Unsolicited Recommendations

2010-08-07T14:50:00.001-07:00

Not Blogging

Seriously is there anything easier to do?

Movies with David Bowie in Them

We think most films would be vastly improved with a little Bowie in them.

Klaus Daimler

40, Engineer, Calm, Collected, German.

Nikkatsu Noir

From the Criterion Collection's Eclipse Series we suggests that you check them out and add this these films to your Netflix queue. http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/655-eclipse-series-17-nikkatsu-noir

2008-01-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

Things That Are Bite Sized

We are talking candy bars, tapas, EPs, Short Stories, Short Films, whatever other wonderful small items you can think of. Because sometimes all you need it a taste.

2008-01-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Thermal Underwear

Welcome to comfort town try wearing them to bed and even under pants on those cold days when you have to spend time outside. Layering it is not just for your torso.

Roger Federer

Not only is this guy the best tennis player alive but also from all accounts he sounds like a really nice guy.

The Supermarket Scene in Tout va bien

We found this long dolly shot of customer being checked out in a supermarket while some guy is trying to sell them his book on class struggle mesmerizing. Now while we know Godard is making a point about consumerism we just love the shot's technical beauty.

2007-12-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

The 1990's

Maybe it is because we are getting older and the nineties were when we started coming of age but we have been reflecting lately about all the good music, films, books, etc that came out back then. Also thanks to the passing of time we have been able to focus on and remember the good stuff and forget the loads of crap that we had to endure. We're looking at you Limp Bizkit.

The Films of Michelangelo Antonioni

While we are still wading through his filmography all of the ones we have seen are beautiful and interesting to watch. And although as many of those critical of Antonioni point out that nothing much seems to happen we still find them fascinating and entertaining and would like to counter with the notion that maybe everything is happening in them.

Affectations

We feel that it is the unusual and unique mannerisms that people adopt that make them more interesting. True they can sometimes be annoying and lame but they can also be pretty awesome and endearing.

La Moustache

If you have a moustache this film will make you think twice about ever shaving it off. For is it the man who makes the moustache or the moustache that makes the man?

The First Notes of a Really Good Album

They can be a "hello" from a great new friend or the reestablishment of a comforting embrace from an old pal. Either way they always seem to say, "OK here we go."

The Eclipse Series DVDs from Criterion

Yet another thing that we have not gotten around to but we love the idea, a collection of little known and over looked films lovingly put together in nice little packages.

2007-09-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Acquired Taste
Things are just so much more enjoyable when you have had to work at it to like them.

Javier Bardem
This guy can act. We are particularly fond of his performances in Before Night Falls, which also features a dynamite performance by Johnny Depp and The Dancer Upstairs.

Analogue
While we love all this digital stuff we will always have a soft spot for analogue.

Persepolis-Marjane Satrapi
Have you ever wondered about a young girl’s experience during and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran? Then this is the story for you, and as a plus for all you nonreaders there are lots of pictures.

The Cool Side of the Pillow
We have been life long fans of this wonderful phenomenon and hope that the technology to keep pillows perpetually cool is right around the corner.

Alphaville
Jean-Luc Godard’s sci-fi film proving you do not need special effects to make an interesting film in the sci-fi genre.

2007-05-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Human Giant
This is just some good sketch comedy.

Uncompleted Potential Masterpieces
We are talking about Stanley Kubrick’s Napoleon or Weezer’s Songs from the Black Hole, or Orson Welles or Terry Gilliam’s Don Quixote projects just to name a few. While most unrealized projects will forever be relegated only to our imaginations we hope that others that still have a chance of happening and will one day see the light of day.

Sufjan Stevens
We are not really that familiar with his music. However we are huge fans of his daunting and ballsy goal to make a record about every state in the union.

2007-03-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

I’m Alan Partridge
If you are fascinated by people and characters that are filled with self importance and unwarranted self-confidence no matter what they are faced with as much as we are then this show will be right up your alley.

Pinkerton-Weezer
It had been many moons since we had listened to Rolling Stone’s second worst album of 1996 and we had forgotten just how good it is. Plus we are suckers for anything where someone so unabashedly reveals themselves.

Warm Nights
The advent of springtime has us really looking forward to summer and sitting around outside in short sleeves at 10 o’clock at night.

