The Dailies

8/30

Simon Reynolds writes about grunge nostalgia for Slate (via @Slate)

The Facts

• In the wake of a myriad of nostalgia driven music “events,” Reynolds makes an extremely convincing argument for leaving the past in the rear view. 

• The catalyst for the piece was the screening of Nirvana’s 1992 Reading Festival performance at the 2011 version of the same event.

• Reynolds argues that our obsession with reliving the past in the form of reunions and reissues leaves us a soulless horde of zombies incapable of creating new masterpieces that will define our current era.

• I’m paraphrasing.

The Daily Notes

• It’s weird that a writer arguing against nostalgia has @SimonRetromania for a twitter handle.

• The idea of people at a live music event gathering around a screen to watch a twenty year old performance on video is unquestionably bizarre.

• The more I think about it, the more I’m inclined to believe that nostalgia holds very little real value. The way Reynolds illustrates how it stifles new breakthroughs in music and media could easily be applied to other areas of both art and life.

• Still, this is fun.

8/29

Laughspin’s “11 of the Funniest Stories Told by Comedians” (via @birbigs)

The Facts

• The Laughspin piece features long form stories told on stage by the likes of Louis C.K., Tig Notaro, Mike Bribiglia, and more.

• A few of the stories are from well known specials, but most of them you’ll be hearing for the first time.

• The audio above is John Mulaney’s hilarious Salt and Pepper Diner story.

The Daily Notes

• Mike Bribiglia is the reigning king of the long form story.

• Tig Notaro’s Taylor Dane story is pretty well known, but if you haven’t heard it, it’s one of the better entries on this list.

• There are few better ways to kill 75 minutes than to go through this list. There’s nothing like the gift of murdered time. Thanks, internet.

8/26

Lucky McKee’s The Woman will finally be unleashed to the public (via @movieline)

The Facts

• Lucky McKee is the writer/director of May, which is often considered one of the finest modern American horror films. 

• Subsequently, he’s made two movies that didn’t get much attention. That’s about to change.

• When The Woman screened at Sundance, it caused quite a stir and gave the movie the kind of press you simply can’t buy. 

The Daily Notes

• McKee’s third feature, Red (not the Bruce Willis/Morgan Freeman action film), was so under the radar, I didn’t even know it existed until a minute ago, and I’m a huge fan of the guy.

• It stars Brain Cox as a man who takes vengeance against a group of teenagers who kill his beloved dog.  It’s streaming on Netflix, which means I’m about to watch it.

• The final shot of May is more emotionally moving than the final shot of Citizen Kane. So there.

8/25

Tom Scharpling’s video for The Ettes’ “Excuse”

The Facts

• Popular radio host Tom Scharpling (The Best Show) has made a name for himself as legitimate music video director, getting behind the camera for The New Pornographers, Ted Leo, and Titus Andronicus.

• The Ettes video has a nice cameo by Patton Oswalt and made me laugh out loud more than once.

• Scharpling’s collaborator on long form call-in bits during The Best Show is Jon Wurster, drummer for indie rock legends Superchunk. 

The Daily Notes

• Scharpling’s tour across New Jersey video for Titus Andronicus’ “No Future Part Three” is just awesome. I can watch it over and over. 

• If you like The Ettes’ brand of Nashville garage punk on this track, you’ll enjoy the majority of their catalog. 

• Scharpling’s The Best Show is the most consistently funny and pleasant entry in my podcast library.

8/24

Warrior opens September 9th (trailer)

The Facts

• Warrior follows two brothers from a messed up family who end up in the same MMA tournament.

• It’s getting some very strong advanced word of mouth.

• The film stars Joe Edgerton, who co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed Australian thriller The Square, Tom Hardy, who you’ll see next summer as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and Nick Nolte, who is a shoe-in for a best supporting actor nomination.

The Daily Notes

• Believe the hype. While Warrior hits some familiar notes, its restraint allows for a stunning emotional climax that most films of this genre (or any other) never reach.

• This is the second film of 2011 that will go on the short list of all time great sports movies. The other is Win Win.

• Oddly enough, both films feature songs by The National, who make great music for reflecting on getting your ass kicked by life.

8/23

Mark Harris’ Moneyball preview for New York Magazine.

The Facts

• Moneyball is the long in-gestation film adaptation of Michael Lewis’ 2003 book about baseball sabermetrics.

• The film was set to be made by Steven Soderbergh a few years ago, but the studio got cold feet about the already filmed documentary footage and pulled the plug at the last minute. 

• Harris’ piece is an interesting look at the chaos of production and how the movie finally made it to theaters.

The Daily Notes

• I’m guessing what saved Moneyball from development hell was the success of The Social Network and landing Aaron Sorkin to come on board for a rewrite.

• Bennett Miller hasn’t made a movie since Capote. In an odd bit of casting, Phillip Seymore Hoffman is playing a baseball manager. 

• This is probably your last chance to see fat Jonah Hill on the big screen. Dude is svelte.

8/22

Current TV’s 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die

The Facts

• The Morgan Spurlock hosted series began a few weeks ago and has featured films like Jesus Camp, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and King of Kong

• The best part of the series is the “where are they now” element with famous  subjects like Billy Mitchel, Mr. Brainwash, and the grown up “Boy Who Loves Jesus.” Spurlock is a competent interviewer who isn’t afraid to ask some tough questions.

• Unfortunately, full episodes are not available online, but it is running constantly on Current TV.

The Daily Notes

• Watch the interview with Mr. Brainwash. We can all finally agree that this guy is just a Banksy creation, right?

• Jesus Camp is one of the most important docs of the past fifty years. It captures an all-too-real and influential subculture many people are quick to dismiss as “innocent.” Also, see the great tumblr, Christian Nightmares for similarly revealing evidence.

• I haven’t seen his latest film, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, but I don’t think Spurlock has made a great documentary yet. I think he will, though.

8/19

Matt Zoller Seitz writes about reality TV and blood sport for Salon.com

The Facts

• The piece is a response to the suicide of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Russell Armstrong.

• Seitz’ comparison between reality TV and a gladiatorial contest is not exactly new, but his level of detail is frightening and thought provoking.

• Armstrong was to be featured in Real Housewives’ upcoming season. The show will still air, but is being re-cut.

The Daily Notes

• Seitz’ piece astutely notes the comparisons between the Armstrong situation and Paddy Chayefsky’s Network, the classic in which an insane newsman becomes fodder for high ratings.

• In 1977, Network was nominated for best science fiction film by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. What used to be considered “science fiction” is now stark reality.

• It’s easy for me to shake my head alongside Seitz when it comes to Real Housewives, because I don’t watch it. But what happens when someone from The Challenge jumps off a roof?

8/18

The Interrupters is coming to a theater near you

The Facts

• The film is a documentary from Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams.

• It chronicles a handful of former criminals who step in the middle of Chicago gang disputes in order to prevent violence.

• In a decade that saw Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas and Fargo, Roger Ebert named Hoop Dreams the best of the decade. No one really argued. 

The Daily Notes

• Speaking of Ebert’s 90s list, Martin Scorsese also picked his favorites of that decade on a special episode of At the Movies. It’s worth watching.

• Steve James’ documentary Stevie was mostly overlooked, but is a fascinating, challenging film.

• James’ No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson was certainly one of the highlights of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.

8/17

Art of the Title (photo via byronic)

The Facts

• Art of the Title is a website devoted to highlighting the work of the creative minds responsible for the most interesting credits sequences in movies and television.

• Each entry includes the entire title sequence, typically followed by print or audio interviews from the artists, directors, and anyone who might have collaborated on the sequence.

• James Gunn, director of the recently featured Super, spoke on the Doug Loves Movies podcast about the titles for his film and his fondness for Art of the Title.

The Daily Notes

• The site is super addictive. You’ll keep learning cool things about your favorite movies, like how the title sequence of Almost Famous was a direct homage to To Kill a Mockingbird.

• The best thing about Art of the Title is how it illustrates the ways in which a great title sequence can be a piece of art completely unto itself, independent of the rest of the film.

• And yet for some films, the titles lay such an important foundation that the movie simply wouldn’t be the same without it. Spike Lee’s 25th Hour, for example, takes on a transcendent allegorical context exactly because of its simple, yet stunning title sequence.