WOAAAAH!!! MAH BISKITS AH BURNIN'!!!

I know it's summer but does it have to be so damned

HOT!!?!?!?

So the weekend was hot.
So hot that it fried my brain and I can't remember which day the following things took place.
So I'll just mash everything up together into whatever order I remember it.

The sibling wanted us to rent a car, eventhough it wasn't really in the budget. He needed to go someplace to DJ and network.
So I went to the usual place and rented the cheapest car I could find. Good thing I know how to drive a stick, 'cause that's
all they had left. A stick Nissan Sentra wedge-thingy, or The Tractor (the gas-guzzling stick Ford Exploder $$$$).
The Nissan was a little tight, but since it was a 2-door, it was easier for me to get in and out of. Plus, the A/C worked!!!
I picked the brother up and we ran some boring errands. Back at my pad, we looked at movie showtimes, but there was nothing
of interest playing. So we went to Best Buy and each bought a $10 DVD. He got "Labyrinth", I got "The Last Starfighter".
We watched "Labyrinth". Dang, David Bowie really needed a codpiece for his costume, argh. And Jennifer Connelly was so young.
The sibling tells me that he fell in love with her when he originally saw the film in the theatres (back in 1986).
It was a life-changing experience. He gave up his life of crime and became a DJ (I am NOT even kidding).
Now I know why he bought the DVD...

I spent a lot of time on FurryMuck while downloading some Detroit Techno goodness and watching "Starfighter".
I didn't get any Lego time in, which sucks.
We food-shopped at Trader Joe's, but they were all out of water. Good thing I have a case left at home.
The idiot sibling borrowed the car and ran out of gas, eventhough I told him to put some in the tank. I had to buy a gas
can from the local station, plus a gallon of gas, and walk to his rescue (he was about 20 minutes away). I didn't mind the
walk (okay, I minded a little), it was the expense of the gas can AND his stupidity that I really minded!!
The budget is shot to hell. I'm not sure how I'm gonna make it to the 31st.
On top of that, my checking account is currently FUBAR because my long-distance company put an authorization hold in it,
and the bank is treating it as a payment and charging me bounce fees! Arghblarghflargh!!! I HATE BANKS!!!
I hope the sibling can scare up a few bucks this week.

San Diego Comic Con International (aka "The Geek Prom") was on this weekend. I didn't go, but plenty of my friends did.
I hear that Saturday was insane with people in the 105,000 or 125,000 range. Yikes. The funk must have been something.
Not to mention the parking and lodging and eatering.
Some day, I'd like to go back. I wonder how much it costs to attend as a civilian...
I doubt my working at Amp'd Mobile will help me in any way in getting a pro badge.
It's good for getting into E3, but Commie-Con? I think not.


As promised, Netflixing!!!

Night Watch - "My name is 'Bear' because I turn into a bear."
Weird-ass Russian spooky film based on books, Part I of a trilogy ("Day Watch" is the second film), trying too hard to be
like American movies ("Matrix", "Hellboy", "Underworld", "Constantine", what have you), still kinda alien and interesting.
People say it's a vampire movie, but there's more to it than that. There are also shapeshifters, clairvoyants and witches.
It's light versus dark and there's a truce on, enforced by agents of light and dark known as "Others", with abilities beyond
those of mortal humans. The dark forces seem to consist mostly of vampires, well the light side fields mostly shapeshifters.
The DVD is double-sided, with the English dub version on one side, and the Russian original on the other, with nifty
customized English subtitles. We watched that one and I was delighted at the way the subtitles interacted with the movie.
They were usually in a place where they obscured the least amount of things, and when the vampire girl called to her prey,
they were red and flowing. They behaved in ways that complemented the on-screen action. I haven't seen this kind of
subtitling in quite a while, so long in fact that I can't remember exactly where.
The film itself is interesting, but really goes overboard with the borrowed techniques.
A little restraint would have been nice. I will probably rent "Day Watch" when it comes though.

Night Of The Hunter - "Not that you mind the killings! There's plenty of killings in your book, Lord..."
Which is actually NOT a vampire movie. It's Charles Laughton's only directing effort, a 1955 thriller set in the Depression.
A youthful Peter Graves robs a bank, runs home and hands the money to his children to hide. The cops nab him and send him to
the Big House. He has the misfortune to share his cell with Robert Mitchum, playing a serial killer posing as a preacher who
was caught with a stolen car, but has committed far worse crimes ("There are things you do hate, Lord. Perfume-smellin'
things, lacy things, things with curly hair."). And Peter talks in his sleep, tipping off Robert that there's 10 grands
stashed away somewhere near his home. Peter is sentenced to death because of the two people he killed during his robbery.
Robert is freed when his small sentence is up, and he goes off to find Peter's wife and two kids. He wants that dough!
The movie is in black and white and uses a surprising amount of aerial shots. It's also clear that a lot of it was filmed
in a studio. The film itself is pretty good, reminding one of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Robert Mitchum is a force to be
reckoned with, sporting the words LOVE and HATE tattoed on the knuckles of his right and left hands respectively.
The movie was not well received upon release, and Charles Laughton vowed to never direct again. Which is a shame.
We enjoyed it a lot. It's really good for its time and daring (I mean, evil killer preacher in 1955? Holy crap!).
Recommended!

Brokeback Mountain - the movie that launched a thousand Internet parodies!
That was rented for the sibling, who expressed interest in seeing it. I did not watch it, as I had zero interest in it.
He said that the movie was well acted and well photographed, so there you go. It's a good movie.

Underworld: Evolution - More of the same, except not as exciting.
Okay, so I kinda liked the first one, and I really liked the unrated director's cut DVD of the first one (it made more
sense and tied the storyline together better). But this one, I didn't like so much. It's more of the same with only the
smallest amount of new things. I just didn't care. Maybe it's PVC-clad action vampires fatigue induced by recent viewings
of "Aeon Flux", "Ultraviolet" and to a lesser extent (vampires, but not PVC-clad) "Night Watch".
I think I need to watch something else for a while.

Deadwood - Season 2 - DVDs 3, 4, and 5
At this point in the series, there are 3 characters I would like to kill with my own hands:
1) EB Farnum - he is an aggravating, deranged little weasel who simply will NOT SHUT THE FUCK UP!
2) Mr. Wolcott - also deranged, much more dangerous, and probably suffers from obsessive/compulsive disorders.
3) Johnny - one of Swearengen's man, a dimwitted moron who gets on my nerves. Too stupid to live.
Looks like one of the three saved me the trouble though, based on Episode 12's ending.
Which apparently is the last episode of Season 2 and is on DVD 5. So what the hell is on DVD 6? I don't know.
I can't find out anywhere online, and the DVD is already on its way. Dammit, I don't want to waste a Netflix rental
on a DVD full of useless extras I'm probably not interested in! I guess I'm gonna find out Monday, when I get it.
Also, I hear Deadwood is cancelled after Season 3, to be replaced by a surf drama. Cocksucker say what?!?!?!
I'm not even going to attempt to comprehend this move.


eMusicology - a new feature! Since I like eMusic so much, I'm gonna point out neat tracks on the service.

Baldwin Brothers - "Cooking With Lasers" - "What are the instruments in your group? I better write them down."
If you like the Propellerheads and Bentley Rhythm Ace, you might dig the Baldwin Brothers. They're funkier and jazzier
than the Proppies and less looney-tuney than BRA. So you get this sort of funk-jazz-lounge vibe with more modern beats.
I bet SOMA-FM's "Secret Agent" web-radio station plays stuff by the Brothers, it's totally their style!
Nice funky fresh, recommended!



Whew, that's a good-sized update.
I hope y'all had a good weekend.
See you later!