Stu's Blog

stimuli for May 19, 2009

2009-05-19T18:20:00.002-07:00

MOVIES: "Star Trek": It's awesome. I know it, you know it. Yes it's the dumbest Star trek movie yet (and don't get me started on why), but it's AWESOME. Moving on...

DVD: "Taken": Liam Neeson kills Albanian slavers and pretty much ANYONE who keeping him from getting his kidnapped daughter back. Yes it's a one note trashy revenge flick, but at least its a good one note trashy revenge flick.

"Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection": A cool high-def set with some new special features. BTW, random note learned from set: Ronald Moore (one of the commentators on Star Trek 3 and developer on the new Galactica) is from Chowchilla.

"24: Season Seven": Hey, didn't the season end like, I don't know, yesterday? One of the advantages of spending the last year and a half in production, I guess. A vast improvement over the drag that was season 6.

TV: "Breaking Bad": Depressing, darkly humorous, and at times, unbelievably nerve-wracking. So yes, it's my favorite show on TV right now.

"Lost": Someone obviously saw the end of Beneath the Planet of The Apes. Makes the last season seem really far away.

"Fringe": Spock and the World Trade Center for a season finale? Sign me up!

MUSIC: 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day: Great album, but those looking for the immature feeling of Dookie are gonna be lost.

Funny The Way It Is, Dave Matthews Band: A good sampler of their upcoming album. I like DMB, and this is no exception.

Funhouse, The Stooges: Iggy Pop and friends make one the best rock albums EVER. For an album that is 35-odd years old, this is what a rock album should aspire to be.

stimuli for March 15, 2009

2009-03-15T10:13:00.001-08:00

MOVIES: “Watchmen”: Anticipated (and dreaded) this adaptation of one of my favorite books ever. Not a masterpiece, but its damn good. You can bet that a lot of dudes this Halloween will be dressing up as Rorschach. Plus, people will be dressing down less to play Dr. Manhattan (yea, it’s a bad pun).

TV: “Battlestar Galactica”: Already dreading the end of this show.

“Breaking Bad”: An intense and darkly comic show about a teacher riddled with cancer who goes into meth making. The first season is now on DVD, and the second season just started on AMC. One of my favorite new shows on television.

“24”: Bill Buchanan, we hardly knew ye. Unfortunately, he knew Jack Bauer, which pretty much gets your toetag prepared in advance.

DVD: “Miracle at St. Anna”: Spike Lee’s WWII movie doesn’t really work for me. The performances are off a bit, some scenes go on longer than they should (let alone exist), and in the end, it’s drowning in melodrama. No need to rush to see this one.

“The French Connection”: One of the best cop movies ever just came back into my view.

MUSIC: U2, “No Line on The Horizon”: A nice hodgepodge of experimentation and classic U2. Enjoyed this one more than their last album, which is still better than the granulated crap that passes for most pop music these days.

“Henry Rollins on KCRW” (kcrw.com): One of my favorite radio music shows ever is now on another online radio station, but it’s all good. A great mixtape of tunes from all over the place.

65: stimuli for February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T21:10:00.006-08:00

DVD: “Pride and Glory”: Good performances here, but still territory covered in other NY-centric cop dramas. Decent watch, but not quite worth rushing out to see.

“Burn After Reading”: An interesting black comedy about espionage and the goofs who keep screwing everything up. Not as great as No Country for Old Men, but a slightly enjoyable (if awkwardly paced) flick.

“Zack and Miri Make a Porno”: A very raunchy comedic time-killer with some nice performances inside and outside writer/director Kevin Smith’s usual repertoire of actors. This reminds me of the days I tried making porno names for movies for the heck of it. Hey, that’s an idea…

“Elite Squad”: Followed someone’s recommendation for once (good call, Jason S.) and rented this intense Brazillian cop thriller. As a fan of City of God (still haven’t seen the City of Men stuff yet), this was a hardcore flick. Definitely not for the squeamish, or those with fear of plastic bags.

TV: “Battlestar Galactica”: Two weeks of interstellar mutiny, violence, and badass-ness have left me drained. And I still have six weeks to go before it’s all over…sigh.

“Lost”: So there are Immortals in the Lost-verse? Does this mean someone will have to cut of Alpert’s head to receive the Quickening? And will it be scored to the rousing music of Queen?

“24”: Enjoying this run so far, especially Agent Freckles (yes I know that’s not the character’s name, but doesn’t it sound cuter?).

MUSIC: Pandora.com: A playlist with music I dig? Sign me up…

Indie1031.com: While not playing in L.A. car radios anymore (I weep on the inside), you can still hear some great alternative/indie classics and new favorites online.

64: stimuli for January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T00:57:00.005-08:00

What says "leadership" more than a beleaguered, pill-popping space admiral? Well, actually...

TV: "Battlestar Galactica": I knew going into this last batch of episodes that things would get bad for the remnants of humanity, but good Lord, this is pretty bleak. The big reveals in the first half of the first new episode would be shocking enough, but there's a boatload more after that really sends things into a tailspin. Plus, it seems a rebellion is a-coming. Not the happiest show on TV, but boy its good.

"Lost": Everyone's favorite time-shifting island is back! And early word tells me this Wednesday's episode will be incredible! Exclamation points galore!!!!!!

DVD: "Chris Rock: Kill The Messenger": A solid comedy special with some still timely stuff. "We invade a country with lots of oil and gas prices still go up? If I raided KFC, chicken wings will be cheap at my house!"

MUSIC: U2, "Get on Your Boots": The first single from their new album and, I'm really digging this one. A lo-fi tune that sounds like a distant cousin from their pre-Joshua Tree days.

63: stimuli for January 14, 2009

2009-01-14T14:45:00.002-08:00

TV: “24”: Yea, the Jack Bauer Power Hour is back, and so far it doesn’t suck. But seeing as how the show tends to drift off in latter episodes in the season, we’ll see if the extra time to film the show pays off well.

“Damages”: One of my favorite new shows of last year is back. And with Glenn Close AND William Hurt together here, it’s like a mini-“Big Chill” reunion. Criminally underwatched last season, but hopefully a few Emmy wins will get more attention to this great legal pulp potboiler.

MOVIES: “Pineapple Express”: One of the best stoner comedy/buddy action films ever made by man, if such a genre exists. At this point, I’ve seen it multiple times and STILL find it funny. “You just got killed by a Daewoo Lanos, mother****er!”

WEB: “The Guild” (entertheguild.com): One of the stars of “Dr. Horrible” stars in this rather funny webseries about the dangers and benefits of having friends that you only know from online roleplaying games (e.g,, World of WarCraft). Just got into this series, and definitely enjoying it.

62: stimuli for January 7, 2009

2009-01-06T23:39:00.002-08:00

DVD: “Traitor”: A decent little thriller about an Islamic man who may (or may not) be a willing participant in jihadist terrorist bombings. The advertising gives away a bit, but still has solid performances from Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce. And co-written by Steve Martin, in probably the most worthwhile thing he’s done recently (and don’t even think of defending the remake of the Pink Panther, all right?).

“Eagle Eye”: A flashier, louder retread of WarGames that only worked for me after I had a few beers (it was after New Year’s, so I got an excuse). Upon seeing it sober, some of the film works, but utterly preposterous all the same.

“Battlestar Galactica Season 4.0”: The first half of the last season (once again: January 16!), with many a shocking twists and turns. Hard to jump in for newbies (pick up the first season to do that; and if you haven’t, why haven’t you?), but some solid sci-fi stuff.

BOOKS: Why We Suck by Denis Leary: A warm fuzzy book that helps you see the inner a-hole in all of us. Hey, waitaminute… I’m not a a-hole. At least, not regularly…

61: A Christmas Greeting I Should’ve Thought of First....

2008-12-25T21:06:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd post this little ditty as a belated holiday greeting. This wasn't done by my hands mind you, but still worth noting that this was prepared for someone I know by an old lady at a certain fine eatery. Suffice to say, this was a written request that said someone had made. That it was done and recorded for posterity is my special present to you, my dear readers:

Like the cake says...

60: stimuli for December 10, 2008

2008-12-10T20:31:00.001-08:00

DVD: “The Dark Knight”: My second favorite movie of the year. Who would think a movie about a dude in a rubber batsuit fighting a sociopath covered in whore makeup be that lucky? After seeing the big films of this year, the answer would is “me” and “a lot of other people”…

“Lost: Season 4”: The best season of the show since season one, no doubt.

MUSIC: Common, Universal Mind Control: Neptunes-produced Planet Rock-esque hip-hop.

