Hubert Selby Jr.'s elegiac and mesmerizing novel about four addicts of different varieties appeared in 1978 and ranked alongside Selby's "Last Exit to Brooklyn" (also made into a superior film) as one of his best books. Darren ("Pi") Aronofsky was himself a Selby fan and eventually persuaded the Thousand Arts production company to finance his $5M film of the novel.
The resulting film is as horrific and fascinating as anything ever put on a screen. The plot isn't complicated: Junkie Harry (a nearly unrecognizeable Jared Leto) takes to pawning his mother's TV set for heroin. His buddy Tyrone (Marlon Wayans, in a performance that makes his turn in "Scary Movie" and other junk look like total red herrings) hatches a plan with him to score for a pound of pure and put them on the fast track to riches. Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) has vague plans of opening a boutique with her share of the gains. And Harry's mother (a truly amazing Ellen Burstyn) is obsessed with appearing on her favorite TV show.
Movies like this are not about plotting but emotion. We know there is no happy ending possible here; what matters is not what happens but how and to what extent. The final 20 minutes -- which have been written about endlessly elsewhere -- are a masterpiece of Soviet-style intercutting and gradually mounting, excruciating tension that does not even end with the release of death, but with the promise of unending, ongoing pain.
This isn't a pretty movie. This isn't a movie for your mother (well, I guess that depends on the family), or a movie for the whole family. This is a movie about despair and destroyed dreams. In short, this is a movie about something -- and it tells its story with such fierce style and power that it almost makes issues of taste or subject matter irrelevant. You may not like the film -- and there are many who don't -- but you can't deny its power, or the skill involved in making it.
Wide-screen film about the life of Elvis Presley will soon be made. Some actors are interested in getting a role as Elvis Presley. And Johnny Depp was mentioned interested to portray the legendary singer.
Pirates of The Caribbean, Johnny Depp who desperately wants to play Elvis.
A source close to the star of 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' that says if the lover Vanessa Paradis are always interested in things that smelled of music including the figure of Elvis Presley.
"Depp was stunned figure of Elvis because the singer had a strong character and inspire many people," said the source was quoted as saying of the Music Room, Wednesday, February 2, 2010.
The source went on the man born June 6, 1963 it will be very happy if I could portray the dark side of the legendary Elvis Presley to become superstars and icons in the music world.
"Depp was enthusiastic to figure Elvis. He can act it is the best thing in his life," said the source again.
Despite status as an actor, music is not a new world for the father of two children. He has long been interested in the music world. And he knew his interest in music. Depp has a band and he played the guitar in his band. In fact, he ever created a song for a British band
Bruno Mars "doo-wops and hooligans" has two good songs - "Grenade" and "Just the way you are." Bruno Mars reminds of New Kids on the Block, Justin Timberlake, The Spice Girls and even tints of Michael Jackson and Bob Marley. I like the fact that Bruno Mars is from Hawaii. It gives some kind of authenticity to his sub-tropical music. Bruno Mars seems to be a very young man. I find this lyrics to be almost child-like. Maybe if he was a little bit older I could take them seriously but I think Bruno Mars is just a little too sweet and a little too much of an ideal romantic (like in the song Grenade). I also think in a way he is like Emily Carr. Who was a good artist but it took close to a lifetime before she developed her own style. I think Bruno Mars still needs to develop his own unique style.
When it has came down to it, there just hasn't been that much excitement with the music industry this past year. There have been some surprisingly catchy songs though, like That's Not My name from The Ting Tings. The song at first didn't feel like it was anything special, but it actually was surprisingly enjoyable after a few times. I was definitely surprised about this one. While it isn't completely exciting, it still is honestly much better than a lot of other songs that have came out recently like Jordin Sparks latest Battlefield, or Beyonce's Ego. Still, I do hope that The Ting Tings next song can be better than That's Not My Name had showed, within a name.
There are many inexpensive scientific calculators on the market, but few boast the two-line display and other advanced features users get with the TI-30x IIS. The display shows the equation you are creating on the top line, and the numbers or symbols you are currently entering on the second line. Once the equation is solved, the results are displayed on the second line, and you can use the four arrow keys on the front of the calculator to edit the original equation in any way you like for a recalculation. Better still, pressing the up arrow repeatedly lets you browse through a cache of dozens of previous calculations, meaning you can look back to see the answer to a problem you solved two minutes ago, two days ago, or whenever. The device uses solar power when possible but can fall back on the internal batteries (which are included) if there isn't enough light. The buttons wiggle around a little too much and require a firm keystroke to register input, but the fact that input can be followed by looking at the output on the first line helps to cut down on mistakes. There is a shift key that doubles the functions of most buttons, and although the TI-30X IIS isn't festooned with as many buttons or functions as some other calculators we've tested in this price range, it's still very capable. There are three angle modes (degrees, radians, and grads), scientific and engineering notation modes, and even one- or two-variable statistical modes. Five variables can also be assigned to their own memory slots. The documentation is lacking, as everything is presented on a single folded sheet of paper, but Texas Instruments did manage to pack several illustrated examples on the page. The calculator comes with a snap-on cover that fits on the back of the device when you are using it. The calculator carries a one-year limited warranty. --T. Byrl Baker Pros:
Two-line display
Relatively inexpensive
Handles one- and two-variable statistical calculations
Cons:
Weak documentation
Buttons wiggle a bit too much
Product Description
New 2-line display. Dual power:solor and battery. View entry abd results at the same time. Edit current entry. Edit and view previous entries. Menus with functions and mode settings. Five variable memories. One and two variable statistics, results, for linear tegression, trendline. Fractions and fraction/decimal conversions. Trigonometric functions in degrees and radians.
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The first thing you feel is its weight in your hands, which screams, "this is an important book." "First Step 2 Forever" is a hardcover, multi-colored monstrosity that clocks in at 240 pages... half of which feature full-page pictures of the 16-year-old Bieber. This should please the majority of his pint-sized fans, who are looking for nothing more than a visual companion to Bieber's equally sugar-coated albums.
There's no way to accurately convey the inherent absurdity in reading a memoir written by someone who is only 16 years old. I'm reminded of this Friedrich Nietzsche quote: "Gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." In many ways, "First Step 2 Forever" compares to Anne Frank's diary, but the comparison ends at their young ages. At least in my opinion.
Bieber spends an inordinate amount of time talking about girls. As he writes in big letters that fill an entire page: "I really like... girls... girls... girls... girls... girls... girls... girls..." But don't peg him as a one-trick pony: "There are lots of things I really like besides girls. Like pizza.... And CHUCK NORRIS." And boy does he ever love Chuck Norris, whose name appears in all caps every time he's mentioned.
He also likes "pranking," which, if the pictures are to be believed, consists of shooting his friends and bandmates with a giant super-soaker water gun. No, I don't get it either. One of those, "You had to be there" things. Or maybe you can be there, when Bieber takes over hosting duties on MTV's Punk'd for Ashton Kutcher.
Bieber even takes a few pages to debunk some rumors that have apparently been swirling online about him:
* Im not dead. I had to check on this one... but it turns out Im alive
* Im not Peter Pan... Im growing up and my voice will change...
