Reviews
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Films
In September 2009, we went to see Moon and the following night District 9. Read on to see which one I would see again. In all honesty, I should see them both again, but not one right after the other.
In October 2009, a group of us went to see Zombieland, which was tons of fun.
In December 2009, I saw Ben Stein's (insert title here and make it a link), a terrible documentary on intelligent design, which suffered from a lack of intelligent design. I also saw All Quiet on the Western Front, a fun (as fun as these are) war film, the book of which I read (or was to read, I forget) back in middle school.
As of December, 2009, Avatar is out, but I don't think I'm terribly interested in that title. It seems like a revolutionary film, but I don't think there's need for that kind of revolution right now.
Rewatched Run Lola Run in 2010 for the second time and it was still enjoyable. There's something to a fast-paced film with a fast-moving soundtrack. Some nice performances from actors who had to play out scenes multiple times with slightly different emotional responses. A great exercise in subtlety.
In February 2010, I caught Absolute Beginners, a detached dream sequence of a film. I say dream sequence because it reminds me of the dreams I have. Very strange. Disjointed. Not for the faint of heart. Think Hairspray with less flow. Makes John Waters' classic that much moreso.
Music
Some funky bands with punk attitude include Minutemen and Fugazi. Older funk/punk bands I recommend include The Clash and Talking Heads.
For soulful, introspective times with a folk twist, I like to listen to Kings of Convenience, Sondre Lerche and Beirut.
If you're in the mood for synth and guitar driven music, Devo is a perennial favorite, as are relative newcomers Ratatat.
Weirdness in music is what keeps me coming back. Examples include Björk, Captain Beefheart, Syd Barrett, Miles Davis, and Frank Zappa and his Mothers of Invention.
Other folk music, drawing from cultural traditions around the world, include The Pogues, Fela Kuti, and Paul Simon.
Food
We've been known to hit our local restaurants Korea House and Titaya's when we hunger for tasty food.
But in my opinion, the best food around is made by my friends and family.
Kristin makes a mean just-about-everything, and is quiet experimental, so I get to try a variety of food. Other friends make Indian, Persian, and vegetarian dishes to end the world with a smile.
My favorites (that I make) are chili, lasagna, cookies, banana bread, and a variety of salads.
Books
Some great histories include Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen and Europe by Davies.
If you're in the mood to books of poetry, Seamus Heaney's Station Island and Wintering Out. In December 2009, I finally got ahold of a copy of Larry Levis' Selected Works, which I highly recommend, especially anything from Winter Stars. What is it about winter and poetry?
