The Vanguard Mindloop

Mindloop is moving!

2009-10-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

This post is to let you know that Mindloop will be changing location to the Vanguard's new and improved blog.

Check us out!

http://vanguardblog-psu.blogspot.com/

Deep house with SNL

2009-10-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Everything about this video feels kind of wrong but so, so right at the same time:

Anna Ternheim at the Doug Fir

2009-10-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Swedish musician Anna Ternheim played the Doug Fir this past weekend to an eager crowd, instilling a sense of quiet reverence from her audience. Her delicate voice, coupled with a solid backing band comprised of members from Loney, Dear, balanced out into sheer perfection as Ternheim crooned into the dimly lit venue.
Her third studio album, Leaving On Mayday was released on Aug. 11 and showcases her talent not only as a musician and singer, but also as a lyricist. On “Damaged Ones,” she painfully draws out the lines “what keeps you from moving / are you afraid to be loved? / See how my hands shake / I was raised on it like a drug.”
Her expressive voice tugs at your heart, compelling the listener to stay riveted to the sound of her voice sings out over intricate baselines, delicate string parts and atmospheric percussion.

Lenny Kravitz made cooler with the power of Justice

2009-10-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

So this is kind of cool. I'm not a huge fan of Lenn Kravitz and his work, but Justice seems to have jazzed this song up enough to make it more interesting. The video is pretty funny too Reminds me a little of Twin Peaks meets West Side Story. I couldn't embed the video, but you can find it here.

The hots for Romero

2009-10-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Forget about Zombieland. I'm excited for the Crazies. A remake of Romero's original 1973 flick, it takes several of my favorite things (infectious diseases, violence and zombie-like creatures) and wraps them all up into a bloody, messy package. The writing will probably be less than amazing (we can't all be 28 Days Later, now can we?), but man the trailer looks creepy:

Introducing Gwen the homeless doll

2009-10-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

That’s right. In a move of art, er, toys, imitating life, Mattel has released it’s newest doll, Gwen Thompson, a homeless doll. I knew times in America were hard on a lot of folks, but now dolls too!

According to the book that comes with Gwen, her father lost his job and then left the family. Eventually Gwen and her mom were unfortunately evicted, and now have to sleep in a car.

I suppose this is a good thing. Since homeless populations are on the rise in the country, and unemployment hitting all-time highs, there should be a doll that speaks to the homeless children of our nation. Oh, wait … the Gwen Thompson homeless doll cost $95! I guess then, Gwen is a great tool for educating rich kids about those folks they see on the street, as they ride by in their stretched limos.

Hey, if rich kids can afford to buy a homeless doll, why not take it a step further, and just rent a homeless person to play with until they get tired of it.

OMG More about bikes!

2009-09-17T02:27:00.000-07:00

So, in a crazy turn of events, the Flaming Lips are apparently filming a music video in Portland and they want YOU to be in it. BikePortland.org had this to say:

The plan for the shoot makes Portland’s annual naked bike events sound fairly run of the mill. “I’m having one of my giant space bubbles covered in fake fox fur,” [Wayne] Coyne said. “Its going to look like some giant fur egg, and the people on bicycles are gonna sort of be born and erupt out of this fur, vaginalistic thing.”
Coyne in a “giant space bubble.”

...The video is being made for the final song, called “Watching the Planets,” on the Flaming Lips’ upcoming album appropriately titled Embryonic. The song is “an epic…march, almost. It goes on this hypnotic groove,” Coyne said. The video’s concept is still emerging: “Maybe I’ll even get naked for the video, too. I don’t even know how it ends — maybe it ends with them all getting clothed and making me get naked and shoving me back into the giant fur egg. I just came up with that right now.”

The shoot is from 10am to 10pm on Wednesday, September 23rd. Participation is on a drop-in basis. The sign-in table will be the basketball courts near the top of Mount Tabor.

Giant fur egg? Simulated birth? I'm there...

I went to the naked bike ride. It was amazing. Getting the Flaming Lips and a camera involved could only make that kind of situation more epic.

Bladen Country showcase at MFNW!

2009-09-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

I love Bladen County. They put out good music by good people like Y La Bamba and Alan Singley. For this reason, I am pretty excited for their ginormous showcase at Musicfest NW this Saturday. It's taking place at Rontom's at 2:30 and won't be over till late into the night. Sixteen bands, zines, and a whole lot of love. In preparation for the showcase, Bladen County has put together this dandy little compilation album for free. I suggest you go here and download it immediately.

Biking and beer? Yup, welcome to Portland...

2009-09-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

In typical fashion for a city filled with bike enthusiasts and brewers, Hopworks Urban Brewery is hosting a free, all-day bike-in Oktoberfest on September 19. The March Fourth Marching band will be playing some sick jams and the Sprockettes, a bike dance troupe, will be there too. I have no idea what a bike dance troupe is, but it sounds both entertaining and dangerous (two things that generally make for a good performance).There will also be a plethora of other bike related activities for the whole family, some more live bands on a "keg-supported stage" and two new organic beers being unveiled. It's a little overwhelming just typing all of that. Bring your bike, grab a beer and try not to crash on your way home.

Ride Oregon has more information here.

Um, if you like art you really should go see this

2009-09-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

One of the best displays of innovative art that also has a broad appeal is Daniel Barrow's Everytime I See Your Picture I Cry currently at the TBA festival and being performed at the Art Museum. A story told by the artist with projections of comic-book like depictions, Everytime employs some really amazing imagery, full of symbolism, a little gore, and deep emotions.

The story does become a little stormy, especially by the last chapters, which is full of generalizations and simplistic understandings about love, death, suffering and art. However, overall it is a compelling narrative through the eyes of a janitor and art-school drop out while he creates a phonebook complete with visual representations of those included by sneakily drawing them in their homes.

The vocal story-telling by the Winnipeg artist is supplemented with Barrow's projections, gorgeously drawn with a little bit of peek-of-boo mixed in, complete with movement and symbolism of instances that are more abstract.

This is the LAST NIGHT to check it out. Highly recommended.

Northwest Film Center

Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum

6:30 pm

$15

Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People- a study in dichotomy

2009-09-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Winningstad Theatre marked the world premiere of Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People's Last Meadow. Some parts were rich with energy and subtext, others were downright atrocious. The best was about three-quarters of the way through when the three main players disrobe and break out into dance moves only seen in the most homosexual and best techno clubs, with a little ballet mixed it.

With trite statements from a mike/amp combination on stage such as "America is a disaster" and a break midway through, literally, the three performers stopped, commented that a moth was disrupting their stage presence during the performance, drinking water, and talking about pooping, it was mostly a discombobulated mess.

Some statements, such as "I wish my parents loved me the way I want to be loved"

(or something along those lines, and we can all relate, right?) showed hints of accessibility. Most did not. But I would be lying if the crazy dance moves to Madonna didn't make me smile.

TBA:09 is among us

2009-09-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time of year again. Time for T:BA 09, with its experimental and questionable art and performance, it has become a premier art festival in the Northwest, harnessing talent from all over the world.

Tonight's docket includes Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People's world premiere of Last Meadow. Here is what PICA has to say about it:

Last Meadow is set to an original score created by first-time composer Neal Medlyn and lighting by longtime collaborator Lenore Doxsee. Mining movement and text from James Dean’s East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant, Last Meadow creates a non-narrative collage of sensorial confusion, aka an America where the jig is up and the dream has died. Last Meadow is about the space of waiting, when things don’t move forward, don’t happen as they should, and mixed messages are the only ones we get.

I won't be able to give you my thoughts on it until tomorrow morning, cause I am going to what will probably be one of the highlights of the festival, the Explode into Colors performance with Janet Pants & Chris Hackett later tonight after Last Meadow.

Here are the deets if you want to come join in on the arty fun.

Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People

Fri. Sept. 4th 6:30-8pm

Sat. Sept 5th 6:30-8pm

Sun. Sept. 6th 6:30-8pm

Mon. Sept. 7th 8:30-10pm

$15-20

Buy tix at the door.

Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA)

Winningstad Theatre

111 SW Broadway

Explode into Colors with Janet Pants & Chris Hackett

TONIGHT! 10:30pm at THE WORKS- Washington High School

531 SE 14th Ave. Portland, OR 97214

All Ages, $8-10

Absolute bad breath kills...absolutely

2009-08-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Thai people have it right on this one. Bad breath is a killer:

I especially love how her eyes kind of roll back and the sound that accompanies it (kind of a television static from Poltergeist type thing). Creepy, yet moving.

Ok seriously...just stop.

2009-07-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say to this. Garageband and some shiny leggings from American Apparel does not make you artistic or musical. Nor does alliteration and deadpan rapping. It makes me hurt in ways I have never hurt before:

Thank you to Look at this Fucking Hipster... I think.