BOOKS: Fables, vols. 1-3: Been picking up these books kinda late (volume 11 just came out). A great adult look at fairy-tale creations if they had to exist in our world. Witness a no-nonsense Snow White, a Big Bad Wolf turned detective, Prince Charming’s a lothario, and Goldilocks as a gun-toting revolutionary. It’s fun, imaginative, and not quite ready for younger readers.

59: stimuli for November 28, 2008

2008-11-28T17:00:00.001-08:00

TV: "The Shield": Along with The Wire, one of the better exits for a TV show this year (if not ever). Among the highlights: one horrifying resolution to a main character's torment (probably the most bone-chilling scene of TV I've witnessed in a looong time), one betrayal, a couple of loose ends wrapped up, and corrupt cop Vic Mackey getting sent to his own personal purgatory. If that isn't vague, allow me to paraphrase an old quote: "God often punishes us by giving us exactly what we want."

"A Colbert Christmas": A Christmas special that doesn't make me want to drench myself in gasoline.

"24: Redemption": A nice primer for this January. And not many shows can claim to have the Midnight Cowboy, the Candyman, and Begbie from Trainspotting in one show.

MUSIC: The Killers, Day and Age: Enjoying this one so far.

Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak: Too much Auto-Tune vocal mischief here, but not unlistenable.

DVD: "Hancock": Two movies that are unfortunately sandwiched into one, and unfortunately, both together don't work. A slight dissapointment, even with the image of a man's head up another man's ass.

58: stimuli for November 21, 2008

2008-11-21T12:26:00.001-08:00

TV: "The Shield": Still one episode to go in the series, and boy it still has me wondering what will happen. After one or two OMG moments this week, there was still my favorite moment of TV in a long time: corrupt cop Vic Mackey's confession of ALL his crimes (among them, the murder of a fellow cop). The sinker line (regarding the audio recorder during this confession): "How much memory does that thing got?"

"South Park": A spotty string of episodes ends with Goth kids, fake vampire kids (obviously a rip to those damned Twilight books), and the torching of a Hot Topic. Good times.

VIDEO: "Wall-E": One of the best animated movies I've seen in a long time. Slapstick comedy, a love story, and a sci-fi story all bunched into one solid film.

"Tropic Thunder": My favorite comedy this year (even if it is on the salty side). A nice poke at Hollywood, war movies, and actors (and god knows they deserve it).

57: 10 songs currently stuck on my iPod (11/19/2008)

2008-11-19T18:44:00.002-08:00

Coldplay, “Lost+”: The reworking of this track (available on the CD-single, or online) only revision is a verse or two from Jay-Z. Even stranger? It doesn’t detract from one of the strongest songs on Coldplay’s new album.

Justice, “D.A.N.C.E.”: French-Euro techno-pop that’s more addictive than drugs. This one will stick in your head, whether you want it to or not.

Nickelback, “Gotta Be Somebody”: As I have mentioned previously, a song that will likely irritate me six months from now, after it’s been played to death everywhere.

Mos Def, “Ms. Fat Booty”: An older tune on this list, but has managed to come back onto my playlist.

Kanye West, “Love Lockdown”: Weird bit of trivia for ya: the group listed second on this list won a major European music award, which launched Mr. West into another patented tantrum (although to be honest, what can’t launch Kanye into a hissy-fit? No seriously, what can’t?).

The Killers, “Human”: As much as I like this tune, I think the chorus sucks. As in it doesn’t make sense, even abstractly. Lazy songwriting or a case of being too cool for the room? You be the judge.

Staind, “Believe”: Funny, I keep thinking I heard this song back in 2003. I wonder why…

Cameo, “Word Up”: Nice booty-shaking music. And performed by a lead singer with a red leather codpiece no less.

ABBA, “Take a Chance on Me”: No, this does not mean I’m a fan of Mamma Mia!

Beck, “Farewell Ride”: This track recently caught my ear after catching promos for The Shield’s last season. Dirty, grimy countryified rock.

56: stimuli for November 12, 2008

2008-11-12T16:59:00.002-08:00

VIDEO: "Hellboy II: The Golden Army": One of my favorite movies this summer. A cavalcade of monsters, some heart, and for some reason, a Barry Manilow song. Highlights: tooth fairies (and not the money-giving kind), a giant forest creature run amok in NY, and unstoppable metal golems. Did I also mention a drunken sing-along?

"Band of Brothers": An amazing miniseries about soldiers dropped into Europe on D-Day. Gritty and powerful stuff. Still one of the best things HBO has ever made.

BOOKS: "Y: The Last Man" (Deluxe Edition, Volume 1): What would really happen if every man on the Earth died save one (and his pet monkey, but they're not men, are they)? Power struggles, militant psycho-feminists, cloning, and the search for said last man's girlfriend fuel this first hardcover collection of this amazing series.

55: Praises and Peeves 11/5/2008

2008-11-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

PRAISES: Barack Obama: I don't need to explain why, do I? Finally a black president is not limited to TV shows anymore (BTW, my favorite: David Palmer from 24). As I believe Chris Rock once said. "George W. Bush ****ed things up so bad, he made it hard for a white man to run for President!"

PEEVES: California voters passing Prop 8: It's weird to hear the Mormons backed this initative, considering they're not the good example of clean moral values (look at Utah and tell me I'm lying. C'mon.). I mean, I didn't hear anything from gay people about wanting to marry MORE than one spouse, did you? It's days like this where I don't regret being out of my home state. Sigh.

BRIEF FOOTNOTE: Author (and creator of "ER") Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park", "The Andromeda Strain") passed away from cancer today at the age of 66(!). Another bad note on an amazing day.

54: stimuli for October 25, 2008

2008-10-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

DVD: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull": While not the cinematic rape depicted in South Park (BTW, nice reference to that in this week's episode: "A friend of ours was raped in Peru."), it's not quite a return to form for ol' Indy. Nice nostalgic ride, but nothing truly memorable.

"The Incredible Hulk": Ed Norton transforms into a CGI steroid addict and fights a mutated (and genital-less apparently) Tim Roth. Not as psychologically interesting as the previous Hulk movie, but enjoyable enough.

TV: "The Shield": The last couple of episodes were great, but this week's episode was unbelievably good. Like "what The Sopranos should have been in it's last season" good. And to believe there's only five episodes to go...

MUSIC: AC/DC, Black Ice: Yes, every AC/DC album is pretty much the same thing, but why mess with a winning formula?

CONCERT: Stone Temple Pilots, 10/22/2008: Man, what a great show that was! Two hours (and an encore) of solid rock and roll.

53: stimuli for October 13, 2008

2008-10-12T23:36:00.002-07:00

DVD: "Forgetting Sarah Marshall": Sunny vacation spot, a puppet musical, a wince-inducing break up, and frontal male nudity? Sign me up! (long pause to rethink previous statement) Um, not so much for the male nudity, but the rest is OK.
"Iron Man": I had an idea to run around in a metallic super suit with lasers coming out of it...until some rich sicko did it first. One of the better comic book films ever made.
"L.A. Confidential": Just rewatching one of my favorite films ever. I saw this in theaters when it first came out, and its still a personal favorite.
TV: "South Park": Indiana Jones being raped, offensive Chinese stereotypes, and men being shot in the mommy/daddy button. Well, I can say I didn't expect to see ALL of that in a half-hour before now.
MUSIC: Lewis Black, "Anticpiation": Angry rambling brought to comic brilliance.
Nickelback, "Gotta Be Somebody": Peppy, and sure to irritate me six months from now, when it's played to death on the radio and everywhere else.

52: So long, Butch...

2008-09-27T17:54:00.001-07:00

Man, I'm a wee bit bummed out right now. I just discovered one of my favorite actors ever, Paul Newman just died from cancer. It's strange, remembering how I saw Cool Hand Luke in high school, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Color of Money on TV while in middle high, and then being surprised how he still was able to be potent in late-bloomers as Empire Falls, Road to Perdition (still one of the best looking movies of this decade, IMHO), and even playing a talking roadster in Cars.

What still shocks me in retrospect is that I can't claim to have seem a bad movie from him (and yes, this list includes The Towering Inferno). It's rare to see an actor make his own way in an industry that seems only locked on satisfying the lowest common denominator, and still contribute outside of Hollywood. I recall hearing him discuss retiring from Hollywood last year (even though he was planning to direct a stage play prior to his cancer treatment), and felt how much I'll miss seeing ol' Butch Cassidy again on the big screen. But man, what he left behind...

