Extra post for today!

      Fun sketchy trivia from Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heaven: "ukulele" probably means "jumping flea".

New Harry Potter movie reflections

Aspects of the film I enjoyed:

Trimming the plot down to be more cinematic; staying true to the feeling of the book while not keeping everything exactly the way it is in the book.

It reminded me of Batman.

Tom at the Leaky Cauldron. He is such an Igor.

Matthew Lewis, who plays Neville, is just getting better and better. I get the feeling that he could break away from the series as a huge comedy star, or at least a beloved character actor. I'd like to see him comedically team-up with Rupert Grint. Those kids are too funny!

Gary Oldman.

Alan Rickman (esp. stupified in dress).

David Thewlis wasn't bad, either.

Harry and Hermione sit at the edge of the dark spooky forest. A flock(?) of bats swoops in from behind them. All the while: pastoral music.

Hagrid's suit. Sticking close to the book can be a good thing, in moderation.

Ron waking from a nightmare in which spiders are trying to make him tap dance and he doesn't want to tap dance. Harry: "You tell 'em, Ron!"

Kids not allowed in the tavern.

The giant spider on roller skates.

Harry searching for Pettigrew in the dark hallway.

That creature living in Hagrid's shack.

The Dementors fly!

The gag with the maid at the Leaky Cauldron.

Aspects of the film I didn't enjoy so much:

The werewolf design.

John Williams' main theme, again.

Giving away Pettigrew too soon with the Marauder's Map.

The focus on Lily Potter exposition when the climax is about James Potter. Also, making Remus sound as though he and Lily hooked up before James came on the scene.

What should have been high drama in The Shrieking Shack. ugh, I could go on...

Not bothering to explain main plot points at all. (Scabbers, The Marauder's Map, etc. What real difference would another 4-7 minutes make to the 142 minute runtime?)

Pettigrew's teeth. Really!

The rastafarian shrunken head on the Knight Bus.

Failing to take a breather when Harry announces that he's going to kill Sirius.

Obsessive-compulsive Whomping Willow shots.

The Dementor face-sucking effect.

Snuffles barking in his first appearance.

Not taking two seconds to show Harry releasing Hedwig before leaving Privet Drive.

Hackneyed spooky: empty swings creaking in the wind.
      I really do like it. It's my favorite of the three. Yay for Alfonso Cuaron!

Posted by rachelcrane at 3:57 PM PDT

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A New Sunday, a new playlist
Listen online at kuci.org

Artist . Song . Album . New Release?
1. DIN-ST . Straight into Tokyo . YAMU d' -DIN . NR
2. Hearts of Darkness . Positive . Music for Drunk Driving . NR
3. Icarus . Ganglion . I Tweet the Birdy Electric . NR

4. Jason Forrest . 180 Mar Ton . The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash . NR
-5. Kaskade . Maybe . In the Moment . NR
5a. Hearts of Darkness . Where in Rome . Music for Drunk Driving . NR
6. Kraftwerk . Alex Gopher/Etienne de Crecy Dynamik Mix . Aerodynamik . NR

7. Miss Kitten . Professional Distortion . I Com . NR
8. Mochipet . Uzumaki . Uzumaki . NR
-9. United State of Electronica . Open Your Eyes . U.S.E. . NR
10. DIN-ST . 4 Souls . YAMU d' -DIN . NR
11. Hearts of Darkness . Air Guitar . Music for Drunk Driving . NR
12. Icarus . Essen . I Tweet the Birdy Electric . NR

13. Jason Forrest . Why I Love ELO . The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash . NR
14. Kraftwerk . Kling Klang Radio Mix . Aerodynamik . NR
15. Miss Kitten . Happy Violentine . I Com . NR

16. Mochipet . Labha . Uzumaki . NR
17. Sandoz . Chocolate Machine . Digital Lifeforms Redux . NR
18. Hearts of Darkness . Mr Oh No! . Music for Drunk Driving . NR
19. Icarus . Antz Nez . I Tweet the Birdy Electric . NR