FAIL: blink 182

2009-07-25T00:46:00.000-07:00

So what gave Blink 182 the idea that they could ever become relevant again? There is a reason that I haven't listened to this band since I still thought zip binders and skater shoes were a fashionable choice. This latest publicity stunt only furthers my belief that these guys are getting a little pathetic. As quoted from the press release I received:

"blink-182 has teamed with photographers Jered Martin and Lisa Johnson to create special limited edition t-shirts for each stop on the tour. The shirts will be limited to 182 pieces per night. Once they are gone they are gone. The screens and film will be destroyed and never printed again."

Gasp! Destroyed? After only 182 a night? How ever shall I continue to breath if I do not obtain one of these unique and original shirts? Oh wait, I forgot for a second that I don't really care. Get over yourselves guys, you are not a pivotal rock band and you never will be.

Yacht rock (and other types of rock as well)

2009-07-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, July 16 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to , there's going to be a pretty rad FREE concert outside city hall featuring YACHT, Point Juncture, WA and Y La Bamba. I'm fairly new to all of these bands, but I am currently in love with YACHT after seeing them live at Superfest a few weeks ago. Y La Bamba and PJW are pretty boss as well. The event is in connection to the up coming PDX Pop Now! festival, which will soon be upon us. Let's hope the weather stays lovely.

YACHT - Summer Song from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

Dj Robo-Smurf

2009-07-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

I was in the middle of trying to write a review of a recent show I covered and looking for info on local dj E*Rock. Along the road, I came across this gem of an interview. I especially love the part about building a two story robotic smurf to tour the country in. E*Rock, you are now not only my favorite dj, you are also my new personal hero:

Winy Wino

2009-07-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Neil Steinberg’s Drunkard: A Hard-Drinking Life is awful.

Steinberg comes across as self-absorbed, selfish, pathetic, melodramatic, self-depreciating, self-pitying and possibly a sociopath. He tells the reader what people are thinking and feeling rather than showing through events, making him an unreliable narrator.

On page 164 he admits that after likening his history to a Greek tragedy while regaling his tale to fellow addicts as they blankly stare at him, he adds that it was, “just Neil babbling nonsense.” It comes across as an insult to the less educated addicts’ intelligence, but “just Neil babbling nonsense” is actually a good description for the entire book.

It is not a Greek tragedy. There was no family curse (his parents didn’t drink) and no gods intervened in his life. He drank too much and one night he slapped his wife.

Even with his over-the-top praise for his wife Edie, at several times during the book he starts blaming the “bitch” for calling the cops on him when he slapped her, causing him to go to jail and then rehab.

Since the book’s written in present tense, it’s difficult to tell whether that was his opinion only when he was trying to sober up or if that’s still what he felt while writing the book. Seeing as he remains bitter toward her throughout the book and repeats how it’s her fault he has to go to rehab, my guess is the latter.

Memoirs are usually written in past tense, so that the author can relay events as well as reflect on how they’ve learned from time, maturity and distance. Without any intellectual interpretations and random tangents that lead nowhere, Steinberg’s book comes across as little more than a drunken ramble.

Just as I would not sit next to a drunk in a bar as he pours out his entire self-pitying story to me, I did not want to finish Steinberg’s stream of consciousness. However, I sledged through 270 pages to warn you readers to stay far, far away from this book. There are many superior addiction memoirs. Unless you prefer a drunken ramble by a man who hits his wife and isn’t able to show appropriate remorse.

-Sarah Hutchins

For the love of llamas

2009-06-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

There's no question that llamas are probably one of the coolest animals out there. They spit at stuff, make noises like crying babies when they're frightened and you can use them as pack animals. Plus, they're all fluffy and goofy looking. I feel that they are a very underrepresented animal in the music industry. It is for this reason that I am thrilled to announce the arrival of the Dirty Projector's video for "Stillness is the Move." Go ahead, take in the llama goodness:

To Rent or not to Rent

2009-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Even though I spent much of my teenage-hood in hopeless drama nerdiness I still never quite became enamored with Rent. The musical always seemed like a hopelessly campy take on a complex and heartbreaking topic, sort of like "Angels in America" as adapted by the Muppets.

Add to that that I've always felt the show lacked truly standout musical numbers (the closest being "La Vie Boheme") and it just lacks appeal for me, someone who is in general fairly tolerant of musicals.

In any case I have elected not to see the touring production in Portland but would be interested to hear the take of anyone who did.

Thoughts? What's the mysterious attraction behind this thing?

Summer is going to be awesome...

2009-06-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

So this is a teeny bit late, but Musicfest NW and PDX Pop Now! have finally announced their line-ups for this year. The one for MFNW is a partial line up but, so far, things are looking very good. You can check it out here. PDX Pop Now!'s line up is available here. While MFNW is priced pretty well if you get a wrist band, PDX Pop will be FREE. So, if you're short on cash, that's one I highly recomend not missing. Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the 2009 PDX Pop Now! compilation. There are some particular good tracks by the Mint Chicks and Ah Holly Fam'ly.

Sunny Days ahead...

2009-06-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

...both literally and metaphorically.

Not only is "June: damp dungeon edition" speeding towards a close but the mopey Seattalites of Sunny Day Real Estate are reuniting to give my 17-year-old self the best birthday present ever.

Since Sunny Day Real Estate has broken up the genre they helped found has gone down the worst possible path but SDRE actually made emo that was kinda, sorta good (remember?). They, along with Get Up Kids, will be play this year's Music Fest Northwest on September 16.

Hit the link for the full (and pretty bad-assed) lineup.

KPSU celebrates 15 years of awesome

2009-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

KPSU will be hosting their 15 year anniversary party this Saturday, June 27 at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The festivities will last from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will feature performances from such local favorites as Nurses, Jared Mees and the Grown Children and Church. There will also be a boat load of awesome local business (NW Film Center, Ground Kontrol, etc...), a beer garden featuring Eugene brewers Ninkasi, photo booths and henna artists. The best part is that it's all FREE (ok, minus the beer part). Go on over, check it out and support your college radio station.

Avant-garde televsion news

2009-06-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

There is no way this can be real:

"No Reasons" not to love this

2009-06-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

It didn't seem possible for VEGA's "No Reasons" to get any better than it already was... and then this happened. Thank you to the lovely folks at The Hood Internet for continuing to churn out some amazingly sick beats.

Tattoolicious

2009-06-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

The NW Film Center will be showing Tattoos: A Scarred History on Sunday, June 21 at 4:30 p.m. The film is directed by British director S.J. Evans and includes the late and incredibly great David Carradine. Below is the trailer, which is not all that amazing (and definitely NSFW), but I try not to judge these things based on a poorly spliced up sampling of clips. I'm a big fan of both tattoos and Carradine; that's all it's really going to take to get me in there.

Finally, I can watch porn at work with confidence!

2009-06-09T00:44:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen some day. Sexy Clube, an adult website in Brazil, has developed a mirror that attaches to your computer, letting you see if anyone is behind you while you...uh...you know. Thanks to the folks at this fantastic blog for this hot tip on internet safety.

New video from Benîot Pioulard

2009-06-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Portland artist Benoît Pioulard has a new video out for "A Woolgathering Exodus" from his last album Temper, which was release back in October, 2008. I'm new to Pioulard's stuff but so far me likey mucho. The video uses some sweet, but simple animation and the song is a rich folky treat. You can watch it here. Below, is an earlier video for "Ragged Tint," another song off the same album:

2009-06-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Nite Club just released their new album, My Tronic. I have not listened to the whole thing yet but here is a pretty sweet cover of Kanye West's "Good Life" off of it. The video is kind of cool on its own actually:

If you're curious, you can check out more stuff from Nite Club here.

Santigold and some good old Southern love

2009-06-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember back in 2004 when Dangermouse put out the Grey Album and everybody freaked out? I sure do. Since then, there have been many similar scandles, the latest of which would be DJ Terry Urban's new mash-up, Southerngold. Stereogum reported this week that Urban has taken Santigold's self-titled album and remixed it with some of his favorite Southern hip-hop. I was excited so I gave it a listen. Not quite as amazing as I thought it would be, but still a very good time. If you want it however, the only avenues available for obtaining it at this time are the one of questionable legality (i.e. some good ol' fashioned internet piracy).

RIP Jeff Hanson 1978-2009

2009-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

In an email from Kill Rock Stars:

"We are deeply shocked and saddened to report that Kill Rock Stars artist Jeff Hanson passed away on June 5, 2009 in his home, a victim of a terrible accident. Jeff has been a part of the KRS family since 2003 when he became the first artist signed to the label from an unsolicited demo."

No word on what the accident was, but all I can say is that the world lost another great artist. My thoughts will be with his family, friends and everyone at KRS.

Someone explains sex. Finally!

