Frisky Dingo Thursdays: MONDAY Edition!!!! - PART XII

Only one more to go after this one folks, so Drink it In!

Episode Twelve: "Penultimate Fighting"

PART I

PART II

Get to Better Know a Clone

This picture is equal parts hilarious, adorable, and deeply disturbing. It's from GQ. Enjoy!

Frisky Dingo Thursdays!!! - Part Eleventy

Episode 11: "Grate Escape"

PART I

PART II

Frisky Dingo Thursdays!!! - Part Xticle

Episode Ten: "Flowers for Nearl"

Part 1

Part 2

One Nerd's Opinion: The Top Films of 2006

Yes it is a bit belated, but I had to be sure to see most if not all the most buzz worthy of films. Although I still didn't see Dreamgirls...and to be honest? I'm okay with that. Also missed out on Norbit. I know that was in 2007, but I think that's what everyone should say if they ever wish to procreate--"Have you ever seen Norbit, and if so, did you watch it ironically?"

Anyways, without further ado here's my Top 5 films of 2006:

1. Children of Men
   Cuaron's film is so many things at once: effective sci-fi, scathing political commentary, action journey film. It also does all these things while still having moments of wit and humor, and grounding everything in the real; nothing feels terribly manufactured, and that's perhaps while it's still able to convey such a powerful emotional message. Cuz while it's not nearly as moving as United 93, Children of Men is able to go for beyond just sheer tragedy and horror to actually discuss a great many things on a great many levels. Great soundtrack, too.




2. United 93
   The best film I never want to see again, yet always feel oddly compelled to watch it. Greengrass made a film that feels like a documentary (helped most ably by his cast, which has most of the actual people reliving that horrible morning), in so much that it's showing the bare bones and realistic occurrences of 9/11, but it does it while also maintaining the growing sense of confusion, fear, horror and ultimately panic that everyone felt that day. Of course capturing the near primal scene aboard the titular plane in such a way that seems fearsome and grotesque while retaining its heroism and humanity, the film refuses to be used as a political soapbox for anyone and simply asks to look at the faces and listen to the words of the people who were involved in that entire tragedy.




3. The Fountain
   Aronofsky's film was a huge disaster. At least that's how most people, including box office prognosticators, would have you believe. And I'm not about to take the gross nerd copout route of saying "people didn't get it". In fact, this film is fairly easy to get (although still open to interpretation and debate). However, the film is simplicity itself: it's about life and death and how love fits in between and among those two pillars of our reality. The Fountain is such a simple story of how we don't want to die, how we're so afraid of death, how the shadow of death creates a pall over all over our lives, that we don't even notice the great things like love. Kudos to Wolverine for proving he can act, by the way.
   
   
4. Brick
   One of the best debuts of a filmmaker since the historic Sundance Class of '92, Rian Johnson's amazing film first takes a-so-obvious-I-can't believe-it-was-never-done-before premise (high school + film noir), and then actually makes a great film, not simply resting on the genius of that pairing. The plot and dialogue is pure Chandler (of who I happen to be a big fan), and the acting is so well done. Brick is simply a great exercise in characterization and style, and I can't wait to see what Johnson does next.
   


5. Borat
   Funniest movie of last year. I don't care about the lawsuits, or how it destroyed Kid Rock & Pamela Anderson's marriage, or any of that jive--this movie had me laughing so hard in theaters that I literally was in pain. My head hurt and my sides hurt from all of the laughter, while my eyes hurt from looking at Ken Davitian's taint. It's not the great American satire or looking glass that it could've been, but it provided plenty of "Holy Shiite!" moments, that even such things are forgiven. High Five!
   
   And here's the remaining ten in my top 15:
   
6. A Scanner Darkly
7. The Descent
8. Pan's Labyrinth
9. Stranger Than Fiction
10. Talladega Nights: The Ricky Bobby Story
11. Slither
12. Little Miss Sunshine
13. Lady Vengeance*
14. Volver
15. Idiocracy

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it!

*Yes, I know Sympathy for Lady Vengeance originally came out in 2005, but it didn't make it to our shores until 2006. So deal with it.

Frisky Dingo Thursdays - Part IX

It's back! Frisky Dingo's got sumthin for e'rybody!

Tonight!
Episode 9: "The Odd Couple"

PART I.

PART II.

Kurt Vonnegut, Amazing Man and Personal Hero, dead at 84

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. has passed away. And so it goes.

I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is one of my personal heroes and true inspirations in my life. He told tales of morality, of lunacy, of passion, of life, of death, of heroic freaks and freakish heroes. His novels were daring and weird, bouncing between genres like ricochet bullets, dangerously blending the fantastic with the utterly mundane.

