... That's gonna leave a mark.

I'll make this post short and sweet. Just throwing up the links to a couple recent slideshows I've done for Citypages:
Solera "Communion" Opening Party 5.30.2010
Paul Van Dyk at Epic 5.21.2010

Solera was an absolute blast; I can't wait to spend my Sunday afternoons on the rooftop enjoying sangria in the sun. Paul Van Dyk was also quite the show -- the stage set-up was unlike anything I've seen in a while.  The few photos I've uploaded thus far don't really do the lighting and stage justice, so just hold your horses for now. (Many more shots from both shows to be uploaded soon. I think I took over 300 photos at PVD.) The only bummer about PVD was the epic fall I took on stage after tripping (curse you, secret stage parts covered in black cloth in the dark!), and the only bad part about Solera was the hangover I was nursing on Monday (4pm-2am will do that to a girl). Coming up, photos from this Friday's Solid Gold show at First Ave; next weekend I've got Kaskade to shoot, too.  With that, I'll post some music.

New release from disco house favorite LLR:
Louis La Roche - Missing You (w/ Ad-Apt)

Speaking of disco, Grum just released a full album called "Heartbeats." It's cheesy, but it's got a couple gems, such as "Runaway." Love it.

A new video popped up from Lolla artist Stars today (video's kind of lame but the song is damn catchy... very Metric-esque, IMO):

Five Functional Fashion Faux-Pas

...The alliteration stops here, I promise. 

Memorial Day Weekend is a few hours away, which means summer is officially here. Gladiator sandals, jumpsuits, over-the-knee socks... bring on the warm-weather fashion trends.  Let's take a look at five trends that would make our lives easier if they'd just hurry up and become trendy already.

 #1. Fanny Packs
I'll start with the most obvious choice -- the infamous fanny pack. Although the nomenclature hasn't evolved, the bag itself has. This unisex purse-meets-backpack is rarely worn on the actual fanny in the back -- it's much more stylish on your hip. Gone are the days when fanny packs are reserved for trips to Valleyfair or Como Zoo; with the recent  resurgence of the F.P. (thanks, hipsters!), you can find them en masse at your local Urban Outfitters or American Apparel. Bonus: they now come in many more varieties and colors than your standard black nylon. Regardless of the fashionable or unfashionable nature of the F.P., they sure are functional, giving you easy-access to your shit. Whether it's your ironic sunglasses & pack of cigs or your 75 SPF sunscreen & extra moist towelettes at the ready, the F.P. is there for you... and Chuck Norris.


#2. Croakies
Never forget!  Although still popular with fishermen, hunters, and just with dads in general, I would venture to say the sunglass strap, a.k.a. "the Croakie" is no longer in vogue in most social circles. This is not to say they don't serve their purpose; on the contrary, these bitches serve up extreme functionality. Attach one of these bad boys to your Ray Bans or your Oaklies (or Fauxklies for the more frugal among us) and fuggedaboutit. Don't worry about stretching out your shades with your big forehead. Stop checking your hair in that mirror. No need to hook your sunglasses on your Lacoste collar or shoving one sunglass arm into your cleavage. Excessively-sweaty? Who cares! Let those shades slide right off your face. Croakie's got your back.


#3. Cell Phone Belt Clip
Obama's doing it, so it must be cool. Or, at the very least, acceptable. Right? While I do not see the functionality of a cell phone clip for women (if you're not using a purse then you've got your fanny pack!), I do understand the appeal for men. I suppose the bluetooth ear piece isn't for everyone, and not everyone feels comfortable rocking the man-purse. And unless you're wearing cargo pants, some pockets just aren't big enough.  While I've owned both a fanny pack and a hot pink croakie in my day, I've never rocked the cell phone belt clip. Mostly because I usually don't wear belts. I did, however, own a transparent green beeper circa 1998 and I would clip that on the outside of my jeans... apparently to let people know how awesome I was. Never miss a call again with your cell phone just in reach. Make sure to pair this look with an equally un-cool obnoxious ringtone, and you're in business. Can we dig it? Yes we can!