2009-05-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is what middle school would have been like if my WASPy school district hadn't made us take sex ed from our clearly incompetent gym teacher. Thankfully this lady explains way more about sex than I could ever want know, and all within ten minutes!

Favorite quote: "Now her mind ain't no good because the penis done ejaculated all in her brain."

Lady Sovereign-Concert review pics

2009-05-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week our very own Jason Chastain ventured out to the Doug Fir where he witnessed the glory of a Lady Sov who was "about as drunk as [he] was." In addition to shouting along with the diminutive MC and consuming a large amount of mixed drinks, Chastain was able to snap the following lo-res-tastic shots.

Enjoy!

Lego architecture series!! Eeee!!

2009-05-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

In addition to my various longstanding gripes with adulthood (water bills, responsibility, general malaise) I have also recently added "not being able to play with legos all the time."

However, the folks at Lego have apparently been reading my fucking mind again as they have recently announced the "Lego Architecture Series" that seems squarely marketed at kick-ass adults such as myself who still want to play with blocks but wish to do so under a flimsy veneer of "culture."

The price range on these puppies is all over the place ($299 for the Taj Mahal, $19.99 for the Space Needle) but with a nerd-gasmic set of designs in the works this could easily be my go-to distraction/reason why I can't pay my heating bills over the next year.

If the following photos don't make you really really excited I probably don't want to know you:

So...Frank Black lives in Portland

2009-05-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

...and apparently hangs out with a bunch of way-too-cool kids. Here they are playing "Where Is My Mind?" at Berbati's while you were off doing some stupid shite that's not nearly as cool as watching Frank Black light things up at freaking Berbati's, for god's sakes.

Portland School of Rock Pixies show w/ Frank Black from mark lewman on Vimeo.

Many thanks Pampelmoose!

AWESOME interview with Charles Napier

2009-05-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Man, when the AV Club gets it right they are hard to fault. In this interview with veteran character actor Charles Napier there are enough interesting tidbits to fill several bestsellers.

From being pulled off the streets (literally, he was a wino) to being signed by Alfred Hitchcock within 24 hours, from fighting in WWII to talking with Russ Meyer about how Ernest Hemingway bought him his first whore this is just an amazing interview. Enough Hollywood lore to satisfy the die hards and casual fans.

Seriously: Check. It. Out.

Alice in a really effed-up website

2009-05-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Is too much time spent in the library cutting into your recreational drug use?

Problem solved with what I can only describe as an instant, mini-acid trip.

NPR to stream live Dan Deacon show

2009-05-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

If you missed Dan Deacon's recent (and decidedly kickass) Portland performance then all is not lost. NPR has got your back (hasn't it always?) with a live broadcast of Deacon's Washington D.C. show this Sunday.

It's going to start streaming at about 10 p.m. eastern which means you'll have to be up in the wee hours of the morning to catch it over here, but if ever there was an artist capable of waking you the fuck up it's the electronic monster mash of Deacon's live band.

Full detail here.

Giant shark eats Golden Gate Bridge

2009-05-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

This may be the penultimate edition to the canon of "films about two giant things fighting each other."

I don't know, maybe Godzilla vs. Biollante still has the upper hand. Maybe.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Best new showcase

2009-05-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

As many have surely noticed, the Willy's "Best New Band" issue came forth this week and though this year's choices have resulted in some contentious words from certain Vanguard staffers we can at least all agree that free shows are a good thing. And the Willamette Week has provided us with just that.

This Saturday Berbati's will host BNB winner Explode Into Colors as well as Nurses and local riddilin junkies White Fang in a celebration of their best-new-band-ness.

I'd recommend showing up before the official start time of 9 p.m. as this one is likely going to be packed to the gils.

Berbati's Pan, May 9, 9 p.m., FREE, 21+

Jim Henson: Commercials and Experiments

2009-05-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

by Jeff W Guay

I can hardly think of a director's body of work worth revisiting quite as much as Jim Henson's. The craft, creativity and sheer entertainment value of a his early commercials and experimental films, showing this weekend at the Northwest Film Center, at once reinforce the charm and skill of his puppetry, but also illuminate his ability as a filmmaker of other strengths. The program begins with black and white commercials, starring early versions of favorites such as Kermit and Rowlf, for everything from bygone domestic products to homeowners insurance. There's an innocence and transparency to these 1950's advertisements, and Henson's comic timing and farcical nature make these commercials feel more like sketch comedy than the manipulative advertising we're more used to these days.

“Do you drink Wilkin's coffee?” a tadpole, perhaps an early inception of Kermit, asks a chubby, gruff-voiced monster while pointing a cannon in his face. “No!” replies the monster, and the tadpole blows him away, then points the cannon at the camera. “Do you drink Wilkin's coffee?”

The commercials are sure to be the audience pleasers of the program, but Henson's experimental, non-puppet short films are worth seeing as well. “Time Piece,” a 1965 short stars Henson as a sex-obsessed hospital patient, in the throws of a psychedelic identity crisis between caveman and proper dinner guest. The editing is meticulous, with everything from Henson's footsteps to the flow of inner-city traffic moving to the beat of its jazz soundtrack.

The program in its entirety gives us a chance to absorb Henson's technical wizardry, and to appreciate his knack for comedy in pieces that are not particularly intended for children. The commercials are perhaps some of the best of their day if not of their century, and rare interviews with Henson and the opportunity to see “Time Piece” in it's entirety are all wonderful reasons to catch this screening.

MUPPETS, MUSIC & MAGIC: JIM HENSON'S LEGACY
COMMERCIALS AND EXPERIMENTS

Sunday, May 3rd
4PM
Whitsell Auditorium

14 Awesome Sculptures Made From Tires

2009-04-12T19:06:00.001-07:00

More at ODDEE

Format Magazine: The 70 best hip-hop music videos ever

2009-03-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

We start our story in the mid 80’s. Ronald Reagan was still in office. People weren’t yet convinced that McDonalds was all that bad for you - after all, would a clown sell you something that could be detrimental to your health? Surely not. Video had been killing the radio star for a minute before rap got in on the act. Walk with us as we take a brief stroll down memory lane….

Experimental Dental School's new record

2009-03-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Local duo Experimental Dental School released their new album, Forest Field, as a free download today on their website www.experimentaldental.com.

Originally from Oakland, where they shared stages with Bay Area bretheren Deerhoof, they moved to PDX a couple years ago to hide in a basement and record. This is their first album as a two piece, and it follows suit that it's their tightest yet. Gone is the smorgaasbord of sound from earlier efforts like Jane Doe Loves Me or Hideous Dance Attack. They've stripped it down quite a bit, I mean they still sound like a dissonance-dance party/rock and roll science experiment, but Forest shows a lot more of the bones and muscles of their sound.

Shoko's voice is absolutely perfect, and her drumming, sexy, dancey and to the point, really holds these songs down. It makes sense that her presence is more relevant now that the band is a two-piece, and thats a wonderful thing. Jesse Hall seems more confident as a vocalist, and while he still bends his guitar riffs into dissonant weirdness, he does so with a new bareness. It's like a no-nonsense approach to a whole lot of nonsense, craziness applied in a straightforward manner. This record is the best no-money you'll spend today.

Three headed freak babies and the mermaids who loved them

2009-03-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

Pink Tentacle has an image-rich post on the ancient Japanese art of stitching together various dead animals to create "demons" and then mummifying them. Why did this never catch on in the West?

I'm pretty sure this one is actually Golem

Next time Jen, stick with Great Clips

2009-03-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

From the New York Post:

Jennifer Aniston's honey-colored highlights and unadorned 'do on the red carpet only look effort less - in reality, the laid-back-looking locks cost an estimated $50,000 to achieve.

More details here.

Michael Gira @ the Doug Fir

2009-03-04T14:44:00.001-08:00

Is there a direct correlation between aging, going solo and wearing a cowboy hat? Are the three mutually exclusive? Perhaps not, but Michael Gira's set last night at the Doug Fir would show evidence strongly in favor this.

The night started with Larkin Grimm, a strong bisexual female singer/songwriter. Go ahead, google “strong bisexual female singer/songwriter,” then scroll down a few, you might find her. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, or she would, but sleeves are probably a function of patriarchal fascism, so she doesn't have any. Her best song, for instance, was about a distant galaxy where everyone has their own spirit orgasm.

“The female orgasm is outlawed in Georgia, where I'm from,” she began, and went on to preach the gospel of some ethereal orgasm wormhole. Very enlightening. Another highlight of her set was a lyric about sleeping with other women, where she describes a lover's legs “open like scissors.” Scissors? Really? I mean, its just too damn easy.