Philip Baker Hall/Seymour Cassel
Look up character actor and you will see these guys’ pictures or at least you should.

Playing Catch
It does not matter if you use a baseball, a football, a water polo ball, or anything else it is a fun and relaxing activity and also a good time to have a conversation with someone else.

The Spirit of the Beehive
We have seen some things around comparing this film to Pan’s Labyrinth and we can see that, they have a similar vibe. While this film does not have all the fancy creatures it does have a completely enchanting performance by Ana Torrent, an interesting story, and is visually beautiful in spite of the fact that cinematographer Luis Cuadrado was going blind during filming.

2007-03-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Mysterious Bruises
How are we getting these? We figure we are either slam dancing or someone is beating us with a sock of pennies in our sleep.

The Bass in Soul to Squeeze
It makes us want to turn up the bass

Infinite Jest-David Foster Wallace
This is a big book whose topics included tennis, drug rehabilitation facilities, addiction, the possible future, Boston Area AA meetings, film, wheelchair bound terrorists comprised of Quebec Separatists, punting, a family, optics, drugs (both illegal and prescription), advertising, pop culture, child abuse, relationships, among other things.

Stanley Kubrick
Scorsese is right one of his films is equal to 10 film from another director.

2007-03-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Finding Out That A TV Show You Thought Was Cancelled Years Ago Is Still On
Were we alone in the misguided belief that The George Lopez Show was no longer on? However the real shock is that people are watching it, who are these people?

Taste Of Cherry
We never knew that watching a car driving around the hills of Tehran could be so mesmerizing and entertaining.

Awkwardness
Lets face it there is a lot more awkward situations then comfortable ones in life so we say embrace the awkward. So the next time you are in an awkward situation point it out and celebrate it. What is the worst thing that can happen? Because once things are awkward they are awkward it is just like being wet. And at the very least it will give us something to bond over.

The Last 3 Minutes of Track 15 on Beck’s The Information
It is Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze discussing what the ultimate record that ever could possibly be made would sound like. What do you think it would sound like?

2007-03-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

The God Complex Speech From Malice
Brilliantly written by Aaron Sorkin and acted by Alec Baldwin plus throw in Peter Gallagher and his mighty eyebrows.

Will Lyman
He is without a doubt our favorite narrator from his work on Frontline to his star turning narration in Little Children we can’t get enough of his dry matter of fact delivery and rich deep voice.

Zest
Of the citrus variety.

Cinematography
Far too often overlooked we want to know why this craft is not considered up there with directing, acting, and writing?

Monocles
We think if you have astigmatism in only one eye that you should show some style and wear one.

30 Rock
We have always had a bit of a love hate relationship with Tina Fey but this show is definitely in the love column plus how could you not love a show that has Ghostface as a guest star not once but twice.

Soda In Glass Bottles
This is how soda was meant to be drank not only does the soda get colder but we are big fans of the old tyme feel we get.

Artists Who Are Doing Their Own Thing
We are talking about the people who are giving us what we need and not what we want.

2007-02-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Being Kicked Off a Jury
It is without a doubt the most satisfying rejection that we have experienced in a long time.

The Way Nobody Says “Stupid Fucking White Man” in Dead Man
This pretty much speaks for itself.

Finally Settling The Debate, The Illusionist or The Prestige
The Prestige hands down.

Sorbet
This stuff is the ultimate palate cleanser and it should be incorporated into every meal.

2007-01-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Bruce Campbell’s Old Spice Commercial
We were confused at first but that eventually subsided and we came to understand the brilliance of it all.

Bus Stops
They really are the only places where the elderly and goth kids can come together anymore.

Wes Anderson’s Films
Each one is a wonderful little world that we would love to live in.

S.O.S. by Rhiana
Our brain says no but our feet says Yes, Yes, Yes!

Neil DeGrasse Tyson
He is without a doubt the hippest astrophysics on the block and we love what he has done as the host of NOVA.

2007-01-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

French Toast
This stuff really is Toast 2.0.

David Bowie’s Hair in Labyrinth
If you have seen it then it will forever be burned into your mind’s eye, if you haven’t then prepare yourself to be amazed, stupefied, and left wondering how many laws of physics have to be broken to make hair look that way.

Guava Jelly
It is like other jelly’s younger and much hipper sibling.

