This one's about music...

Hey, it's the last day of the year!  Wow, this year, especially the last month, flew by in a hurry.  Quite a few changes, a few ups and downs, but overall, a pretty good year.  Went to two big comic cons, landed two new jobs, and was awarded Honorable Mention in a filmmaking contest.  For me, things I enjoy usually go in cycles (movies, music, comics, etc), and the year was pretty big on movies especially.  Sadly, though, the music world lost a true giant when Oscar Peterson passed away on December 23rd.  Dennis Owsley paid tribute to the piano master on his program "Jazz Unlimited" on December 30th.  Owsley continuously puts on a great program every week.  With the cancellation of Don Wolff's show on KMOX, Jazz Unlimited is one of the ever dwindling voices on the St. Louis airwaves putting forth that sweet, sweet jazz sound.  Click Mr. Peterson's picture below to stream Jazz Unlimited's last program and enjoy!

Oscar Peterson

Let's All Go to the Lobby!

So the year is winding down and that means all sorts of year end, best of, and other dumb lists will be coming out on VH1, E!, and many other demeaning and degrading cable stations.  Here is yet another list, my rundown of the best films of the year for 2007.  Enjoy!

1. "No Country for Old Men"

2. "There Will Be Blood"

3. "Superbad"

4. "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

5. "The Darjeeling Limited"

6. "The Lives of Others"

7. "Margot at the Wedding"

8. "Juno"

9. "Walk Hard"

10. "300"

Other notable films that didn't make the cut:

"The Namesake," "Hot Fuzz," "30 Days of Night," "Shoot Em Up," "Grindhouse," "TMNT," "Transformers," and "Lust, Caution,"  "I Am Legend," and "Spider-Man 3."  Most of this list is available on video already, so check them out today!

Also, here are some other flicks that I have recently watched at home: "The King," "Cactus Flower," "I'm Reed Fish," "Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party," "Stranger than Fiction," and "The Last King of Scotland."

Cinema Obscura

My friend Adam loaned me a copy of the film "Riki-Oh," a Japanese gorefest of the highest order.  The above image is just one of the many fantastic scenes included in the film.  The story centers around Riki, who has been sent to prison for murder (revenge).  We discover that Riki possess incredible strength (he punches down walls), but he is also sensitive (he plays the flute).  If you are able, rent this film and congratulate yourself after an evening of laughing and learning the secrets of "Riki-Oh."  In other news, I met with Martin Casas from FrontYard Features.  We are tentatively going to collaborate on a few screenings next summer, specifically the next Idaho Avenue Film Festival.  The details haven't been finalized, so it's not set in stone, but that news alone is very promising for the development of the fest.  Further information as it develops.

Winter Wonderlands

This weekend saw about 8 inches of snow fall across our fair city.  It started sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning, and by the time I got up for work there was already about 2 inches on the ground.  The roads were in decent shape and I arrived at KDHX safely to begin a day of sitting around and surfing the internet.  Or so I thought.  My boss, Kate, showed up and promptly put me to work entering new episodes into the database.  Midway through my shift I began feeling a bit nauseous and a headache coming on.  I didn't eat during my shift and was just looking forward to getting home.  Saturday was our holiday party.  The snow kept a few folks away, but we still ended up with about 15 courageous souls who braved the dangerous streets for our delicious spread of meats, cheeses, and other delectable snacks.  The night seemed to be a lot of fun for everyone, and hopefully we will be able to stage it again next year, weather permitting.

Hockey Talk/Let's All Go to the Lobby!

Kara and I went to the Blues game on Thursday. They played the Florida Panthers, which is of significance because Dan Nichols was also in attendance and the Panthers were the only NHL team that he had yet to see in person. What an accomplishment. Congrats to Dan. We sat right in front of Rich and his sister, Wendy. The Blues lost 1-0, but we had a great time, lots of laughing. Shannon and Grahame were also there, but relocated after the first period. Friday I went to "I am Legend." The film was okay, not great, and definitely not "The Omega Man." The best part of the film happened before it began. As a special engagement with IMAX theatres, six minutes of "The Dark Knight" was played. The scene depicts a bank robbery organized by the Joker. The sequence gives a great close-up, in-action look at Heath Ledger. Definitely creates a lot more excitement for the film, not that there wasn't a lot already. Just a great way to stoke the fires. Tonight is our Christmas party. Not sure what the crowd will be like, snow is predicted throughout the day, and after getting about 2-3 inches last night, that doesn't bode well. Dave and Tracie are out of town, so that's a bummer, Luby is gone as well. Rich will be honoring his father's birthday with a proclamation from the city of St. Louis. Today is Richard Leonard Lamberty Day. A good time shall still be had by a small group of friends, lots of snacks, good, jazzy Christmas tunes, and the holiday spirit tip-toeing about the room. The Callahans and Kara and I will have ourselves a nice little post-Christmas treat with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Click the pic for more info!

"Modern Times"

We're Having Meatloaf!

How awesome is it to finish a project, or at least be really close to finishing a project?  That's the state I'm in right now as David C. and I are wrapping up a short we shot in September.  This is something we had hoped to finish before Halloween, but I'm lazy.  That really seems to be our problem, laziness.  The love of beds, couches, and the warm glow of the television is proving to be our arch nemesis.  Finishing this first full edit is a good sign, though, especially since we will soon be starting work on a bigger production, "Tonight She Dreams."  I'll post updates on that process as it happens.  For now, I'll whet your appetite for our horror short with this delicious piece:

for more information concerning Meatloaf Productions, check out http://meatloafproductions.blogspot.com

Hear ye, hear ye!

So this will be my new web log space.  I wish to use it to discuss events I take part in, witness, or discover.  I would like to maintain this blog with several features: Let's All Go to the Lobby (movies I've recently watched, either at the theatre or at home), Cinema Obscura (crazy, weird, or rare films), Hockey Night (all about hockey talk), The Comic Geek (gushing about my first true love, comic books and all things related),  We're Having Meatloaf! (discussing video projects of the group Meatloaf Productions), and Absurd, sir, absurd! (miscellaneous articles don't fit into those categories or are just plain weird).  There you have it.  If I had started publishing this online diary a few weeks ago as I had intended, you could be reading about "There Will Be Blood," "Walk Hard," or "Sweeney Todd."  Or maybe about the completion of a DVD compilation of short films from a film festival I organized in September.  That will not be happening, however, because I am lazy.  It may be my laziness, but you are the one suffering for it.  That is a true injustice against society.  So please stay tuned for updates as often as I am able to type into this blog.