Perhaps I was all singer/songwritered out by the time Gira got on stage. Perhaps I just don't hold him to the same level of genius as a lot of Swans fans do. All I can say, and I say it because this is blogging and I can blog any opinion I have whether is valid or not, is that I was terribly bored by his set from the start.

What it comes down to, for me, is that while Gira has an amazing voice and great stage presence, his songs are one-dimensional when stripped this bare. Even when, in groups like Angels of Light, his instrumentation is minimal, the other musicians, in very subtle ways, flesh his simple chord structures into dynamic, moving songs.

Whether he's a legend or not, I gotta calls it like I sees it: When you're bored, you're bored.

--Jeff Guay

Oh man, who else is jonesin' for another CAT COMPILATION?

2009-03-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

At least this one starts off with bonsai-kitten antics.

The Ravishers debut at the Doug Fir

2009-02-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last night was the premier of local Portland group The Ravishers at the Doug Fir. Or at least the premier of the band performing under their new name, formerly hailing as Dominic Castillo and the Rock Savants. For more information regarding their name change, and other info, check out their interview in The Vanguard.

The Ravishers, are a sigh of relief from quite a few bland performances I’ve seen. They put on a great show. Whether you were following them from the Rock Savant days, or just being introduced, all spectators were exceptionally entertained.

Each member has a personality on stage that melds well together. Beyond having fun, it really did just seem that they were in their element, a vibe forwarded onto the audience. The Ravishers seem to have a handle on the show while working the stage, and just go with the flow. In the end, their performance was much like their music, keeping it simple so that the song can catch you up with it.

And that was really their greatest selling point. While The Ravishers appear fun, easy going and comfortable, it is their music that sets the foundation for a live show. A trait many live bands can learn from. There is nothing more annoying than a band that loves to jerk-off to themselves on stage, with forced poses, half-tolerable sound experimentation and awkward banter with the crowd.

With their own approach of indie-rock dabbling in the pop realm, they remind you of Phantom Planet’s early energy, and gives you the feel of bands such as the Lemonheads or a pinch Elvis Costello, that predate the gimmicky trend of indie-alternative riding the radio waves today.

There should be more shows to follow, so leave your dorm, house or back-alley cardboard box to support a local band that is one to watch, and won’t leave you disappointed.

Though bearing their former name of the Rock Savants, this video is of The Ravishers performing their song "Keep You Around."

Drop it in the sauce bottle up the sauce

2009-02-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Mike Doughty just debuted his music video for "Put it Down" off his latest album Golden Delicious over at IFC. I like the low-fi aspects and the part where he tries jamming with the sirens. It's nice to see some personality in a music video these days.

We're being hailed, Captain!

2009-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

This LED-studded tunnel is being billed by Gizmodo as "the closest you'll ever get to light speed." I beg to differ: My "Flying through Space" screensaver set on high was WAY more light-speed realistic than ambling through a glowy tunnel. All the same, it's pretty awesome.

Villareal "Multiverse" National Gallery of Art, Washington DC from Walter Patrick Smith on Vimeo.

Pimp my bum: Fox News strikes again

2009-02-24T17:31:00.001-08:00

I don't know why it keeps happening but Fox News is becoming increasingly well represented on Mindloop.

Why is this, you ask? Well I'll tell you, it's because they keep doing batshit insane things like running full features on such fascinating American institutions as "Pimp This Bum."

This seriously sounds like a Saturday Night Live sketch. But it's not, it's one of America's foremost news institutions. Wow.

Check it.

James Iha starts middle-aged teen rock band (aka "huh?")

2009-02-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

How's this for truly bizarre career decisions:

James Iha (late of A Perfect Circle and The Smashing Pumpkins) has started a band called Tinted Windows that apparently consists of himself and several other 30/40-somethings dressing like they raided the Jonas Brothers' dressing room and slamming out power pop of a style so aggregious that it might make Miley Cyrus blush (Hannah Montana, on the other hand, would remain quite composed.)

Seriously though, Tinted Windows sounds an awful lot like something you'd hear on Radio Disney.

OBVIOUS PRESCIENT QUESTION FOR THIS BLOG POST:
Is this an actual band or some kind of bizarre meta-joke?

ANSWER:
No one seems to know, but given the group's presentation it seems like this one is for real.

Whether that is the case or not, you can be sure as shit that I'll be lip-synching these hypnotically catchy tunes into a shampoo bottle for at least the next few months.

Seriously, what the frak is going on here?

What is Matthew McConaughey doing...

2009-02-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

...in this photo?

Why does he look so confused (even more so than usual)? And what in god's name is that stuff on his abs? Toothpaste? Silly string? House paint?

WTF Matt? W. T. F.

Ra Ra Riot does Portland

2009-02-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

Barsuk Records is notoriously picky about which acts they'll let into their miniscule stable so it's fair to assume that if a band can get into that most exclusive of clubs they've probably got something going for them.

Although Ra Ra Riot at first seemed to defy this trend (they're good but they're not great) the group has been steadily growing on me. They manage to make a string section sound chipper rather than melodramatic and it is hard to argue with those hooks once they really sink in.

Check them out at the Doug Fir tomorrow night for a more thorough investigation.

Retarded Fox news anchor gets verbally owned by the mayor of Lansing

2009-02-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Fainting goats

2009-02-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have never seen anything as hilarious as this.

The Best Oscar preview yet

2009-02-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

In this week, the one before the Oscars, many a publication have taken to rehashing and discussing the nominated films, mostly revealing nothing new or exciting. (We get it, "Slumdog Millionaire" is likely to be a big winner.)

But n+1, a literary mag out of New York, took a different approach. They pretty much hate everything, it seems, only not really. That's a worldview I can get behind.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In a series of bad dreams, Brad Pitt combines with Forrest Gump, E.T., Oliver from The Brady Bunch, the baby from Eraserhead, Tom Waits album covers, Dr. Zhivago, Dick Cheney/Donald Rumsfeld, on and on, like robot locusts eating the inside of the movie theater in three hours."

Link: n+1 magazine

Joaquin's Mockumentary?

2009-02-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

First we were shocked at Joaquin Phoenix's announcement that he was leaving the acting business. Then we were further confused as we learned he was calling it quits in order to put his passion for music into high gear, hip-hop music to be exact.

Oh, then came the videos. First the Las Vegas shots of him floundering about on stage, eventually falling off. Then his charismatic presence on Letterman caught all of our attention. It seems Phoenix is pushing the weirdness factor a bit more the further he goes.

Though word on the street is that we all might be victims of a well played hoax. You see Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck anounced his directorial debut recently for a documentary he was filming. The subject of said documentary, you guessed it, Phoenix's hip-hop career. A few hollywood lightbulbs went on over the heads of critics, bloggers and other folks who generally don't have much of a life. Could Phoenix's crazy antics be at the expense of a mockumentary in the making? I guess we will all just have to wait and see.

So what do you think? Has Joaquin Phoenix boarded the crazy train or are we all falling for perhaps one of the greatest jokes in hollywood history?

Friday the 13th - Rent it but it still may not be worth the $4

2009-02-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

“We’re all just daddy issues and douche bags. Can’t we all just be one happy cliché?”

You said it token stoner dude.

I saw Friday the 13th last weekend on Friday the 14. Yeah that’s right, my lady is awesome. However, as most would expect, the film did not meet up to any of even the smallest of expectations, and produced a series of crimes that horror movie fans will be bringing the gavel down upon.

The film strays so far from the original’s feel, only borrowing the concept of a scary guy in a hockey mask, that fans of the original will be disappointed as it fails to hold up to its 1980 counterpart. All in all, this remake is a mix of first two Friday the 13ths. For those who are in-the-know, they should be able to spot a few nostalgic moments such as Jason’s bag mask as well as others.

But the sprinkling of nostalgia doesn’t carry the film through an array of poor film-making choices. Granted, the initial flick helped to establish some time honored horror movie clichés, but the remake takes these clichés to an embarrassing level, where there is no decent script, twists or turns, or inventive characters. Granted it is hard to pull off a remake, especially when it is of a well-loved franchise, but this remake gave me the feeling that they didn’t even try to create anything successful and banked on the curiosity of fans to garner ticket sales (big surprise).

The movie comes stock with all the drugs, sex and token characters as any other film. So much that it removes any of the original’s feel, yet still leaves the viewer with a sense that they have seen this all before, in the hundreds of horror movies to come since the original in 1980. You don’t have to make some novel work of art, but at least put some creative and innovative thought into it, especially while handling the re-imaging of a delicate classic.

Lastly, on a personal level, the star of the film, Jared Padelecki, appears to be quite a tall drink of water, and not only do you got him on a little Royal Enfield motorcycle, you dubbed over the bike, making it sound like a beefed up Harley. Come on! Couldn’t you just fork up the dough and got the guy on a Triumph? Padelecki looks like a circus clown on a scooter.