20. Jason Forrest . 10 Amazing Years . The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash . NR
21. Kraftwerk . Francois K Aero Mix . Aerodynamik . NR

22. Miss Kitten . Neukoelln 2 . I Com . NR
23. Mochipet . Moha . Uzumaki . NR

24. Sandoz . Drum Meditation . Digital Lifeforms Redux . NR
25. DIN-ST . CAN U HeAR mE ? . YAMU d' -DIN . NR
26. Hearts of Darkness . Bleedout . Music for Drunk Driving . NR

27. Icarus . Gno.9 . I Tweet the Birdy Electric . NR

Rambling into the weekend

      I've been staying up too late reading "Elektra: Assassin". Quality lit is bad for my health.

      I look forward to seeing the third "Harry Potter" movie tomorrow morning. Gary Oldman is so fun!

      I'm going to plan ahead for Comic-Con this year, even though it continues to be more and more Hollywood. Darcy inspired me. Also, crap hotels ripping-off procrastinating convention attendees inspire me.

      The results of the KUCI General Manager election will be available tonight at 6pm. Oh, anticipation!

Prepare yourself for geekiness...

      I finally got myself a copy of "Elektra: Assassin" last night. I already loved the work of Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz, but now I love 'em even more. Why didn't I read this sooner? Well, I have been looking for my own copy for a couple of months. It isn't the most readily-stocked graphic novel.

      The Television without Pity boards have been a little slow since the season finales hit, so I decided to visit the "Harley & Ivy" board on the DC official site. I now realize that I've been taking the intelligent, well-written posts on TWoP for granted. Those comic geeks are just all over the place. You'd think all of their keyboards were missing 'backspace' keys. I read through what's currently available at Toog's blog this morning. It's in English, but he's French. The English isn't perfect and he throws French words in occasionally, but I had a much easier time figuring out what he was writing about than people whose primary language I assume to be English. Stupid fanboys think they're so hot. Don't even know how to type or edit.

FYI: This was supposed to be posted yesterday. PC issues got in the way.

Apple sounds too common.

      I forgot to mention yesterday that I found a dress for Shana's wedding on Sunday. It's silky and not red, and is just the kind of poufy-skirted, drape-necked thing that looks good on me. I look forward to shoe/purse/wrap shopping. I already have the jewelry. Givenchy is just too faboo!

      Also, I just checked on a "Kelly Blue Book" online thing about Mr. Car. Seems he's worth about as much as I owe on him. That makes me feel better. I still need to fix the windsheild, though, but that shouldn't cost much more than $50-70. And I need to buy a new oil filter for the oil change this weekend. I'll miss him. snif!

      "Astonishing X-Men" by Joss Whedon has already been out and I only just remembered it. I'll have to stop by the comic shop on my way to KUCI this evening.

      We're voting on the new General Manager tonight. I'm running against Ardem and Dach. It should be fun. At least I won't be too unhappy should I not win. I wouldn't mind losing to Ardem or Dach. I think each of the candidates would make a pretty good GM. I hope I win, though! Duh, or I wouldn't be running.

Various Tidbits from a Long Weekend

      Fave spam/virus subject line for today: "meet teen assholes tonight volvo".

      I totally agree with TWoP's Strega on this point: Hamilton lectures Angel, "You cannot beat me. I am a part of them. The Wolf, Ram, and Hart. Their strength flows through my veins. My blood is filled with their ancient power." Can I just say once more how much I love how Adam Baldwin delivers these lines? He's so matter-of-fact about it instead of being all mwah-ha-ha. Also, he's extremely tall. And looks good in a suit. And where were we?