* I am not 10 feet tall and I dont shoot fire balls from my a**... that was BraveHeart
* No CHUCK NORRIS is not my real father... although he did birth to Hercules
Those aren't my grammatical or spelling errors, by the way. The book simply reproduces many of Bieber's Tweets without fixing them for grammar or spelling. Will anyone really care? Doubtful.
In a few places, Bieber slows down the breakneck pace of his young life to wax poetic on the state of the North American family circa 2010. "If you feel like a freak because you don't have a normal family, I've got news for you: pretty much nobody does," he writes in one moving chapter about his own family.
In one sentence, he says pretty much what took Jonathan Franzen 576 pages to say in "The Corrections" -- more or less. Could "First Step 2 Forever" be the next Oprah Book Club pick?
If you're looking for a behind-the-scenes rock-n-roll biography, pick up Nikki Sixx's "The Heroin Diaries." If you want the world's most narcissistic high school yearbook, however, "First Step 2 Forever" is your new bicycle.
This one is going to split the jury. Sleigh Bells are not a Christmas novelty act (some will disagree) but another band from the People's Independent Noise Republic of Brooklyn and an immense grungy dance punk juggernaut consisting of Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller a former hardcore rock guitarist. For influences think Bow Wow Wow, crossed with Lil Wayne and then throw in the Beastie Boys, White Stripes and Le Tigre.
As for the music Sleigh Bells elephantine beats don't just hammer the damn things could pile drive concrete supports into the foundations for skyscrapers. Their primitive guitar fuzz is wickedly distorted and married to the simplest of pop melodies. Krauss's ever so sweet voice provides tranquillity amongst this cacophony. Thereby this irresistible mix combines with room-shaking production and big guitars and is the reason why so many people are salivating over this album on the blogosphere.
When I first played the opener "Tell em" on my car stereo it was so bloody loud I swerved to miss a passing cyclist. It is a full blown aural assault, the musical equivalent of a punch in the face and one of the quieter songs on the album. It may just be 2010's musical counterpart to last years "My Girls" by Animal Collective. In terms of what follows there is no let up or escape. "Riot Rhythm" has drums which pound and Millers guitar introduces a razor like cutting riff. "Infinity guitars" sounds like a cross between the Beastie boys and Japandroids. "Run the heart" is Abba for the Twitter generation. It is a staccato composition punctuated by bubbling noises, shimmering synths and the dreamlike vocal of Krauss. Then there is the Phil Spectorish "Rill Rill" formerly "Ring Ring" from their demo's which is a charming confection of a pop song that is a temporary if welcome relief from Miller frankly going mental. His return however comes back with all the force of a wayward Katyusha missile on "Crown on the Ground" which sounds like the treble button has broken and someone has sucked the bass out. Your graphic equalizer is I am afraid onto a hiding to nothing but it works brilliantly and is actually quite sweet in comparison to the 90 second riff monster "Straight A's" that follows which could be Husker Du having a bad soundcheck. "A B Machines" is a surf guitar hip hop mash up (I kid you not) with Krauss repeating a two line lyric throughout. Finally the title track sounds like Mastadon making a bid for the charts with a girl singer.
There will be many of you wonderful people on Amazon who will state that "you don't get this", that "you've heard it all before" or will use that ubiquitous insult that it is the "king's new clothes". Even more will complain that the level of distortion on the album (at Spinal Tap "11") is giving your speakers a workload which they neither desire or can cope with and that perhaps "Treats" should come with complimentary Paracetamol. Yet there are on occasions when certain albums for just a very elusive moment on the space time continuum appear to make all other game players sound a bit wrought and tired. Sleigh Bells new album "Treats" falls into that category and will nudge popular music into different directions.
Granted "Treats" is so bound for mainstream success and overexposure that you sense that a brief romance with this band may be the extent of your involvement, but so what it will be fun while it lasts. Thus we have an album that is very loud, trashy, and disposable and pulled off with the sort of brazen audacity that would find the state police visiting in the dark of night in a less tolerant society. "Treats" describes itself, get it on Amazon MP3 download now and be prepared for a complete sensory overload.
Is there anything Bill Bryson isn't interested in? He moves from one subject to the next with equal amounts of genuine enthusiasm. And we're not talking about just the really remarkable stuff - a lot of what gets Bryson going seems quite mundane. Mousetraps, for instance. Once he has you hooked, you too realize that even mousetraps are pretty fascinating after all.
There's no point looking for a theme to At Home, even though it's nominally a social history of the home, specifically Bryson's home, a former rectory in Norfolk, built in 1851. Going from room to room is just an excuse for Bryson to expound on whatever he finds interesting. It might be best to take the book as a series of loosely connected magazine articles or short essays. You can skip around without losing the thread, because there isn't one.
Most of the history is Victorian, but there are side trips to the prehistoric Britain, 19th century America, and the recent past. This is not an academic book, so there are no footnotes, which is a shame. Although Bryson usually credits sources within the text, now and then he makes an outrageous statement without attribution. One that had me scrambling for some supporting evidence was a claim that Elizabeth I admired, then scooped some silverware into her purse at dinner in a nobleman's house while on her annual royal progress. Even more remarkable was a statement that one third of all women in London aged 15-25 in 1851 were prostitutes. Really?! After browsing through the lengthy and excellent bibliography, I found the instruction to go to Bryson's website for notes and sources, but found only that they are "coming soon."
Chances are you won't be interested in everything that takes Bryson's fancy, but no worry. If you find your attention waning during a discussion of furniture varnishes, it isn't long before he's off to vitamins or Thomas Jefferson's wine collection or Ötzi the Ice Man.
I initially had no interest in this film, thinking who wants to see a movie about some two bit dope dealer? My teenage son, however, rented the DVD, and I found myself a captive audience. To my surprise, it was a riveting, well done film. Sure, it was about a two bit dope dealer, but what a story. George Jung, an all American kid from a hard working, hard knocks family, begins dealing marijuana during the 1960s. He develops his business into an empire, and then he decides to branch out into the sexier world of cocaine and really big money. Using his considerable entrepreneurial instinct, he makes a deal with the Columbian drug cartel. Before you know it, he is raking in millions. Unfortunately, the best laid plans often go awry, and there is no fairy tale ending for George. This is a story of hopes, dreams, violence, greed, and betrayal.
Well directed by the late Ted Demme, the film is compelling and absorbing as it recounts George Jung's incredible odyssey in the drug trade, tracking the rise of the cocaine industry in the United States, attendant with all its violence. Johnny Depp, in the role of George Jung, makes him into a likable guy who has bitten off more than he can chew, with ultimately dire results. His is a search for the American Dream, a dream that forever remains elusive.
Ray Liotta is terrific in the role of George's father, Fred Jung, a sensitive and devoted everyman married to a hard, selfish woman, Ermine Jung, a woman who lacks all motherly instincts and is played with gritty determination by Rachel Griffiths. Jordi Molla is excellent in the role of Diego, George's entre into the world of high stakes, cocaine dealing, and Cliff Curtis is excellent as Escobar, the Columbian drug cartel's main man. Penelope Cruz is terrible as George's beautiful Latina wife, Mirtha. She is simply a bad actress whose English is often unintelligible. With the exception of Ms. Cruz, however, the cast is uniformly excellent.