Interesting tidbit: Over the past four years Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles have come into homes across America each week via the television show Supernatural. To be honest, I do like the show and how each episode is like a mini horror movie. I was therefore intrigued when both actors would be coming to the big screen this year. Coincidentally, both actors were cast in remakes of classic ‘80s horror movies, My Bloody Valentine and Friday the 13th. And not only that, though Ackle’s Bloody Valentine remake came out first, Padelicki’s remake came out on Valentine’s Day! Whoa …

Yes kid, this is real life

2009-02-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

Remember David, the kid who's dad filmed him post-dentist visit? Here he is 20 years later, after his divorce.

God bless the UCB.

Portland Cello Project signs to Kill Rock Stars

2009-02-14T12:17:00.001-08:00

Wow, the story of the Portland Cello Project just keeps getting more and more outlandish.

First, the collection of classical music nerds starts getting street cred by playing with local indie artists, then they become a completely unlikely musical force in their own right and now they are (to my knowledge) the first "band" of their kind to sign to Kill Rock Stars. It's unlikely, to be sure, but the Cello Project's entire history has been anything but predictable up to this point and I can't think of a more deservedly talented group to join the roster of one of the region's finest labels.

With the forces of Slim Moon and the coolest classical music ensemble in the known world combined the sky is the limit.

Builders and The Butchers with The Portland Cello Project: "Bottom of the Lake" from Douglas Jenkins on Vimeo.

Michael Cera Loses His Shit

2009-02-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Although almost certainly a joke (considering the brief title of the movie at the end), this video is of Michael Cera on the set of his new movie Youth In Revolt, flipping his shit over something or other. It's quite convincing, but is likely just viral marketing capitalizing on Christian Bale's recent freak out on the set of Terminator (mp3).

Let's not forget this isn't the first time Michael Cera has done the fake freak-out. He joked around on the set of Knocked Up with Katherine Heigl. For more Michael Cera hilarity, I recommend his hilarious Impossible is the Opposite of Possible.

"The International" Mini-Review

2009-02-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

The International tells the story of Clive Owen's INTERPOL Agent Salinger. Like all of Clive Owen's characters, Salinger has a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow and looks like he wears his suits to bed. Salinger is on a mission to take down the IBBC (the International Bank of Business and Credit).

And we don't need this movie to tell us, but we know, big multi-national banks are eeevil. The IBBC is behind all sorts of nasty dealings and anybody with any concrete information to move against them winds up dead.

It's rather fortuitous that this film hit theaters now. I imagine it was probably produced before last year's financial fuck-all and it's ending is surprisingly realistic with respect to what ultimately becomes of the bank. Anybody looking for a searing end where the IBBC goes up in flames will be disappointed, the ending is far more in line with what would actually happen.

But that's not to say that villains don't get what's coming to them. The International surprised me. The movies released between January 1st and May 1st tend to be where studios either dump films they know are schlock or use the time as a testing ground for potential franchises. The International is actually not bad. It's not great, but it's a decent thriller and while not super-realistic, it does have it's moments, divulging disturbing truths about the way of the financial sector.

Three stars for a decent thriller plot without too much unnecessary fluff.

"Coraline" Red Carpet Video

2009-02-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Vanguard links:

Coraline review

Dakota Fanning interview

Neil Gaiman & Henry Selick interviews

Red Carpet Premiere photos

Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman, real or staged?

2009-02-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

Watch the video, then weigh in your opinion on whether or not you think Joaquin's behavior on David Letterman's show was authentic or a Kaufmanesque stunt.

If you've ever thought of messing with the squirrels at PSU...

2009-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Don't.

OK, this squirrel isn't from Portland, but DAMN. She's got some moves.

Click the picture for all the images.

More awesome weird shit @ http://www.kontraband.co.uk/

The Inglorious Basterds trailer arriveth

2009-02-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Quentin Tarantino's World War II splatterfest finally sees the light of day. You may now begin lauding it or eviscerating it based on your opinion of Quentin Tarantino.

The words "hack" and "genius" had better appear at least once in the comments for this one.

Debra Gwartney: the full interview

2009-02-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

Sarah Hutchins' interview with Deborah Gwartney in today's Vanguard was interesting and (unfortunately) too long for our print edition so here's the full version in all its literary glory.-Editor

Running away was decriminalized in 1974 in the United States.

This is not a widely known fact but one that Portland State Professor Debra Gwartney is only too familiar with. About a decade ago, her two oldest teenage daughters ran away from their home in Eugene. They jumped on freight trains, traveling to Portland, San Francisco and other major cities. They mingled with a subculture formed by other runaway youths living on the street. Live Through This: A Mother’s Memoir of Runaway Daughters and Reclaimed Love is Gwartney’s story of how she coped through this period of her life, continued raising her two younger daughters while trying to help her two older daughters and how her family was finally reunited.

Sarah Hutchins: A lot of people are likening your book to David Schef’s A Beautiful Boy. Is either of your daughters, Stephanie or Amanda, thinking about writing a memoir from their perspective?

Debra Gwartney: They’ve talked about it but there’s nothing in the works right now. The whole being part of the book’s publication has made them think about stories in a new way about what they went through. I of course tried really hard not to tell their story. They have their own stories. And I wasn’t there. I didn’t see it. I hope that they write about it. I think that would just be wonderful. It would be way different than Nic Shef’s book (Tweak) just because they had a much different experience. Drugs were involved but it wasn’t such as drug oriented story as his was, which good for him about it for writing it. That was very brave but theirs is more of a traveling story of jumping on trains. I just don’t think that story is told very often. People probably don’t even know that kids jump on trains and travel around the country and I think that there are quite a few of them that do it.

SH: What made you decide to write the memoir?

DG: I didn’t just wake up one day and decide I’m going to write about this. We’d been through this very difficult time and I knew that I wanted to write about it but I didn’t know what shape it was going to be or even what genre. I never seriously thought about writing fiction but it crossed my mind. I wrote just a very small piece about looking for Stephanie, the second daughter, in San Francisco, in the Tenderloin District and it helped me sort out a lot of my own feelings about what had happened. It was good in both the sense that I could practice what I want to do, which is to write nonfiction, and also just confront some of the unsolved emotions around that whole time. So I wrote that piece and I published it in a literary journal called Creative Nonfiction. It got quite a bit of attention and just made me start thinking maybe something bigger is here so then I wrote another piece for Salon and then I wrote another for a journal called Fourth Genre and several other pieces. I wrote a longer piece about the wilderness therapy for The Oregonian. They all just kept adding up so I thought maybe I could start putting them together in a book, which was not anywhere as easy as just compiling them as I thought it would be because then the book had to be shaped and shaped and reshaped and that took years. It’s been a long process but there was never one moment where I thought, “I’m going to write a book.” It just kind of evolved that way.
SH: Did you start writing because it’s therapeutic to write?

DG: I didn’t start writing because it was therapeutic to write but it turned out that it was therapeutic to write. I wrote because I felt like I had a story to tell and I wanted to tell it and see how well I could tell it. I wrote more out of a writer’s aims than a therapy aim but in the end it was helpful.

SH: Do you think that your book will help moms that may be going through something similar?

DG: Well, I hope so. Of course I hope that but I don’t know. I’ve heard from a few people who saw early reader copies that they found it helpful just to see how someone else had gone through it but I didn’t write it for that intention either. I hope that’s something that happens but I didn’t go into it thinking, “I’m going to help other people figure this out” because my story is only my story and their stories are completely different. Hopefully people who read it will feel less alone maybe that’s kind of presumptuous for me to say but it is nice to hear that someone else had a traumatic experience that maybe bears some similarity to yours.

SH: When I went to Powell’s I was surprised to see the book not only in the memoir section but also under parenting.

DG: Yeah, it should be under parenting. I hope it’s under memoirs, too, but it is a book about parenting for sure. I’m glad that they put it there.

SH: How is your relationship with your daughter’s today?

DG: Great. Really good. Very positive. I do think that the actual writing of the book and showing them the different versions as I was writing it really opened up this whole new realm of communication among us. We talked out a lot of things that we hadn’t talked out before. And there are still little pockets of resentment and fear and sadness and all those things but mostly we’re just really good friends now. They’re well into adulthood. They have their own lives and they’re doing very well so it’s just been great. They have their heads together in ways that I think maybe they wouldn’t if they hadn’t had this early experience of tremendous self-reliance. Now they are both, well all four of them, focused and super responsible.

SH: Do you think that they ran away due to the constraints of society?

DG: There were very personal reasons in our family that made them decide to run away. But I do think that they felt that constraint. They talked a lot when they were younger about the rich kids at school who had a lot of privilege and entitlement. It was difficult for them at that middle school and high school setting. There does seem to be a kind of class hierarchy that some kids struggle against and just the mainstream expectations where not a lot of creativity is allowed in. I think that they were revolting against that in some ways. I don’t know if it was conscious for them at the time but they were very angry about it. They were really well read. We talked a lot about politics and human rights and things like that in our household and suddenly they felt that they were the ones being held back from what they wanted to do. It was all very complicated.

