Cult Film ressurection

Is it strictly an American tradition where we celebrate low-budget B-movies, horribly shallow action films, or simplistic teen dramas? Perhaps. Almost all of us have some crappy film(s) that we secretly love and watch faithfully every year that can be categorized in one of the prementioned genres.

If i wrote out a list of my top 25 films, amongst the Czech new wave, Godard's and Antonioni's, you would also find Space Balls, Major Leagues and maybe even Weird Science. That being said, I excitedly await the next installment of...

Point Break 2? Yep. Written by the same dude who wrote the original. Oh man...i can't wait.


Heres the description (now over a year old) taken from SlashFilm:
The new movie will be set in Southeast Asia and uncover the fate of the surfers’ leader Bodhi (played in the original by Patrick Swayze) who was supposedly (spoiler alert) killed by a giant wave at the end of the first film. The sequel will not feature the return of FBI Special Agent John ‘Johnny’ Utah (who was played by Keanu Reeves in the original), but will instead follow a surfer-turned-SEAL who is on the trail of “a criminal gang.” They hope to cast “a young male action star at the same stage in his career as Keanu (Reeves) was.”

Sounds horrible. Horribly amazing.

Think they'll have Clinton and Bush Jr. masks now? God, I hope so.

Post-Script: Screw artistic integrity. Who wants to put their creativity to good use and assist me in writing the next cult film? We can be the laughing stock of Hollywood but still get all the perks(wink wink).

Terry's miss

Sports- art with muscles.

I saw one of the most heartbreaking moments ever in sports today. It nearly brought me to tears. For those of you that scoff at sports there is certain elements of theater, drama, spectacle and even art that it contains which cannot be denied. They say sports players get paid too much. If that is true then so do actors and so do some artists,writers and even musicians. Film, television and sometimes to a lesser degree music and literature, are just often more easily related to than sports. Either that or there is a certain element of fantasy that taps into the realms of our imagination that fits our dreams and desires and expresses them onto a screen, a canvas, a book or into a song.

I wouldn't exactly equate such with sports. (Although some would...) In addition, I don't think it is or ever will be something for everybody. However, I will say that for those who understand your game of choice and all the nuances involved, the reactions can often be on the same emotional level than these other forms of entertainment and art. That being said, what I saw today definitely emitted a similar response in me that is usually reserved for other such mediums.

Sure, sports is just entertainment but if anything; what happens out on the field isn't scripted and it can never be replayed the exact same way twice. This only makes it all that more fascinating, affecting and unique.

John Terry-my heart goes out to you man.

Marriage Equality? How about marriage illegalization.

Everyone is texting, blogging and freaking out today over the good news in California that a state Supreme Court ruling of 4-3 stating that "the state’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the “fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship.” Thus, for the time being, marriage equality exist in the fine State of California.

It seems pretty absurd and dated to be against same-sex marriage. Such an attitude is rooted in a archaic judeo-christian morality that if seperation of church and state really exists, shouldn't be so ingrained into our politics. Obviously, they are but its good to see the pendulum shifting.

However...let me ponder a bit and expand on an idealistic pipe-dream in a moment of frivolity....

Why is the institution of marriage so wrapped up in legality in the first place? The fact that marriage is a legal binding agreement between two parties seems absurd as well. Why are the courts even involved in the issues, desires of formed relationships between individuals?

I guess issues like who gets the kids, the dog and the brown sofa are often decided through legal means. But can't such issues that may need legal guidance, counseling or mediation be separate from the actual act of committing your life to someone. Can't the contract you create with someone be simply a binding between you and them on an intimate, personal or spiritual level?

I am stoked on the recent invents in California and I realize that this is the context we exists in but stepping back a minute; the whole issue that we even have to go through courts to establish marriage equality seems a bit absurd in the first place.

Regardless, if you enjoy stand-up comedy, please take 2 minutes and 43 seconds to watch this following clip of Doug Stanhope talk about marriage. Its not even comedy...its just frank, somewhat offensive, yet insightful honesty on marriage put perfectly:

Street Art goes to the Tate

As the street artists community continues to expand, evolve and grow in popularity, the Tate Modern in London has decided to dedicate an exhibition this month to some of its more established and known figures. According The Observer, many of the artists are now beginning to be commissioned to create pieces for millions of dollars in the homes of famous figures. Apparently, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie just had a Bansky piece put up in their living room. Good to know that he no longer needs to throw up his pieces sans permission in the MOMA. Not to mention that his hometown in England has trained the local sanitation department to no longer paint over his pieces.

In addition, May 5th was concluded the last day first ever Cans Festival-a stencil art battle in London under the Waterloo Station Bridge.

More power to the these street artists but it does seem to take away a bit from the ideas which street art is founded off of. Not like it hasn't happen before though...e.g. Basquiat, etc.



Images courtesy of Wooster Collective.
A website dedicated to exposing street art around the globe.

Party Time. Not-so excellent.

So, this was out-loud funny to me. A blog solely dedicated to other peoples parties from photos found on Flickr.

Check it at: Sorry I Missed Your Party

Thanks again to Diana for discovering this. I think this is the second time in less that two weeks I have co-opted a post from her Systems of Operation blog.

Weather Report

Recently, I have been fascinated with the We Can Solve It commercial campaign promoting awareness and activism in regards to climate change and environmentalism.

In case you haven’t seen them yet, they involve supposed opposite politicians and public figures, sitting together on a couch, expressing that despite their differences, they both agree on the need for climate change. Here are the two that have been released so far.

Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich

Pat Robertson and Al Sharpton

Here is an excerpt from the About Us section of We Can Solve It

“The We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. Our ultimate aim is to halt global warming. Specifically we are educating people in the US and around the world that the climate crisis is both urgent and solvable.”

Admittedly, there are certain elements of this organization and their ad campaign which could be objectionable. More radical environmentalists tend to reject solving the impending climate issues through big business, special interest groups and the government. I am not well-versed in environmental politics but it seems that tendency from the radical left to work on the peripheries of society while refusing to cooperate or work with the organizations, systems, and/or governments they impose resolves in more conflict than positive, productive outcomes. In addition, it also seems that to take such an attitude is selfish and unconstructive.

Personally, I tend to see this sort of attitude quit frequently in Portland-a city which tends to boast its liberalism, open-mindedness and green consciousness. (side note: In October Business Week voted Portland the third most toxic city in the United States.) Attitudes tend to chastise those who don’t ride a bike or pour Biofuel into their cars. More than once, I have been scoffed at and dismissed for renouncing my 3 years of veganism. This also occurs in regards to political and religious issues. If you are not openly left then you’re possible friend ratio might drop significantly in this town-no joke! Obviously, this can personally frustrating. However, it has gotten to a point where one is tempted to question the foundation of leftist ideals altogether. Are all these kids doing it to be cool or do they really want to instigate realistic change?

In regards, to these commercials, I have personally found them to be possibly quite effective. It seems that a pragmatic outlook on the issue of climate change is that most people are uninformed and see no immediate incentive in making a change to their daily lifestyles. So regardless of how much money Pelosi and Gingrich are getting paid, and regardless of how much they are realistically attempting to push legislation forward towards creating constructive policy in climate issues, I think these commercials could be a beginning to getting people who don’t ride bikes, are vegan, food-forging anarchists or enviro-terrorists actually aware and maybe even involved with what is going on. It seems that such a cause really needs to target those who don’t live in conscious urban areas where being environmentally friendly is so easy. The suburbs need to know, the lower class need to know the incentives, major cities suffering from urban sprawl need funding to implement such measures.

I don’t see a lot of push for that kind of action with radical leftists. They seem content with their small, close-knit group of like-minded people. How is that ever going to change anything on a broader scale? Or maybe that isn’t the point....and maybe I'm just turning into a sellout.

P.S. I know Portland is a hip city but it’s frustrating that so many people who have ambitions of making social, political or environmental change move here. Portland has got enough people for that. People with such motivation should go to cities that really need to implement such change…like Detroit…or Phoenix….or even Los Angeles...or to the steps of Congress in D.C. Now that’s a challenge.

As they say: Portland-the most over qualified city of hyper-intelligent, MA holding baristas and bookstore clerks.

Diving Bell review...

My recent review of Diving Bell and the Butterfly is up on Fanbolt.

Check it here.

It may seem sort of familiar from a previous post of mine late last year.