September 2006

This year I inherited a '98 Volvo from my parents. As well as completely changing the dynamics of my day to day life, it's something to take care of and maintain. It's almost like a pet or a child. Actually it's not at all like either of those examples. None the less, one of the headlights went out and I more or less panicked. My dad suggested to take it to any general car repair shop and they could replace it. Seemed easy enough, but I didn't follow through with it. I continued to put it off.

A week or so later, I drove past a car parts store. I had walked by it several times before, but this time it jumped out like a beacon of light. I opened my owner's manual, checked out the section on replacing bulbs and did it.

When I started the car and the previously busted light was on the level of pride I felt was excessive to say the least. It got me thinking about how good it feels to accomplish something in an area that you perceive yourself to have no skill in.

P.S. Always check to see how often your callbacks are made. Always.

From Plato's Phaedo

"How singular is the thing called pleasure, and how curiously related to pain, which might be thought to be the opposite of it; for they never come to a man together, and yet he who pursues either of them is generally compelled to take the other."

(via Karen)

Here is a description of Michel Gondry's next movie from the NYTimes piece on him.

The central action in "Be Kind Rewind" takes place in a car junkyard. In the movie, Jerry, the character Jack Black will play, accidentally becomes magnetized by a power plant. His magnetic field erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend, Mike, played by Mos Def, works. The duo end up re-enacting and refilming their own versions of movies like "King Kong" and "Ghostbusters."

The summer of 2005 my friend Zach told me about the book Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman. The premise of the book is Chuck Klosterman, a writer for Spin magazine, driving around the country visiting places where musicians have died. In doing so, he hopes to learn about death and impact it has on musical careers. Zach had me read two passages. Here are mp3's from the audio book:

A Conversation With Mary Beth

and

Kid A as the soundtrack to 9/11

I'm only about halfway through, but it's great so far, and I would definitely recommend it. I guess if the second half is really terrible I'll take this post down, but that seems unlikely.

The ten rules of Dogme films:

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).

2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being filmed).

3. The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)

4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).

5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.

6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)

7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)

8. Genre movies are not acceptable.

9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)

10. The director must not be credited.

From the Wikipedia entry

The Summer of 2005 there was a little girl named Trince in Brooklyn advertising to "Draw anything for 25 cents". I asked for a dinosaur.

Seagul on Vimeo