SH: What do you think of the subculture of kids living on the street? Do you think that it gives them more independence or is it a tragedy of our society?

DG: I think it’s horrendous. We need to have much better solutions. I just recently read another report about runaway kids and there are 2.8 million teenagers living on the streets. That’s more than Portland’s population living on the streets in the US. That’s not worldwide. There are 2.8 million homeless kids in this country. It just seems like a population that we never talk about, that we never think about. Bush signed a bill in October, not long before he left office, that I have some real problems with because it doesn’t support parents. It more supports runaway youth shelters and education on the streets, which I think is all good, but I also think that we need to start paying attention to bring families back together. Those kids out there on the streets are angry at their parents but a lot of times it’s because they have a curfew or they’re not allowed to drink in the house or they can’t stay out all night, things that parents should be able to say, “Don’t do this.” It’s just too easy for a kid to walk out the door, go downtown and find someone who will teach them how to jump on a train. I’m very concerned about it but I don’t want to become some kind of runaway youth advocate. That’s not what my life’s mission is about but I do hope that it opens up some type of dialogue about it.

SH: How does teaching affect your writing?

DG: Teaching is great for my writing, actually. It takes away time for writing but there’s never been a class where I haven’t learned along with the students. I’m challenged to think about my writing in a different way or I see a kind of technique or style or craft element that I can improve in my own work by talking about it with the class. So, it’s hugely helpful. I read a lot of manuscripts from students and I see a lot of the same problems cropping up over and over and over again so it reminds me to watch for those things in my own work. And I just like talking about writing. It’s a subject that’s very much alive for me.

SH: What are your current writing projects?

DG: I have a big project going but I’ve put it on the back burner while the book’s being published because I’m going to be gone so much on book tour but I’ve been writing a lot of individual essays for magazines. I just want to keep my work out there so I have a bunch of pieces coming out. I wrote an essay for Modern Bride about helping my daughter chose her wedding gown and I have a piece coming out in Hallmark Magazine, which is a women’s magazine and one coming out in Modern Love in The New York Times. But I’ll go back to the other big project that I’m working on in the summer, I hope.

SH: What is the big project?

DG: It’s a memoir more about my growing up years, my youth growing up in Idaho. I don’t really know the shape of it yet but I’ve been working on it for a year or so. Hopefully it will progress. More hard work ahead.

Debra Gwartney will be reading from her book Thursday, February 12, 2009 07:30 PM at Powell's City of Books on Burnside.

-Sarah Hutchins

Radiohead goes to the Grammys

2009-02-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

With regards to the Moose

Radiohead - 15 Step
by Alisvideo

Dakota Fanning: the Interview

2009-02-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

In addition to his top notch interviews with Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick at this past week's premier of Coraline (check out today's Vanguard to read 'em), Jeff Hammond also got to chat with one Dakota Fanning about her role as Coraline's title character and other such shenanigans. Read on...

Vanguard: So when did you initially record your lines for Coraline?

Dakota Fanning (DF): I've been working on this for like five years so I've had a lot of recording sessions.
VG: Did you get to visit the set at all?

DF: I did, yeah it was fascinating to be able to see the models and the clothes that are on the models and the sets, which are so real … they're made out of, I don't know what the material actually is, but it’s different faces and they take them on and off and they move the faces, it's really incredible.

VG: When you were recording your lines, were you given something you could look at to get an idea of what your character was experiencing?

DF: They brought some of the models so I could see what some of the other characters looked like … when I did my first recording session, they hadn't even started filming yet, they were still building everything. So I didn't really have a lot to go off of but it really didn't matter I don't think, because Henry (Selick, Director) is so descriptive…

VG: When you were working in the recording booth, was Henry there the whole time to sort of coach you?

DF: He was there every time and when he couldn't be there he was on the TV in his office … which was so helpful because he is so specific and he knows exactly what he wants, and it's great to have him there to be able to describe that.

VG: Did you get to meet any of the other cast members before hand to talk about the film?

DF: No, never. The only cast member I’ve met is Teri Hatcher and I have never met her at anything to do with Coraline, I met her at a charity event actually.

VG: When you watch films you do, particularly with animation, how easy is it to detach yourself from watching yourself, is it easier with an animated film?

DF: Maybe, yeah. 'Cause you’re not really looking at yourself, you know? For me when I'm watching movies I’m in or my voice is in, I just kind of watch it as a movie and kind of forget that I’m in it sometimes.

VG: Going off on a bit of a tangent, there have been a lot of rumors going around about you being in New Moon. Have they actually offered you the part already?

DF: Yeah, I definitely hope that it does work out, I would love to be a part of it, I'm a huge, huge fan, so I really hope that I get to play Jane so we'll see … definitely looking forward to it working out, so we'll see, I'm sure everyone will know soon.

VG: So you've also got Push coming out tomorrow right?

DF: I do.

VG: So you filmed a lot in Hong Kong?

DF: The whole thing. I was there for almost three months … I loved it, I really could have stayed for a lot longer, I really enjoyed it.
VG: Since you've got Push and Coraline opening tomorrow, that's two big movies on one day, are you more excited for one or the other?

DF: I'm not you know, I think that they're both kind of geared toward different people so I hope that people enjoy both of them. So much work has gone into both of them, a lot longer has been spent on Coraline, but it's ironic that they're coming out on the same day.

The 2009 Grammy Awards

2009-02-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Last night was the 2009 Grammy Awards. Here's a brief list of results. Follow this link to see complete results (featuring awards like Best Surround Sound Album and Best Polka Album) along with nominees and winners.

Record Of The Year
"Please Read The Letter"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Album Of The Year
Raising Sand
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Song Of The Year
"Viva La Vida"
Written and performed by Coldplay.

Best New Artist
Adele

Best Dance Recording
"Harder Better Faster Stronger"
Daft Punk

Best Electronic/Dance Album
Alive 2007
Daft Punk

Best Pop Vocal Album
Rockferry
Duffy

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Still Unforgettable
Natalie Cole

Best Rock Song
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes"
Written and performed by Bruce Springsteen.

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Coldplay

Best Alternative Music Album
In Rainbows
Radiohead

Best R&B Song
"Miss Independent"
Written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith. Performed by Ne-Yo.

Best R&B Album
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Growing Pains
Mary J. Blige

Best Rap Song
"Lollipop"
Written by D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor. Performed by Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major.

Best Rap Album
Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne

Best Country Song
Stay
Written by Jennifer Nettles. Performed by Sugarland.

Best Country Album
Troubadour
George Strait

The Vanguard hits the "Coraline" Red Carpet Event

2009-02-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Vanguard hit the Red Carpet Premiere of Laika's new stop-motion feature film Coraline at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Check out some photos from the premiere, and check the Vanguard on Tuesday for interviews with Neil Gaiman, Dakota Fanning and Henry Selick. Also, check back here next week for video footage from the premiere. (All photos by Marni Cohen)

Left: Coraline Director Henry Selick Right: Nike Co-founder and Laika owner, Phil Knight

Left: Actress Teri Hatcher voices Coraline's mom Right: Coraline Author, Neil Gaiman

Above: Lead Animator on Coraline and son of Phil Knight, Travis Knight

Above, from left: Phil Knight, Producer Bill Mechanic and Lead Animator Travis Knight

Above, from left: Actress Teri Hatcher and Director Henry Selick

Above: Author Neil Gaiman is interviewed by KGW NewsChannel 8

Above: Actress Dakota Fanning voices the title character Coraline

Above: Actor Robert Bailey Jr. voices Wybie

New Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens!!

2009-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

For those of you not already drooling over the "Dark Was the Night" compilation here are two excellent reasons to start doing so: "Lenin" by the Arcade Fire and "You are the Blood" by Buck 65 (remixed by Sufjan Stevens).

The Arcade Fire track is classic Arcade Fire and while very good in its own right, it is easily overshadowed by the epic "holy-fucked-ness" of "You are the Blood." Listen to that sucker, Sufjan really let loose his inner editor on this one and the results are beyond epic.

Ticketmaster fucks everyone over (again)

2009-02-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

How's this for the latest chapter in Ticketmaster's horrible, shameful legacy (via the ever-lovely AV club):

A bunch of Bruce Springsteen fans tried to buy tickets for an upcoming show at the Meadowlands through the Ticketmaster website. They were taken to a screen that claimed that tickets weren’t available from Ticketmaster, but could be purchased for many times their face value from TicketsNow, a ticket resell outfit currently owned by Ticketmaster. In response to fan outrage, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey is lobbying for the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to look into a possible conflict of interest. For its part, the company said through a spokesman that only a few fans reported problems.