#4. Comfortable Women's Shoes

"There's a Clarks to fit every lifestyle." Really? Is there?  I recently embarked on a journey to shoe stores around the Twin Cities metro, in search of a comfortable, yet fashionable, sandal. Really I was looking for a summer sandal in which I could handle an all-day Solera rooftop marathon (or the like).  You know... dancing shoes. Turns out, the shoe I had conjured up in my mind doesn't exist in reality. There are shoes for the fashion-conscious, with lots of bells and whistles  -- I think they're called 'embellishments' in the industry :) -- then there are shoes for waitresses, nurses, and other careers where you're on your feet all day.  And apparently, if you're on your feet all day, you could care less if you have an empty box of kleenex duct taped around your foot (just so long as it's comfy!), because there are no cute, comfortable shoes. Well, hold on. Let me clarify: They are few and far between. Some companies, such as Nine West or Liz Claiborne, make stylish shoes that are pretty comfortable. They're bearable to go out in, or walk around in, but give it a few hours and your dogs will be barking.  Shoes that cater to the older crowd that has traded cuteness for ultra-comfort, such as Clarks, Born, Naturalizer, what have you... well let's just say, when it comes to stylish shoes, they're trying, but not hard enough. Things would be so much easier for the fairer sex if, like Uggs did a few years ago, these kinds of shoes would just end up on runways as the "new hot thing this season." (Editor's note: I got a couple pairs of Aerosoles sandals, but the jury's still out.)


#5. Hoodless Sweatshirts

Since I've covered mostly summer fashions thus far, I figured I needed to round out my list with some winter apparel. And what's more comfortable on a cold day than throwing on a hoodie? I'll tell you what is: a non-hoodie. College kids have got it all wrong, man. Those hoods are obtrusive; they get all stiff and bunched up on the back of your neck. If you're thinking about wearing a winter coat on top of a hoodie, you'll need a buddy to help flatten the hood out over the coat's collar. You'll also need a coat that's sized appropriately, because that's a lot of extra material you're adding. Instead, let's go back to those Champion sweatshirts and just nix the hood. Who actually wears the hood up, anyway? These golden oldies could stand for a few improvements, though. Let's loosen up the cuffs so they don't cut off circulation; the neck opening could use a bit more elasticity, as well.  The popularity of ugly Christmas sweater parties (and again, the hipsters) have already started the Hoodless Sweatshirt Renaissance, so all we need to do is keep the dream alive.



Honorable Mentions

Visors: Sometimes sunglasses just don't cut it, and no one likes hat hair.

Biker Shorts: Arguably one of the least-flattering fashions of the last century, they still served their purpose. After all, leggings aren't appropriate when it's 99% humidity in August.


Stirrup Leggings: You pull up the waistband, your leggings become capris. Which is fine if you're wearing heels, but not so great if you're wearing boots or booties. Unless this is the Victoria era and a flash of ankle is scandalously sexual.

Umbros: Easy, breezy, not-so-beautiful.

... Don't lick the dish until it cools down.

Alright kids, I'm giving up my stand-by hors d'o-- hors d'oeuvr-- ahh screw it, my favorite party appetizer.  I've made this dozens of times, even trying a few variations here and there (substituting different cheese or low-cal ingredients) -- I did try to adapt the recipe to be acceptable in the crock pot (imagine... bubbling, cheesy dip, piping hot for hours instead of the fleeting few moments right out of the oven with the original version), but I've yet to figure that one out without making a big burnt cheese mess to deal with at the end. We'll stick to the Rachael Ray original here, with a few pro tips.

Gather round, ingredients:
- 8 slices center-cut bacon
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1.5 cups of shredded Swiss cheese
- 3 scallions
- 1/2 cup or more of chopped "smoked" almonds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Take the package of the cream cheese out of the fridge and set out on the counter to soften it up a bit. Fry up the bacon (or microwave if you prefer, whatever floats your boat), let air dry on paper towels. I like to make the bacon pretty crispy -- it chops up easier and adds a bit more crunch in the dip. Chop up the scallions and bacon to small pieces (the smaller the better, in my opinion -- remember this is going to be dip, so the perfect scoop of dip should have bacon and scallion).

Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl, and throw in the mayo, mustard, and cream cheese. One and a half cups of shredded Swiss cheese is three-quarters of a normal size package of pre-shredded Kraft or Sargento cheese, but if you wanted to be fancy with it you could grate your own. The cheese goes in the bowl, too, as does the scallion and bacon bits. Stir it all together with a spatula. Transfer the mixture into a small baking dish or casserole (a glass pie dish is perfect), and lightly smash it down a bit. Don't worry about flattening it out all nice smooth, it's gonna melt. It should look something like this:

It may look yummy, but trust me, this isn't brownie batter, resist licking the spatula unless you enjoy a spoonful of mayo from time to time.  If the oven's ready to go, throw the dish in there and set the timer for 15 minutes.

While the dip is baking, you can use a Slap Chop or the like to chop up some smoked almonds for the top. You can also use a chopping knife, but I find the seasoning on the smoked almonds flies everywhere when chopping with a knife. You may be tempted to buy the pre-sliced package of "sliced almonds" in the grocery store-- don't do it. Unless some grocery store carries the smoky ones already chopped up, which I've never seen. Grab a little can that says "Smokehouse" on it and chop those suckers up, pretty coarsely unless you want almond dust on the top of your dip.

After 15 minutes (or a few more, depending on your oven it could be more like 17 or 18 minutes -- look for bubbling, golden brown edges), take the dish out and sprinkle your chopped almonds all over the top. Have some crackers or carrots or bread or your hand ready to dig right in -- this baby's best right out of the oven. My dipping tool of choice is those flat pretzel crisps.  Enjoy -- it will go fast, and your guests will ask what's in it. A plus: it reheats alright (oven > microwave) -- not that you'll have any leftover. Mmmmm, cheese and bacon.

... It's the number one new track on Pitchfork.

A new single called "Celestica" from Crystal Castles has been all over the internet this last week. Did anyone expect anything less than awesome?



Also, this video is taken with a much cooler and newer version of my SLR, the Canon 7D.  Jealous. Who wants to buy me one?

... Yes, Roger Ebert, you're a square.

Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool? Will I seem hopelessly square if I find “Kick-Ass” morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point?... A movie camera makes a record of whatever is placed in front of it, and in this case, it shows deadly carnage dished out by an 11-year-old girl, after which an adult man brutally hammers her to within an inch of her life. Blood everywhere. 
          - Roger Ebert's Review of 'Kick Ass'

Ebert used to be my go-to guy for movie reviews. Unfortunately for me (alright, alright... more so for him), he had a stroke, and now he's about as reliable as that mood ring I purchased at Afterthoughts in the mall circa 1993.  While he's never been much for appreciating the element of surprise, often relying on revealing entirely too much about the plot in his reviews, I can almost always find something we both agree upon. In this case, he points out in his scathing review that the movie has untapped potential. I wholeheartedly agree, but it's where that potential lies that Rog and I disagree.

'Kick Ass' flip-flopped a bit too much for me. It's like it couldn't quite decide what kind of movie it was. Am I watching a satire on comic books? Or on comic-book-inspired movies? An homage? A farce? Forgiving myself for not being familiar with the original material, I ignored these questions and just decided to roll with it. But they kept popping up. There's a scene when our heroes are in dire straits and the familiar voice of the protagonist narrates that the audience member is probably reassuring himself that everything is going to be okay... but that he should stop expecting a happy ending. Besides, hadn't we seen 'Sin City'? This voice-over made the wannabe-cinephile in me wish there was more of this kind of material, crafted towards those in the audience who were "in the know." But that's been done... sort of... (The best example I can think of is 'Hot Fuzz' for action movies... I'm having a hard time thinking of a comic-book-specific example... if one exists.)

And while the dark humor of the movie (i.e. the way we're introduced to Big Daddy and Hit Girl, involving some father-daughter target practice) might point to making fun of the genre, I never really felt like that's what director Matthew Vaughn was trying to convey. So, let's just assume the ludicrousness of it all is supposed to lead to its inherent awesomeness. I can dig that. (But then again, other parts of the movie seem to be throwing reality in the face of the typical comic book plots: Our hero's first attempt at fighting crime almost sends him home in a body bag.)  As one article states, "Yes, it’s transgressive to have a young female character portrayed as a non-stop killing machine, but no more so than it is absurd, and therein lies the zest of the comedy."

The early scenes give promise of an entirely different comedy. Aaron Johnson has a certain anti-charm, his problems in high school are engaging, and so on. ... Say what you will about her character, but Chloe Grace Moretz has presence and appeal. Then the movie moved into dark, dark territory, and I grew sad. 

Yet again, Strokey McStrokerton is back to his old tricks. Don't be sad, Roger! That "dark, dark territory" redeems the entire movie! Maybe I'm cynical, or trying too hard to be one of the cool kids, or maybe it's because the back of my drivers license reads "Firearm Safety" because of that course I took in 6th grade (age 11, for the record). But speaking for myself, I could have done with less mediocre teen comedy and more shoot-outs and martial arts scenes.

That's literally my only complaint about the movie.  It seemed a bit disjointed: one minute we're chuckling at the awkward teenager jerking off to droopy boobs, the next minute we're watching a guy explode in an industrial-sized lumber microwave. I realize movies need to set up the characters, but come on, it's rated R! Maybe it was a pacing problem. Once I caught a glimpse of an 11-year-old going all "Bride on the Crazy 88's" and saving Kick Ass's ass in that apartment, I thought we had left the land of slightly funny coming-of-age B.S.; I was ready to buckle my seatbelt for the rest of the movie. Sadly, I had to wait until the very end for the climactic shoot-out scenes to be fully satisfied. 

But oh, what a climax. I wish I could fulfill the prophecy that is the name of this blog and give it all away, but that goes against my principles. :) The first time I'd ever seen a shoot-out sequence filmed in pitch black was in 'Equilibrium' and I was blown away then, too. The addition of a maniacal Nic Cage and the shooter being prepubescent made it all the more epic. Roger Ebert would probably call me a bloodthirsty sociopath for thinking there needed to be more of this kind of thing in 'Kick Ass' -- but at least I remain a safe distance aware from "square," because that's obviously what it's all about for us crazy kids.

... It's the sound of my shoes.

There was an old woman who lived in her shoes. That woman, apparently, is me.  Now, I always knew I had a lot of shoes.  So it came as no surprise to me, when I went through my closet today looking for a minimum of a dozen pairs of shoes to donate, that I found 25 pairs to part with. Three of which I was able to sell to a consignment store (woohoo sixteen dollars!); apparently the remaining pairs will be appearing at your local Goodwill store, next to the Babysitters Club CD-ROM or Deepak Chopra book on tape.

Quickly earning the nickname Imelda from my mom (after Imelda Marcos, known for owning 3,000 pairs of shoes), I knew I must own my fair share of footwear, but had never before counted.  However, while I'm happy to report I only own the equivalent of 3% of Imelda's legacy (in number alone and not monetary value, I'm sure -- I clocked in at 106 pairs before donations), my collection was a little astounding to say the least. I mean, some of these shoes I was wearing before I was of legal drinking age (a.k.a. I remember wearing a particular pair of said shoes while taking shots of gin with a gin and grape juice chaser in the dorms... don't tell the R.A.)  To my defense, I narrowed it down to only a dozen pairs of flip-flops, and nearly half my shoes are stored as winter shoes or boots. Still, I feel a little like if I'm not careful I'm gonna wind up on the next episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive.

... You don't already know this from my Facebook.

Facebook is starting to freak me out.  I realized long ago, some time between graduating from college and present day, it became totally acceptable to be an online stalker.  At one point the only way to navigate through Facebook was to stalk (crunk juice stalk it out). Your start page was your own profile, and if you wanted to find out what’s up with your friends or that certain someone you have an unhealthy obsession with, you simply searched for their profile page and looked to see if they’d recently updated their favorite movies, quotes, or if someone had written on the graffiti-esque “wall” (totally editable by all users).

Then came the dawn of the “feed,” and OMG.  Even lackadaisical Facebook users are now taunted to stalk as much as humanly possible upon each log on.  Eventually a routine I referred to as my “rounds” (the profiles I regularly check up on) faded away; now it’s just constant scrolling through the feed to see what’s the haps with everyone I know (and a pretty sizeable amount I don’t know).   As I’m sure is the case with many people, I’ve never met a sizeable portion of my friends list. Many others I haven’t spoken to in years. Oh, and just because we met once doesn’t automatically constitute the bond of Facebook friendship.

But all of this I’ve come to accept. It’s a new era; people operate differently... and I’m getting “old” and “out of touch,” whatever. In some ways, it’s good; people are friendlier. I’ve gotten to know some pretty awesome people I probably wouldn’t have even met if not for the internet and social networking sites.  In fact, I’ve become pretty good friends with a few folks who knew me first only from my online personality.

What is starting to “freak me out,” as I stated previously, is the slow decline of people’s ability to engage in conversation in real life (IRL if you will). People are seemingly becoming more and more dependent on the shelter and comfort of socializing alone from his or her bedroom.  After all, you can craft your responses with much more consideration; it’s easier to be witty when response time isn’t an issue.  I feel like younger kids will grow up primarily texting and Facebooking their friends and it honestly scares me a little bit.

The sole reason for my recent plunge into fear of Facebook, though, is the fact that I am losing the ability to participate in small talk.  And it’s not me – it’s all you stalkers.  Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m still hanging on to this idea that “stalking is bad.”  Just like you wouldn’t admit to driving by someone’s house – should you admit you’ve memorized every single Facebook update within the past few weeks? I keep my mouth shut, lest I exude excessive creepiness.

For example, let’s say it’s been a week or so since I’ve seen a friend. I catch up with her for a movie, for dinner, at an event of some kind, whatever… and we begin with the typical “How’ve you been?” crap. After we both answer “same shit, different day” in so many words, I launch into some sort of story this friend hasn’t heard first hand since last I saw her. Now, maybe this tale is only vaguely entertaining, but it’s gotta have a hint of intrigue, annoyance, or humor in order for me to find it worth telling.  About a sentence into my story, however, I’m cut off by this mystery friend. “Oh yeah, I saw that on your Facebook!”

My immediate reaction to that is similar to the reaction I’d have if you’d cut me off with, “Cool story, Hansel” paired with a haughty smirk or rolling of the eyes. I’m gonna pretty much shut down. You’ve assumed the one sentence from me on your Facebook feed that alluded to the story I was about to regale you with… that was the whole story. Or, at the very least, that’s all you wanted to hear. Seriously, I’m starting to develop some sort of complex here. Either my stories are unbearingly lengthy and/or boring, or no one else has problems admitting how much of a stalker they truly are.

I could choose to update my Facebook status less often, but therein lies a dilemma. I have a pretty awful memory when it comes to remembering to tell people things. Like seriously, if I have something to chat with you about, or something funny to tell you, I’m going to email or call or text you right away, otherwise when you ask me what’s new later, I’ll draw a blank and respond lamely with, “Oh, you know… nothing much.”

Maybe I’ll just start saying, “Please refer to my Facebook page.”

... Sadly, no actual flash mob to report.

It was dark and stormy night.

Alright, so that's not entirely true. It was definitely night (Tuesday, February 23rd to be exact), therefore it was also dark, but last time I checked a light drizzle in 30-something degrees doesn't constitute a storm in Chicago. Anyway...

It was a dark and cold night. A small venue known for hosting mostly indie-rock bands opened its doors to maybe five or six dozen hipsters and the like who packed The Empty Bottle's dance floor, anxiously waiting for the first notes of a live set from French DJ Vitalic. The crowd was comprised of a dude to chick ratio of at least 3:1; even then, it seemed like most of the girls that were there had been dragged there by their boyfriends. A good amount of the crowd seemed to be long time fans of the man lesser known as Pascal Arbez; even a few Frenchies were in attendance. Some of the "heads" stood quietly in the back, soaking in every note, while some joined the party in the front row, jumping up and down with the best of them. (I should say "the best of us," since I was in the midst of the electronic music version of moshing, which is like the Lutheran version of spicy food.)  The rest of the crowd seemed to be people who maybe frequent The Empty Bottle and decided to check out whoever the venue had booked on a Tuesday night in February -- it's always my optimistic hope that at any of these shows a few eyes are opened, some new fans are made. :)

Vitalic started his set a bit earlier than I expected, sometime after 11:30pm. Shortly into his set, technical difficulties reared its ugly head and the sound cut completely.  After less than a minute of obligatory wooo!'s from the crowd to fill the void of sound from the stage, he was back up and running. He went right back into his set, filling the bar with the familiar sounds of synth and disco. Navigating his way through a steady, driving set, making sure to showcase the tracks from his newest album "Flashmob," by about 1:00 am he wrapped things up and made a quick, discrete exit from the venue. Although I was saddened by the length of the set, that remains my only complaint from the night -- I simply wanted more.  Vitalic was relentless throughout the entirety of his set, pounding out track after track showing no signs of stopping, leaving the crowd with sore feet and big grins painted across their faces.  With his head down and only showing the hint of a smile occasionally throughout his performance, he seemed shy if not a little awkward -- definitely not the hands-in-the-air point to the sky DJ, nor the pretentious techno rockstar DJ.  For a guy used to much, much larger crowds across the pond, he seemed to be genuinely pleased with the Chicago crowd's gusto.  All in all, I'm glad I made the trip to the windy city, and although unlikely, I would be love to see Vitalic again.

a quick video i took of "poison lips"

another video from moi

this guy's video is much better than mine are :)

Take note of the makeshift Vitalic logo on the laptop on the photo above. With the flash, you can't really tell, but with the clever placement of some electrical tape, the familiar apple logo became a glowing white V in the darkness.

... The following images are photoshop'd!!!1

WebUrbanist has published a list of "15 Artists to Watch" in the digital illustration world. Worth taking a look at...  some of these are pretty cool. I was especially impressed with Yuko Shimizu, Alberto Cerriteño, and David Newton.  It makes my limited skills in Photoshop and Illustrator look like child's play, that's for sure.

The website also pointed me to an article about photo-manipulator and photographer Erik Johansson.  I have a love/hate relationship with the idea of photographs being created almost entirely from Photoshop.  Sometimes I feel like its a necessary evil that's not going away any time soon; the most acclaimed fine art photographers use multiple photographs to make a final image. I don't know, though... other times it just feels like a cheap trick or cheating.  Although most of it is a bit too "CG" or "optical illusion" for my taste, there's a few gems in his portfolio. I'd love to see the original photographs, prior to manipulation

 

 

... Specifically, Maruchan chicken flavor.

This photo was taken last week on the Midtown Greenway Hiawatha Bridge.  I was just messing around with 30 second exposures, and all the sudden I get a really strong whiff of Ramen noodles. Considering no one is in sight and I doubt the scent is wafting its way up from a car below on Hiawatha, I find the sudden appearance of the smell pretty odd. A few moments later I hear a bicycle bell ring out in the cold air -- a friendly warning I'm not alone on the bridge -- as someone quietly cycles by. Moving out of the way, I find that with the bike disappearing into the west, so does essence of ramen. Although my cycling passerby wasn't mid-snack, I suppose he'd just gotten off his shift at the noodle factory, or something.  Mystery solved.

Anyway, here's a few tracks that I've been enjoying lately:

__ Gui Boratto - "Telecaster" (Kompakt)    beatport | youtube
__ Jamie Matrix - "Gold Rush" (Anjunadeep)    beatport | youtube
__ Freshlovers - "So French Hymn" (So French Records)    beatport | youtube
__ Tiesto vs. Three 6 Mafia - "Feel It" (with Sean Kingston & Flo Rida) (Columbia/Sony/Hypnotize Minds)   rapdshare | youtube
__ Delphic - "Submission" (Chimeric/Polydor)   rapidshare | youtube

... History repeats itself in 'An Education'

This past Wednesday night I met my mom at the Edina 4 theater to see An Education, followed by dinner at one of my favorite Twin Cities restaurants, Salut.  Both the movie and the dinner were, as predicted, very enjoyable and are thus highly recommended to my readers.  

Newcomer and Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan gives a strong and memorable performance in the lead as 16/17 year old "Jenny," a bright, overachieving prep-school student working her way towards Oxford in a London suburb. She's smarter than your average bear -- or in this case, her female classmates -- yet she's very sheltered by her controlling father and clueless mother, who breathe down her neck making sure she's studying her Latin (after all she's only getting a B) and not daydreaming about Paris listening to French records.

Yet being savvy and wise for her age still doesn't make her worldly, and it doesn't take much effort from the flirtatious Peter Sarsgaard as "David," whose charm and lifestyle quickly prove irresistible on a young lass roughly half his age.  Culturally stifled Jenny jumps at the chance to experience new adventures with an older, sophisticated crowd -- especially when they're paying. One would think this movie could be quite predictable; young student falls for older man and proceeds to get her heart broken, while learning something on the way.  And that’s exactly what happens, but if you couldn’t figure that out from the trailer, well you’re probably the type of person who be into this movie anyway. :)

It’s a quiet movie, artfully shot and more or less a period piece (set in 1961). But what stands out here is the acting: Sarsgaard, as the Rolling Stone review puts it, “is shockingly good at walking the line between charming opportunist and sexual predator.”  24-year old Mulligan is believable and especially endearing as Jenny. The audience knows bad news is coming her way the entirety of the movie, yet while what exactly that will be remains a mystery to the audience, at least we have the upper hand on Jenny; we're mature enough to know when something is too good to be true. The heartbreaking thing to watch is that her character is smart enough to know something isn’t 100% kosher with David; yet, in the end she proves too immature to foresee that his lies and charms aren't only fooling her parents.   

My favorite performance was actually from the supporting character “Helen”: presented falsely as chaperone “Aunt Helen” to Jenny’s parents, in reality she’s a ditzy blond who’s along for the ride (literally). Unable to follow conversation about art, music, and literature with David and his culturally impressive posse (Jenny at 16 doesn’t miss a beat), Helen is only here for the clothes and jewelry. Yet the great thing about her character is she doesn’t become a caricature of herself.  Instead of being comic relief through “dumb blond” remarks, it’s all in her facial expressions. Her eyes plead for a dance with a likeness of an impatient puppy waiting to be picked up. They tell you she’s on another planet at an orchestral concert. Disgust at the tour of Oxford. And so on.  Another highlight of the movie for me was the jaw-dropping disbelief at a suggestion David’s character makes about a banana. That’s all I’ll say about that.

... Markus Schulz played some trance.

This past Friday, February 5th, Markus Schulz returned to Minneapolis, celebrating his birthday week.  And what better way to celebrate your birthday than a packed crowd at Karma singing you Happy Birthday, cake backstage, lasers, and 2 hours of hands-in-the-air trance?  As much as I love the larger shows that Sound in Motion throws (say, at Epic), I love the smaller or medium-sized shows like this show; it gives me a bit of a break from running around the whole time, making sure I get the shots I want.  Once again struggling with overexposed photos from the excessive fog (typical at Karma), I took a few extended breaks, even putting the camera away and making my way right smack in the middle of the crowd, drink in one hand, other hand in the air.  Like many headliners this past year, Markus dropped Dustin Zahn's "Stranger to Stability" (Len Faki Remix); even though only a handful of people there probably recognized it as coming from a Minneapolis local, it still elicited quite the response on the dancefloor, per usual. Another track I took note of was Schulz's mashup of Rex Mundi's "Nothing at All" vs. Marco V's "Unprepared."

See all my photos from the night at simshows.com or on facebook.

... Cameras get frostbite, too.

One of my favorite things to shoot is absolutely anything at night. The lighting can be surreal and unlike anything you'll get during the day, and something commonplace can be transformed into otherworldly. Midnight Haircut, above, I took on 35mm with an exposure of 20-30 minutes.  I am also inexplicably drawn to the use of TVs and monitors -- especially old ones -- in sculpture and photography.  In my sketchbook there are a couple ideas revolving around old monitors or abandoned TV sets. There's a very mysterious quality to what's inside or what's behind the screen.  And when placed in an unusual setting, the monitor becomes a character or presence in and of itself.

This week, Conscientious pointed me to the work of Blake Gordon, who has visited both of these topics in his "Stories" -- Nightwalks and Reality TV. The shots in Reality TV are pretty much great, except for the in-your-face narration added between shots: "American children spend more time watching TV than any other activity except sleeping." Cue "The More You Know" jingle and shooting star. I think the images are strong enough to make a statement on their own; I'm especially drawn to the photos without the presence of "the observer," like the Lake Travis, TX one above. As for Nightwalks, I can't say for certain he doesn't use his own lighting crew a la Gregory Crewdson, but assuming he doesn't, this work further solidifies my admiration for what I like to call "found lighting." It's normally referred to as natural light, but that doesn't give the photographer any credit. ;)

While I'm on the topic of "found lighting" and night photography, I'd like to give a quick local artist shout-out to Teri Fullerton, who taught a class I took last year at MCAD in portraits and natural lighting. The above photo is from her "Falling in Love at the End of the Universe" collection; it was taken using only the headlights of her car. I wish Minneapolis wasn't so freezing at night in the winter, because now I'm really in the mood to take my camera out in the middle of the night.  The last time I did long exposure night photography, my camera kept freezing (literally) and the aperture would close before I wanted it to.  Can someone knit my camera a Snuggie?

... He's still glad the stupid deer head died.

Louis C.K. returns to episodic television with the premiere of a new show simply entitled Louis, premiering on FX Thursday, April 1st.  I caught a promo (Is it a teaser if it's for a TV show?) during tonight's episode of nip/tuck, it shows him and his two daughters trying to struggle out of a packed NY subway car. His series on HBO Lukcy Louie was short-lived, airing only 12 episodes in 2006. There's not much to be found on the internet as far as what his new show Louis is all about, but it sounds like it'll be formatted a bit like Seinfeld, with a plot revolving around his own life, peppered with bits of stand up in between. After watching about half of his comedy special Chewed Up a few weeks ago, I pretty much required to see the rest of it immediately. I was also hooked with FX's other new comedy series this year, The League, which aired late 2009, so I'm hoping for a winning combination for Louis. (If you haven't spent a couple hours watching The League yet, I recommend doing so now. There's only six episodes.)

... I don't pick Avatar to win.

There's big news this morning, and it doesn't have to do with a shadow in Pennsylvania.

The nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards were just made public.  One thing you might notice is instead of the typical five noms for Best Picture, this year Oscar opens his arms and welcomes ten films into the race. This gives several films a chance for that coveted statue that, had they been released a year earlier, would have surely been brushed over. Not to say the winner will be A Serious Man or even Pixar's animated Up, but with the Best Picture nomination comes a great deal of... well, I don't know what, but it's kind of a big deal.  Best Picture nominees are: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, & Up In The Air. The Academy passes on Crazy Heart, A Single Man, Invictus, and a handful of other movies that many had predicted might be thrown into the pool of ten nominees; but, overall, the nominations don't come with too many surprises.

My picks? It's hard to say when I've yet to see An Education, The Blind Side, Precious, and Up. My favorite movie from 2009 was District 9, but I wouldn't have guessed it would make it into Oscar territory. A Serious Man was another top pick for me, but, again, I don't see another statue in the Coens' future. I suppose I'll vote for The Hurt Locker or maybe Inglorious Basterds for Best Picture. If Avatar wins, I might just boycott next year.

On kind of a silly note, check out the Razzie nominations, which honor this year's (and this decade's) worst performances on the silver screen. Sandra Bullock could possibly take home an Oscar for The Blind Side and a Razzie for All About Steve.

... A coked out female has been misplaced.

 

Attention Minneapolis. Tickets for Sia's show at the Fine Line Saturday, April 24th go on sale this Friday, presales on Wednesday via a secret password to be divulged soon on her twitter. I can't promise there will be a Medusa inspired pipe-cleaner hairpiece, but I'll certainly cross my fingers. Her song "Breathe Me" is one of the few songs that can bring tears to my eyes within a few bars (if the mood strikes). To be fair, that might be due to flashbacks to the ending sequence of the series finale to Six Feet Under, but it's still a great cut. 

In addition to blowing you away on originals like "Breathe Me," or providing vocals for your favorite Zero 7 tracks ("Destiny" being one of the more recognizable), she also releases haunting covers, like Radiohead's "Paranoid Android." Dance music enthusiasts will remember her voice from notable trance songs like "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine," a feature track from Sander Van Doorn's album Supernaturalistic. The poppy "Buttons" got a lovely trance facelift from Markus Schulz a while back, I was quite fond of the "Return to Coldharbor Remix." Plus, it looks like her website was made exclusively in MS Paint, so she scores some brownie points with me there, as I began my design career with countless hours on Paint. 

Her cover of The Church's "Under the Milky Way" is featured in the newest TV ad from Lincoln, which means you and I get a free download here: http://www.lincoln.com/music/

If you don't live in Minneapolis, you're in luck -- she's all over the place this spring. 

... It's really more like 8 servings.

Mom's Tex-Mex Chili Recipe
Makes 10-12 Servings (supposedly)

Chop 2 medium yellow onions and mince 2 cloves garlic. Sauté onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large soup pot.  Add 2 pounds of lean ground beef and cook until brown. Spoon off or carefully drain any excess oil or fat. Add the following to the pot:

- Two 16 oz. undrained canned tomatoes (I recommend one 28 oz. can of Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes, pictured above)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. masa harina (corn flour, pictured below)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. ground red pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Stir everything together and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a simmer and let it hang out for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water if it looks like it's getting too think for your preference of chili viscosity. Towards the very end, maybe 20 minutes before you're done, add one 16 oz. can of kidney beans (or black beans if you prefer), and a couple chopped jalapeño peppers (or more if you like it spicy).

It made about 8 servings of about one cup each for me, but I like my chili pretty thick (I probably reduced it too much). Some recipes out there call for as many as 3 cups of water, so work it out accordingly.  This stuff freezes really well, especially if you portion it off from the get-go in handy single-serving bowls. Works on its own with your favorite chili toppings (sour cream, sharp cheddar, crackers, what have you), or works well on top of a baked potato, for example. Nothing too fancy here, but it's dang tasty.

... It's not just a phlog.

It's February 1st, 2010. Considering how fast January went by, it'll be March before I can say "not a leap year." I thought today would be as good a day as any to begin my new blog. Assuming I don't abandon this project like I have others in the past, I'll eventually link it to my domain and make this all official and shit. I've debated a name, theme, or topic for my blog for quite some time... I'll probably talk about music, movies, event reviews, and some other random stuff.  None of those in combination seemed to really create some epic idea (or even name) for a blog, so I came up with "Spoiler Alert." I'm not going to explain this every time I post, so hopefully whoever ends up reading this is smart enough to stay with me. The blog post titles are going to be spoiler alerts of what you're about to read. If you know me for real you know I don't like spoilers and love surprises, so don't write this blog off just yet; I won't be divulging the identity of Keyser Söze every time. So, I can't commit to just a music blog because I'll probably muck it up with too many photos; yet, this won't just be a photo blog because I'll talk about music or events or concerts too much, and sadly I don't think a blog can stand on my writing skills alone. Plus, I just can't take the word "phlog" seriously.