Filling out forms w/ poutine on the side
Identity safely concealed (thanks Astro)
Gimme the loot! (I'm a bad, bad boy)
A terrific Tuesday it was (well, more so than a usual Tuesday, anyway).
Picture #1: In the afternoon, I received one of the most sought after vaccines in medical history: the pH1N1 influenza vaccine which went live in Canada 2 days ago (the p is for Pandemic, just like the b is for Bargain in 1-600-DOCTORB). Along with everyone else who reads the news, I’ve been following the development of this vaccine for a few months now, waiting patiently to get my shot at it (pun fully intended). Straight up, this is what’s hot in the streets (haha). But seriously, sh!t was a madhouse at the local sports centre/hockey rink where the vaccines were being dispersed in my part of town. We waited for 2 hours, which wasn’t all that bad since there were food and drinks available for purchase (hence the poutine, which was surprisingly decent). Only high priority recipients are eligible for the vaccine this early in the roll-out. Luckily, I have asthma (although it’s really only allergy induced at this point in my life), so I was admitted without question. The rest of my family got their shots as well, including my nephew. And the near 3 year-old’s response to the needle injection? Plain and simple: “Ouch…can I have a cookie?” Virtually unfazed. To be honest, he took it better than I did (wuss).
Picture #2: We drove straight from the hot vaccination area to the theatre where we got tix to the 5:30 show with 10 minutes to spare (I stayed in the 15 minute post-vaccination rest area for only 4 minutes to help facilitate this…anything for my pamangkin). As a result, my nephew witnessed his first ever in-theatre movie: Astro Boy. He sat still for 85% of the 1 hour and 34 minute film, getting up periodically to stand on his seat and point at the projectionist room up top as well as vocalize his well thought out critiques of the subversive marxist political slant of the film (just kidding…although those underlying themes were indeed present in the movie). Picture 2 was taken right before the lights went down; the kid just ate some popcorn and was still holding onto his first ever movie ticket stub (one of many to come) while eyeing that large soft drink before taking a strategic sip (you can view that stance in the uncensored pic, which I will not post here). Also, the soft drink was bigger than his head.
Picture #3: Clockwise from the top: My Astro Boy/Bruce Lee keychain (which is far from new but is one of my good luck charms that I always carry with me), Astro Boy Peacemaker toy (the bad guy which can fire a red missle), Astro Boy punching toy (which has half of the inner workings of his body exposed), and the ticket stub at dead centre. Still on the lookout for the Astro Boy flying toy (I’ll give it another shot the next time I have a craving for 4 chicken nuggets and a small fry). I’ve never bought a Happy Meal since the early 90’s and these toys are pretty huge compared to the ones I remember from back in the day (kids these days got it good in so many ways). And a good Wednesday morning to you.
From demos to rehearsals to backstage footage to studio sessions, I’m a total sucker for any depiction of the creative process in both film and music. Oftentimes, I feel that the journey towards the finished product is much more interesting than the end result itself. Case in point, I simply cannot get enough of old and dusty analog-sounding demos (and the more differences with the end product, the better). Thank you for giving us access to all of these rarities, Internetty.
Having said that, tonight’s the night I get to catch This Is It in theatres along with the millions (and millions!) of MJ fans over the next 2 weeks of its limited release. To mark the occasion, I plan on wearing an outfit I would’ve worn had I ever gotten the chance to see MikeyJacks in concert. No, it’s not a costume (despite it being so close to the Halloweekend), just a casual outfit that’s a bit more dressed up than I would normally wear out to the movies (weather permitting, of course). Because, after all: This. Is. It.
The Cypher featuring: Mos Def (Black Dante), Black Thought (Bad Lieutenant) and Eminem (Slim Shady) with DJ Premier (Preemo) on the 1’s and 2’s. Oh God.
From the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards (viddy courtesy of Nah Right).
I’m still trying to decide who came with it the strongest. Every contender showed their lyrical ass on this one. I think I’m gonna go listen to it closely another 10 times (with my eyes closed). In the meantime, what do you think?
Nosferatu is probably considered to be director F.W. Murnau’s standout film. Shot between August and October 1921, the movie would become the target of a lawsuit filed by Bram Stoker’s widow, which claimed that the film essentially stole the ideas from her husband’s novel “Dracula”. As a result of that lawsuit, all known negatives and prints of Nosferatu were destroyed. Years later, prints of the film would surface in other countries and then eventually make their way around the world. Nosferatu became the definitive vampire film, spawning a number of imitations and a remake in 1979. To the purists, nothing compares to the original silent masterpiece from 1922.
Nosferatu should have never been. The lawsuit filed by Bram Stoker’s widow aimed to completely wipe the film out of existence. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and the film became a vital part of the German Expressionist movement…This is a timeless film that has easily outdone all of the copycats to proceed it. This is a movie that doesn’t need the Halloween season to be compelling. In fact, the darkness of the plot itself is enough to resonate with the viewer even in the light of day.
"Astonishment is our natural state of mind." - Paul Harris.
"Style is what an artist uses to fascinate the beholder in order to convey to him his feelings and emotions and thoughts." - Stanley Kubrick.
"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it." - Bruce Lee.
"If ya ears hurt, you shouldn't listen. That means you artificial and my style'll poison ya brain tissue." - Black Thought
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