Whether this is a mistake or not (my money's on not) it's just gross of Ticketmaster to contemplate ripping off their customers to such a horrific degree. Having worked for a Ticketmaster outlet in the past I can say with absolute certainty that the company is about as blatantly unethical as you can get (old news, I know) and I'm surprised that both the US people and US government have failed to rise up and depose it at some point in the past.

Maybe this will finally push things in that direction...

The lovely Laura Gibson

2009-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

You should check out the interview with Laura Gibson in today's issue of the Vanguard. Not only is Ms. Gibson insightful and interesting but there are some excellent revelations about her academic endeavors as well.

In the mean time here are a few videos of Portland's foremost chanteuse:

With Colin Meloy:

All on her lonesome:

and on top of construction equipment (thanks to Live from the Wreckage!):

I want what he's having

2009-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

Little kid goes to dentist, gets powerful anesthetic for surgery, Dad films him on the way home. Hilarity ensues.

"Is this real life?"

Yes, yes it is little buddy.

(Hat tip: Slog)

All the ads, none of the football

2009-02-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Not a football fan but still want to watch all the sweet new teasers for this summer's movie lineup. Save yourself the 4 hours and check out some awesome new spots from some of the summer's biggest blockbusters here.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - The sequel to the obscenely successful 2007 movie about giant robots.

Star Trek - J.J. Abrams' questionable reboot of the Trek franchise. Although only questionable if you liked Star Trek in the first place, otherwise it looks pretty sweet.

Land of the Lost - A remake of the 1970's children's show starring Will Ferrell playing Will Ferrell.

Year One - A clip from the new Harold Ramis directed, Jack Black and Michael Cera starring story about lazy hunter-gatherers. This clip features David Cross and Paul Rudd as the biblical characters Cain and Abel.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Cobra Commander. 'Nuff said.

Up - Disney/Pixar's new flick. All recycled footage from previous teasers (except for about 5 seconds at the end). Visit this website to watch some irritating clips from what may be Pixar's first ever critical and commercial failure.

Fast and Furious - In this fourth installment in the successful franchise, Vin Diesel drives your dad's old car under a giant flaming gasoline rig. As Paul Walker tells Diesel in the trailer "a lot has changed." Yeah, well probably not enough to make this movie any good.

Race to Witch Mountain - Something about clairvoyant adolescents and The Rock having to drive them around. Honestly, when I first heard about this movie I thought it was another movie adaptation of a theme park ride (a la Pirates of the Caribbean).

Actors talking with actors

2009-01-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

Over at Newsweek, they've transcribed a lengthy six-way interview between Brad Pitt, Frank Langella, Mickey Rourke, Anne Hathaway, Sally Hawkins and Robert Downey Jr. where the actors—all nominated for Oscars this year—talk about their craft and share some insight into their films.

It's a really interesting read, though it seems like Brad Pitt is trying to hard. (Dude, you're not a comedian; quit it!) I also wish Sally Hawkins had talked a little bit more, even though I hated her movie.

My favorite part is the very end, where Langella says this:

Well, our time is up. We can now let you all go.
LANGELLA: I'd like to say, for the record, I'm the oldest male at the table, and the only one who didn't get up to go to the bathroom.

I love curmudgeonly old assholes.

Link to the Newsweek story.

Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue

2009-01-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

A while back, The Vanguard received a copy of the re-release of Dennis Wilson's 1977 album Pacific Ocean Blue, and to my surprise, I found out that the erstwhile Beach Boy drummer had created an album that I actually really enjoyed. Maybe those surf bums had more than one eccentric genius?

Blue has great symphonic pop hooks, and his imperfect but endearing vocal stylings really hold the whole thing together. And it's appropriately titled too—this shit sounds like the relaxing ocean. To bad he died, I would have liked to hear more of this.

Here's a track:

The reissue also contains an entire unreleased album, Bambu, that's pretty damn good as well, all packaged in a deluxe, 2xCD edition.

Sorry for the late pass, but if'n you like the Beach Boys, check this out.

(mini) Grindhouse Trailer Fest

2009-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

To accompany Anita' kick-ass piece on Portland's Grindhouse Film Festival, here's a couple of trailers for the film that the festival will be showing this weekend.

Both films play at the Hollywood Theater this Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m. Check out the print edition for the full story on the Film Fest and the obsessive mind behind it.

Torso:

Pieces:

New term: Saddlebacking

2009-01-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

New from Dan Savage:

"Saddlebacking: sad•dle•back•ing \ˈsa-dəl-ˈba-kiŋ\ vb [fr. Saddleback Church] (2009): the phenomenon of Christian teens engaging in unprotected anal sex in order to preserve their virginities

After attending the Purity Ball, Heather and Bill saddlebacked all night because she’s saving herself for marriage. Unfortunately her parents found out because they got santorum all over the sheets."

Visit here: http://saddlebacking.com

"Pooper" Bowl-5 sports movies more interesting than the Super Bowl

2009-01-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

As we all know, sports suck. They're loud, sweaty and involve people who I still harbor resentment towards for being cooler than me in high school.

However, do you know what anti-sucks? Sports movies!!

Whereas actual sports rarely involve touching character arcs, broad lessons about racial diversity and charming/mysteriously talented animals, sports movies have all these things in droves.

With this in mind, here are five movies about sports to watch this weekend. All of them are guaranteed to be better than actual sports.

1. "Air Bud: Golden Receiver"

Obviously, if people were meant to play sports then we'd look half as cute in pads and little leather helmets as does this Golden Retriever. We do not, the Golden Retriever wins.

2. "The Puppy Bowl"

The Puppy Bowl is probably one of my favorite things in the entire freaking world. Since discovering this bizarre annual event some three years ago, I have spent the majority of my mental capabilities trying to find out just what in hell is going on with this thing.

First the basics: The Puppy Bowl is a feature that Animal Planet broadcasts every Super Bowl Sunday wherein a series of puppies are placed in a football-field shaped play pen and allowed to fall all over each other as they please. And that's pretty much it. Oh, and it just keeps going like this for about 12 FREAKING HOURS.

No commercials, no attempts at explaining what in the hell is going on; just puppies, rolling around, for 12 hours straight.

Needless to say, this raises all kind of pressing questions: How does one win a Puppy Bowl? What does a puppy have to do to qualify in the Puppy Bowl? Does the kitten halftime show represent some kind of bizarre inter-species rascism? Is this actually TV programming or just some kind of a conceptual Dadaist mindfuck from the higher-ups at Animal Planet?

Seriously, watch this shit. It is like nothing you have ever seen.

3. "Rudy"

Recommended for fans of plot arcs so broad they can be seen from space. Oh, and fans of Lord of the Rings because there's nothing like seeing Samwise Gamgee do what he does best: mope and become marginally talented at football.

4. "Rollerball"

Another thing that sucks about "real" sports? No one dies (well, most of the time anyway). Not so in 1975's "Rollerball"! In this movie the world's sexiest man play's the world's most dangerous sport in an ultra-corporatist future where all is not as it seems. Also, there are pistols that make trees explode.

5. "Baseketball"

Did you know Ernest Borgnine was in this? Not that I don't love me the perpetual thirteen year-old-ness of Matt and Trey, but Ernest Borgnine? Doing dick jokes with hotdogs? I mean the man has an Academy Award, he's a hallmark or his generation and-oh what's that? Breasts? Wait, what was I saying?

Department of Eagles at the Doug Fir

2009-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Doug Fir was packed last night for the Department of Eagles, Brooklyn's classical and experimentally minded pop group helmed by a few members of Grizzly Bear. The Cave Singers got the night started, Seattle's latest bearded alt-americana group as drenched in reverb. I can't really say I got into them, for beyond the lead singer's vocal affectations,an invisible bass player (do i smell a loop?) and one-trick-pony songwriting style, I can think of at least two other alt-beard-reverb-rock groups from the Puget Sound I'd rather listen to (i.e. Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes).

No matter, the Department of Eagles certainly held it down. Not an offshoot or side project of Grizzly Bear, DoE actually started years earlier, but was sidelined by Grizzly Bear's runaway success. Front man Daniel Rossen has certainly made good use of his time in getting this band back on track, they were as tight and expansive as on their new album, In Ear Park. In other words, despite the lack of one or two other singers (the vocals on the album were padded by the rest of GB, giving it that ethereal, 'this is God's house' sound), all the texture on record was at the show. Rossen opened and closed the show solo, the first song with the banjo, a really wonderfully plucked rendition of In Ear Park.

