back and the only real mystery and question that they have is why the compass screwed up. Seriously? My biggest question would've been, "How the hell did I just survive being erupted out of a live volcano in Italy?"

'The Remains of the Day'

Isn't it funny how servants and butlers have impacted popular culture. Look at Stevens in "The Remains of the Day" or Jeeves in P.G. Wodehouse's novels.

Then the mindless pop culture reference: "Mr. Belvedere," "Hazel," "Charles in Charge," Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons," Berta from "Two and a Half Men," Rosie from "The Jetsons" and countless others.

The trend throughout: They're poorer and looked down upon, but they're smarter. The noble savages of modern literature and culture.

"The Remains of the Day" is a poignant and just good novel.

Fascinating title that entertwines itself through several themes of the book.

The most interesting being the dying days of the large houses in England following World War II and probably the dying days of Europe as it once was known.

The innocence was lost. The loyalty of the servants to the master lost just as the people lost a certain amount of loyalty to the monarchy, to leadership. Just when we thought those in charge were infalliable, it took World War II to make us all realize that the guys making all the decisions deserved to have the public looking over their shoulder.

It wasn't so much the machine was broken, just the environment had evolved. And as in every form of evolution, it's a case of the survival of the fittest.

'3 Feet and Rising'

I read music magazines. I know what's good. I just don't know why it's good. That's kinda why this blog exists.

So I picked up De La Soul's "3 Feet and Rising" because in just about every list of best records (hip-hop and otherwise), this 1989 opus is included. I've probably read more about this album since I was 16 than I've actually listened to it.

In addition to popular periodicals, hip-hop fan friends tell me how good this album is.

Then I listen to it. And I don't get it.

Seems to me like it's a lot of talking and skits. Maybe like an Adam Sandler album.

Then they rap and I like it. Then I have to sit through some more talking and songs where they repeat one word, over and over.

I'm sure it's good. I'll just take your word for it.

'Central Reservations'

I consider the 1990s to be one of the worst decades of popular music over the past 200 years.

The good stuff was really, really good. But the middle of the pack and bad stuff was just really bad.

One of the facets of this opinion is based on the mediocre output from the females. For every Lucinda Williams, there were five Courtney Loves, Sarah McLaughlins, 10,000 Maniacs, Edie Brickells and Beth Ortons.

I don't know why, but I thought Orton had a little more. Apparently not. She's like all the rest. Quasi-modern jazz, mixed with un-soulful, mid-range vocals, uninspired lyrics and a hodgepodge of genre-mashing (from country to hip-hop beats). This scourge of modern music was probably perfected by Dido. Just useless tripe.

'I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You'

You will never, ever, ever go wrong with any soul from the 1960s. It's impossible. Just name a name, name and album and it will be as fresh, poignant, emotional and good as it was 40 years ago.

The same can not be said of rock, rap, country or a billion other genres. Soul is timeless and it was done so well in the 1960s that it can never go wrong.

Not that the Queen of Soul would ever put out a stinker in her heyday. But there's a reason she's on the throne.

This era of music is much, much better than we probably all think. In fact, it's probably the best era and genre of music of all time.

'Meat is Murder' & 'The Queen is Dead'

Do bands or recording artists with limited commercial success actualize their own influence on their own?

Do the Smiths realize that despite them not selling a billion records that they are one of the most influential and cited bands ever? Actually, if all the people I know that say they listened to the Smiths in the 1980s actually listened to the Smiths in the 1980s, the band would've had a couple of gold records.

Anyway, these albums were important for a lot of teenagers in the 1980s who watched "The Breakfast Club" and thought that it was their life. Their life was shit. And six years later they became accountants and started buying Tracy Chapman albums.

The most surprising aspect of the Smiths is how good of musicians they were. I could live or die without Morrissey, but that rhythym section and Johnny Marr are great.

'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'

Isn't it odd that there's a whole genre of film dedicated to the western United States from around the Civil War to the latter half of the 19th century?

The Western. Geez. Most people barely scratch the surface of foreign films (from all around the world) but there are most who have seen every John Wayne movie, many of which are Westerns.

Is the Western -- as a movie genre -- the result of America's mammoth influence on pop culture. Not only do we make a lot of it, but we determine what's important and what's not.

It's a tad alarmingly seeing Jimmy Stewart so old. He was 54 when the movie came out. Unfortunately, he's supposed to play a youngish lawyer in a majority of the film. He doesn't come off as the spry, energetic spark plug like in his younger days. It's disappointing.

'Murmur'

Is this supposed to be awesome?

Slightly underwhelmed.

REM must've known they'd do better in the future.

'Hounds of Love'

I've got to admit, I wasn't that impressed with the other Kate Bush record I panned here.

But who was I not to give he another chance.

I really like "Hounds of Love." It's good work music. Just have that going on your iTunes and get some shit done. Pretty soon you're starting over with track No. 1.

"Waking the Witch" evoked a "What the hell are you listening to?" from a co-worker. As it should.

'Elvis Presley'

I like hearing folks (mostly African-American) who hate Elvis Presley because he got rich and famous by ripping off black musicians who were doing the music before the King was doing it.

Let's be real: There probably isn't one Elvis fan who thinks he invented rock music much the same way that British people don't think Queen Elizabeth II invented the monarchy.

It's just odd that people would get angry about some good-looking white boy copying some black artists and taking their art and legacy to the biggest stage in the world. And getting filthy rich and famous doing it. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

On the other hand, if Elvis should pay the families of those black artists he ripped off, who should he pay for his gospel influences? The church? The pope? God?

Trust me, the black musicians Elvis ripped off ripped someone else off along the way. It's how it works. Little Richard wasn't getting on the Ed Sullivan Show any time soon.

'The Jungle Book'

I'm basically re-watching all of these old Disney films because my 2-year-old is into them.

And rightly so. They're only 70-odd minutes long and they're intriguing.

Mostly, they hold so much value to an adult. "The Jungle Book" for example is a gigantic comment on society and the balance of all the pieces and how when those are disturbed, the entire thing can crumble.

Then the characters are interesting. You have the lazy bear. The seemingly organized, progressive and prosperous monkeys.

Maybe it's just a semi-dumb cartoon about human's encroachment on our wild friends, but I see it more as an allegory for society and roles therein.

'Casino'

Recently, famed movie star Paul Newman died.

I have to admit, it didn't affect me very much. Mainly because as someone who didn't seriously start watching films until the 1990s, I was completely detached from Newman. None of his big films came out during my cinematic conciousness. It's really not a big deal. I'm not exactly up on Humphrey Bogart's films or Clark Gable's.

But I started thinking about Robert DeNiro, realizing that he's going to be dead sooner than later and maybe I'll feel about him what many folks older than me are feeling about Newman.

Also, it should be noted that we assume that the real Tom Cruise is something like his character T.J. Mackey from "Magnolia."

So is the real Sharon Stone just like Ginger in "Casino"? Seems like it.

'New York Dolls'

I don't quite understand why The New York Dolls weren't as popular as they were. I have two theories.

They were too divisive. They were raw and edgy (like punk) but theatrical and androgynous (like KISS).

See, those two sects of music fans (from what I've seen in movies) never quite intersected. The punks were a bunch of pansy homos and the KISS fans were dunderheaded jocks.

The Dolls were too punk for one and too rock for the other.

Also, I firmly believe that the use of "dolls" in their name were too much for the mainstream music fan. Despite the fact that the mainstream music fan lauded a band named "KISS." What's gayer than that?

'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

Am I becoming a Simon and Garfunkel fan?

First "Bookends," now "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

The later is chockful of hits ("Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Cecilia," "El Condor Pasa" and "The Boxer") but it has its fair share of great non-hits like "The Only Living Boy in New York," "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright."

It's full of Simon, who by far is the best. Just writes great songs and is perfect when he's picking at the guitar and keeping it simple and pared down.

'Breakfast at Tiffanys'

I think Norman Mailer said it best:

"Truman Capote is tart as a grand aunt, but in his way he is a ballsy little guy, and he is the most perfect writer of my generation, he writes the best sentences word for word, rhythm upon rhythm. I would not change d two words in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which will become a small classic."

'To the Lighthouse'

I have no clue what the fuck this book was about.

'Ellington at Newport 1956'

Hardly could we distinguish something as American and as good as jazz.

In fact, it's probably the greatest genre of music ever right up there with classical and ska.

Jazz is perfect because it combines everything we love about music: Individuality, professionalism, talent, precision, energy, love, anger, spiralling discontent, premium highs and rawness. It's dark and brooding and yet completely light and cool. Too cool.

What jazz entails is everything that at least all other genres lack in some form, to some degree.

See, American culture isn't entirely bankrupt. The nation that canonizes the likes of Paris Hilton is the same that is responsible for jazz. Not bankrupt, but certainly withdrawing more than its depositing.

'Automatic for the People'

If I were in REM, I would've had them put a comma after "automatic." Like, "Automatic, for the People." That's just me.

It's good. It's also music for older people. There's tons of music that appeal to adults. But with rock music it tends to transcend age, income, ethnicity, sex and all the other demographics you can think of. Unless it's Neo-Nazi metal or whatever.

Look at punk. Punk, over time, started to appeal to the surburban or black kid as much as it did the snotty English gutter punk looking for a fix.

Not REM. It is hardcore 18 and up. I was 12 when this album came out and I had no interest in it. It requires a certain taste and patience. An understanding. None of which a 12 year old has that he or she can't find in the Beach Boys or Boyz II Men.

'The Doors'

I've stated on this blog that Jane Austen -- her relevence, work -- is the biggest con being played on females between the ages of 14-45.

If there's a male counterpart, it's The Doors. There are several things wrong with them.

For one, Jim Morrison simply wasn't that cool. Now, he may have been cool had he lived and had an opportunity to not take himself so seriously. Instead, he croaked early, at the height of his self-importance.

Two, the band wasn't that good.

Three, they took their name from Aldous Huxley's "The Doors of Perception," indicating that their music would be transcendent, opening pathways for their fans to reach some other level of conciousness or whatever.

Then they write and record songs like "20th Century Fox," "Back Door Man," "Light My Fire" and "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)." The only door The Doors were intersted in open was between a chick's legs. Morrison and Co. were no more different than Whitesnake, Limp Bizkit and KISS -- they wanted to stick their penises into as many females as they could. "Doors of perception" my ass.

'Russian Ark'

What an extremely unique piece of filmmaking. It's a shame it was better publicized at the time.

Essentially, the viewer is the narrator -- all shot with one camera as the eyes as you (him) travel through the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. There, time is warped. Scenes jump from the 19th and 20th centuries. One minute we're in the midst of Catherine the Great, a ball or Tsar Nicholas I receiving a party from Persia. In another haunting scene, a Russian peasant is making his own coffin during the siege of Leningrad during World War II. We are warned to not enter the building.

All the while, our senses are enraptured by art and music -- some of the greatest in the world currently part of the Hermitage Museum within the palace.

Simply a phenomenal film.

'Glengarry Glen Ross'

My wife works for a land development company. I learned that the salespeople in her company worship this movie. It is about selling property.

I guess it's motivational or whatever. A lot of good quotes for people who sell land.

Otherwise, I thought it an odd choice for a group of people that probably wouldn't know David Mamet if he walked into the room. Not that I would. But let's face it: If this film's about zookeepers, my wife's co-workers probably aren't watching it.

This is an odd film, too, because it is an adaptation of a play but instead of just turning it into a motion picture, it basically comes off as a filmed theater piece. The writing, acting and production is so stage-like. Not that it's bad, but again ... zookeepers.

'L.A. Confidential'

This film was released 1997. I hardly doubt that anyone realized that it would -- for all intents and purposes -- launch the careers of three of the better actors' careers of the past 20 years.

Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey were relative no-names. None of which had done their marquee films ("Gladiator," "Memento" and "American Beauty") and all three put up fantastic performances here.

Ironically, the one name who adorns all the posters and DVD covers is Kim Basinger, who hasn't done a single good film since (and has since gone on to terrorize Alec Baldwin). Right now, I'd put her below -- in terms of a career -- Pearce, Crowe, Spacey, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell. Hell, even Ron Rifkin was in "ALIAS."

I consider this a better, more updated version of "Chinatown."

Also, it was good to see "Lloyd Braun" playing the actor on Spacey's cop TV drama.

'The Birth of a Nation'

Three hours? Really???

This is my first viewing of the "great" "The Birth of a Nation" -- the film we all learn about in history and media classes as being one of the great early films.

I can definitely see how everyone was taken by the film in 1915. And this was probably a good waste of three hours back then.

Today, I fell asleep twice and had to come back three different times to finish it off. I hate taking anything away from an artform or piece of work that helped a certain genre take off into its current form, but there are a number of things that should be put on the shelf and never touched.

All of this criticism, and I haven't even mentioned the depiction of African Americans and the Ku Klux Klan.