The entertainment center, part the first

We recently bought a new 46″ Samsung LCD television, and are thoroughly enjoying it. Sports and movies in hi-def! The weather map has never looked better.
However, with every positive, comes a negative. The new TV has created an orphan: the old entertainment center, AKA the Beast.

Trust me, this thing is large and HEAVY, not to [...]

Fury

IMDB
(1936, Fritz Lang)
Preachy and melodramatic, but powerful film about the dangers of mob mentality.
Lang’s first English-language film stars Spencer Tracy as a wrongly accused man who seeks revenge after a lawless mob tries to burn him alive in a prison cell. Strong, angry filmmaking.
Also, according to IMDB, features Terry the dog, better known to us [...]

Death Race 2000

IMDB
(1975, Paul Bartel)
Out-there low-budget sci-fi (that’s three concurrent hyphenated modifiers: fan-freaking-tastic!) movie about a futuristic race across the U.S. where racers earn points for killing pedestrians. Roger Corman produced and zany/brilliant Paul Bartel directed this schlock-shock-comedy. (More hyphens! This must stop! Instead, interjections! Hey! Wow!)
David Carradine shakes off the subdued character from “Kung Fu”, and [...]

A Slight Case of Murder

IMDB
(1938, Lloyd Bacon)
Edward G. Robinson is – surprise! – a gangster and bootlegger who decides to go legit after Prohibition ends by selling his beer, which is simply awful. The whole thing is played for laughs (O! The spit-takes!) with a fantastic supporting cast, and a few pesky corpses a la Arsenic and Old Lace. [...]

Didn’t see this coming

Nic Cage to star in “Bad Lieutenant”; Werner Herzog directing updated version of film
The original version by Abel Ferrara, while certainly flawed, grabbed critics’ attention, even with an NC-17 rating. Those who saw it generally approved of it — or at least couldn’t forget it — and it was instrumental (along with Reservoir Dogs) to [...]

Great World of Sound

IMDB
(2007, Craig Zobel)
I’m fairly certain this was pitched to studios as Glengarry Glen Ross meets “American Idol.” And it delivers on its promise.
Pat Healy and Kene Holliday are salesmen who become seedy merchants of fame to musician wannabes. The two leads are fantastic – especially Holliday, who earned an Independent Spirit nomination for his work [...]

Age of Consent

IMDB
(1969, Michael Powell)
Odd to say, but it felt like a movie you’d watch at 2 a.m. on Skinemax.
Director Michael Powell captures the stunningly beautiful Great Barrier Reef in Australia, as well as James Mason and a very young Helen Mirren. Mason plays an aging artist who has lost his fire, until Ms. Mirren becomes [...]

CD 007: Licensed to Mix – Tracklist/Alternate Tracks

I was recently invited by the gracious Stennie to join in on her CD Mix Challenge. And boy, it sure was a challenge. It took me a while, but I waded through several of my CDs and MP3 files to pull together songs to fit specific criteria for the exchange.
Well, I’ve sent all my discs [...]

Bug

IMDB
(2006, William Friedkin)
Claustrophobic thriller full of conspiracy, craziness and creepy, crawly critters (or is it?!). This is the movie that was supposed to prove that Ashley Judd could act. I remain unconvinced.
2.0/5.0
Spoiler and other info after the jump.

Find of the Day: Kerry Wood 20 Strikeout Game 5-6-98

Today is the 10th anniversary of this game, the one that some would argue both defined Kerry Wood and ruined him at the same time. It may well be the most dominating single pitching performance of the modern era. (No bias there AT ALL.)
My favorites are the last two strikeouts (19 [...]