Architecture as weaponry       Much of Joss Whedon's work seems to have an architectural center. Sure, every story has to have a location, but when Joss goes through all that trouble to destroy each set when he's done with it, it makes me wonder. Even with "Firefly," it's all about the ship they live on. I think the movie's gonna be titled "Serenity," even, furthering the emphasis on the ship. Not just any firefly, their firefly.
      Buffy gives Anne a chance to re-start her life with an apartment. When Buffy graduates high school, she blows up the campus. When Buffy's at an emotional low, her basement floods. Angel establishes a new 'family' for himself by buying a hotel with enough rooms for the whole cast to live together. When the First Evil returns to Sunnydale it is pretty much incarnated in the high school. When the Buffy series is over, Sunnydale is swallowed up in a crater. When the Angel series is over, the last scene is back at the alley behind their old hotel. I was expecting the Wolfram & Hart offices to get blown-up.
      What really got me to thinking about the use of architecture in the Mutant Enemy universe have been all the complaints about throwing people into walls on Angel this past season. Both the bad guys and the good guys were constantly getting beat down with the architecture on Angel. Is it ME's way of letting the architecture get back at the people for blowing so much of it up? Or is it just to mirror the "good guys'" acquiescence to the corporate powers and their evil ways. If you can't beat 'em, use 'em as your own weapon.
      I was really hoping that Illyria was going to blow up the WR&H building. She almost did even before the finale, but the good guys sucked her destructive power away. Maybe Joss feels impotent in his storytelling. Or maybe he's given up on bucking the quasi-network system and doesn't care to blow up sets anymore. Illyria was our hope, but she was cut short and sucked dry. So sad.

      Movies I saw this weekend: Melvin Goes to Dinner, I Capture the Castle, Saved!, and Funny Lady.
      Melvin included a great short film on the DVD about a one man film fest. Those guys are too funny. The actual feature was funny as well, had a better plot than I expected, and didn't squick me out as much as I'd expected, either. Highly recommended if you can handle comedy that isn't like a sitcom.
      I'm glad I didn't see I Capture the Castle in the theatre, as I was debating when it came out and I was bored. It is a good romance, though. The cast can act, the plot's a bit predictable, and there're comedy and snazzy early 20th century fashions throughout. Recommended for those who feel guilty about having seen every romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts. It'll alleviate your guilt while appeasing your baser appetites.
      Regarding Saved!: Coffee and Cigarettes was consistently funnier, and Mean Girls was less heavy-handed. Worth renting, unless you're in love with any of the lead actors, in which case see it a.s.a.p.
      I only rented Funny Lady because I'm still on my Roddy McDowall kick. I've never seen Funny Girl and don't plan to. I'm just not a Barbara fan. So I spent most of the time fastforwarding through the music videos and predictable love interest dialogue. Mr. McDowall doesn't get nearly enough screen time, but when he's there I'm happy. He's believably funny and expressive. For die hard fans of the stars only.

      Found is currently my very favorite magazine ever. It's a collection of found documents (letters, photos, lists, etc.) as well as a few articles on other found art. Trying to understand a document's context and working to fit it into a larger narrative whole is fascinating. I had the skip the section on spider bites, though, as I'm a squeamish wimp. I highly recommend Found magazine. I got issue #3 at Borders in Costa Mesa last week.

      Many people at the office look extra pale today. I think they may have done the same thing with their extra day off that I did: nothing.

      I finally finished reading Smallville: City by Devin Grayson. She writes well. I'm tempted to start reading "Nightwing" because of her, and I don't like that character at all. The HoYay! was all over the place, but it just had to end with Blahna. I suspect that was a contractual obligation. Anyways, the author did a great job of capturing the best parts of the tv show (aside from Blahna. Ick!) and translating them onto the page. I'm guessing she's a SV fan. Or, at the very least, a fan of pretty boys; and who isn't? I also enjoyed that she explained where the story fits in the show's chronology. Agent Green is a great one-shot character. It's not often that a one-shot baddie on Smallville gets to develop beyond sprouting gills or something. Lots of goodness for fans of the Clex.