The Kids In The Hall
Canadian sketch comedy has always been our favorite type; it makes more sense then the British verity and is much more daring then the United States kind, and these guys are the best the Great White North has to offer.

No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain
If you like to watch a cynical smart ass cook travel to all sorts of locations and eat a lot of exotic and not so exotic foods, not to mention drink a whole bunch, all delivered with a side of equal parts attitude and sincerity as well as peppered with a bunch of pop culture references, like we do then this is the travel show for you.

Being Roughly 65% Through a Good Book
At this point you usually are far enough along in the book to have the lay of the land but still have a good chunk of the journey a head of you to look forward to.

Speedos
We say it is about time the US gets over its out of date puritanical attitudes and embrace what the rest of the world has known for a long time now.

Feral
This is one of our favorite adjectives out there. Try throwing it into your daily conversations and just see how much cooler people think you are.

Waking Up at 5:30 am For No Reason
You will get more done before 6:00 am then you usually do.

Crystal Geyser Mineral Water
We are still not sure what essence of natural berry, orange, lime, or lemon is but we are sure glad they know how to get it and put it in water.

Being Completely Mislead By a Movie’s Marketing Campaign
We know that for the most part this is a bad thing but on the rare occasions that you go in expecting one thing and then instead end up seeing a film that totally blows you away, then that is when being mislead by advertising is a very good thing.

Milhouse Van Houten
Really people is it not high time that we all give it up to The House?

2007-01-03T20:08:00.001-08:00

James Brown Live In Boston 1968
We can’t think of any performer today that can hold a candle to his showmanship, style, charisma, and political influence.

Alec Baldwin
Have you seen his work lately? He is rocking dramas and comedies alike, and he sure can drop some sweet narration on you too.

Top 10 Lists
The end of the year is always full of these lists of varying length and subject. So after seeing and hearing some other people’s lists of their favorite songs of 2006 we wanted to see if we could make one too. So here we go:
1.I Want You-Fiona Apple
2.Whoo! Alright-Yeah…Uh Huh-The Rapture
3.The Champ-Ghostface
4.The Island, Come And See, The Landlord's Daughter, You'll Not Feel The Drowning-The Decemberists
5.Turn Into-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
6.The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack-Liars
7.Cellphone’s Dead-Beck
8.On the Radio-Regina Spektor
9.Together-The Raconteurs
10.Kilo-Ghostface
Wow that was harder then it looked.

The House Of The Rising Sun
We suggest you spend the afternoon searching the internet looking for different covers and versions of this song then sit back and enjoy.

Not Utilizing Some Modern Convenience
There is just something heartwarming about a person who still uses a walkman opposed to an ipod, or someone who refuses to use rss reader. All we have to say is keep up the good work.

Stomp The Yard Trailer
If this trailer is any evidence then this will unequivocally be the greatest step dance film of all time.

2006-12-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Clothes That Fit Properly
Why aren’t more people wearing them?

Daylight Savings Time (DST)
Enough with this getting dark by 5:30 pm.

Not Being Ironic
It seems like everything these days is labeled with this very misunderstood word. We say lets make 2007 all about being earnest.

The Areas Of My Expertise by John Hodgman
We’re talking about the audiobook version here, and while we are not quite sure what is happening most of the time we always enjoy it. Plus it was free from itunes which just makes it that much sweeter.

Impromptu Dance Parties
There really aren’t enough of these going on. Then again you really can never have too many dance parties in your life.

Indoor Plumbing
When you have it you never think about it, and when you don’t it is the only thing you can think about. So next time you are taking a shower just take a minute and enjoy.

2006-12-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

The Moon
When was the last time you checked this satellite out? It is the perfect
neighbor quiet, clean, and oh yeah that whole tide thing. Give the moon
some love.

The First Thirteen Minutes of Magnolia
Now that is how you open a film. Give it a look sometime.

Stereopathetic Soul Manure –Beck
Not every track is a winner but there are some gems. Particularly
Rowboat, Thunder Peel, The Spirit Moves Me, Crystal Clear (Beer),
One Foot in the Grave, Puttin It Down, Satan Gave Me a Taco, and
Modesto.

Trader Joe’s Lemon Bread
Taste the lemon.

The Wii
The whole thing is freaking awesome but Wii tennis might be one of the
best things ever. It is so worth the perpetually sore arm.