Iron Man

Film #19 was Iron Man.

My NetFlix rating: 3.5 stars
Jamie says: Cool, a big budget summer movie that actually doesn't suck!
RIYL: Comics, Robert Downey Jr., Robocop, Running + Biking + Swimming

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia
Blog

Bubble

Film #18 was Bubble.

My NetFlix rating: 4 stars
Jamie says: Mesmerizingly raw. I couldn't take my eyes off it.
RIYL: Lo-fi indie goodness

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Y: The Last Man, Volume 3: One Small Step

Book #17 was Y: The Last Man, Volume 3: One Small Step.

3 down, 7 to go. Still awesome.

Volume 1

Volume 2

The Raw Shark Texts

Book #16 on my reading list was The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall.

Inventive Memento-esque sci-fi novel. Was expecting a lot from this one based on recommendations, but was somewhat underwhelmed.

Creepy website
Wikipedia (which can be creepy in its own ways I 'spose)
Annotated wiki

Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

Film #17 was Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay.

My NetFlix rating: 3 stars
Jamie says: Not as awesome as the first one, but still pretty funny
RIYL: White Castle, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry, Superbad

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

There Will Be Blood

Film #16 was There Will Be Blood.

My NetFlix rating: 4 stars
Jamie says: I drink your milkshake! Okay, had to get that off my chest. Daniel Day-Lewis is as good in this as everyone says, perhaps more impressive though is the fact that Paul Dano hangs right with him.

RIYL: Upton Sinclair, good acting, Babel, Syriana

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia
I Drink Your Milkshake

Rock On

Book #15 was Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy.

Rock On is the story of Kennedy's entré into the record business and all its slimy glory. From writing print ads for Phil Collins to helping Jewel sell out, Kennedy's stories reveal that working in marketing at a major label isn't nearly the dream job you might think. The stories are humorous and should ring true to anyone working in corporate America.

Official Site for the Book
Dan Kennedy's Really Small Talk

Rock On - Dan Kennedy

Y: The Last Man, Volume 2: Cycles

Book #14 was Y: The Last Man, Volume 2: Cycles.

Not really sure what to write about on this one since I'm only 20% of the way through the series. I blogged a little bit about the series here: Y: The Last Man, Volume 1: Unmanned.
Other than that not much to report aside from the fact that I'm still digging it and now waiting on Vol. 3 to arrive at the library. I did find out that a movie is in the works though so I'd better get my read on soon as I've got a long ways to go.

My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead

Tome #13 was My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories, from Chekov to Munro.

It's not every day you find short story collections that mix works of some of today's best writers: George Saunders, Miranda July, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, etc. alongside great writers of the past such as James Joyce, William Faulkner, Anton Chekov and Vladimir Nabakov. It's a bold choice on the part of editor Jeffrey Eugenides and one he manages to pull off without coming across as a Schelleyian madman. If you're guessing at this point that this must be a McSweeney's project give yourself a big pat on the back. Proceeds from this one go 826 Chicago and their sweet secret agent supply store.

Hard to pick favorite stories especially since I'd read some of the pieces previously but in terms of writers who piqued my interest for reading more, I'd go with Harold Brodkey whose two stories were both excellent.

Previously: The Book of Other People

Jamie Campbell's Photography

I was relieved to find that this page is not dedicated to me: I Hate Jamie Campbell's Photography. And I dig the Chuck Norris-esque bio.

American Gangster

If my blog were a Tamagotchi it would be dead right now.

Film #15 was American Gangster.

My NetFlix rating: 2.5 stars
Jamie says: B-o-r-i-n-g. Not even Denzel could save this one. The studio cut was about an hour too long, hard to believe the director's cut is even longer!
RIYL: Gangster movies that have been made a hundred times over

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Gainesville Music

It's a good time to be a Gainesville music fan circa 1995.

You can download a remastered version of the classic For Squirrels' limited edition debut disc Baypath Road here.

Then check out former Squirrel and Subrosa front-man Travis Tooke's newish solo disc Artichoke.

Then dig through Less Than Jake's recently re-released back catalog.

And finally take a listen to Jared Flamm's (of Noah's Red Tattoo) new band Biirdie and their recently released new album Catherine Avenue.

Isn't it time for another bloom. album?

Goal Line Blitz

TrevJo just introduced me to a cool MMORPG Football game called Goal Line Blitz. You create a player, train them, sign them to a contract and then manage their career. Players sign with teams made up of other real users and compete in leagues against other teams. Simulated games happen a few times a week (you train in between) and you can even watch replays afterwards. As you gain points you can move up from a mere player to an owner/coach who actually runs a team. I created a WR who got picked up by the Algeria Addiction, a team in the SE Asia league. Pretty fun so far and definitely a unique spin on Fantasy Football.

An American Dream

Book #12 was An American Dream by the late great Norman Mailer.

Is boring start, great middle, disappointing ending a good enough review? Cause that pretty much sums this one up for me. But that middle really was pretty frickin' sweet.

Wikipedia

Gary Louris

Preachin' to the choir music recommendation of the day: Gary Louris' new disc Vagabonds. If you're a Jayhawks fan I'm sure you've already picked this one up (right?). If you're not a Jayhawks fan you've already been missing out for 23 years so I doubt this random post'll change your mind.

Anyways, if you are on the fence for some reason though perhaps this sweet tunage will win you over:

Be sure to pick it up at your favorite local indie music store (remember those?) to get the all acoustic bonus disc.

Prince Fielder: Vegetarian

Just saw that Prince Fielder is now a vegetarian! Welcome to the good squad Prince, we needed a power-hitting first baseman! Any guesses on what book he read that made him switch? For me it was The Jungle that did the trick.

BTW, if you can't tell I'm pining for opening day and some real baseball news.

Secretary

Film #14 was Secretary.

My NetFlix rating: 3 stars
Jamie says: My two favorite MG's, Maggie Gyllenhaal & Mary Gaitskill
RIYL: Twisted indie films

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Eagle vs. Shark

Lucky film #13 this year was Eagle vs. Shark.

My NetFlix rating: 3 stars
Jamie says: Napolean Dynamite meets Flight of the Conchords meets Amelie, only not quite as awesome as that sounds.
RIYL: New Zealand, dudes in wheelchairs getting punched, Jermaine

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Shopgirl

Film #12 this year was Shopgirl.

My NetFlix rating: 3 stars
Jamie says: About as average as a film can be. Not good, not bad, just 100% average, which is pretty durn disappointing when you consider the cast.
RIYL: Claire Danes...nuff said

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Y: The Last Man, Volume 1: Unmanned

Book #11 on my reading list was Y: The Last Man, Volume 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra.

Just starting to get into this series (9 more to go) but if the first one is any indiciation it looks like it's gonna be pretty sweet. Slogging through the library queues may be a challenge but hopefully it'll be worth the wait. If all goes well I might even finish it before the movie comes out.

Y on Wikipedia (don't tell me how it ends...)

2008 Reading List - Books #1-10

Here are the first ten books of my '08 50 book challenge:

1. The Best American Non-Required Reading 2007* - Various
2. This Is Your Brain on Music - Daniel Levitin
3. Hellfire* - Nick Tosches
4. The Nimrod Flipout - Etgar Keret
5. Shortcomings* - Adrian Tomine
6. McSweeney's #25 - Various
7. Kafka - R. Crumb & David Mairowitz
8. The Worst Hard Time* - Timothy Egan
9. The Fermata - Nicholson Baker
10. The Call of the Weird - Louis Theroux

* = Highly recommended

Previously: My 2007 reading list, My 2006 reading list

The Call of the Weird

Book #10 was The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures by Louis Theroux.

In Call of the Weird Theroux revisits former subjects of his weekly BBC documentary Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends. The titles of some of the episodes should give you a good idea of what you're getting into: UFOs, Porn, Swingers, Wrestling, Gangsta Rap, Televangelists and Religious Cults, Head For The Hills, Infomercials, Black Nationalism, Demolition Derby, Off-Off Broadway, Hypnosis, Body Building, etc. Some of the stories are interesting and he meets some interesting people (including Ike Turner!) but on the whole it feels like a retread of several other books, eg. US Guys.

Washington Post review
International Herald Tribune review

The Fermata

Book #9 on my reading list was Nicholson Baker's controversial novel The Fermata.

What would you do if you could stop time? If you're Arno Strine you'd take advantage of your powers to oogle naked women. That's the basic premise of The Fermata, but Baker's keen writing skills fortunately save the book from being the trashy dime novel it sounds like. Tough to describe, but Mary Gaitskill puts is well:

"The book is bursting with sex and beauty, wound together profoundly and pornographically. It is bountifully Rabelaisian and intensely refined ... I have never read anything quite like it ... Misogynists will definitely not like The Fermata; there is not one iota of violence towards or contempt for women in this book ... Wildly exhilarating and confirming ... The Fermata should be celebrated."

Salon Interview
Entertainment Weekly review

2008 Mariners Commercials

W00t! The new M's commercials are out and as funny as they've been in a long time. Me gusto the mustaches.

Previously
2007
2006