      I caught a little of Dead Man on IFC this weekend. I've always loved that movie, but hardly anyone I know has even heard of it. I noticed that it's directed by Jim Jarmusch, whose most recent release is Coffee and Cigarettes. I think it is safe to say that I am a JJ fan. That guy's so funny.

      I just did something incredibly stupid. While listening to a voice mail message, I began to respond and was hurt to hear the person on the other end just hang up on me. Then I remembered it was a recorded message. Silly me!

Every Sunday, a new playlist! (Unless I have a sub. Not this week!)
Listen online! kuci.org

Artist . Song . Album . New Release?
1. Joel Frahm with Brad Mehldau . Round Midnight #1 . Don't Explain . NR
2. Greyboy . Bronson w/ Mainflo . Soul Mosaic . NR
3. Intuit . The Journey: Pt. 2 Planet Birth . Intuit . NR

4. Kyoto Jazz Massive . Kudu [Eddie Henderson] . Blue Note Revisited . NR
5. Daedelus . Taking Wing . Of Snowdonia . NR

6. Kraftwerk . Francois K Aero Mix . Aerodynamik . NR
7. GusGus . Desire . Attention

8. United State of Electronica . Vamos a la Playa . United State of Electronica . NR
9. Filter Science . Darkness Falls (Joey Beltram Rmx) . Driven comp. . NR
10. Chib . Soo . Moco . NR

11. Lutz Glandien . Into a Better Room . Lost In Rooms . NR
12. Loscil . Cloister . First Narrows . NR

13. Keith Fullerton Whitman . Rhodes Viola Multiple . Antithesis . NR

14. Charalambides . Stroke . Joy Shapes . NR
15. Secret Mommy . An Apple a Day Keeps the Mac Voice Away . Mammal Class . NR

16. Pan Sonic . Gravity . Kesto . NR
17. !!! . Instinct . Lab Remix Series Vol. 2 . NR

Yellow jacket:yellow tumbleR

...so I'm gonna leave you
And I'd like you to leave me to leave you
But lover, believe me
It isn't because I don't need you
(You know I don't need you)
All I wanted was to be wanted
But you're drowning me deep
In your need to be needed
L'la. La la la, la la la la, l'la.

      Macaulay Culkin was on "Larry King Live" last night to promote his new movie Saved! If you get the chance to watch a repeat of it this weekend or read a transcript of the interview, I recommend it. Naturally, the people phoning-in questions had more intelligent things to say than the host. It was a successful interview on MC's part, as he came off as a cool, funny, intelligent kind of guy whom I would probably enjoy hanging out with.
      One of my favorite moments was when LK asked MC about the wild tabloid stories about him. MC basically said that they were all lies and gave an example. His lawyer (I think) had called him asking if he was "still there" because CNN had just notified the lawyer (I think) of MC's death by drug overdose. LK just moved right along to his next question. I couldn't tell whether he was trying to ignore the CNN dig, or if it was another instance of LK not paying attention to the interview he's in the middle of conducting. Funny stuff.
      Whenever I see an ad for Saved! I am reminded of a Momus song of the same name. But, y'know, they're both about Christianity, so I figured it was a coincidence. On "LKL" last night, they aired some clips from the film. In one, MC's character seems to paraphrase another Momus song--"I Want You But I Don't Need You"--in conversation. It could easily be another coincidence, but I now suspect that one (or both) of the film's writers is a Momus fan.
      I'll have to see it after my show this weekend to try to discern whether there is true Momus fandom involved or I'm just being OCD. Also, with his hair all bleach blonde in the movie, MC reminds me of an old classmate, Dan Noble. I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it.

Lycopene? Because we like you!

      I bought this fairly new Vertigo comic yesterday called something like "Faith in Frankie". It's pretty good so far. Cutely drawn and kind of metaphysical, if that's the word I want.