51: stimuli for September 18, 2008

2008-09-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

TV: "The Shield": Pulpy and brutal fun...that's about to come to an end. And from the way things are looking so far, it's going to be messy. Real messy.

"Generation Kill": Been watching this HBO minisieries On Demand, and WOW! The creators of "The Wire" (The greatest TV drama of this decade. Accept it.) look at the Iraq invasion (the recent one) and show the absurdities of military life (and occasionally, the danger they are placed in by their glory-hound superiors). The best thing on television this year so far.

DVD: "The Nightmare Before Christmas": Ah, the wonders of Blu-Ray! I hadn't seen this one in ages, but was in awe all over again.

"The Office: Season Four": Aw, another year worth of episodes to affectionally stare at Jenna Fischer. (long nervous pause) Oh, um, and yeah, Steve Carell is good here too.

MUSIC: Bruises, by Chairlift: You may have heard this one in the recent iPod commerical, but wow, this is a sweet little tune. It's scary to see a grown man hum this tune...

The Day That Never Comes. by Metallica: Wow, is it 1989 again? Not that I'm complaining as their last output of material wasn't good. Bring on the eight minute speed metal epics again!

50: A "B" of a way to end a "B" of a "Vacation"...

2008-08-09T10:58:00.001-07:00

Well, as mentioned previously, my plans for a summer vacation went sideways. Then I had to spend a good part of this week without Internet, and guess what happens when I get it back? I find out that Bernie Mac is dead. As much as I love the Ocean's films, I still remember the great stand-up set he did in The Original Kings of Comedy film. A great blend of real-life drama and observational humor there that should be examined by scientists.

I would post a clip of it online, but am concerned about getting dropped for the frequent uses of the word "m*****f*****" in ANY of those clips. However, I did find one clip worth posting with little problem: his appearance in the "Hood" parody flick Don't be a Menace In South Central While Drinking Your Juice in The Hood as a self-hating black cop. We'll miss ya, man...

49: stimuli for July 21, 2008

2008-07-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

A list of the stimuli keeping me occupied this week:

MOVIES: "Hellboy 2": Liked the first movie, LOVED this follow-up. Never before has being a pile of gas (Johann Kraus) seemed so cool as it does here (even if it does sound like Brian from Family Guy's German cousin). Plus, who wouldn't want a giant right hand of Doom (I know I would)?

MUSIC: Beck, Modern Times: Just started listening to this one.

COMING ATTRACTIONS: "Terminator Salvation": The current Batman becomes John Connor...and that's all I know. Until next summer. That and there's a giant Terminator. Shit.

"Watchmen": Saw this trailer online before it showed up in front of "The Dark Knight" (speaking of which, I should be seeing that later today), and been watching it obsessively ever since. One of my favorite books seems to look like a great movie? Holy crapola! I'm waiting to watch Rorscrach (the dude with a trench coat and face mask for ye who doesn't know) run around in slow motion in eight months...

48: stiumli for July 12, 2008

2008-07-12T21:24:00.001-07:00

DVD: "The Ruins": A horror film this year that's actually scary? Wow, color me a shade of surprised. Featuring one of the nastier and cringe-inducing amputations ever committed to film. It's kinda like The Happening, but good.

"Dr. Strangelove": Finally got this on DVD. One of my personal favorites, even if it is about nuclear armageddon. It also shows how unstable our leaders could actually be. Case in point:

MUSIC: Coldplay, Viva La Vida: Pretty good album. Picked it up on iTunes and got a piano-centric version of "Lost" as an extra. Nice!

Patton Oswalt, Werewolves and Lollipops: Funny Funny Funny!

GAMES: "Grand Theft Auto IV": A near-brilliant piece of adult-oriented video gaming.

47: stimuli for June 30, 2008

2008-06-30T21:50:00.002-07:00

A list of the current things keeping my free time occupied:

DVD: "30 Days of Night": Forget those moody pensive Anne Rice-era bloodsuckers, because these freaks would turn them into vampire chow. While not all that coherent at times (but then again, explaining passage of time in a month of perpetual twilight is problematic to begin with), there are some really icky and creepy moments here.

"In Bruges": Colin Farrell finds his old accent again and lays out in an medieval town (its in Belgium) after a botched killing. And there's Ralph Fiennes channeling Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast to make things not so pleasant. Plus, the finale involves surrealism, a dwarf, and ironic twists galore. Not quite a comedy, not quite a gangster movie, but good enough to fill both shoes.

46: stimuli for June 14, 2008

2008-06-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

TV: "Battlestar Galactica": Ah, my last fix of interstellar psychodrama until 2009 (and after that...no more. Ugh.), and whoa, what a suckerpunch to leave on. The journey is over? REALLY? And what a final shot to end on... I feel like the Chief probably does in that shot with that expression of his: "Yeah...it frakkin' figures."

MOVIE: "Iron Man": Finally having extra money allowed me to go to the movies to finally catch this one. I'm waiting for the sequel now, and who knows? Maybe Robert Downey will be pretending to be a black man (like in the upcoming Tropic Thunder) in an Iron Man suit? I'd pay to see that if it was offered for free!

DVD: "I Am Legend": A truly great first hour of a film gets plot holes the size of infected mutants by the end, but still a worthwhile diversion. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air hands down some whup-ass while inventing odd ways to combat isolation and insanity (as good as it is here, David Cronenberg would have a field day with this material) in abandoned New York.

"Beowulf": Proving Robert Zemeckis' further distaste for human actors and physical sets comes this puppy. Yes, Angelina Jolie is a pixelated water demon, but Neil Gaiman helped write this! That earns kudos in my book. Thrilling stuff, but dear Lord, the virtual actors at times seem to move like zombies (probably the reason I thought The Polar Express was going to turn into a horror film).

BOOKS: "Queen and Country: Definitive Edition Volume 1", by Greg Rucka: An American writing British espionage stories...that are good? The evidence is here. Plus, a spy caper with a cool female hero. Not the most realistic art here, but it does the job.

45: stimuli for June 8, 2008

2008-06-08T16:32:00.001-07:00

A brief list of my current nuggets of fulfillment:

DVD: "Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Set": This I file under "guilty pleasures". Something about watching Clint Eastwood killing bad guys with a mammoth hand cannon makes a wimpy dude like me happy.

TV: "Lost": Moving an island? Locke in a coffin? Sweet Lord, when will the questions end? Oh wait, in two more seasons. I forgot.

"Battlestar Galactica": Man, I'm starting to get a bit weepy that this is the last season now (and this week's spectacular episode didn't lessen the blow either). "About time". Ah man, now I need some tissues...

MUSIC: Weezer, The Red Album: Me liketh the nerd-rock!

Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple: Nothing says offbeat hip-hop like these cats.

BOOKS: Pride of Baghdad, Brian K Vaughan and Niko Henrichon: A powerful and ultimately heartbreaking story (from one of the writers of Lost and based on an actual event) of a pack of lions who escape their zoo in Baghdad during the end of Saddam's reign. Sure its a comic book (a long-form one to be sure), but its definitely worth checking out for those non-comic fans who want something more challenging than superheroes beating each other senseless. Among my favorite books of the year.

44: 10 albums I’m listening to on my iPod (5/27/08)

2008-05-29T20:57:00.001-07:00

Here's a little list of my current earphone stimuli:

Arcade Fire, Neon Bible: My favorite album of last year, still in rotation.

Black Mountain, In The Future: Solid rock album in the tradition of Queens of the Stone Age and Rush (if that makes sense at all...).

Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica Season 3 soundtrack: One of my favorite music scores on television, and with the reworking of a Bob Dylan tune no less!

Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs: Really good album here.

Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace: Recently got back into this album after a mild lapse.

Kanye West, Graduation: Not his best album, but still some great tunes.

Nine Inch Nails, The Slip: A good album for free? That's what I call thinking outside the box.

Nirvana, Nirvana: A must-have compilation of solid tunes from my teenage years.

Radiohead, In Rainbows: Dind't think this album be hanging around my playlist this long, but I guess that's a good sign.

REO Speedwagon, The Hits: Yea, I said it. REO Speedwagon. Want to take this outside? Let's go then! C'mon!

(long pause)

Hang on, I have to finish listening to "Keep on Lovin' You"...

43: stimuli for May 19, 2008

2008-05-20T21:37:00.002-07:00

DVD: "Cloverfield": Not a bad movie, and luckily doesn't wear out its welcome. By no means is it the greatest thing since the electric car, but it's a decent enough diversion.

MUSIC: Nine Inch Nails, The Slip: Generally when I hear the words "free album", I start thinking bad things. In this case, I was wrong. Not the greatest NIN album, but certainly not the worst.

Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs: Almost missed this one on my shopping list, and boy is this album a good one. Plus, who do you know who would release an 8 1/2 minute song (featured on my mySpace profile page, BTW) as their first single? Among my favorite albums this year.

42: Glutton for Punishment (or how Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer messed up my sleep)

2008-05-15T18:25:00.002-07:00

You know, I happen to occasionally mess up my valued sleep in some way or another. Sometimes I think I bring this kind of pain on myself, whether it be through finishing papers at the last minute or finishing my own personal stuff. In this case, I did it through watching late-night movies on cable. While I watched the Japanese serial killer movie Vengeance Is Mine (one I haven't seen in a long while, but still a bizarre retelling of a serial killer in Japan during the 1960s), that isn't what effed up my sleep. The following movie did that work for me in half the time Vengeance did. That movie?

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

Yeah.

Now, I have heard of this movie before, and honestly didn't watch it (albeit a few brief clips that have popped up here and there) until now. For ye not in the know (or just not interested in emotionally scarring yourself, and I wouldn't hold it against you), let me explain something about Henry: the movie is a very cold and mostly fictional story based on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who claimed to have killed several hundred people during his reign of terror (most of which were proven false). This 1986 movie was not a mega-budget affair (it was made in Chicago for around $100,000), and got held up in ratings purgatory (the dreaded X rating, although in retrospect it wasn't for gore) until it was released unrated in 1989.

The reason it got so much controversy is because of the very creepy way the murders are committed. You don't have a killer smiling or pontificating about his evilness (like say, Silence of the Lambs), but you have a man who kills people in the way people hunt and kill deer: without pause. Instead of a master villain like Hannibal Lecter, you get a true and unnerving sociopath in the form of Henry. This of course is helped by Michael Rooker, who plays Henry (who you may have seen in Slither and Mississppi Burning, among many others) and makes him truly terrifying. You've met guys like Henry before, and when you do, should rightly run in the other direction. Which of course, makes the end of the film even more shocking (I would compare it to the subtle way we as an audience know Anton Chigurh has killed someone offscreen in No Country for Old Men).

While some may think the idea of mid-1980s horror movie that can still be creepy today seems implausible, please keep the following in mind: this is during the advent of VHS and camcorders. The film uses our killer and (at first) reluctant companion's discovery of a video camera to tape their crimes to comment on the voyeuristic tendencies to sensationalize brutal crimes that is in full bloom today. As Henry's friend Otis rewinds the taped murder of a small family (the movie's nastiest sequence, shown through the view of a camcorder's viewfinder), Henry can only ask what's he doing. Otis calmly says, "I want to see it again." And if you wanted to do the same back then, you might be as sick for wishing it. Now, you could linger on brutal crimes over and over again on almost every new network on primetime alone. It makes a CSI rerun look as tame as an afterschool special. Ewww.

The only judgment made against Henry's actions is what the audience thinks. There's no celebration of the murders of innocent people. There is no comeuppance or assurance of good prevailing against evil. It's just happens, and will seemingly go on (if not by Henry, then by some other sociopath brewing in our society) as the twenty years since the movie has proven.

What I'm trying to say is this: I don't think Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is the exploitive trash that many of its detractors would suggest it is, but it might be the most unsettling movies about modern sociopaths I have ever witnessed (and this is from a man who saw the remake of Godzilla...in a movie theatre). It's a good movie for its subject matter, but by no means is this movie for the squeamish or easily traumatized (I can now understand how my older sister felt after watching the end of Seven). I don't regret seeing it, but I'm really not jonesing to see it again anytime soon.

(And if I didn't do an adequate job of warning you about how disturbing this movie is and you decide to watch it, PLEASE don't write me complaining how it screwed you up, okay? If you don't want to risk your immortal soul, write to me for a plot summary. I'm sure I can encapsulate it for you in a less soul damaging way. Or look it up on Wikipedia. Whatever works for ya.)

41: stimuli for February 23, 2008

2008-02-23T21:35:00.001-08:00

While I'm busy doing a truckload of things this week, I managed to get some free time to keep myself entertained with the following:

DVD: "American Gangster": Loved this flick in theaters and passes as a decent timekiller. As good the leads are, I really dig the supporting cast (including the man who appeared THREE effin' times on my best movies of last year list, Josh Brolin!). While not as flashy as some of his earlier work, director Ridley Scott definitely "keeps it real".

"Michael Clayton": A prestige award nominee film that doesn't make me grate my teeth in irritation? It happens rarely, like in this case. Some truly good performances (woe Tom Wilkinson for losing an Oscar for Javier Bardem, but I'm not going to be too sore about that BTW), and some nice twists and turns. Definitely earns a early spot in my best movies I've seen (being the operative word) this year.

I had a slight quip on the Rolling Stones song Wild Horses for this screen grab, but I came to my senses in time.

40: Turning Thirty

2007-12-17T01:59:00.000-08:00

Well, my 30th birthday rolled around yesterday and I spent it resting up, and then going to eat. While waiting for my meal, I managed to watch the recent Cowboys game, and got bummed out a bit, which is not good when having a deep dish Chicago-style pizza for dinner (although due to a ordering error, I got a medium for a the prize of a small one. Decent amount of leftovers...)

Next, I went down to Barnes and Noble and picked up a few little gifts for me, such as The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, (a "purdy" looking book), and a new special edition of one of my favorite movies ever, The Third Man with Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, with a script by Graham Greene. It's a great film about post-World War II Vienna, with a rather clumsy hero, a surprisingly cool antagonist, and a thrilling climax in the sewers. Definitely worth viewing.

Nothing like leftover pizza and great movies to tie off a good day...

"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

39: stimuli for September 25, 2007

2007-09-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a collection of things keeping me busy this week:

CD: Foo Fighters, "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace"- Just got the new album and am loving it!

DVD: "Wall Street": A nice little time capsule of how the eighties were truly bad for us all...music wise, not so much.

BOOKS: "Marvel Zombies": What happens when superheroes become flesh hungry monsters...and still are able to talk? Gross out humor and a LOT of dismemberments is what! Pure-effin'-genius!

"Dust Covers: The Collected Sandman Covers": A great tablebook of some of the best art to EVER grace the front of a comic book...ever.

38: Random musings

2007-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

What is currently in my iPod at this moment:

Fugazi, "Repeater" (punk rock)

Henry Rollins, "Talk Is Cheap, Vol. 2" (a 2 1/2 hour piece--with one hour being about his first trip to a Kiss show...in San Bernandino. That's right--someone got out of San Bernandino...ALIVE.)

Elton John, "Greatest Hits 1970-2002": Yeah, I know...not the most masculine stuff to listen to but, man, there's some great tunes on the first CD...it's all his seventies stuff!

Kanye West, "Stronger" and "Can't Tell Me Nothin'": From his new album.

Also, I still got my FNM post coming up later (on AV Stimuli), so until then, look at this...

As bad as this may appear, maybe young girls would be better off with this instead of those damn Bratz toys...those toys were forged by Lucifer himself!!!

37: Stimuli for the week of September 3, 2007

2007-09-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

MOVIES: "The Simpsons Movie": All hail the spider-pig!

"The Bourne Ultimatum": The fastest two hours of film I've seen this year (sorry, Hot Fuzz).

DVD: "Blades of Glory": Ice skating can be funny. Deal with it.

"Children of Men": Regret missing this one when it came out. Some of the most spectacular camerawork I've seen in a while.

"Friday Night Lights: Season One": A good movie makes a good series? Rarely, but true in this case.

"Heroes: Season One": Just rename this show Hiro and get rid of all this other crap and you got a great show! I'm kidding, somewhat, but not really...

What is it with Will Ferrell sports-themed movies and mascots on fire? First, there was Old School...

Then while watching Blades of Glory, I witnessed this...

I mean, come on... can't there be a Will Ferrell sports-themed movie that doesn't have a mascot on fire?

(long pause)

Well, I did say not on fire...

36: Strange Things...

2007-08-13T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've been drained out after the weird double shot of movie auteurs passing into the great beyond (Antonini and Bergman). Just a while ago, while I was listening to a Joy Division tune of all things ("Atmosphere"), I had read online that their former manager Tony Wilson died recently of a heart atack.

For those who don't know who he is, he was one of the chief architects of the burgeoning pop scene in Manchester, England during the 1980s with Factory Records and the Hacienda nightclub, managing such bands as Joy Division and briefly, New Order. He wrote a book on this time which was made into the very good movie "24 Hour Party People" a few years back. He was even canny enough to appear in the film as a TV director directing...well, Tony Wilson. Must pull that flick out of my DVD storage bin tonight, it's got "good music to chill out to."

"(This) may not be true, but I believe in what John Ford used to say...when deciding if to print the truth or the legend...Print the legend."

35: Other Avenues

2007-08-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as how I post also on MySpace as well (where do I get the time to do this without taking some kind of over-the-counter narcotics?), I thought it would be nice to pull some posts from my blog there to here ("cross-pollination" I believe its called). I should have my regular Friday post called Friday Night Movie posted to my avstimuli.blogspot.com blog as well as previous installments later this week.

Also, in case I didn't bring it up, I am also posting my own little podcast of whatever brain droppings I have at the time. You can download these small files at no charge at: www.geocities.com/rsmon77. My next one should be coming shortly, so I'll let you know when to visit.

Can't wait to hear from you...

34: stimuli for August 1, 2007

2007-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

DVD: "300": The action was great, but jeez, what a way to make me feel sad about my personal appearance by having a bunch of musclar, greased up dudes running around in loincloths. I do need to get a workout however...

"Hot Fuzz": My favorite comedy of this year to date. Sight gags aplenty.

"Hard Boiled": One of the best action films EVER. See why Chow Yun Fat was underused in the last "Pirates of the Carribean" film.

MUSIC: Fair to Midland, Tales of a Mayfly: I'm not sure this is metal, but it sounds fine to me.

Garbage, Absolute Garbage: A simple compilation of songs I already got, but then again, I'm probably a sucker for redheaded Scottish women.

Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist: I wasn't really missing them, but it's glad to see them back (half of them anyway)

COMICS: "World War Hulk": The Hulk comes back from space (long story there) and decides to have a sit down and hug with the heores who sent there in the first place. And by "sit down and hug", I mean HULK SMASH!! Really SMASH!!!

"Yarf! Narf?"

33: current stimuli for June 4, 2007

2007-06-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

TV: "The Sopranos": I've been missing this show over the years. Last week I regretted that decision. OMG! Definitely looking forward to the last episode...
DVD: "The Boondocks: Season One": Easily one of the most offensive, politically incorrect and gut-bustingly funny shows out now. Among my favorite episodes of television ever: Martin Luther King dealing with the present day of black society...and it's not pretty.
MUSIC: "The Fountain" soundtrack by Clint Mansell: Like I mentioned previously, I still don't know what the f**k this movie is about. But I REALLY love the score for this sci-fi romance.
BOOKS: "The Boys: The Name of the Game": Garth Ennis (PREACHER) writes this book about the need to keep decadent and corrupt superheroes in line by teaching them a lesson...a lesson in getting their ass beat and having it handed back to them in a doogie bag.

"I really should have approval over this kind of thing."

32: current stimuli for April 25, 2007

2007-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

MOVIES: "Smokin' Aces": Buckets of blood, large amounts of gunfire, and chainsaw wielding inbred loons? Sounds like I'm in.

"The Venture Bros.: Season Two": Just started this one. The brothers' "multiple deaths" sequence is gut-bustingly funny.

MUSIC: Nine Inch Nails, "Year Zero"

TV: Nada these days.

BOOKS: No time to read right now.

"So you don't want to do this?"

"No, I'm saying I feel better going to Fort Knox and knocking it off with a slingshot. And if I really feel like it, I'll go into hell after Hitler."

31: The Taxman Cometh (and I kick him to the curb...)

2007-04-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am a happy man today. For the first time in a verrrry long time, I am getting money BACK from the government. Weird, because I thought Bush's tax relief would have come sooner, but I guess I don't count because I'm LOWER middle class. But, this info didn't come to me until after I heard about the tragic college shooting this Monday. As I'm trying to get my Master's in English right now, I know that I rely on the campus security in case something truly horrifying happens. Hopefully this is nothing more than an isolated incident, but the last time people were this paranoid about a shooting at a place of education was Columbine High School. Hopefully, paranoia and the need to point fingers won't cloud the ongoing investigation. I'll have to address this in my justaminorcomplaint blog later this week...

So, good luck to you taxpayers this year, and remember...that sore feeling in your butt may not be a rash. You may have just lost A LOT of cash to Uncle Sam. Treat accordingly.

30: current stimuli for April 6, 2007

2007-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

MOVIES: "Grindhouse": Yes, I actually went to see a movie. Defintiely worth checking out in a packed theater.

TV: "South Park": Man, are the Christians and the British gonna be ticked off this Easter.

"The Shield": My favorite corrupt cop show is back with a bang...and Oscar-winner Forest Whittaker to boot. My "Battlestar Galactica" withdrawal has been contained for now.

MUSIC: Incubus, "Light Grenades"

MISC: "SModcast": Listen to Kevin Smith and producer buddy Scott Mosier wax philosophical about everything under the sun, such as why good movies aren't getting much attention. Here's the reason: because "Wild Hogs" speaks to my generation. And the message is: old dudes in leather suits on bikes equals gay jokes and funny. Supposedly funny, I mean.

"Look at the poster for "Black Snake Moan". I mean, you got Samuel Jackson with Christina Ricci in her underwear and in chains. What the f**k is stopping people from seeing this?"

--from "SModcast"

29: Spring Break summary

2007-03-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

As you may know (or don't know, I'm not really sure if anyone's reading this), I was recently out of town during Spring Break. It wasn't to go hang out at the beach or anything like that, although with that many drunk women in attendance, scoring for me would not really be a problem. No, I decided to go down to Mississippi to visit my father's aunt, who was going through cancer treatments. I am optimistic as to the outcome, but I knew it might be prudent to visit. She's a wonderful and sociable person for the many years I have known her. Also, I got to explore a lot of the state's capital, Jackson. Outside of the hills and huge-ass trees, it's a lot like Fresno, my hometown. I barely got home in time to catch up on my sleep (road trips aren't condusive to rest) before going back to the same 'ol rat race.

The time out has recharged me a bit. Considering how busy my summer will be, its nice to get some time away from it all.

For the moment, I'm feeling gloomy...

28: Stu's Favorite Songs of All Time, Part 3

2007-03-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since I continued my list of favorite tunes, so without further ado:

Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here: Before this band went on to mega success with Dark Side of The Moon, their lead singer Syd Barrett disappeared into a haze of paranoid schizofrenia, and recently died of natural causes. With this 1975 title track, the sense of Barrett's loss couldn't be more obvious. Boasting some of the best lyrics I've ever heard, this stands as a quiet and stunning tribute to a fallen comrade. Some critics suggest the band never got past this loss (elements of paranoia and insanity filled the band's latter works, including The Wall), but its a great song nevertheless.

Bob Dylan, Knockin' On Heaven's Door: This little ditty came from a rarely seen Western (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid) from Wild Bunch director Sam Peckinpah that Dylan appeared in. But this tune managed to inspire several covers from Eric Clapton to Guns N' Roses. However, nothing beats the original.

The Psychedelic Furs, Heartbreak Beat: Nice eighties pop, epic and grandiose in scope. And I dig the dirty saxophone too.

New Order, Bizarre Love Triangle: Nice and cool syntheizer music. Gets me in the groove every time.

Massive Attack, Unfinished Sympathy: One of the first really good trip-hop tunes ever. And the album it comes from (Blue Lines) isn't bad either.

The Ramones, Blitzkrieg Bop: Two minutes of high-speed classic punk rock that refuses to slow down in case you feel like its about to run you over. It's just not done like this anymore.

Marc Bolan and T. Rex, (Bang-A-Gong) Get It On: A solid rock tune from the seventies that only hinted at what could have been if its lead singer didn't die tragically.

To be continued another time...

(There's a lot of dead people on this list. A bit depressing. Next time I need to show favorites from artists still breathing...)

27: current stimuli for March 23, 2007

2007-03-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "Casino Royale": If I had any trepidations about a new Bond, I lost it three minutes in. And the women aren't half bad either. I ♥ Eva Green.
"Rocky Balboa": I'm a sucker for sentementiality, and this one got me.
"Re-Animator": One of the most goriest and funniest movies about bringing back dead people ever. Just got a new special edition on DVD, and enjoying every ludicrous moment of it.
TV: "South Park": Ohhhh, "naggers"... oh boy... And yes, putting a friend's penis in your mouth does make you gay. As does giving the thumbs up and taking pictures of it.
"Battlestar Galactica": Man, everyone on this show is going stir crazy. And some are hearing music. And the Cylons are coming. If it's one thing about season finales, they sure know how to pile the pressure on.
MUSIC: Modest Mouse, "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank"; Bob Dylan, "The Best of..."; Mogwai, "Mr. Beast"
"How's your lamb?"
"Skewered. One sympathizes."
--a wonderful exchange from "Casino Royale"

26: Just A Minor Complaint

2007-03-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I promised a new blog, and it is ready for mass consumption. So, just head over to justaminorcomplaint.blogspot.com to start the horror. My first minor complaint is on blondes. Not the smart ones, but the dumb ones. As in the dumb, drunk, borderline psychotic celebrity blondes. Enjoy the hate. I'll be back later...much later...

25: Spring Break, Research and Development

2007-03-07T11:53:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm heading down South for Spring Break next week (I mean the Southern United States, chuckleheads!), and hopefully things will be good. I'm hoping to get some more posts out of the way before that, including...a new blog! Yes, I know...why would I need to do something like that? Don't I have enough useless junk to talk about already? Well, you'd be wrong, mister. It's an opinion blog, which means if you want to really know my viewpoint on the decline of society, you'll be able to soon enough. Details on the way...

In the meantime...

ALL HAIL THE RONNIE MONSTER!!!!

24: current stimuli for March 5, 2007

2007-03-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: “The Prestige”: magicians and bizarre contraptions, oh my!

“Infernal Affairs Trilogy”: The inspiration for “The Departed”. Complex and surprising stuff. Not for those who like subtitles, because that requires reading. For some people, it interferes with their watching.

TV: “24”: What would you do if you had to torture your two-faced brother, threaten to kill him, and then find out your dad’s even worse? If “kill lots of terrorists to relieve the pain” was your answer…
“Battlestar Galactica”: WTFF? Just when I thought one character wasn’t going to buy the farm, they did. I’m still a bit shocked. I’ll need a drink later.
MUSIC: “Talk Is Cheap, Vols. 1-3, Henry Rollins”: This answers the question: “Did he do anything else besides that album that had the song that had the video where he was painted red and jumping up and down?” Yeah, he was Black Flag too, wisearse.
BOOKS: “Civil War”: Moral and political statement about the need for secret identities and where public safety falls in. Plus, superheroes beat the living piss out of each other. So if you don’t like politics, there’s that.
“newuniversal”: You remember many a moons ago when Marvel tried to create a “new universe” of reality based heroes? I don’t remember it too well myself. But, the first few issues are interesting, especially with the writer of Transmetropolitan and Planetary at the helm.
“DMZ”: A gritty book where New York is a hot zone between two forces in another U.S. civil war. No superheroes beating the living piss out of each other, though.
“Spartans, enjoy your breakfast, for tonight, WE DINE IN HELL!!!”

--a wonderful little gem from the upcoming “300”

23: Haiku-mania!

2007-02-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

As a result of learning (curse you, brain!), I went on a binge of writing haikus. For those not in the know, its basically like a poem, with 3 lines and a syllable pattern of 5, 7, 5. Sounds easy, right? At first, no. But eventually, it did become easier. So, in the interest of full disclosure and possible embarassment, here are some selected writings for your reading pleasure:

You are really stressed
It's not all that important
You should just relax

Who can walk alone?
There is still love in the world
Even for the lost

Blonde with big boobies
Why do you even try to act?
Jessica Simpson

I thought the Jessica Simpson haiku made me think a lot more about the nature of life and question my reality. Plus, its NOT a lie. Why does she try?

22: current stimuli for Feburary 18, 2007

2007-02-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "The Departed": Having seen the original Hong Kong film, this remake still managed to be interesting. Very quote worthy. I may have to revise my favorites of 2006 over at AVStimuli for this one.
MUSIC: "Special Herbs: The Box Set", MF Doom: A strange collection of instrumentals and beats from half of Danger Doom.
TV: "Battlestar Galactica": Boy, I'm starting to sound like a broken record with the praise on this one, aren't I?
"The Sarah Silverman Program": Unbelievably wrong and insanely funny. I never thought I would go to hell for watching a TV show until this came along. On the other hand, I would want to go to hell if I was forced to watch "American Idol". Ooohhhhh, sick burn.
"This department has more leaks than the Iraq Navy."
"***k you."
"Can't. I'm tired from ***kin' your wife."
"How's your mother?"
"Fine. She's tired from ***kin' my father."
--a manly exchange worthy of Oscar Wilde wordplay from "The Departed"

21: current stimuli for January 12, 2007

2007-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "Little Miss Sunshine": Dear Lord, someone documented one of my family road trips from childhood...minus the dead relative in the back of the van. "The Descent": One of my favorite fright-flicks from last year. "A Scanner Darkly": Damn. I didn't think I was on drugs until now. I planned to go into rehab after seeing this flick, but luckily, sanity won out.

TV: "Dexter": A serial-killer who kills criminals hunting a serial killer who kills innocent people? A nice little mystery series, with nice flourishes of gallows humor. "24": I managed to get to see the first four episodes of the new season before they came out, and...oh man. The last act of episode four is still a shock to me. Plus, Kiefer Sutherland gets to reenact a scene from "The Lost Boys" on a terrorist...while tied up.

COMICS: "Ex Machina": A superhero book about a hero who becomes the mayor of New York? Surprisingly well done and thought provoking. "Astonishing X-Men": The creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" handles the mutant heroes in their best stories in years. Watching a brainwashed Wolverine behave like a British private schoolboy is worth the price of admission alone.

20: Resolutions (I kept a few…)

2007-01-01T01:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I managed to fulfill many of last year’s resolutions (that I probably shouldn’t have revealed). Among them, I managed to post more on both my blogs, nearly double my 2005 posts, which means almost monthly! Wow, now I’m just semi-lazy as opposed to being just lazy. I kept off the weight, I am happier than I’ve been in a long time, and I got a girlfriend. Waitaminute…that was the one I didn’t do well on. Ewww… well, I almost had them all.
For this year I will resolve to…
(Hold on a second, maybe I should follow my plan of last year and NOT resolve to do my resolutions this year. Well, outside of one failure, maybe it’ll work. Okay, then let’s do this…)
I resolve NOT to get a girlfriend.
Yep, that’s it. The only one. Like I said, the others went really well and outside of that glaring one, I can’t think of anything better I resolve to do. Or NOT do…
With that in mind, hopefully you all reading (whoever you are) are and will have a wonderful new year, and remember…resolve not to do a thing! Wait, is that right? Oh man, I got think through this again…

19: Yuletide (or Holiday) Cheer

2006-12-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

From me to you (“you” being the only person who may be reading this), hopefully you and your family are having a merry Christmas. I’ll be busy until 2007, because I got resolutions to make and some to keep. See you at New Year’s Day…

18: Stu's Favorite Songs of All Time, Part 2

2006-12-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

As promised, a continuation of the list I started a while back (in case you were actually interested in my inane ramblings):

Isaac Hayes, Walk On By: Dionne Warwick did this Burt Bacharach penned tune, but this version of it has lingered on in my brain for some reason. It’s slower, but a lot more funky.

Sarah McLachlan, Possession: Okay, I confess. This one is odd, especially knowing me. And especially since the subject matter its based on is equally disturbing. This pre-Lilith Fair tune though is quite mesmerizing.

Motorhead, Ace of Spades: Considering the previous two entries, this seems rather a sharp left turn in musical taste. However, this two and a half minute speed metal classic gets me up and roaring. It makes me want to grow my hair out like I did some years back.

The Brothers Johnson, Strawberry Letter 23: If you ever seen Jackie Brown, you might remember this as the tune that Samuel Jackson plays taking Chris Tucker to his death in the trunk of a car. It’s still a nice jam nonetheless.

Run-D.M.C., Rock Box: One of the reasons many white boys in the eighties love rap, myself among them, is these Adidas wearing guys. While some will argue other tunes from them as their favorite (It’s Tricky, Walk This Way), this one is it for me.

The Cure, Pictures of You: Wasn’t big into the Goth scene or The Cure growing up, but now I really dig it, especially this particular tune.

The Smiths, How Soon Is Now: Another Goth-oriented classic. Nice, smooth, and moody. Love them distorted guitars.