This is the story about a young man who, faced with choices in his life, made the wrong ones and lived to regret it. Johnny Depp captures the pathos of Jung's wasted life. That his characterization is dead on is brought home by Ted Demme's wonderful interview of the real George Jung. This interview is one of the numerous bonus features on this DVD and is well worth watching. It is a poignant interview, as it underscores that Jung's was a life wasted. It also serves to illustrate just how remarkable Depp's characterization of Jung really is. All in all, this is a vibrant, informative, and entertaining film.
When I turned 40 almost 12 years ago I realized that my taste in music had not really evolve since I was 25. I worked late hours and focused on my career and starting a family. For some reason, at that point, I purchased my first Grammy CD. I really
did not like a lot of the music on the CD. But, it remained in my car and I would skip over the songs that did not appeal to me.
Over the course of a month there were times when I would forget to skip a track and would listen to songs that were not my preference. As I became more familiar with the songs, I began to appreciate genres that had previously not appealed to me. Among others, I came to enjoy and understand hip hop and rap, and to recognize the popular artists.
Each year since then, I have purchased the Grammy CD (and mp3 now) and I follow the same pattern of exposing myself to new music and new artists. I look forward to purchasing the CD, though from year to year the changes now are less dramatic than when I began. I also began having friends by to watch the awards show, which has been fun.
I am by no means an audiophile. However, while many of my peers hear new music as noise, I have acquired a much better appreciation of popular artists. My son's college aged friends are usually shocked that his decrepit father likes songs by eminem or TI. Maybe in 20 years my grandchildren will be the ones asking: "how does grandpa know about that?".
There are other annual compilations, but this is the best from my perspective. I listen to other music during the year, but buying this CD each year hopefully will keep me open to enjoying new music. I would hate to become stuck again.
This great & fantastic CD has 19 great tracks, all nominated/from nominees for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards which were presented during the ceremony on 02/13/2011. Winners are voted by the members of The Recording Academy & recipients will receive the greatest music accalade in the music industry (Grammy Awards). A portion of CD sales will go to charities (Grammy Foundation & MusiCares Foundation). The music from this CD has various musicians & genres ranging from Classical ("Have n't Met You Yet" by the great Canadian crooner Michael Buble' from his bestseller album 'Crazy Love', wonderful track, vocals & melody), Country ("The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert & "Need You Now" by the ever popular country band Lady Antebellum from the bestseller album of the same name), Soul/R 'n B ("Forget You" by soul singer Cee-Lo Green from the bestseller album 'Lady Killer', "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars from the bestseller album 'Doo-Wops And Hooligans' & "Babyfather" by Sade nominated after a 10 year hiatus, song from great album 'Soldier Of Love'), Hip Hop/Rap/R 'n B ("Nothin' On You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars, "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem & Rihanna. This track is in both 2 bestseller albums by these two great artists, CDs/albums being 'Recovery' & 'Loud' respectively) & Pop/Rock ("California Gurls" by the sucessful Katy Perry featuring bad boy rapper Snoop Dogg, "Telephone" by the ever popular & outragious Lady Gaga featuring the amazing Beyonce', "Ready To Start" by Arcade Fire, "Half Of My Heart" by John Mayer featuring country superstar Taylor Swift, song from the great album 'Battle Studies', "This Is It" by the late King of Pop Michael Jackson from the album of the same name, a posthumous release; "Beg Steal Or Borrow" by popular Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs, "Don't Stop Believin'" by great Glee Cast, "Misery" by Maroon 5 from the great album 'Hands All Over' & "Hey, Soul Sister"~(live) by the ever popular live performing rock band/act, Train from the great album 'Save Me, San Francisco'). On overall, this is a compilation of the best music/artists nominated for the greatest award in music industry, a wide variety of music/artists may be a double-edged sword for the 'purists vs fans' but often many fans are pleased as shown/indicated by the popularity/success of this series (Grammy Nominees) & this CD will make you enjoy the Grammy Awards Ceremony much more as the winners are announced as well as some great performances or if you enjoyed the ceremony/performances on 02/13/2011. All the categories of the nominations appear at the back of this great CD for each track/nominee, a highly recommended CD listening!
Part of the DVD series "The Work of Director ________", a trio of DVDs featuring the work of three groundbreaking video and short film directors, "The Work of Michel Gondry" is an extensive filmography of the director's work prior to his acclaimed feature film debut "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". It was interesting to see these pieces after having seen that film because it is so clear that his innovative and (usually) whimsical vision were present long before that film was released.
Essentially "discovered" by musician Bjork and tapped to do the video for her film "Human Behaviour", Gondry went on to do several videos for her as well as for The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, Foo Fighters & The Rolling Stones, among others. All of the videos feature enormous amounts of color, are usually laden with fantasy elements (there are a lot of themes that involve time-shifting) and most either are ironic or dryly humorous. The total effect is completely intoxicating. I have always found Bjork's videos to be wonderful and unusual, but all of the videos in fair succession of one another are a heady experience. The amount of work that went into The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl" video, which features the band as Legos, with every shot done manually is mind-boggling. Even Kylie Minogue's "Come into my World" (I personally find her insipid at best) was extremely enjoyable because the video, essentially a mobius strip where Minogue is walking around a city block, was so sublime.
The collection also features some commercial work and short films that Gondry has produced during his professional career including a beautifully shot black and white film called "The Letter". Having now seen all three of the collections released by the Directors Label series (including Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham) Gondry's work is the perfect addition to the series because he brings an element of bright imagination, and while all three directors are creative, his work is laced with a fancifulness that works as a thin patina, under which obvious intelligence lies. I considered "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to be the best film released in 2004, and Gondry's video work is a strong support for his talent and vision. I highly recommend it.
First, this is an art movie, 2nd it's a road movie (albeit featuring two robots), and for all those who said it sucks because it doesn't contain any Daft Punk music, here's the secret: "Human After All" is the alternative (and far superior) soundtrack to the film. Seriously, cue up the DVD, then put "Human After All" on album repeat; the story, songs, and even beats line up perfectly. In the opening scene, if you synced it up properly, the title track "Human After All" repeats "Human" when they zoom in on the "Human" license plate, then when the robots go into the clean room and the steam pours out of the hoses, "Steam Machine" comes on. There are several other examples, and if you really synch it up, the people even walk in time to the beat in several shots. There, that's why there is no dialogue, that's why the scenes are so long. Even when the album ends and repeats back to the first track, it's still in sync with the movie, now enjoy.
There is a moment in Adrian Lyne's LOLITA that effectively captures the twisted, yet surprisingly innocent feeling that Vladimir Nabokov wanted to portray with his novel. When Lolita, wonderfully played by newcomer Dominique Swain, is rushing up the stairs to say goodbye to Humbert Humbert (Jeremy Irons), before she leaves for summer camp, you realize that the look of excitement in Jeremy Irons face, and the nervous posture he has is that of an innocent child in love.
Indeed it is true that Humbert is a child at heart, a fact which becomes clear early in the movie, when we learn a little bit about Humbert's first encounter with love and its subsequent painful and unexpected loss.
It seems impossible to not compare Lyne's version with Stanley Kubrick's version, made over 35 years ago. I have to admit that I am an avid Kubrick fan, and that I always thought his version of Nabokov's novel, if not faithfully reproduced, was a classic. So it was that with apprehension (and some morbid curiosity) I decided to watch Lyne's version. Boy was I blown away.
It is a terrible thing that our society as a whole, at this day and age, can't see pass the taboo that apparently clogs the story. It is sad because Lyne's LOLITA is an excellent and beautiful film in every respect. From Lyne's carefully crafted visual style, to the outstanding performance given by both Swain but especially by Irons (this is his movie), to the heart-breaking music score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone. Everything is in place here.
It is clear that Lyne has a profound understanding of the novel, he successfully directs the story in a way the slowly engulfs you and never seems to fall into the traps that plagued Kubrick's version. There are a great many things that you will discover in this movie, not the least of which is the realization that, deep down inside, there is a place in each and everyone of us where love seems to have no age. In the end you understand the reasons behind the story, you will see Humbert's joy reflected in your eyes and his tears will fall down your face, but perhaps most shocking of all, you will feel like him.
Please, do yourself a favor and see this movie on DVD. Trimark has done an excellent job by including a very insightful commentary track by Adrian Lyne, a wealth of deleted scenes (some of which I wish were on the film), theatrical trailers, and perhaps the most wonderful feature of all, a casting session with Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain, where you see them rehearse a scene, and later get to see the final scene. Highly recommended.
"City of God" ("Cidade de Deus") is the story of a boy, but also the story of a "favela" (Portuguese word with similar meaning to slum or shantytown) on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. That shantytown is called "Cidade de Deus". Throughout this extraordinary movie both the boy and the favela grow, albeit obviously in very different ways :)
The boy is Rocket (Buscapé in Portuguese, played by Alexandre Rodrigues), who is born in Cidade de Deus and grows up before our eyes living in it. He is quiet and easygoing, just a non-violent person seeking a way to survive in a brutal environment. Rocket ends up doing exactly that through his passion, photography, that ends up making him an intermediary between the local gangs and the press. He is also the narrator of this movie, the voice that accompanies us throughout many of the stories that "City of God" has to offer...
The other main character of "City of God" is the "city" itself, that starts merely as a couple of houses, but that grows immensely as years go by. The activities in which its inhabitants are involved also change, from petty robbery to organized crime that involves drug dealing and arms trafficking. We see Li'l Zé (Zé Pequeno in Portuguese, played by Leandro Frimino), one of the boys that used to play soccer with Rocket, grow up to become a murderer and a drug lord, someone that makes his own laws. The same happened with others, but Li'l Zé probably represents to most dangerous kind of sociopath that the favela can produce. Rocket and Li'l Zé, same circumstances, different persons, different choices. Who says that where you lives determinates how you are and what you do?. This is an excellent example that that is not always the case...
Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund somehow managed to convey in their movie the full strenght of the novel (written by Paulo Lins) on which "City of God" is based. This film is full of colour and energy, carrying the spectator at a dizzying pace through the twenty years it covers, never giving him time to get bored. It is wortwhile to point out that most of the "actors" didn't have any real experience as such, they just happened to live in different slums of Rio de Janeiro (including Cidade de Deus) at the time when the film was being made. I think that is something that shows in the realism of the results...
On the whole, I can say that I loved "City of God", notwithstanding the fact that it is undeniably bloody and has some very violent scenes. In my opinion, they are not gratuitous, because they help the directors to capture what may really happen in a Brazilian shantytown, and show it to us. All in all, this movie is nothing short of an experience worth having and sharing. If you watch "City of God" and love it as much as I do, do your part and recommend it to others :)
I very much love the music of Sonic Youth so I decided to go ahead and buy this video collection. Although I had no idea what to expect, I must say that I am very happy with what I got. Audio and video quality is as good as you can expect, especially since the videos come from such a wide rage of mediums ranging from low budget video to high quality film. Special features are great also, especially the videos directed by the fans and "My Sonic Room" where a fan paints the cover of the album Goo on her wall.
1. Dirty Boots- The band plays a concert while fans mingle with each other.
2. Tunic (Song For Karen)-Has a public access production value feel to it and it reminds me of David Lynch's Eraserhead. Includes hidden images of Karen Carpenter.
3. Mary-Christ-Mostly close ups of the band mixed with live footage, looks like it was shot with night vision cameras.
4. Kool Thing- Has Singer Kim Gordon holding a black cat while the band plays in a tin foil decorated room.
5. Mote- A mix of the band playing, footage of the film Koyaanisqatsi, and graphic dismemberment footage.
6. My Friend Goo- My least favorite on the disk, a homemade video with singer Kim Gordon in a pink cat suit singing along with a record.
7. Disappearer- The band goes on a strange road trip.
8. Mildred Pierce- Has the band in various locations around Hollywood and Sofia Coppola, director of Lost in Translation, plays Joan Crawford.
9. Cinderella's Big Score- an video about Kim Gordon's relationship to her brother is my interpretation.
10. Scooter And Jinx- Two female strippers star in this video, one poses naked while the other takes pictures.
11. Titanium Expose- Like a non linear short film, memorable for seeing singers Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore making out with each other.
12. 100%- The band plays a house party while footage of skateboarders is cut in.
13. Sugar Kane- Like a grunge fashion show video.
14. Youth Against Fascism- Just a collage of the band playing, motorcyclists, and other stuff.
15. Bull In The Heather- Features Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill acting obnoxious.
16. Superstar- a loving tribute to Karen Carpenter, the band is dressed up quite formally on a glitzy stage.
17. Little Trouble Girl- a slick looking video with a sci-fi edge, Kim Deal from the Pixies and the Breeders appears also.
18. The Diamond Sea- Footage from the band on the road.
19. Sunday- Stars Macaulay Culkin and some ballerinas.
20. Hoarfrost- Mostly footage of someone driving around at wintertime.
21. Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)- Has a bunch of people hanging out while Kim Gordon is singing on a laptop computer.
22. The Empty Page- More footage from the band touring.
23. Disconnection Notice- A short film featuring four young adults arguing with each other in a car.
The electronic synth duo of Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid returns to the music scene with La Roux: Gold Edition. This collection of B-sides, live performances, and remixes is a standby for their new album, currently in production. Here's my track-by-track overview of the hold-over release:
In for the Kill (Remix feat. Kanye West) - An awesome collaboration between La Roux and Mr. West that takes hip-hop to a whole new level. Nice beats and addition of effects create this vintage sounding piece.
Finally My Saviour - A B-side consisting of electronic synth goodness. If you are familiar with the group, it sounds like a sonic fusion of In for the Kill and Growing Pains. A seamless addition to their debut album.
Under My Thumb - Rolling Stones cover. Elly places an electronic vibe over her voice as she sings through the track effortlessly and beautifully. This was originally found on the Sidetracked UK-exclusive compilation, but as a DJ edit that was used to fade the tracks together as one mix. Good to have this track in it's original format!
I'm Not Your Toy (Jack Beats Remix) - A repetitive remix of I'm not Your Toy. The electronic beats get tiresome after awhile, but this release needed a good remix and Jack Beats was the best offering out of the three on the UK exclusive 3-track I'm Not Your Toy EP.
In for the Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix) - Already owned from the In for the Kill Remixes EP. It sounds like a singular toned backtrack, but fits perfectly with the vocals in such a way that it cannot be explained. The last minute is filled with beats. I replaced it with Finally (feat. La Roux) off of Skream's Outside the Box album. Very tribal-sounding with the drums, but very tranquill and a lovely remix of Finally My Saviour.
Quicksand (Boy 8-Bit Remix) - A reggae remix of Quicksand with pounding bass best heard through high-performance headphones or speakers.
Bulletproof (Zinc Remix) - Very repetitive dubstep remix. Previously released on the Bulletproof Remix EP. I replaced it with Bulletproof (Live at Shepherds Bush) found on The Gold EP.
Tigerlily (Demo Version) - The original, much more raw version of Tigerlily. Very nice addition to this release.
Bulletproof (Intimate Session at Abbey Road) - An acoustic version of Bulletproof with piano in the background and live vocals. I love this track and the raw talent that is put forth in Elly's vocals.
In for the Kill (Vevo Lounge Version) - Not my favorite performance. Elly's voice grates on my nerves here, but it's still nice to hear another acoustic session.
I also suggest adding this to the original album in your digital library for the true Gold Edition experience. This is La Roux and they are here to stay in my music library for years to come.
This was fun to watch yet at the same time rather disappointing (maybe depressing would be a better description). Fun if you go into it expecting sex, pretty faces and writhing bodies. But disappointing because there is little else besides. Depressing because the main characters appear so selfish, self-absorbed and are not in fact very likeable. Its main theme is about two emotionally immature individuals, learning rather late in life, the difference between lust and love. It's based on a short story by Tamara Faith Berger who also happens to be director Clement Virgo's wife. To its credit it tackles the lust vs love angle reasonably well.
For our protagonist Leila, life is one sexual encounter after another, free of emotional attachment, free of commitment, free of love. It opens with a naked Leila (the lovely Lauren Lee Smith) alone on the couch, masturbating while watching a porn video. There is no major dialogue until at least 10 minutes into the film and even then it is pretty banal if not trite, reflecting in a way the shallowness of these individuals. Director Virgo notes that he was trying to make a visual film as opposed to a talkie. And visually, it is beautifully shot. Leila goes to a party, meets David (Eric Balfour), with whom she feels an instant and mutual attraction. However he is with his girlfriend, Victoria (Polly Shannon). So she snares another lucky male whom she proceeds to bl__ and fu__ in the parking lot, in full view of David and his girlfriend, who naturally do the same thing, both couples more interested in the opposite pair than in their own partners. David of course is enthralled with Leila and hooks up with her. They have sex. Then they have more sex. And that's all they have. They don't really have a relationship. They don't communicate. They just copulate. Like rutting animals. Throughout the film, sex is depicted as mechanical, selfish and purely physical and although arousing, it is emotionally empty. The main impression I was left with was one of emptiness, hollowness and how sad these people were, physically connecting yet mentally and emotionally all alone. So much so that when David's ailing father whom he's been dotingly caring for dies, Leila cannot empathise, much less give solace. And neither is David of much help when Leila struggles with her parents' own breakup.
Luckless girlfriend Victoria (Polly Shannon) is, for me anyway, the most sympathetic character here. Of the three she is the only one with any insight into their relationship. She is also given some of the more memorable lines in the movie. During her confrontation with Leila, she warns him against David, "He's got intimacy issues. He needs a mommy," and more cruelly but to the point, "You can suck a guy's dick all you want. It doesn't mean he's ever gonna love you." She may be cast as the "other" woman but you can't help sympathising with her and thinking that she's better off rid of him. Virgo's need to have a "happy ending" where the characters come together after realising their love for each other is simply not convincing. It's hard to believe that these self-absorbed, narcissistic personalities could suddenly develop the insight to relate to someone, other than on a purely sensual level. The odd result is that, apart from the sex scenes, the movie when viewed as a whole, has a pretty depressing feel to it. Still, quibbles about the film aside, the sex scenes are not in the least bit disappointing. In fact, they are hot. Very much so. They are a lot more erotically arousing than in the bulk of porn material shot today which is so clinically anatomical as to no longer be erotic.
Although the DVD is unrated, it would most likely merit an NC-17. The sex scenes are as close to hardcore as you can get without it being X-rated. The missing elements are the money-shots and scenes of actual penetration. Otherwise everything else is there, right down to Leila playfully handling David's little thingie.
Lauren Lee Smith is gorgeous to look at and a very good actress. It took guts to do what she did here and I hope it pays off for her in the future. She should be in more films if only she could make time in between shooting "The L Word." In the commentary, director Virgo and Smith discuss how they first met when he directed her in her first lesbian scene in "The L Word."
The film has been beautifully transferred to DVD in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio (enhanced for widescreen TV). The film as we learn in the commentary was shot on Super 16mm so there is a slight graininess throughout as would be expected from this medium. Otherwise it looks gorgeous. Colors are vibrantly rich, black levels are accurately set, the golden summer palette that Virgo chooses for the film comes through handsomely. Sound comes in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Stereo. Dialogue is recorded at a very low level and is at times barely audible while the pounding music from the nightclub scenes are overwhelmingly loud. Rather like a porn video. I was constantly reaching for the remote to raise and lower the volume. There is an accompanying trailer, a photo gallery and of course the commentary by director Clement Virgo and Lauren Lee Smith who breaks into infectious laughter whenever she's asked to comment on her sex scenes. There is however no behind the scenes footage as advertised by Amazon. In the end, it may not count as a truly thought-provoking or even very credible film but it is arousingly enjoyable nonetheless. From the other reviews here, I take it most viewers will be seeing it for the sex. So, as far as the star ratings go: Five stars for the sizzling hot sex and for Lauren Lee Smith, three and a half for the movie itself.
This box is a big seller. The outside says it all: Very romantic on high quality paper board each box holds 150 SILK Rose Petals, scented and floatable, 4 tea lights to set the mood and an invitation to romance. One stop shopping. You may want to add other extras to the end cap, i.e. chocolates; champagne etc The tea lights are of high quality wax, giving a nice glow to the romantic evening. You can use it for showers, parties,anniversaries and of course Valentine's Day. The possibilities are endless. The package needs no wrapping; it is a present and mood setter by itself.
Bought these for especial night! This kit really makes it especial.
couldn't ask for more!
Conductor Marc Minkowski and director Laurent Pelly collaborated in two other highly successful Offenbach productions that are preserved on DVD: La belle Helene (2000) and Orphée aux Enfers (1997). This new production of La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein is the latest Minkowski / Pelly collaboration, and it is as brilliant as the two that preceded it.
Felicity Lott is outstanding as La Grande Duchesse. The voice has lost some of its past quality, mainly in the lower register, but the high notes are impressive as ever. Lott 2000 production of Offenbach's La Belle Helene with Minkowski revealed a great ability and talent as a comic actress. She speaks excellent French with a little bit of a "foreign" pronunciation, which makes her performance funnier. The athletic tenor, Yan Beuron is very good as Fritz, the common soldier, both musically and as an actor. The talented Sandrine Piau is luxury casting as Fritz fiancée, Wanda.
Décor and costumes are beautiful and effective, but the lighting is too dark in several places during Act II. Laurent Pelly, the director and designer, is inspired and brilliant as usual. The ballet sequences are original and great fun too.
Minkowski shapes the music with a great deal of charm and wit. I have in my collection the excellent Plasson recording (1975) with Regine Crespin, Alain Vanzo and Mady Mesple. But Minkowski offers us a more complete text, extra half an hour of beautiful and scintillating music: this is the new Offenbach Edition Keck version of La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein and it includes numbers like the stunning finale of act II (La Carillon de ma grand-mère and the Couplets de la plume) that were not available before.
Technical quality (picture and sound) is first class.
This classic book presents a thorough and comprehensive introduction to the field of insurance while emphasizing the consumer. The new Tenth Edition first examines the concept of risk, the nature of the insurance device, and the principles of risk management. It then discusses the traditional fields of life and health insurance as solutions to the risks connected with the loss of income. And it deals with the risks associated with the ownership of property and legal liability.
From the Back Cover
Take no chances! Learn about risk and insurance from the premier text.
Why learn about risk and insurance? You might be thinking of a career in the diverse and rewarding fields of risk management and insurance. If you plan on managing a business, you’ll need to know how to protect your organization from risk. And as an individual, you’ll want to make informed decisions about protecting yourself and your family with life, medical, home, auto, and many other kinds of insurance.
Whether you want to prepare for our career or simply become a more knowledgeable consumer, Vaughan and Vaughan’s Tenth Edition of Fundamentals of Risk and Insurance gives you a comprehensive, consumer-oriented introduction to the many facets of risk management and insurance.
The Tenth Edition presents the principles of risk management, summarizes the nature of pure risk on the individual and on society, and illustrates how insurance can be used to deal with the problems posed by such risk. In addition to clear and engaging coverage of insurance principles and theory, you’ll walk away from this book with practical, how-to advice that will come in handy in both your professional and personal life.
NEW FEATURES
Includes the changes to pension regulation introduced by the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
Reflects changes to the Medicare program that were introduced by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, including Medicare Part D.
Updated discussion of the personal auto policy incorporates changes introduced in 2005.
Incorporates changes in commercial lines forms, including the 2004 commercial general liability form, 2006 commercial crime program, and 2006 business owners policy.
Revised to reflect the 2001 CSO mortality table.
New discussions of enterprise risk management, insurance-linked securities, developments in auto insurance pricing and underwriting, and recent innovations in life and annuity products.
The photography was tastefully compiled…the captions were brief, yet usually thorough enough in detail…I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see what downtown Fort Worth looked like before 1965. --Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Product Description
Fort Worth is an American city quintessentially founded upon change. From its birth to the present, Fort Worth has consistently built and reshaped its appearance, ideals, and industry. Through changing fortunes, Fort Worth has continued to grow and prosper by overcoming adversity and maintaining the strong, independent culture of its citizens.
Historic Photos of Fort Worth captures this journey through still photography selected from the finest archives. From the Texas Spring Palace to Armour and Swift, the Carnegie Library to the Casa Manana and Frontier Centennial, Historic Photos of Fort Worth follows life, government, education, and events throughout the city's history.
This volume captures unique and rare scenes through the lens of hundreds of historic photographs. Published in striking black and white, these images communicate historic events and everyday life of two centuries of people building a unique and prosperous city.
I'm surprised at how small this collection is. Attorneys are such an inviting target for comedic attacks that it amazes me that as long as the New Yorker has been around, it only found about 85 attorney cartoons worthy of collection into this 1993 edition and that it hasn't found enough worthy cartoons since then to fill out a second edition.
Originality isn't a feature point of this New Yorker collection of cartoons, but talent is.
The 85 attorney cartoons largely revolve around two themes. One is surrealistic art which makes attorneys look as uncharacteristically undignified as possible (many of which are variations on the old "shark" joke that shows attorneys in the open water with fins and teeth).
The other is animated commentary on the ubiquitousness of attorneys in everyday life, a ubiquitousness that deprives each attorney of his individuality ("Would everyone check to see if they have an attorney?" asks a meeting-organizer. "I seem to have ended up with two.")
As I say though, the talent of the cartoonists is great enough that the same joke can be replayed several times and still retain a certain amount of freshness each time.
Still, the funniest cartoons are those which break the mold and display some actual knowledge about the profession such as the courtroom setting on the moon, in which judge, jury, and counsel are dutifully wearing spacesuits. The spaceships that transported them there are displayed in the background. "Not ANOTHER change of venue, counselor," the judge protests to one forceful advocate.
But as for the garden-variety attorney jokes, to my mind as a member of the bar myself, the joke is always on the jokester.
The public that enjoys these cartoons hates attorneys so much that they place their kids on an ever-increasing basis into law school and hire attorneys with the same frequency, expecting their own attorneys to engage in the same tactics that they would object to in anyone else's attorney. The public even hates attorneys enough to recently forgive an attorney who happened to be President of the United States for criminal and unethical conduct in a litigation setting.
Sure, this collection has a funny wedding-cake cartoon, in which the plastic bride-and-groom at the top of the cake are both accompanied by their respective plastic lawyers. In a world in which the divorce rate approaches 50 percent and pre-nups are necessary legal insurance, the bride and groom have created the need for counsel.
Sure, there's a cartoon in this collection that shows attorneys sold over the grocery counter in six-packs. Since 1993, at least one organization has taken to marketing legal services on a multi-level marketing basis in the same way that Amway or Herbalife market health products. Legal services ARE becoming like food, drink and health to the public.
Who creates such demand? Who's responsible for the proliferation of attorneys? The cartoonists who lampoon us and the public who laughs at the lampoons; that is, you, me and all of us because we've created the demand for that which we outwardly disdain. And I have a feeling that the cartoonists themselves know this.
It's OK to laugh at cleverly-delivered jokes ostensibly directed at the legal profession, but you'll probably enjoy the jokes more if you don't peer too closely to see if the joke isn't really on you.
"The Fighter" is easily director David O. Russell's most conventional film to date. Russell has been out of the film world for a few years after the mixed reception he received with the release of 2004's "I Heart Huckabees," an underrated film that may have tried a bit too hard. But when Russell burst onto the scene with the subversive "Spanking the Monkey," the exquisitely madcap "Flirting with Disaster," and the audacious "Three Kings"--I knew that I would follow this guy wherever he led! Well, he's back. "The Fighter" comes straight from the underdog sports genre of filmmaking, and in its plotting stays true to the course you would expect. But thankfully, there's a bit more to this appealing tale that's as much about brotherhood as it is about prizefighting. Sold by an A-list cast (the acting awards and nominations have already started rolling in), "The Fighter" manages, for the most part, to transcend the usual cliches with its focus on family.
Telling the true life tale of Micky Ward's unorthodox, and extremely bumpy, road to capturing the world light welterweight title--"The Fighter" appeals to the same everyman underdog sensibilities that countless films have already tapped. Mark Wahlberg, in a refreshingly understated way, lends a calmness to the center of the picture. The rest of the cast, for good and bad, go for broke in large showy performances. Christian Bale, gaunt and tweaking, plays Ward's brother. A former boxer and Micky's trainer, Bale is hapless and helpless as a habitual crack addict and a lowlife criminal. The drama between Bale and Wahlberg is easily the strongest element in "The Fighter" with Bale being both invaluable AND utterly destructive to Wahlberg's career prospects. Wahlberg is continually overshadowed within the family by his needier brother who tasted greatness before completely falling apart.
Make no mistake, in my opinion, "The Fighter" belongs to Christian Bale in perhaps the finest performance of his career and of the year. Stripped to skeletal proportions, Bale inhabits every moment with a desperate intensity. But despite everything, you understand why Wahlberg can't turn his back on his brother. Amy Adams displays a pleasing toughness in a change of pace role as Wahlberg's girlfriend. And Melissa Leo has been garnering a lot of attention as the brothers' mother. Unfortunately, the film is not without its shortcomings. For my taste, Leo is a bit over-the-top as is much of the other family dynamic. There are many sisters on hand, none of whom are developed, and so when the whole clan gets together--those scenes tend to veer over the line of believability.
I can easily overlook these false (and noisy) moments, however, to admire the interplay between the brothers. Every quiet moment is worth it. It's easy to lose Walhberg in all the larger than life shenanigans, but were it not for his simplicity--""The Fighter" might have pushed into overwrought melodrama. As is, he perfectly balances with Bale's manic energy. And I have to say it again--Bale is stunning! For this alone, "The Fighter" stands apart from every other film selling a similar story. Bale, Bale, Bale!!!!! KGHarris, 12/10.
When I first heard this album I was 19 years old working as an import buyer for Tower records in Portland, Oregon, I am now 39. And after 20 years there still hasn't been a record like it. The year this album came out Michael Jackson's Thriller album was on it's way to becoming the greatest selling album of all time. My main contact at an import distributor company told me of a new album called "Head Over Heels", by a group called Cocteau Twins that was getting rave reviews in Europe. For me personally I was sick to death of the music that was popular at the time and I decided to buy two copies, one for the store and one for me. When I took it home and listened to it I knew I was listening to a kind of music that had never been made before. After doing research, I discovered that this was actually their third recording, after "Garlands", and "Sunburst and Snowblind" and bought copies for me and the store of these records as well, and after this I became their biggest fan. I also found out that it was two 20 year old people, named Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie responsible for all that you hear. Ladies and Gentlemen, this record is a masterpiece. "Head Over Heels" is tied with "Victorialand" as my favorite Cocteau Twins record, but it is my favorite album of all time. From the incredible opening of "When Mama Was Moth", to the orgasmic ending of "Musette and Drums", this album is the best album ever made, in my opinion. Let me review my five favorite songs off of "Head Over Heels". 1)"Musette and Drums". It was after hearing this song for the first time, that I became their greatest fan. It was and still is my favorite song of all time. The last two minutes of this song is the greatest piece of music ever recorded. And understand that everything you are listening to is made by two people. This song is incredible. And after it is over, play it again. 2)"My Love Paramour". The sexiest, and most erotic song they have ever done. Pure genius. 3)"In Our Angelhood". Pure Rock and Roll, Cocteau Twins style. 4)"In The Gold Dust Rush". Angelic and beautiful. There is a part of this song that sounds likes an airplane is about to crash, it is actually the music spinning. Listen to it loud, and you will hear what I mean. Incredible production. 5)"The Tinderbox(of a Heart)". This song makes me feel like I am out looking at the ocean watching the tide roll in. I have this album to thank to having an open mind to listening to music. I learned to have patience and tolerance of all kinds of things because of this record. I rate this album the greatest along with the group that created it.
Tracklist :
1. When Mama Was Moth
2. Five Ten Fiftyfold
3. Sugar Hiccup
4. In Our Angelhood
5. Glass Candle Grenades
6. In the Gold Dust Rush
7. The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)
8. Multifoiled
9. My Love Paramour
10. Musette and Drums
Everyone has had their eye caught by an unusual classified advertisement and wondered about the story behind it. For the past two years William Shaw has investigated the eccentric, sad and occasionally alarming truth behind these ads and written about them for the Observer magazine. This book brings together, in expanded form, the most remarkable of those pieces. In it we encounter, among many others, the mother searching for the death certificate of her dead Bulgarian husband; the young woman investigating the healing power of crop circles; and the angry man, adopted in childhood, who after twenty years searching for his birth father was rejected by him and now wants to form a rock band with other adoptees. Small Ads is a transporting book that satisfies our insatiable curiosity about other peoples lives. It is as surprisingly moving as it is highly entertaining.
William Shaw writes the 'Small Ads' column in the Observer OM magazine. He works as a journalist in both the UK and the USA, writing for the Observer, the Sunday Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday, and for magazines such as GQ, The Face and Arena. His books include Spying in Guru Land (1994) on a year joining religious cults, Travellers (1993) on New Age travellers, and Westsiders (2000) on young men trying to make it in the hip hop industry.
"Music is the key to hearts all over the world."
Clint Peterson, WeActivist, skateboarder & international man of mystery.
It's that quote, together with all the love songs in the world, that has inspired and led WeSC to create some of the best headphones on the market. With great sound, cool shapes and innovative colors, patterns and collaborators all in one, the headphones for Fall 2010 will surely blow your mind.
Introducing new models as well as re-inventing the classics, the WeSC headphones presented are some of the best to date.
About WeSC
Our name-WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy- symbolizes what we as a company represent: a group and family of good, competent people working towards the same ideals and goals. The Superlative Conspiracy is the idea and philosophy behind our brand. We aim to address likeminded people, who are awake and aware, regardless of race, religion or financial background. People within the Superlative Conspiracy share the values and lifestyle of the WeSC founders, who were all avid skateboarders, snowboarders and, above all, creative minds.
Late in 1999, the founders of WeSC joined forces to deliver a broader selection of streetfashion for men and women. The concepts of the envisioned brand were not to be found in the distribution network that they related to, so together they took the initiative to formulate the Superlative Conspiracy, and bring you “life after skate”- a more developed style targeting people both within, and outside of the skateboard community, while continuing to share and maintain core values.
One of the most important components of the Superlative Conspiracy is the Weactivist - someone that is extremely good at what they do, world famous or totally unknown. A Weactivist is someone that has a streetwise mentality, blazing his, or her own path, with a humble persona. Essentially, they are an informal ambassador flying the flag of the Superlative Conspiracy in a variety of subcultures, such as skate, music, film and art. They are always a friend and never chosen at random.
It is this unique partnership with Weactivists, employees, accounts and friends, coupled with our unparalleled identity and brand building tactics that makes WeSC stand out from the rest. These relationships are the very foundation of the Superlative Conspiracy, and we invite you to share in them.
"The Book of Bad reads like a textbook full of lessons on all the immoral sh-t you've always wanted but never knew quite how to do. Learn countless, awesome activities." -- Playboy online, TheSmokingJacket.com
"I LOVE this book!" -- Mancow Muller, The Mancow Show
"If your guy likes Maxim magazine he'll love this book. It's laugh out loud funny ... and surprisingly insightful." --TheGuysPerspective.com
"Yes, much of it is crude and misogynistic, but therein lies the fun. Pick it up now before somebody blames the "Rob a Bank" chapter on their crime spree and the inevitable book banning will begin." --Bookgasm.com
"A significant leap forward in the field of debauchery." --Ben Applebaum, author of The Book of Beer Pong
"The Book of Bad is a hilarious and necessary guide to starting a life of crime" - -ForkParty
Product Description
Unleash Your Dark SideLet your ass-kicking side kill your ass-kissing side.
Now is the time to be bad. Being good is for the afterlife. Learn the secrets that felons, cops and epic badasses have known for years.
Rob a Bank
Produce Porn
Fake Your Death
Pick a Lock
Rob a Vending Machine
Beat the Dice
Acquire a Harem
And much, much worse
Embrace your Bad. Don’t get caught.
Christopher Lee Barish has experienced all degrees of being bad firsthand. During his mobile youth, he was indoctrinated in the art of career gambling and illegal crop growing, and he began to research other criminal activities out of personal and creative interest. The Book of Bad is the result of that research. Today he is a copy and concept director at an advertising agency in New York where he has won Webby awards for his copywriting and concepts. He lives in Nyack, New York. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
-Some of the stuff in here is interesting, while other things are downright ridiculous, implausible, or even fictional. It's restroom material at best, entertaining from a narrative standpoint, but even if you were intent on doing nefarious deeds, you won't find any real useful information in here.
Whatever the problem, an asshole knows how to deal. And for those who don't--but want to--there's this guide. It takes the concepts covered in the bestselling original and applies them to everyday life.
Now you can quit being a pansy and get what you want without looking like a douchebag. It's spelled out step by step. Need to sign a new account? Done. Score better seats to the playoff game? Handled. Pick up that girl at the bar? Easy when you're an asshole.
Class was dismissed at the conclusion of A--holeology. Now it's time to take to the field with The Cheat Sheet.
Chris Illuminati is a freelance writer and fulltime a**hole. He's a regular contributor to sites such as AskMen.com and The BachelorGuy.com, and pretends to be witty daily on www.chrisilluminati.com. He lives at home with his wife and son.
This follow up to the debut Assholeology is as easy to read as the first. It is written so that it can be understood by all, but doesn't feel dumbed down at all. If you have the first book, you MUST have this one. If you don't have the first one, get this one, and you'll love it so much, you'll go buy the first one. Promise.
The first book Assholeology: The Science Behind Getting Your Way - and Getting Away with it told you what you already kinda knew to be true, but didn't really know how or why. This is the 'Applied Science' of being an A**hole in real life. If this book were to have come out 10 years ago I swear I would be making more money driving a sports car - these little nuggets of truth are MONEY! Buy this now or forever remain a loser.
"That’s A Pretty Good Love" Recording in 1956, Big Maybelle comes out of the box attacking the subject, making sure we understand that she's giving us a great deal as a potential lover. Roomful of Blues let the horns and guitar provide all the necessary seduction, while Phil Pemberton's vocal just sounds loyal.
"She Walks Right In" Practically a perfect example of Texas jump blues from the early 1950s, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's version is relaxed, swinging, and punctuated by a typically fluid Gatemouth guitar solo. Roomful capture the spirit of the original perfectly, pushing the tenor sax counterpoint to the background, and giving Chris Vachon two choruses to pay tribute to a clear idol. Pemberton sings with more passion than Brown, though both are just right.
"Hook, Line & Sinker" Dave Bartholomew penned this one for the great New Orleans big-voiced blues shouter Smiley Lewis. The original benefits from the fabulous New Orleans rhythm approach, and a killer sax solo. The remake apes the original right down to the horn charts and the pumping New Orleans piano, adding only an extra chorus of sax. Either way, this is a delightful romp that deserves to be better known.
Kill Me
"Kill Me" Don & Dewey sat right on the cusp of R&B turning into rock 'n' roll with this over-the-top scream of agony from the late-1950s. It’s a raw masterpiece. Roomful of Blues slow it down, buff around the edges, and nail the song their own way. Pemberton wails, too, but with more control – and Vachon's guitar cuts right to the core on his short solo, too.
"Gate Walks To Board" A rollicking instrumental showcase for Gatemouth Brown's jazz leanings, the original of this swings so hard you'd think somebody would get hurt. And Gatemouth's guitar stings in nice contrast with the burly tenor sax with which it trades licks. Vachon's guitar sounds nastier, with crackling electricity on the remake. And the band has no problem kicking out the swinging jam. Giving both sax players, the trumpeter, and the pianist room for brief solos was a nicely democratic idea, but it doesn't match the sizzle of the original.
"Juice, Juice, Juice" Nobody ever sang more or better songs about the delights of alcohol than Amos Milburn. You know he’s in a perfect relationship when the problem of running out of juice at a party is solved by his baby's suggestion that he run out and get some more. Roomful copies the original arrangement, and Pemberton even captures Milburn's laconic vocal phrasing.
Ain't Nothing Happenin'
"Ain't Nothin' Happenin'" Before he became a king of rock 'n' roll, Little Richard worked in the prominent styles of the day, including showing off his jump-blues credentials on this delightful obscurity. It sounds like the New Orleans session gang backed him up, especially with the rolling baritone sax solo. Richard's vocal is smooth and silky, with none of his later trademarked shouting. Pemberton sings in the same vocal range as Penniman, and this song is right in the Roomful of Blues wheelhouse. The horn players have a blast soloing on this groove, too.
"With Me Baby" Gatemouth Brown could sing slow blues with conviction matched by few others, and deliver wicked guitar licks as well, which is what he did on the original of this. Pemberton sinks his teeth into it nicely, and Vachon cranks out the guitar licks with Brown's voice. It's possible they chose three Brown songs because of his recent passing; it's just as likely they think of Brown as one of the pillars of their approach to jump blues.
"It" Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller got this song to jazz vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon in what sounds like an attempt to spring him on the youthful R&B market a la Big Joe Turner. It's actually an undeservingly rare number from both singer and writers. Roomful of Blues rescue it from the dustbins of history with a version that may not match Witherspoon's sumptuous vocals, but which shows off all the players rhythmic and melodic strengths.
Come On Home
"Come On Home" Talk about digging deep into the vaults for something out of the ordinary. Louis (Blues Boy) Jones sounds remarkably like a tougher Bobby "Blue" Bland on this obscure propulsive percussive gem. Roomful of Blues has no problem matching the original for vitality and verve, and Pemberton checks in with his strongest vocal of the album. They don't usually play music this close to being "soul," but this proves they can handle that as well as any jump blues ever written.
"Time Brings About A Change" Floyd Dixon was in the Charles Brown piano blues mold, and his original of this, cut for Specialty Records back in the mid-1950s, is a melancholy tale of loss meant to accompany multiple sips of whiskey on the rocks. Pemberton fits comfortably on that barstool with his own matter-of-fact delivery of what's changed. There are more comments from horns, guitar, and organ than the original could have dreamed would fit, but it all works perfectly. Colby's piano solo is particularly exquisite.
"Just A Little Love" Not one of Nappy Brown's wildest numbers, it actually comes closer to being a Bill Haley-styled rock 'n' roll number. But it's a delight nonetheless, and Brown is all over the place on vocals. By adding horns to essentially the same rhythm approach, Roomful of Blues return it to the blues realm with a jumping version which leaves the listener wanting more.
