Tuesday, 30 Nov 2004

What to say about a movie everyone expects to be bad? A movie that is basically a big budget joke? Well, first off it had puppets in it. Not just to play the role of non human creatures (ala Labyrinth, Star Wars, ET, Gremlins), and not just as characters who interact with humans in the “real world” (Muppets), no these puppets *are* the world, the whole world is puppets, and not just puppets but those 1960’s Thunderbirds style jerky marionettes! Yes, much like you have to like any song that has yodelling in it, you have to like a movie with puppets, even if that movie is “Team America: World Police”.

From the title alone I figured the movie would make fun of the US’s current foreign policy, and it does - but it’s not a left-wing liberal lovers movie. This movie doesn’t discriminate in it’s targets and manages to offend both conservatives and liberals, from it’s characterizations of wussie anti-american liberal hollywood actors to their over the top portrayal of US “anti terrorism” efforts causing more damage then the terrorists themselves, to scenes of puppets having sex and exhibiting other non-traditionally-puppet-bodily functions, there’s something for everyone to dislike. That’s only one side of the coin though because there’s also lots of things to like. OK, maybe not _lots_ but I laughed out loud several times while watching it and I am usually not much of a public movie goer laugher.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend this movie to everyone, or even to most people, but I would say it’s definitely one of the best big budget Hollywood all-puppet movies ever.

Tuesday, 30 Nov 2004

It’s been almost a month since I saw Sam Phillips, and I still can’t put the experience into words. There was no one thing that made it the best live music experience I have ever had in my life - just a combination of everything being so aligned that I am in awe at having glimpsed what I saw. She was spot on, in torch music she has found her home - whether from recent personal heartbreak or general life attitude, she was so comfortable singing torch songs she might as well have invented the genre. Her band was made up of amazing musicians, proficient beyond normal measure yet all tasteful and sparse - the arrangements were lush yet minimalist - no one trying to fill up the space with their insecurities or egos here. Guitar, drums, harmonium, a string quartet and Sam’s voice made the sweetest, saddest music. A transcendant experience.

Tuesday, 30 Nov 2004

Rehung kitchen cabinets to follow functional ease of use, not convention. Painted doors. Assisted in 3D model chloroplast construction. Cut shelves for “entertainment center” from salvaged woodgrain particleboard, drilled larger peg holes and finished fitting everything in. Made 3 kinds of homemade bread/rolls for thanksgiving, the French Honey was the best.

Tuesday, 30 Nov 2004

The Man Who Came to Dinner (local theatre), Lost In Translation, Mrs. Doubtfire, I am Sam, Mean Girls, Cheaper by the Dozen (color), Desperate Housewives, Lost, The Hubcap King, Bright Eyes, Blonde Redhead, Tilly & the Wall, Rilo Kiley

Tuesday, 30 Nov 2004

“Abandonware” DOS games