Phantom Other was the song that really had me blown away, with other founding member Fred Nicholaus playing the samples like it was the last sampler on earth. Not that live shows ought to always sound like their studio recorded counterparts, but I was pretty blown away at them recreating that song almost exactly as it is on the record, and without any lame bass or ambient loops.

The only looping that was done was a Battles style vocal loop from Rossen, which was amazing. On his final solo song, a brand new won, apparently, he made a vocal loop of about 4 layers and played on top of that. Really amazing.

Jeff Guay

John Updike, 1932 - 2009

2009-01-28T00:08:00.000-08:00

Acclaimed American writer John Updike, best known for his Rabbit series, died Tuesday morning of lung cancer. The two time Pulitzer Prize winning author was 76 years old.

"In fiction," Updike writes in a 2005 essay contributed to NPR's This I Believe series, "imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications must remain in the dark."

To read or hear Updike read the entirety of his essay, go to Testing the Limits of What I Know and Feel at the National Public Radio website.

Chia Jerry: the seeds of life

2009-01-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas our esteemed production manager, Jason Chastain, received a chia pet, modeled to the shape of the popular cartoon character Garfield. Seeing as the Vanguard offices are located deep in the basement of Smith Memorial Student Union, where not but mold does grow and not but rats do dwell, the production staff has embarked on the Herculean of saga enlivening our workspace through the cultivation of a chia pet. This is the story of that chia pet. -Editor

Day 2: The Seeds of Life

While the staff of the Vanguard was off whiling away its weekend at various debaucheries, Chia Jerry was busy growing the gooey paste atop his head into a crown of resplendent/creepy flora.

As the seed paste was applied liberally to all dimensions of Chia Jerry's head, the growth of the chia plant itself has taken on an interestingly warped design. The sheer oddity of this sight has been amplified by a curved mirror that has been placed behind Chia Jerry's head in what one can only assume was a fit of Jerry's emerging vanity.

Certain staff members (read: me) have commented that Chia Jerry looks like an Aztec ruin, overgrown with vines after years' exposure to the elements. Heaven only knows what mysteries the next day will bring...

Well, this is weird: Fucked Up on Fox News

2009-01-27T14:24:00.000-08:00

If you weren't aware, Fucked Up rules.

The Toronto hardcore band has released dozens of records, and last year's great The Chemistry of Common Life was in my top 10 of the year.

What they're doing on Fox News, which isn't exactly known as a paragon of the punk rock aesthetic, is unclear, but here's the very surprising video evidence:

(From: brooklynvegan)

Chia Jerry: the saga begins

2009-01-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas our esteemed production manager, Jason Chastain, received a chia pet, modeled to the shape of the popular cartoon character Garfield. Seeing as the Vanguard offices are located deep in the basement of Smith Memorial Student Union, where not but mold does grow and not but rats do dwell, the production staff has embarked on the Herculean of saga enlivening our workspace through the cultivation of a chia pet. This is the story of that chia pet. -Editor

Day 1: The Seedening

Today the seeds were applied liberally to Chia Jerry. Though the box suggests placing them on the backside of the chia pet, Jason decided to think outside the box (HA!) and slather the seeds onto all sides of Chia Jerry's bulbous head.

During the slathering, a staff member (read: me) commented that the chia seed paste looked remarkably similar to dinosaur snot, as portrayed in the movie Jurassic Park. Thus life does spring from the grossest looking places.

There has been no noticable growth as of yet but expectations are high for the lush greenery that is about to spring from Chia Jerry's head and turn the production cubicle into a latter day eden.

George Clooney returning to ER for final episode!!

2009-01-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

NBC. April 2nd. Be there or forever ensure my wrath.

The Secret White House Record Collection

2009-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

It turns out moving into the White House has a few perks (who knew?)—and Rolling Stone has little story about the history of the big house's record library.

It goes pretty much how you would expect: It started off boring with Nixon, improved under Carter (Sex Pistols! Neil Young!) and Grandpa Reagan got confused and moved them to the basement.

Will Obama update the collection? I hope so. He is, after all, the hip-hop President. (My first additions: Rakim's "Paid in Full," Nas' "Illmatic" and Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang.")

What do you think? What records need to be in the White House library?

Name your price: Cadence Weapon's new album

2009-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

The most recent artist to jump onboard the digital music release with a "name your price" style of purchase is Cadence Weapon. His new album is more of a mixtape but it features, according to Cadence Weapon's website "exclusive new Cadence Weapon tracks, remixes and collaborations." And yes that means you can pay nothing.

The album is 20 tracks, and is called Separation Anxiety. Previous bands to have used the "name your price" purchase method have been Radiohead (for In Rainbows) and Nine Inch Nails (for The Slip). And while Separation Anxiety isn't exactly an album, hell, at least it's free (if you so choose) and since when do you pass up free music?

Download Separation Anxiety here.

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" Mini-Review

2009-01-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

If your a fan of the Underworld franchise, then you'll probably enjoy this flick, a prequel to the first two films Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. If not, don't bother.

I've only ever seen the first Underworld, and I probably would have avoided this one except tickets were free. But, it seems that the most important elements of the film were covered in a brief flashback sequence in the first film (although with a different actress).

I'll be honest, I fell asleep during Rise of the Lycans, only awoken by werewolves (lycans, whatever) and vampires tearing each other new assholes.

Unfortunately, no matter how good CGI gets, werewolves continue to look weird and kind of lame.

By the way, contrary to what you might think, Kate Beckinsale is not in this film (not that it matters), the girl in all the previews just really looks like her.

On a final note, what is Michael Sheen still doing acting in movies like this? After playing Tony Blair in The Queen, the late Portland State alumn Art Honeyman in Music Within, and David Frost in the Oscar nominated Frost/Nixon, why is he still playing Lucian the Lycan?

I give this movie 1.5 stars for brevity, and only waking me up occasionally while I napped.

Sapient makes pretty

2009-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

For fans of Sandpeople (who are hear almost within range of outnumbering the group members themselves) there can be few greater joys than hearing a good solo project from the group.

Thankfully, Sapient is the driving force behind a damned good solo project that should be lauded frequently and vocally.

Observe:

6 cups, 1 box

2009-01-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

All I want to know is, when is this going to be available at the student store? (And yes, this is a real product that you can buy with dollars.)

Oscar Nominations!

2009-01-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

In announcing things that don't really matter news, the Acadamy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released the 2009 Oscar nominees today, and they pretty much went exactly as expected.

Here they are (with some links to Vanguard reviews):

BEST PICTURE

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST FOREIGN FILM

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Eric Roth and Robin Swicord - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button;
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh - In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter - WALL-E

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

BEST ART DIRECTION

Changeling
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Changeling
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

BEST SOUND EDITING

The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
Defiance - James Newton Howard
Milk - Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
WALL-E - Thomas Newman

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Down To Earth from WALL-E - Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman and Gulzar
O Saya from Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

BEST COSTUME

Australia
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters At The End Of The World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness - From The Balcony Of Room 306

BEST FILM EDITING

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST MAKE-UP

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon On The Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Weights that wear tights and shout at you (encouragingly)

2009-01-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

Members of Gymbox in Bank, central London, can choose to lift any of five differently sized "human weights".
Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement.
The "dumbbells" include two dwarfs – 32-year-old Arti Shah, who weighs just 4.5 stones (30kg) and 64-year-old Mike Edwards, who weighs 8 stones (55kg).
At the other end of the scale for those with stronger muscles is 24 stones (155kg) Matt Barnard, 37.
Gymbox owner Richard Hilton said: "A lot of our members felt that lifting metal weights was boring and not especially motivating.
"They said that they had no idea what they were lifting."

Full story at the Telegraph

Miley Cyrus colonizes another cultural outlet

2009-01-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

Since the target demographic of this blog is tweens (obviously) I feel obligated to report on the imminent Miley Cyrus movie that is coming dangerously close to a release date.

According to the trailer, "Hannah Montana: The Movie" will involve the following elements (in no particular order): Tyra Banks, cows, a blonde wig, shoe fighting, agrarianism, soul patches, product placement, and shame.

To see these things in their glorious and horrifying element take a look at the (unfortunately un-embedable) trailer.

I'm already prepping my lawsuit for their shameless aping of my fan fiction.

Prop 8 The Musical

2009-01-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

I know this is about a month old but, in light of Obama's moving inauguration speech about turning the country around, I thought this was an appropriate post for anyone that hasn't already seen this video.

Bodhi at PDX Pop Now!

2009-01-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Alex's profile of local "relocated garage punks" Bodhi, here's a quick video of a performance at PDX Pop NOW! from a couple years ago.

Now guitar smashing (unfortunately) but there's definitely some latent violence in the air so you're welcome to use your imagination.

"The Change is In" from Fernando

2009-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

Check out Rich's excellent piece on Fernando in today's issue of the Vanguard for the full story and in the meantime here's a few words from the man himself: