Scorsese Does the Stones

A Martin Scorsese film about the Rolling Stones?  Yeah, I'll probably see that.  And if it's showing in IMAX, all the better.



When I first watched this trailer (which you can see a much better version of at the film's official site), I wasn't sure I liked Scorsese being part of the film.  But then again, that's part of the story that would interest me (and I'm sure many others).  If we get plenty of scenes like the one in which Scorsese and Mick Jagger disagree about whether or not a camera crane should be used, that should make for some good documentary.  (I think I have to side with Mick, though.  If you were in the Beacon Theater for this show, and your view was blocked by the camera swooping in and moving around, you were probably pissed off.  But as Mr. Spock once said, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.)

By the way, does Scorsese get enough credit for being one of the great rock music documentarians?  I just watched No Direction Home, his film about Bob Dylan, which chronicles the effect Dylan's music had on the 1960s.  (I wish it had gone later into his career, however.)  And then there's The Last Waltz, maybe the best concert film (and documentaries) ever made.  (Though Levon Helm seems to disagree.)

(via The Set List)

What I'm Really Doing on Vacation?

Uh-oh.  Looks like I've been busted.

FRT New York Bureau Chief Mis Hooz uncovered what I was led to believe was a top-secret image from a project I may or may not have been working on.  At this time, I simply cannot comment on whether or not I've joined The Hives and filling in for Howlin' Pelle Almquist is what I'm really doing on my "vacation."

Besides, I think the look on Dr. Matt Destruction's face says it all.  He doesn't look too happy about us being cheek-to-cheek.  Hey, it wasn't much fun for me, either.  But really, I was just happy to be there.  Allegedly.  Since I'm not commenting.

(Just in case you're wondering, here's what the real thing looks like.)

Today's Reading - 12/17/07

● MICHAEL ROSENBERG: U-M didn't make a good hire -- it made a great one

The University of Michigan's long football nightmare is over.  After missing out on at least two other candidates to take over as head football coach, Michigan finally got their guy - and Rich Rodriguez looks like the right one.  (I was hoping to get a call.  The opening line of my introductory press conference would've been "You can't spell 'Michigan' without 'Ian.'"  T-shirts and bumper stickers would've eventually followed.)

The people of West Virginia (such as Fried Rice Friend, Wabi-Sabi) are surely sick of seeing their coaches migrate to Ann Arbor (men's basketball coach John Beilein left WVU for U-M in April), but a program with the Mountaineers' kind of tradition will likely bring in a fine replacement.

I don't blog much about sports other than baseball anymore, but I love this hire.  I like that he's a young coach who could stick around for a while.  But most importantly, he represents a break from a coaching tree and mindset that was becoming increasingly fossilized, and brings some long overdue creativity to Michigan football.  Go Blue!

● Changing Courses at the Food Network

Fewer people are watching and the top-rated food show on TV belongs to Bravo.  So Food Network apparently has to freshen things up.  Neither Emeril Lagasse nor Mario Batali are part of that new direction, it seems.   Hell, the food shows I watch the most are on Travel Channel, so maybe Food Network knows what it's doing.

● Out of South Africa

A grateful memory from my two years at Iowa is the opportunity to have read virtually all the works of J.M. Coetzee.  If there's a better chronicle of the divisions existing in post-apartheid South Africa than Disgrace, I'd like to read it.  (Well, not right now.)  So when an author whose work seems so intertwined with a particular region moves to another country, it's bound to raise a few eyebrows in curiosity.  But his admiration for other writers who have re-invented their cultural identity may have tipped off his eventual intentions.

● An Actress Who's As Great as the Sum of Her Parts

I think Laura Linney has been in a decent amount of the movies I've enjoyed in recent years.  She's kind of the female equivalent to Philip Seymour Hoffman, so isn't it interesting that they're in a new film together?  The Savages opens next week in Ann Arbor.  I'm there, man.

The No One Could Get Time Off @ X-Mas Extravaganza

This year, no one on Team Casselberry could get time off the week of Christmas, so we're celebrating a week early down south.  Dr. Lil' Sis insisted that we still visit because it's the last time we'll celebrate the Christmas holiday amongst original family, as she's getting married in April.  It didn't take long to convince me, as eating my way through Charleston is one of my favorite pastimes.  Here's a preview of what the blog will probably read like this week:


And if I wasn't already on board with hanging out down south before Christmas, the weather reports from Michigan have me even happier about that choice.  I suppose shoveling a foot of snow when I get home will be a good way to work off all that barbeque.

(Image from "Get Fuzzy" ©2007 Darby Conley/ Dist. by UFS, Inc.)

More Bats in a Theater Lobby Near You

I guess I couldn't go a whole week without posting a new Batman movie poster.  These two new ones went up some time over the last day or so.  I think the marketing for this film has been deviously clever.  In comparison, this is another reason why Superman Returns was so lame.  Just throwing up the big red "S" wasn't enough.  This is pretty similar to the way Marvel Comics movies have been promoted.