His science fiction tales were always rooted in the all too human characters, complete with foibles and flaws and funny expressions, that peppered his stories. They were funny and tragic without being caricatures. His words were simple, true and unafraid. He has informed more people with his silly stories than most people do with their solemn lectures. Here is a link to the NY Times article about his passing and his life.

What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.

He was the author of many great works that will stand the test of time and forever be staples in the bookbags and shelves of clever, passionate people for generations to come. His novels include Player Piano, Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, Galapagos, The Sirens of Titan, Jailbird, Slapstick, Deadeye Dick, Timequake, Breakfast of Champions, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and Bluebeard. He was also incredibly adept at the short story, where he got his start, creating such amazing stories as "Harrison Bergeron" and "All the King's Horses".

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

My favorite book of his was most not his best liked, but to me it was the simplest and truest rumination on war, education, the penal system, families, and America at large. Hocus Pocus tells the tale of Eugene Debs Hartke, a former Vietnam vet, college professor and resident at the new prison. Vonnegut uses his protagonist to muse on the realities of growing older but not necessarily wiser. Eugene contemplates his place in the world amidst the new faces of war and government in increasingly cynical times. His sexual liaisons equal the same amount of people he's killed, and we're talking more than just a few handfuls. He is a sad, tragic figure that manages to still be quite charming and funny and is even allowed a few profound statements throughout the novel. It may not be the best introduction to Vonnegut, but it is an amazing read that has resonated with me since I've read it.

When I moved to Cape Cod halfway through high school, one of the few things that perked me up in my new location was the fact that I wasn't too far from where Vonnegut used to live. It's a nerdy and completely meaningless fact as Vonnegut had already relocated to New York by then, but for some reason the fact that a great man with such a gift had walked the same quiet roads in the nothing towns that I lived in managed to make me think I could escape and my lowly status wouldn't preclude me from attempting to try and bask in the man's shadow.

Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why.

Here is an eight part look at the man's work and life available on YouTube:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

God bless you, Mr. Vonnegut. And so it goes, and so it goes...

Hilarity Ensues?

Some things to make you chuckle on this fine day in April (the cruelest month, donchaknow):

• First Kramer, then Imus, and now...La-Z-Boy?: Yes, behold the story of the racist furniture! Who knew the Chinese had problems with black people? Maybe Yao's constantly muttering racial epithets when he's on the court and looking like an undead giant. Anyways, check out this story: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9559.aspx
• Who Knew Our Vice President Was Such a Skeev? Oh, that's right--everybody.
  
  
  
  
• SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION: As many of you may know, I've been working with my writing partner (and heterolifemate) Keith Doughty on The Goonies: The Musical. With the recent announcement that Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg are trying to make a real charge to Broadway, we're attempting to start an internet sensation. First stop? MySpace! So if you have a MySpace account, please add us to your friends. Head over to our page to listen to & download our songs: http://www.myspace.com/gooniesthemusical
• A Great Song about Robots NOT by Jonathan Coulton? This song is amazing! It's like "Blinded Me With Science" meets Short Circuit. Well done, sir! I present to you "We're In Business" by Andrew Thompson:
  

• Need Help Writing the Great American Novel? Try These!
• Before the Fockers, There Was Comedy: And while the new Die Hard Trailer is red hot right now, behold the much better trailer featuring John McClane, back when Ben Stiller was funny (although already showing signs of being annoying):
  

Quiz Time!!!!

Hey everyone!

Please fill out the quiz below. I'll give it until Sunday night at 11pm Eastern, and then I'll post my own answers. Remember - answer completely and honestly. Thanks for the anonymity, Interweb!

• Favorite Beatle?
• Last Book Read
• Last Movie You Saw in Theaters
• Favorite Sexual Position?
• What drugs have you done?
• What Drugs Do you want to do?
• Who was your teenage celebrity crush growing up?
• Favorite Bill Murray Film?
• Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck?
• Favorite Drink?
• What’s the best sitcom of all time?
• Name one unusual place that you want to have sex. Why there?
• What would your porn name be? (first pet + first street you lived on)
• Kicks to the Groin: Funny or Not Funny at all?
• Favorite song by The Rolling Stones?
• Who’s your favorite super hero (Spidey week in NYC, 4/30-5/6!)?
• How often do you watch porn?
• Most distinguished/pompous book you’ve read
• Prince: Yay or Nay?
• Would you rather have a boat or a plane?
• What is your favorite Velvet Underground album?
• Favorite word?
• Favorite kids’ book?
• Name of the company you would start is: