I am inspired by Michel Gondry’s music video work and love Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. I hope he directs more Flight of the Conchords episodes. I think he works best when there is a strong script written by someone else. His genius is in the visual arts.

Leos Carax makes movies that I find somewhat pretentious and at times impenetrable (The Lovers on the Bridge, POLA X). But I found him to be an interesting, down-to-earth speaker at his Q&A’s. He knows his work is somewhat pretentious and impenetrable. I nod my head to someone who will acknowledge something like that!

Additionally, I enjoyed Joon-ho Bong’s satirical political horror box office smash film The Host.

As a result, I was curious but not necessarily chomping at the bit to see Tokyo! which is a movie in three parts directed by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Joon-ho Bong. Each story is set in Tokyo. Gondry’s was whimsical with fun visuals. It is based on a story set in NYC and it kind of shows. It might have been better if it stayed that way. But I liked the ending although it sort of came out of nowhere. I was surprised to learn that the lead in this story is Steven “Under Siege” Seagal’s daughter.  Leos Carax hasn’t directed anything in a while. His story started off strong, then meandered a bit and ended strong. His segment had a statement about Tokyo and urban life in general. The most put-together story was the one written by and directed by Joon-ho Bong. It starred the lead from Tokyo Sonata, a movie I recently saw and liked in the NYFF. He did a good job of being interesting and compelling. The story was quirky like the other two but it was fuller in character development and more complete in narrative structure. I would say this movie is visually stimulating, narratively uneven and is worth a gander if you like any of the directors involved.

Tokyo! inspired me to re-watch Gondry’s White Stripes Fell in Love With a Girl video: http://poprl.com/XEo.

Another Gondry video worth re-watching is Steriogram’s Walkie Talkie Man: http://shuurl.com/Y3171.

You might have to watch an ad before each video starts but it’s worth the wait.

Race to Witch Mountain

I remember these Witch Mountain stories from the books and tv movies in that they exist but content-wise not so much. Anyway, Race to Witch Mountain looked fun enough in the trailer. Dwayne Johnson is credited as such, no mention of “The Rock” anywhere. He is trying to be legit. He always has charisma on screen. I enjoyed his action sequences. The movie perked up around these. The kids are decent. They are likeable as aliens but never quite become more than that. I like Carla Gugino in most things. She was fine in this. There was a clever plot device of having a sci-fi convention going on during the span of the movie. They made some good use of it but didn’t use it to its full potential. If you see this movie, make sure you stay throughout the end credits when I thought, wow, these end credits are better than the entire movie. I give this movie a B-. It wasn’t terrible and had fun elements. Maybe it would’ve benefited from being a PG-13 rating so the action could’ve been amped up a bit and the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino explored more than it was.

Crossing Over

Wayne Kramer’s Running Scared surprised me by keeping me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I saw it in the theater and thought, why did I skip seeing The Cooler? So I ran home and rented it immediately. I did not regret it. Also, I was duly impressed by Paul “Fast and the Furious” Walker’s performance. Thus, when I saw that Crossing Over was playing in theaters, my curiosity was peaked. It had two plusses in my book: 1) Wayne Kramer wrote and directed it; and 2) Harrison Ford was the star of it. I put off seeing Crash and Babel as long as possible thinking they would be overbearing and overrated. In my opinion, they were although I was impressed by Matt Dillon’s performance. I’m sure there were other things I found okay but I don’t recall at the moment. Anyway, I reference these movies because Crossing Over also has an ambitious scope. It aims to make a socio-political statement about living in America, being American and immigration policies. I liked a lot about this movie. It was heavy-handed in its message that people are people (cue Depeche Mode). But I liked that Harrison Ford was actually trying to act in this movie and not just picking up a paycheck. It reminded me of Britz and The Visitor as well. This movie has a “preaching to the choir” feel to it but it’s worth seeing I think. I noticed that Wayne Kramer cut back a lot on his stylized approach except for the few action sequences. I am a fan of this guy and will continue to follow his work. I give Crossing Over a solid B.

For some reason, someone at Encore decided to air Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo recently. Considering Breakin is considered a seminal movie, it’s a wonder why this programming person didn’t pick the original. Anyway, once I was alerted to this, I felt compelled to watch it. It has that nostalgic charm of movies depicting and encapsulating a distinct time in fashion, dance, music and art. It is hard too pick the best moments but one is Turbo’s upside down dance. It is available for view at  http://poprl.com/XRR.

Spring TV

I don’t know how I’m going to find time to do this but I want to check out some new shows.

1. Better Off Ted ABC 8:30EST 3/18

2. Taking the Stage MTV 10pm 3/19

3. Party Down Starz 10:30pm 3/20

4. Cupid ABC 3/24

5. Harper’s Island CBS 4/9

Also, I watch My Boys and Parks & Recreation must start soon. I’ve dropped Heroes. That has given me one slot. Thank goodness for on-demand. That gives me flexibility with HBO shows (Big Love, Flight of the Conchords and Eastbound and Down), Showtime’s United States of Tara and NBC shows. Also, Spectacle is on Free Movies on Demand. I’ve also dropped How I Met Your Mother pretty much for this entire season. I will watch it in summer reruns or maybe even on dvd. I want to watch it but I just don’t have the time! It’s not easy being a Pop Culture Addict! But it’s always fun!

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I’ve been relying on Twitter to a fault to quickly update my blog. But I realize I need more than 140 characters to convey some of my thoughts which is why I started this blog in the first place. Recently I went to see Wong Kar Wai’s early movie Days of Being Wild starring Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau and Andy Lau, all HK Superstars. There is even a teaser with Tony Leung at the end to set up the sequel which was never made. Or, as the journalist Jaime Wolf paraphrased Wong Kar Wai at the NY Film Society screening, every movie he made afterwards was a sequel. But really, with In the Mood for Love’s success, 2046 ended up being a true sequel. It was great to see it on a big screen in a decent theater. I had seen it once at the Museum of the Moving Image during an awesome Wong Kar Wai festival which featured the director himself. But now I realize, the theater was not ideal. That is also the theater I saw Ashes of Time in. Recall that Ashes of Time was reduxed and shown at the New York Film Festival 2008. It completely changed my opinion of that movie seeing it at the Ziegfeld, with a new soundtrack and restored picture and sound. I appreciate the beauty of the story and the acting so much more after that screening. In fact, it was a rapturous experience seeing it. Watching Days of Being Wild was not as sublime but it was still cool. It made me very nostalgic for Leslie Cheung and his movies. He really had a unique relationship with Wong Kar Wai. They understood each other the way Wong Kar Wai and cinematographer Chris Doyle do. I’ve also always loved that title, Days of Being Wild. I think it comes from something but not sure what.

Coraline in 3D was beautiful. Yes, the button eyes are on the creepy side. But the images are stunning. The story was a little obtuse but ultimately, love wins the day.

Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth

Recently saw one of the best curated exhibits of the development of an artist’s style at the Art Institute of Chicago entitled Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety and Myth. Munch’s The Scream has entered pop culture never to turn back. This Norwegian artist was a sponge. He loved art, he appreciated his contemporaries (Van Gogh, Monet, Gauguin to name a few) and quoted similar themes in his work. You might be hard-pressed to see how Monet and Munch are related but this exhibit does the work for you. It puts together the pieces Munch studied and enjoyed during his lifetime next to his own work. Fascinating. The exhibit reminded me of Nick Hornby’s book of columns Shakespeare Wrote for Money. The premise of his column is that he is a voracious reader, soccer/football season aside, and his reading begets reading. He starts to read something and then is inspired to read something else. He may see a reference to an author or a topic and then he’s off to the bookstore to get a new book. I think that is how most of us experience books, movies, tv shows and all forms of art. I certainly am flighty and a bit compulsive about looking up related shows, books, movies when my interest is peaked by an author, artist, actor, show or the like. That’s why we love the interweb, as dear Tracy Jordan of 30 Rock likes to say. It’s instantaneous. We think of something we want to know or can’t quite remember and all we have to do is see if someone else documented it online for us to look up. Anyway, Edvard Munch experienced art this way. He took in what past artists studied and created. He looked at what his friends and colleagues were influenced by and created. Then he went into his studio and put down on paper with many mediums, oils, etching tools and woodcuts, his ideas.

chelfitsch Theater Company
Five Days in March

Saw interesting play at Japan Society entitled Five Days in March. It reminded me of the work done by the illustrious and brilliant Wooster Group.

Finally got around to looking at Watchmen. I figured since I’ve had my opening night IMAX tix for Watchmen since they first became available (because I love seeing event movies with boisterous crowds), I should look at the original material which has such a reputation. It really as great as people say. I don’t read many graphic novels but I know there are a lot of  hugely entertaining ones out there I’m missing out on, including the Buffy and Angel series. I read them occasionally, like Maus and Fun Home. And of course I had heard of Watchmen from many fellow Pop Culture Addicts.  Anyway, I wonder if it will translate to the screen. We will know soon enough!

I am so enthralled by KenKen. I like Sudoku well enough but don’t do those puzzles regularly. But I figured when Will Shortz introduced KenKen last week in the New York Times, I’d take a gander. The easy ones are very satisfying to finish and the hard ones are incredibly challenging. But so far, I am not deterred. If you go to the official KenKen site, you can sign up for a free link to numerous puzzles. I think I dl’d 24! Very generous of them.

At long last, Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse premiered! You can see it all over the place if you missed it. You can catch at Amazon or Fox.com for starters. I’m sure they will rerun it at some point as well. I watched it twice. First online and then via dvr. I am already a fan of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles so I am thrilled with the pairing of it with Dollhouse for our Friday night viewing. I love the potential for Amy Acker’s storyline. I’m just excited that Team Whedon is back in action and on tv.

SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH…

I’m still watching this show. I got my wish. I was thinking that Elton John would be a good host because he loves pop music and follows new music avidly as well as appreciating pop music of the past. He is an executive producer of the show so I figured he’d show up in person eventually. The most recent episode featured Diane Krall. As she is married to Elvis Costello, Elton John took over the role of interviewer for this show so as to keep down the bias. But the whole show is a love-fest anyway. That’s the point. It’s all about mutual admiration by these interesting musicians. Anyway, I don’t listen to Diane Krall actively but I enjoyed this episode and developed a deeper appreciation for her jazz piano-playing.

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I have been remiss about writing here. I have something of a solution though. If you look to your right side, facing the screen, underneath the search box, you will see my pop culture addict (a.k.a. popgirlnyc) twitter updates. I finally joined Twitter. I don’t know why I kept putting it off because it is great. It is such an easy and fun way to keep my kith and kin informed about what is feeding my pop culture addiction on a moment by moment basis. Look, I know how to stay focused on the stuff that matters.

Anyway, the tv winter premieres are rolling in. Lost was amazing. I still have to rewatch the premiere to soak it in more. I don’t know if I already said here that I got Lost Season 4 on dvd and poured over every extra. Such a good show. I also love reading about Lost everywhere. I read J Wood at powells.com, Doc Jensen at ew.com and check in with Watch with Kristen at eonline.com and Herc at aintitcool.com. I am going to start reading stuff at Lostpedia also at the recommendation of a trustworthy fellow Pop Culture Addict and Lost fan. I liked how Desmond came back into the fold of the story. Very clever story-telling. He is special, so his future can be affected, dare I say changed, by the actions of the Losties in the past as the island moves through time. I enjoyed Hurley’s radical decision to turn himself to the police and go against Ben as advised by Sayid. I just realized that Miles Straume might be a Dharma Initiative offspring. I haven’t figured out where Charlotte is from. If she was born on the island, then how and why did she leave? Anyway, I am thrilled to have it back on air.

I am also happy to have Friday Nights Light back on. What a great show. Obviously, I don’t have Direct TV. Otherwise I would’ve seen Season 3 already. But I am glad the show made a deal with them so it could also be shown in NBC where I can access it.

Also, 24 is going strong – better than that 2 hour intro they showed over Thanksgiving week. I mean, it was okay but it reminded me of the Lost storyline with Mr. Eko and I think Lost did it better. Psych is back, too, much to my glee.

Saw Valkyrie the movie and also the History Channel special. The movie was watchable. The story is more powerful than the movie. But the movie had its moments. It kept my interest throughout but afterwards when I was trying to pinpoint what made it just a B/B- movie rather than B+ or higher was that it is a bit superficial. I guess they had to make concessions so it wouldn’t be 5 hours long. It was effective as it was just not mind-blowing. We didn’t really know the back stories of any of the resistance members. When I watched the History Channel special and learned more facts about the people involved, it really enhanced the story.

Saw Swedish vampire movie, “Let the Right One In.” Liked it better than Twilight. Heard it is being remade as an American movie.  Not sure if the taboos will carry over into the translated version. Anyway, the kids did a good job and the movie has stuck with me.

As I noted in my twitter update, I saw an amazing collection of Barkley Hendricks work entitled Birth of Cool. Nothing can convey the power of seeing his work in person. He’s very accessible and highly skillful. Most of his work focuses on people, and they are so real. I loved how the descriptions of his works included his inspirations. He went to art school, he traveled around the world and he incorporates his experiences in such an immediate way. I really see how his fascination with Rembrandt and Caravaggio play into his own contemporary work.

Big Love has started off strong. I look forward to the new episode tonight. I’m watching the United States of Tara also. I can’t wait for Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse.

I read somewhere that we will probably not see the last few episodes of Pushing Daisies. It will have to wait until the season 2 dvd comes out. Boohoo.

Signing off for now. Don’t forget to read the sidebar for my most current updates! I’m still figuring out what is worth twittering about. Like, do you care what I’m eating for lunch? Or should I stick to my pop culture goings-on. Time will tell.

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Mean Streets

I was going to start with a more current movie but then I saw Mean Streets at Walter Reade Theater a few nights ago and it reminded me why it is worth going to the movies. This was the first time I had a chance to see it on a big screen how it was meant to be seen. I remembered a lot but not everything. I was struck by how it is so clearly the template for all gangster/mafia movies that followed. I hadn’t realized that the first time I viewed it. It was a fulfilling experience. It also reminded me how I read and liked Piri Thomas’ Down These Mean Streets, the inspiration for the title of Mean Streets though not the plot, a long while back. Anyway, I was talking with a fellow Pop Culture Addict about how it is cool to have portable entertainment on our iPods and such but sometimes when I’m watching a movie on that tiny screen, I think, this is ludicrous. My fellow PCA said that David Lynch was complaining about people watching movies on their phones (there’s a clip on youtube). We were saying how these filmmakers put all this work into their movies only to have people watch them on 2.5 inch screens! I try to even things out by watching movies that are more guilty pleasures or curiosities that I know I won’t see in the theaters. Or I watch something I’m familiar with in other formats such as episodes of 30 Rock which I’ve seen on a larger screen already and am re-watching to pass the time on a plane, train or bus ride. Actually, even when I’m watching a movie in a movie theater, if something goes wrong, like if the sound or picture are sub-par or a little borderline, I think how the people who made the movie would be disappointed. Anyway, I digress. It was fun to see Mean Streets on a big screen.

Rockin it wit Preston Sturges

I also saw a double feature of Preston Sturges’ works, The Lady Eve and The Palm Beach Story. It was the same thing. I had seen both, The Lady Eve many times, and The Palm Beach Story of couple of times, on dvd. But seeing them on a big screen, in a theater with a full house was a lot of fun. I’m going to refer back to Manohla Dargis’ NYT article about Preston Sturges from 4/05:

In between the release of “Sullivan’s Travels” and “The Palm Beach Story,” Preston Sturges compiled 11 rules for the box office. Like some of Sturges’s dialogue, the faster the list is read, the funnier it is:

1. A pretty girl is better than an ugly one.

2. A leg is better than an arm.

3. A bedroom is better than a living room.

4. An arrival is better than a departure.

5. A birth is better than a death.

6. A chase is better than a chat.

7. A dog is better than a landscape.

8. A kitten is better than a dog.

9. A baby is better than a kitten.

10. A kiss is better than a baby.

11. A pratfall is better than anything.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald by the same name. My favorite author, M. E. Kerr said every writer she knows has had an idea about starting off old and growing younger or time going backwards somehow. So she was certainly curious about the movie. The movie hits all the notes you would expect from a story with this premise. The baby is born and thought to be a monster/freak. Someone sees beyond his appearance and tenderly raises him. He looks old and decrepit for most of the movie but really he’s a kid so he’s constantly misunderstood. He meets a girl who charms him but people don’t understand because it appears creepy and unnatural. They meet in the middle so it seems charming and magical. They grapple with their future. In between, he sees the world, meets people, makes friends. He gradually grows younger and younger. So it ends. I liked David Fincher’s last outing a lot, Zodiac. I appreciate him trying something new out in his work going with the fantastical, relying heavily on CGI. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were appealing. Taraji Henson was loving. The CGI was effective. The movie itself was quite long. I didn’t mind too much because I was watching him grow younger wondering what would happen next but perhaps it could have been shorter. Zodiac I find interesting upon repeated viewings. I’m not sure that I’d sit through Benjamin Button again but it kept my interest while it was playing. In fact, I know there are movies I like and look forward to seeing them again while others I like in a different way. I enjoy them at the time but don’t feel a need to view them again anytime soon. Benjamin Button is in the latter category. I mean, I don’t need to see it again in the near future but I’m sure I will take another gander sometime down the road.

Australia

Another long movie like Benjamin Button. Again, I enjoyed it. I am a fan of Baz Luhrmann. I loved Moulin Rouge. I even went to see his La Bohème on Broadway in 2003 in support of him. The little kid, Brandon Walters as Nullah, in Australia is fascinating to watch. So was the actor who played his grandfather King George, David Gulpilil. Everyone was good, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham. I heard that Brandon Walters is actually on his walkabout right now.

Revolutionary Road

I heard the book Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates is excellent. I did not read it yet. What I liked about the movie was how open the couple was in their discussions and arguments. Usually you watch a movie and see that the couple is doomed because they have communication problems. They don’t say what’s on their mind to each other. They don’t say what they mean or mean what they say. In this movie, the couple, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, try to talk the talk and walk the walk of a communicative couple. They are still doomed because they don’t keep it up, this open communication thing, but it was refreshing to watch while it lasted. I can’t say I would watch this one again anytime soon. They are arguing for most of the movie. I was rooting for them though. I thought they could make it work. I was wrong.

Cadillac Records

Beyoncé really surprised me by doing a good job in this movie. I love her as a musical artist but was thinking her acting skills were limited.  She does an impressive job playing Etta James. Jeffrey Wright was also a stand out as Muddy Waters. Everyone did their own singing and playing in this movie. Mos Def played a believable Chuck Berry. Adrien Brody did a fine job. I thought that Eamonn Walker as Howlin’ Wolf bordered on caricature but learned that Howlin’ Wolf in real life was a larger than life character. So I guess I can’t fault him on that. Anyway, I would watch this again.

Gran Torino

Without giving too much away (the trailer pretty much hits on all the plot points), this movie reminded me somewhat of Unforgiven. Clint Eastwood doesn’t act much these days. I think Million Dollar Baby was the last time. Let me look it up… yeah, that was out in 2004. I just saw him in person at the Changeling screening at the NYFF last October. He looked as cool as I imagined he would in real life. If I’m going to compare the two, I liked Gran Torino better than the Changeling. Changeling was interesting to watch but not as captivating as Gran Torino. Of course, Clint Eastwood directed both but only acted in Gran Torino. He claims he is not going to act again. I mean, he is a talented director but I love watching him on screen. I hope he finds another good role to entice him back in front of the camera.

Leverage

Let’s move on to new tv shows. I saw the ads for Leverage and paid them no mind until I read somewhere that it was a decent show. I think it was review in EW. That is my primary source of entertainment news. It debuted at the beginning of December on TNT. I love it! It is a mix of Sneakers and Steven Soderbergh’s version of Ocean’s Eleven with all the high-tech hijinks and warm-hearted sneakiness. I think there have only been five episodes. I managed to watch them all through a combination of looking on demand, online and on repeat.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…

I remember when I first heard Elvis Costello. What a voice, what lyrics, what lyricism! Then I saw images of him. So cool. Anyway, now he’s hosting a show on the Sundance Channel and it is sort of a companion to Austin City Limits. Austin City Limits is an intriguing show that allows musicians to perform in a cozy venue and talk at leisure onstage and on camera about their musical influences. Elvis Costello’s new show is brilliant. He has a wealth of talent, experience, fandom and friendliness to interview and perform with great artists spanning the spectrum of music. Elvis Costello is respected and respectful so fellow artists trust him and easily fall into impromptu and planned performances on the show with him and on their own. I’ve also been greatly enjoying his latest album Momofuku.

The Savage Garden

A fellow reader suggested this book, Mark Mill’s The Savage Garden, as a good vacay read. It is a mystery set in Italy. I finally finished reading The Geographer’s Library by Jon Fasman. I had started reading it in the fall but only got through a couple of chapters before getting waylaid. Once I got into the rhythm of it, I couldn’t stop reading it, as the journalist uncovered the mystery of a professor’s death. The Savage Garden is set in the 1950’s in Europe, mostly a villa in Italy. A grad student starts studying the garden at this villa for his thesis subject. As he uncovers the mystery of the garden, he also falls into intrigue at the villa.

Shakespeare Wrote for Money

This was a present. It is a collection of columns written by Nick Hornby for the Believer in which he writes about books and whatever tangential topic they inspire. I’m still reading it but I wanted to quote him because it really captured my sentiments about my favorite things:

Maybe the best thing to do with favorite films and books is to leave them be: to achieve such an exalted position means that they entered your life at exactly the right time, in precisely the right place, and those conditions can never be re-created. (pps. 44-45)

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So I haven’t seen the 1951 version but the 2008 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is pretty decent. It has a very similar story to The Happening although more overt I suppose with the “save the earth” theme. I thought Keanu Reeves did a good job. He sort of had the Agent Smith demeanor Hugo Weaving had in The Matrix. The suspense and action were interesting enough. Seeing it in IMAX enhanced the experience of course.

You may recall Hoop Dreams. Gunnin for That #1 Spot is a fascinating documentary by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch about the first Elite 24 High School All-American Game at Rucker Park in Harlem by the top high school basketball players in the country. It is by invitation and it is for the love of the game. The actual game is presented almost like a music video. There is a lot of style, a great soundtrack and great content. It made me want to see the extras on the dvd. I watched it in movie form on demand so I will have to get my additional info other sources. The official website has some info. The eight starting players are featured including 2008 NBA first-round draft picks Kevin Love (UCLA/Minnesota Timberwolves), Michael Beasley (Kansas State/Miami Heat), and Jerryd Bayless (Arizona/Portland Trail Blazers). These three barely played in college before they went pro. It is fascinating to see these kids play.

Planet B-Boy is another documentary about a physically demanding competition that features incredibly talented young ‘uns. These b-boy dancers range in age from 12 to early 20s.  They are passionate about what they do and have the skills to back up their dreams. The pay off for these kids is not like the NBA contracts. But there is the potential for commercial gigs and such. It is very Asian-heavy. The defending team, Gamblerz, is Korean. Then there are strong contenders from Korea (Last For One) and Japan (Ichegeki). It’s a kick to watch. I recognized members of the American crew, Knucklehead Zoo, as being in Super Cr3w, the winners of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Season 2. Anyway, fun stuff to watch.

Britz

I read a blurb about Britz in EW or US Weekly or maybe Time Out NY. No, it was definitely in EW. This isn’t the blurb but it is related: Riz Ahmed in EW. Anyway, I saw it was on demand on BBC America so I took a gander. I ended up watching both parts back to back. It is very intense. It flows very easily for such a heavy subject. I felt like I was watching something happen before my eyes. It has certainly stayed on my mind since watching it. I am not even sure what I want to say about it aside from the fact that I watched it and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

I don’t really know much about Naruto aside from the fact that kids watch this show, play the game and are awaiting this movie on dvd.  But I am taken by the phenomenon that non-Asian kids are pronouncing “Naruto” with the right accent saying the “r” with the difficult combo “r/l” sound unique to Asian languages.

Genius, or I think iTunes is stalking me

I’m not sure what I think of this new iTunes function Genius. At first it freaked me out because it seemed like it wanted to take control of my computer. Then I thought it was amazing because it created interesting playlists and gave me good ideas for songs to add to my iPods from my own library. I also thought the Genius song suggestions had potential. Now, I am starting to think it is stalking me because I noticed the function in the iTunes store that says “Genius Just For You.” It has playlists created for me that I can purchase on iTunes. It is based on what I have in my library. I know I willingly gave iTunes access to my music library and it is culling from other people’s libraries to create playlists for all of us like-minded listeners. Still, it is sort of eerie seeing bands that I love being suggested back to me. I don’t know. You go look at your “Genius Just For You” and see how it makes you feel. I mean, I know TiVo and Amazon have similiar functions where they look at your preferences and say, hey, we think we know your tastes now and want to recommend some similar shows, books, movies and miscellaneous items for your home. It is good marketing. There is just a Terminator feeling about it letting a machine do my thinking and feeling for me. But I still like how Genius pulls out songs from my library not regularly on rotation for a listen. Let me think about the other thing and report back later.

Addendum: I took a break while writing this and watched The Ruins. Yikes! The least friendly plants ever! The movie was pretty effective for what it was. It is suspenseful, scary and has good-looking 20-somethings running around trying to survive. This movie is not for the faint of heart though.

Oh, I just remembered that I recently re-watched The Godfather Part III, inspired by my relatively recent theater-viewing of The Godfather Part II. It was not as bad as I remembered it being. In fact, Godfather III is alright. I still feel they should have found it in the budget to pay Robert Duvall his asking price instead of axing his character from the story. Sofia Coppola, a fine filmmaker, was not as awkward in Godfather III as I feared and remembered. To be fair, she only acted in it as a favor to her father and has not acted since. Anyway, I think all three Godfather movies hold up over time.

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