Anyway, here's the Batman poster:


Kind of a strange image to use.  From far away, would you even be able to tell this is for a Batman flick?  (Maybe the Bat insignia up top takes care of that.)  I think it also suffers in comparison to the Joker poster:


Now that's the good stuff.  The new trailer for The Dark Knight is now lurking around online, too.  (And it's a killer.)  The clip I saw is pretty murky, in terms of video quality.  (And I bet it'll be taken down soon enough.)  Surely, a higher quality, official version will be released very soon.  (EDIT: Apparently, it's coming on Monday.)

(via The Movie Blog)

Today's Reading - 12/14/07

● The 53 Places to Go in 2008

Here's an ambitious list to take into the New Year.  The good news is that I have a really good chance of visiting at least one of the choice places to go, as it's only approximately 40 miles away.  I'd love to add at least one or two other destinations, though I might just have to settle for traveling (and eating) vicariously through Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern.

● Busting Out

Enjoy the tales of a large-busted woman (that's an adult way of saying it, right?) trying to find a bra that properly fits (and looks good).  My curiosity was fueled solely by my appreciation of good writing.  Really.  The anecdotes from the fitting room are hilarious.

● What Katherine Heigl said about 'Knocked Up'

Katherine Heigl seemed to be portrayed as ungrateful when she called Knocked Up "a little sexist" in this month's Vanity Fair.  Meghan O'Rourke of Slate is glad she said it, though, because it allows her to write about how men and women were portrayed in the movie.  But it's not an attack; it's a thoughtful critique.

● Why last year's products make this year's best gifts

If you've been thinking about buying a quality single lens reflex digital camera or high-definition television, this could be a good time to do it.  The prices on last year's models are significantly cheaper.  (Note to self: You deserve could use a better camera.)

● A New Shelf Life Begins

I still call Nick Hornby one of my favorite writers, though I haven't really fallen for either of his last two novels.  Though I noticed that he'd published a new book, I wasn't too interested because it was shelved in the "young adult" section.  But apparently, that was more of a publisher's decision than Hornby targeting an audience.  And that was a narrow-minded judgment from me, anyway.  If you're a fan of his, you'll probably like this profile.

Spoiler Alerts You Can Wear

I guess this is image week at FRT.  This thing - called "The Spoiler Shirt" - is hilarious.  Maybe I wouldn't feel that way if I hadn't already seen all the movies referenced.  And I think that's going to apply for most people who regularly go to theaters or hit video stores.  But if you want a bunch of people staring at your chest, this could be the way to go for you.


Maybe the next thing can be "Spoiler Jeans," where a movie spoiler is embroidered on each back pocket.

(via The Movie Blog)

Enough With the Batman Stuff?

I know, this is two straight Batman-related posts, with really not much substance to them.  The baseball gig kept me busy all day with the big trade between the Detroit Tigers and Florida Marlins.  But this is a clever teaser poster, and if we didn't already know what The Joker will look like in the new Batman flick, I think this would be even more spooky.


(via The Movie Blog)

If You Gotta Go, Go with a Smile!

There are plenty of pictures of Heath Ledger as The Joker to be found on the internet now, but I definitely like the look of those that popped up on Ain't It Cool News yesterday.  (Not a big fan of the new Batman suit, however.  Too much going on there.  He looks like a Star Wars character with a Batman head.)


To me, there's something delightful about the filmmakers creating a Joker that could very well scare the hell out of children.  It's difficult to imagine that face being on a Happy Meal toy next summer.  (And I can't believe that's the same guy I saw last week in I'm Not There.  Great work.)

Tonight's Reading - 12/02/07

● Black Sunday for Maize and Blue

I'll admit it: I wore my Michigan hooded sweatshirt with some struttin' pride yesterday when ESPN reported that LSU's Les Miles was going to take over as Michigan's head football coach, and would add Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta to his staff.  The future at the corner of Stadium and Main was going to be bright.  I went out to lunch, ran some errands, caught a movie, and then came home to see Miles angrily denying the report.  Even worse, he emphatically stated that he'd be the coach at LSU.  I choose to be delusionally optimistic, trying to read between the lines of what Miles really said (and didn't say).  But right now, it appears that Michigan will have to expand its coaching search.  Plus, the basketball and hockey teams lost on Saturday, too.  Go Blurgh.

● A Sinner's Tale

In anticipation of the film adaptation of his novel Atonement hitting theaters, the New York Times has 10 questions for author Ian McEwan.  Interestingly, McEwan was an executive producer on the movie.  I guess he doesn't subscribe to Ernest Hemingway's belief that authors should drive to the border of California, throw his/her book over the fence, wait for Hollywood to throw money back over the fence, and drive away.

● The 10 Best Books of 2007

You know it's December when these sorts of lists are published.  Of the New York Times' 10 best, I have read... none of them.  As if I didn't already know that my literary consumption was vastly lacking this past year.  I don't suppose having the intent to buy at least two of these books at some point counts for anything, does it?  (By the way, since I never got around to it before, congratulations to fellow Hawkeye Denis Johnson for winning the National Book Award for Tree of Smoke.)

● Book Vs. Film: No Country For Old Men

Adapting books into movies has always intrigued me, and I'm often fascinated by the differences between the literary and filmed versions of what's presumably the same story.  Why does something work on the page, but not on the screen, or vice versa?  And after seeing No Country For Old Men, I was very curious how closely the Coen brothers had followed Cormac McCarthy's novel.  This is a fantastic analysis of the two versions, and the differences between them.  (And just in case it needs to be said, spoiler alert.  Don't read this if you still plan on seeing the movie.)

● Slaughter on Union Square

If I was in New York tomorrow night, I'd try like hell to attend Michael Ruhlman's appearance with Anthony Bourdain at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, to promote The Elements of Cooking.  (Mis Hooz is probably wiping her brow with relief, as I would've made her accompany me.)  If you're a fan of either Ruhlman or Bourdain, you probably enjoy the feudfriendship between these two.  That should be a fun event.

Making the Uncomfortable Hilarious

Is this funnier if you have or haven't seen those dumb Coors Light commercials that use NFL coaches' post-game press conference footage?  Anyway, if you're not familiar with Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's tirade at a local sports columnist for something she wrote about one of his players, here's an explanation and a video of the outburst.

But tonight, we are here to laugh.  At a man.  Who's 40.  And had his tantrum turned into something hilarious.



The only thing that would've made this more hilarious is if they could've somehow incorporated Gundy's "This was brought to me by a mother... of children" into the gag.

(And I really hope this YouTube video isn't taken down by the time you get to read this.  I've had bad luck with that lately.)

I'm Not There: A Four-Sentence Movie Review

The musical biopic genre sorely needed a fresh approach, something that wasn't going to follow the paint-by-numbers "Behind the Music" formula of rise, fall (due to drugs, of course), rise from the ashes, and eventual contentment that most of these stories (Ray, Walk the Line, and the upcoming parody Walk Hard) seem to follow, but could still sum up the career and capture the creative spirit of the musician, and that's exactly what Todd Haynes has done for Bob Dylan with I'm Not There.

Haynes' choice to use six different actors (including Batman and The Joker) to portray Dylan (or a Dylan-esque figure) seems head-scratching, but think of each actor and story segment as a representation of a certain phase of his career (for example, a 12-year-old black kid embodying the early development of Dylan's musical tastes and style, which was heavily influenced by the blues) and the whole idea makes such brilliant sense - even if you're not overly familiar with Dylan's biography, which I'm not - that you wonder why no one's ever tried it before.

Not all of the segments work (Richard Gere's didn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the movie), but the flashiest and most radical interpretation is Cate Blanchett's androgynous portrayal of the late 1960s, Don't Look Back incarnation of Dylan that seemed utterly unlikable, yet was surely formed by the endless attempts by fans and media to mold him and his music into the defining voice of a generation, a burden that would probably make almost any artist run and hide.  Blanchett's performance might be seen as too gimmicky to deserve an Academy Award (although you could probably say the same thing about her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator), but she should absolutely score a nomination and if she wasn't already considered the best actress on the planet, this should give her the title.

Today's Reading - 11/26/07

● Good Will Hunting, Ten Years Later

Sweet Mother, time flies.  It's been 10 years since Good Will Hunting was in theaters?  Any time it plays on cable, I usually watch.  And once I became interested in studying screenplays, I think this was one of the first scriptbooks I bought.  Unfortunately, this is mostly a photo gallery from the Boston Globe, not an article.  But we kind of know what's happened to everyone now, don't we?

● Life's a Blur

You already know this, but the words "based on a true story" seem to be more of a "cover your ass" philosophy these days with biographical films.  After seeing both American Gangster and Mr. Untouchable, I'm wondering which is the truer story.  Maybe both of them are.  Or neither.  Maybe it shouldn't matter, either, unless you're watching a documentary.

● 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Cooking

I think of myself as a decent cook, though I'm always looking for ways to improve.  (And it seems impossible not to, with all of the food blogs, websites, and cookbooks that are readily available these days.)  Having said that, I think I've only done about three or four of the things on this list.  And there are a couple of things I can't imagine I will do.  But it's worth a read, especially if you were working over a hot stove last Thursday.

● The death of e-mail

My first reaction to this article was "Aw, c'mon!"  I mean, the vast majority of us still traffic and communicate via e-mail, right?  It's ludicrous to say it's becoming obsolete.  But I also know that I send a lot more text messages and send out info via Twitter than I used to even six months ago.  Hmm...

Can We Do That Again? That's What She Said (Episode #34)

At the risk of ruining the "surprise" that Matt set up for the latest episode of That's What She Said, we're having ourselves a little reunion this week.  For what could be the season finale of The Office, Matt asked me if I'd like to come back and play podcast super-friends with him.  And with my nights and weekends currently baseball-free, that sounded like a fun idea.

Any episode that presumably centers upon the augmented, slightly demented Jan Levenson is something I can get behind (that's what he said), so "The Deposition" looked perfect for me.  Of course, this is Michael Scott's show, so his buffoonish naiveté got the spotlight.  Oh, well.

Episode #34 is available for your downloading and listening pleasure, either from the That's What She Said home page or via iTunes. If you liked or didn't like what you heard, please send Matt an e-mail, post a review at TWSS' iTunes page, or leave a comment at the show's blog page.