The Rolling Stones, Tumbling Dice: One of my top favorites in the favorites folder. The Stones get into a bluesy riff and make a really great tune to listen and sing to in the car. “Got to roll me…”

To be continued again another time…

17: current stimuli for November 24, 2006

2006-11-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "Hard Candy": A mind-eff for guys. Especially for you guys who love your privates.
"Mission: Impossible III": I quite liked this one, despite any controversy about Mr. Cruise. "Slither": Nasty, sticky fun with bugs and "some f---ed up sh-t". "Hot Fuzz" (trailer): The guys of "Shaun of the Dead" take on cops, and from what I can see, hilarity ensues.
MUSIC: Deftones, "Saturday Night Wrist", Muse, "Black Holes and Revelations"
TV: "Battlestar Galactica": BEST. SEASON. EVER. "South Park": The recent Buck Rogers parody had me crying and laughing in pain.
"Is it true that if you shoot a certain part of the human head, it will explode?"

16: Thanksgiving Sleep-In?

2006-11-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

Well, hopefully those three (let's face it, probably one) person(s) reading this hopefully enjoyed their Thanksgiving. Me, I'm still recovering from the stuffing I made. Dear Lord, why do I have to be such a good cook of fattening foods? I'm trying to keep off the pounds as it is! Also, I spent this vacation time to update my other blog: http://avstimuli.blogspot.com with some new reviews and also got my TV working again. Hooray for me! More ramblings very soon...

15: Current Stimuli for October 10, 2006

2006-10-10T00:33:00.000-07:00

MOVIES: "United 93": One of the most gripping films I have seen in a long time, and my favorite film of this year. "The Proposition": A Western in the Outback? Well, color me shocked by this one. "X-Men: The Last Stand": Not as bad as some would claim, more like "Return of The Jedi" than "Return of The King". "300 (trailer)": One of my favorite comics becomes a movie, and it looks good too. March is seeming closer now...
MUSIC: The Killers, "Sam's Town"; Jet, "Shine On"; Audioslave, "Revelations"; Gnarls Barkley, "St. Elsewhere"
TV: "Battlestar Galactica": Just saw the third season opener and am still in awe.
"The Office": I came to this one late, and am kicking myself for it.
"South Park": A new episode on "World of Warcraft" that kept me in stitches. Only because I know people who play, but they are no where as far gone as on that episode. "Mom, more Hot Pockets!"

14: Stu's Favorite Songs of All Time, Part 1

2006-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone’s got them, myself included. The songs that you just stop and listen to. So, I thought in the interest of disclosure, I’d share a few of my favorite songs ever in this posting (with more to follow):

Led Zeppelin, Over the Hills and Far Away: Out of the many great songs this band has managed to create, why this one? The guitar from Jimmy Page and vocals by Robert Plant in the first two minutes is reason enough for me to keep listening. The rest of it is as good.

This Mortal Coil, Song to the Siren: Man, I don’t even know how to explain this one. While not a band in the normal sense (it was a project involving artists who were on the same label), this one from their album It’ll End in Tears still haunts me every time I hear it. Something about Liz Fraser’s vocals on this linger on in my brain. It’s popped up in a few commercials here and there, but my discovery of this goes back to the David Lynch movie Lost Highway, where two of the main characters make love in the desert. Naked. Under car lights. Not my cup of tea when it comes to lovemaking, but the song seemed to last in my mind longer than that movie did.

Public Enemy, Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos: A rough and tough tale of black men busting out of prison. Deeply political, and for a song done in 1988, the opening lines of this one still stick out: I got a letter from the government the other day/ I opened and read it and said they were suckas. Preach on, brother Chuck D.

AC/DC, Back In Black: A great rock tune if there ever was one. I need to crank this up whenever I hear it.

Jimi Hendrix, Foxy Lady: Just about the majority of Jimi’s tunes would fit in this list in my opinion, but this one gets the mojo going. If you're not into this one ladies, I just don’t know what to think of you.

Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence: My cousin in Fresno and I dig this song. The production on this one is amazing, as I think it’s the band’s greatest musical hurrah.

To be continued another time…

13: current stimuli for May 7, 2006

2006-05-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

MOVIES: "King Kong": Long movie, but still good. Never did I think I'd see a movie with tragic love AND dinosaurs. Beat that, "Jurassic Park". "Walk the Line": I like Johnny Cash's music, so this was a no-brainer for me. "Network": One of my favorite movies ever. Ever ten minutes has something quote worthy. Ahead of its time, and still surprising as ever. MUSIC: Pearl Jam, "Pearl Jam"; Tool, "10,000 Days"; Anthony Hamilton, "Comin' Up Where I'm From" (loved this one when it came out, and now back on my jukebox again); Ides of March, "Vehicle" (a 70's soul gem you probably heard before, but just don't remember). "Think about it. A hour of airline crahses. Automobile smash-ups. The Death Hour. Fun for the whole family. It'll knock that ****in' Disney right off the air." --from Network (1976)

12: Someone forgot the first two rules of Fight Club...

2006-05-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Being born in Fresno, California, I can claim with some assurance that when I ended up in a fight, no one videotaped them and posted them on the Internet. Not say, like the recent video of two girls in my hometown duking it out on a street that was posted on MySpace not too long ago. Now, while this is a good thing this is being dealt with by the police, it does beg the question: are our young criminals getting dumber every year? Since when do you tape evidence, and then post it online where EVERYBODY can see? Doesn’t really help your defense now, does it? A few years ago, some kids taped themselves firing paintballs at people from a moving car. Guess what else they taped? The cops that pulled them over and busted them! I suppose the bright side of this is that it may be a good thing that these young “gangstas” in training aren’t wising up. It makes it easier to put them in prison. Remember…”do not talk about Fight Club”, and “DO NOT TALK about Fight Club.”

11: Everything's Not Okay, April (I Promise)

2006-04-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

Ah April, how I hate thee…let me count the ways. Tax time, rising gas prices, and nary a budget to pay it all in. I do find it very disturbing that Easter Sunday occurs the day before taxes are due in the mail this year. It’s almost a conspiracy. A day of prayer and celebration for Jesus before getting turned into a human money piñata for Uncle Sam. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad or as painful if I didn’t have to pay 3 bucks for a gallon of gas…Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve never liked April…as a month. It’s the month that reminds me of those “Peanuts” cartoons where Lucy props up the football for Charlie Brown to kick, only to pull it away from him at the last minute, dropping him on his back. Well, I’d like to leave this special message for April (excluding Easter, of course): EFF YOU APRIL! EFF YOU UP THE EFFIN’ EAR! There, I said it…Come on, May, hurry up and get here, why don’t ya!

10: stimuli for February 18, 2006

2006-02-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "The Constant Gardener": A favorite of mine from last year. DVD: "The Outsiders: The Complete Novel": Interesting story I have about this movie and how it came to be made, but I'll bring that up another time. TV: "24": 'A soap opera for action movie buffs'? More like rock cocaine for me. Not that I have had any rock before, but its that addictive for me. MUSIC: Death Cab For Cutie, "Soul Meets Body", Foo Fighters, "Resolve", Kanye West, "Touch the Sky", Coldplay, "Kingdom Come".

9: hugs and kisses

2006-02-17T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Valentine's Day has come and gone. I thought I'd offer a belated greeting to all the ladies I've known and to those who seem to know me. Hope you all weren't lonely this 14th. Nothing but love here for ya. Cheesy to say, I know. But I once said I've got the heart of a romantic and the mind of a cynic. The mind got beat today. For the cynics, I'm sorry.

8: Resolutions

2006-01-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's another year and another time to make resolutions regarding my life. However, as I have discovered, keeping them is harder than it is to make them. So, in order to stop the jinx this year, here is the list of things I resolve NOT to do: --I resolve NOT to post as many posts as I do on my blogs: --I resolve NOT to enjoy being myself; --I resolve NOT to spend as little and to NOT save my money; --I resolve NOT to eat so little; --I resolve NOT to be positive; --I resolve NOT to experience new things; and --I resolve NOT to get a girlfriend. See, now that I've resolved not to do the following, that means it will happen. Hot damn, I like reverse psychology. I'll do my best to fulfill my resolutions, especially the blog postings one. I mean, I'll try not to post as much as I do. Waitaminute, I thought I was going to post more. Ummm.....I think I confused myself. Didn't resolve NOT to confuse myself. Or is it the other way around? Ugh. I'll have to sleep on that one...

7: current stimuli for November 6, 2005

2005-11-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

MOVIES: "Batman Begins": made me forget about the horror of bat nipples. "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith": Am I still a man if I admit I got choked up at the end of this? If I'm not, then I didn't choke up. Sniff. Seriously. "Land of The Dead": Zombies become intelligent? What's next? Zombies that run like olympic sprinters? Oh wait... TV: "South Park": Offensive and funny as hell. The recent "gay marriage" episode truly left me agog. "Battlestar Galactica": A remake minus furry-robot thingies. And lovable kids. They both would be used as Cylon target practice by now. MUSIC: Depeche Mode, "Precious": More grooving, less moping here than the Mode has had recently. Weezer, "We Are All On Drugs": I think the title explains it all. It's about sweaters...coming undone... Kanye West, "Gold Digger": I don't care how many times this has been on the radio, but I like this, and the album ain't bad either. System of A Down, "Hypnotize": Whacked-out Armenian rap metal opera-something that I find myself digging.

6: High School Reunion

2005-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I recently went to my ten year high school reunion (ten years!). Now, going into these kind of things is very difficult. One reason is because of your attire. Do you go casual or do you go formal? Tie or no tie? For me, I was rather concerned because at the time, I had recently watched “Grosse Pointe Blank” again and really did not want to give the impression of someone pretending NOT to be a professional killer, so I erred to the side of caution on this one. Then there’s the meeting and greeting process. Do you hug or shake hands? Should your responses be more than “How are you?” “Really?” “Talk to ya later, then.”? Should you ask for a picture only because your memory’s so bad and have a narrow range of focus? Always vary in meet and greet. Now some would consider this a good opportunity to get lucky (as many men would). In my case, that was highly unlikely due to the following: my schedule (as I flew in for my reunion), lack of single women, and of course, modesty. So yes, my dance card was empty that night. In the end though, that wasn’t such a bad thing. I really had a good time, and was really happy to see a lot of the people I knew (and in some cases tormented) back then and see that things were working out well for them. Having parents who didn’t go to their ten-year reunions and a sister who almost did (but not quite) does tend to darken the view on showing up. However, I had a great time and it turns out I really missed high school. Man, I can’t believe I said that. Must be getting old… "Life is full of surprises...it advertises...nothing."

5: A&V Stimuli

2005-05-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note: future reviews (like on the previous post) will now be on http://avstimuli.blogspot.com Will be back with more useless crap...

4: Crime pays (by the pound of flesh)-Shield: Season 3

2005-04-03T00:37:00.000-08:00

This review is in regards to the third season of "The Shield", which is available on DVD now. The weird thing I've discovered about third seasons to many TV shows is that if your first two were great, your third will seem less so. By this time, the novelty and freshness that most audiences find will seem to disappear. To some degree, this is to be expected. The fresh new puppy on the block becomes one of the dogs. Out of the most recent surge of popular and edgy TV shows of the last five years, only a scant few can claim to still be edgy after two seasons. One reason this happens is because of familiarity. Characters we have come in with since episode one are still around, and until otherwise, we have no reason to believe they will ever leave or dramatically change. Shows like Alias and 24, while still producing great cliffhanger television, have had their share of criticism regarding this problem with their third seasons. Sure the characters are going through a lot of physical and mental drama, but something's missing. This is not for the lack of creativity on the writers' part, but eventually, everybody can become comfortable in their slot before too long. A rare case is the third season that really keeps an audience off-balance like it was the very first episode. Which brings me (finally) to the third season of The Shield. Being a fan of the show since it came out, I have to confess that like many viewers when discovering their favorite show won't be back with new episodes for months, you wonder if it'll still be good after a long withdrawal (although with DVD, it's a tad bit more bearable). Will my good show still be good when it comes back? Will it be still fresh after I last saw it? And what a closer the second season had. The Strike Team (led by maverick cop Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis) managed to get a huge score after ripping off the Armenian mob; their politically ambitious captain Acevedo (played by Benito Martinez) gets a huge step closer to gaining political power to clean up the Farmington district of Los Angeles; one of the precinct's veteran homicide detectives Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) is about to be promoted to captain of the precinct. Unfortunately, Mackey is living estranged from his wife and kids, beat cop Danny (Catherine Dent) is fired from her job, while her partner Julien (Michael Jace) has been “outed” in his precinct and takes a brutal hazing as a result. As season three starts, the Strike Team is sitting on the cash they got and playing it cool (you know, in case spending money on a girlfriend's new car on a cop's salary seems a tad too suspicious to Internal Affairs). However, as a gang war is about to break out, Mackey and his boys find themselves in the thick of it. Oh, and as if sitting on a sh*tload of cash, heavily armed gangbangers, and internal tension between them all isn't enough, there's still the matter of the Armenian mobsters who want to know where their missing money is... There's no way to get too comfortable on this show, and especially for too long. Claudette finds her promotion and her career under constant threat, Julien is trying to live a normal Norman Rockwell family life while dealing with his suppressed homosexuality, the Strike Team deals with personal dilemmas while having to deal with competition from a transferred Decoy Squad, and Acevedo deals with an event so traumatic to ANY heterosexual male (shot as tastefully as something like this can be shot, thankfully), you realize that if the "reset button" on this show hadn't been used for target practice, it was after this season. A lot of this tension can be credited to the writers, who seem to have as much joy of pushing these characters to their limits (and in some cases) beyond it. A minor bit of tension between Mackey's partner and friend Shane (Walton Goggins) and team newbie Tavon turns from minor prejudice to an balls-out brawl that LOOKS like a balls-out brawl. Acevedo goes from being on top of the world, to planning revenge and becoming an psychological train wreck. There's the serial rapist case that makes good guy detective Dutch (Jay Karnes) commit a truly cold-blooded act sure to make animal lovers squirm in horror. And there's the reappearance of a insane Armenian hitman from the first season (played by series writer Kurt Sutter) that tests the Strike Team to its breaking point. Then there's the actors themselves, while being comfortable in their own shoes, bring out new levels of emotion and energy that keep this thoroughly involving. Michael Chiklis plays a cop who is trying to juggle chainsaws, personally and professionally, and like many people, failing miserably (albeit with more dire consequences). Benito Martinez manages to really take what must have read as an "over the line" storyline and turn it into a creepy examination on someone with a lingering mental scar that won't disappear no matter what power he has gained (although, the latter turns out to be useful when dealing with one of his assailants in a powerful highlight of this season). Even Shane and good-hearted Lemonhead (Kenneth Johnson) turn into truly interesting characters, making the final scene of the season more shocking and powerful, because it doesn't end with a literal explosion, but an implosion that rocks the Strike Team to its foundation. And of course, there's L.A. itself. The city becomes a character in its own right. You couldn't fake L.A. in Vancouver or anywhere else. The environment of the show screams "we're gritty, we're L.A.", as it damn well should. I once read that the script for the movie Collateral was set in New York. In retrospect, L.A. seemed like the most obvious place to put it. Likewise, you couldn't do The Shield in New York or in Chicago. After fifteen episodes of intense, edgy entertainment (that manages to be as good, and in some cases, better the the last twenty odd episodes before), do I expect familiarity from this how going into season four? Do I expect a happy ending to come from all of this internal turmoil and professional chaos? Well, consider one of the more upbeat endings of a show in season three: after a horrific personal violation, one character is seen doing the most rational thing they can do, which is drench their guts out in the precinct bathroom. What do you think?

3: stimuli for April 2, 2005

2005-04-03T00:25:00.000-08:00

DVD-- "Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex", "Heat", "Raging Bull" MUSIC--Garbage-"Why Do You Love Me", Nine Inch Nails-"The Hand That Feeds", Theory of a Deadman-"No Surprise", Audioslave-"Be Yourself", Queens of the Stone Age-"Lullabies to Paralyze" MOVIES: "Sin City" TV: "The Shield", "24", "Robot Chicken", "The Venture Brothers" BOOKS: "100%" by Paul Pope

2.5: In my long absence...

2005-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

The first thing to bring up is the long gap is entries. Well, here's what happened in that time that kept me from posting anything remotely readable: Jack. And sh*t. That rotten lazy routine got into me again, and well, here's the end result. However, I made a New Year's resolution to be more proactive in my blogging, and...I shouldn't have said that out loud. Damn... Anyway, hope to have a new post shortly. So, until then...

2: stimuli for September 12, 2004

2004-09-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

DVDs: Clerks: 10th Anniversary Edition, Dawn of The Dead: Ultimate Edition -------Music: Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of The Moon", The Killers, "Hot Fuss"-------- TV: excluding "Reno 911!", nada.

1

2004-09-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

Well, for the privileged few who have managed to find this blog (mostly because I sent them e-mails, no doubt), well, some good news and some bad news. Good news: I plan on updating this as frequently as possible with my opinions, critiques of just about eveything. Bad news: I have a rather nasty habit of not staying on schedule (especially those I set for myself), but hopefully, I can bust this trend. I don't plan on posting every day, but at the very least, when I do, I'll make it worth the time. So, until the next post...