Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Vacay

It's been a while for blogging.  I might get back to it after the new year.


Andy Samberg can crap comedy gold.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Friday, December 19, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Monkey Business

PARK HILLS, Mo. (AP) - Monkeys will be allowed in the eastern
Missouri town of Park Hills, but not big ones.
The city council on Tuesday amended its recent wild animal
ordinance to allow primates that weigh 40 pounds or less. The
amendment bans most wild or exotic animals from city limits.
Councilman Tom Reed sought the amendment, saying the community
has a lot of small monkeys. The amendment passed 7-1.
Still banned are large primates such as baboons, chimps,
gorillas and orangutans. Monkeys who grow to 41 pounds or more will
be in violation of the law.
The lone opponent to the amendment, Charlotte House, wondered
who will regulate if monkeys become overweight.

Adam Allington
Reporter, KWMU

Thanks, Leslee!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Let's All Go to the Lobby!

originally begun over two weeks ago...
After going to three movies over the holiday weekend (see Twitter's movies w/o reviews), you'd think I'd be ready for a break, especially after working the film festival. No, friend, no. I decided to go to the theatre four times in two days. That's right, in less than 48 hours I took in four movies. I started off the viewing-athon with a screening of "Punisher: War Zone." While not a great movie, it's a good movie by comic book standards. It doesn't reach the heights of "X2" or "Iron Man" but it also doesn't disappoint like "Ghost Rider" or the first "Fantastic Four." Similar to the Hulk franchise, the Punisher has undergone a reboot after having just released a film less than five years ago, and this is the third try for the Punisher! The action was decent and the kill count was high, so most dweebs will geek out on that. There were several kill sequences which were too absurd to describe here (fist through faceplate, head exploding from gunshot wound, the list goes on). 

I wisely countered the Punisher with Mike Leigh's new film, "Happy Go Lucky." The film is wired from start to finished, but not because of artificial enhancement.  Poppy, the main character, brings her wit and personality full force, whether you're ready or not.  Poppy is played flawlessly by Sally Hawkins, a British actress known for her comedy chops on the BBC.  The film takes a look at Poppy's life and how she unflinchingly takes on all that comes at her, complete with a smile and a wink.

The next day, Wednesday, I went to a screening of "The Reader," the new film starring a naked Kate Winslet.  The film's been primed for an Oscar season release and will draw a lot of attention because of its taboo content and Nazi fueled storyline.

That evening, Kara and I went to a screening of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."  During the course of the film I was constantly reminded of "Forrest Gump."  The story centers on a character with a certain peculiarity and how that character deals with life because of that peculiarity.  Parts of the film drag and the running time is a bit bloated because of that, but overall it is an interesting film.  The make-up, costumes, and special effects are first rate.  Director David Fincher takes a less subtle approach with his direction.  His latest film is much more about the development of the Benjamin Button character and less about how Fincher allows the story to unfold and the methods he conveys that on screen.

Of the four films, I liked "Happy-Go-Lucky" the most, but had a lot of fun at the new Punisher film mostly because of its slapstick style and high body count.  I was surprised to see that "Happy-Go-Lucky" received a number of Golden Globe nominations, which probably left a lot of people scratching their heads ("What film is this?" "Who are these people?" "Tom Cruise was nominated for what?" and so on).



With great anticipation, "Serenity" will be released by BluRay on December 30th.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Art of Archery

Using complex sciences, David constructs a bow and arrow and demonstrates its use. Those watching this video for the first time should be seated with a glass of water handy (to quench your exasperated amazement).

Friday, December 12, 2008

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Alan's War

Thanks to Matt Kindt and Nick at Star Clipper!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Look to the future...

Please let this be my son (or daughter, I can't tell really).

Blundering Blagojevich

I just like this courtroom rendering.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Cool Covers

I forget how old I was when I bought this issue (Action Comics #662), but I don't think I was any older than 13 years of age.  If memory serves, I picked it up at Comic Headquarters, though I can't say for certain.  I know it was during a weekend with my dad while he lived in South County (Covington Place).  Those were the days when I could only pick one or two issues to take home (as opposed to today when I really don't know my limits).  When I pulled this comic out of the back issue bin, I was instantly taken with it.  The art really hit me and the message goes a long way and ties in so much history and it's all done by one simple reflection.  I still miss style of those mid-90s covers with the character in the upper left and the small triangle keeping you informed which issue goes where, which helps with multiple titles Superman and Batman (though it was recently brought back with the New Krypton storyline).

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Classic Douche

Read up on Sean Avery to see what type of douche he really is.

What Shapes A Young Brian Spath?

This movie has it all (including my heart in the palm of its hand).

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

No splashes, no waves

It's been a very long time since I've last posted, but for good reason.  The 17th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival wrapped up this past Sunday and I was incredibly busy with that: 15 straight days of 12 hours or more (prepping the fest, run supplies around, introducing films, wrangling volunteers, the list goes on) leaves little time for giving insight on the TV shows which influenced me when I was younger.  I doubt I post much of anything over the weekend.  I'd rather unwind and spend more time in the world than on the computer.  I know I'll be doing a few family things, playing the traditional Thanksgiving hockey game, and going the movies quite a bit.  I should be back blogging in full force come December as I already have a few screenings on the agenda (the new Punisher, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).  Until then, have a fun time eating a lot of food and stay warm out there.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Catch A Wave!

A radio wave that is.  This Friday, from 12 noon till 2pm, I'll be appearing on Thomas Crone's radio program, "Silver Tray."  We'll be discussing all things film fest.  Tune in and check it out (or wait for the podcast and check it out).

Also, don't expect too many blogs over the next 11 days, I'll be a little busy, but you are in my cyber heart.
Big T hard at work.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Now You're A Man

So, as I fill out a volunteer shift sheet, I ponder/reflect on the action/inaction of my life. The good, the bad, the ugly - the times when I have acted as a responsible member of society (particularly in an attempt to make sense of our plight as humans) and the other times when I have been, well, let's just say morally ambiguous. In first grade, I spent a lot of time "in the corner," which would usually result in me bawling my eyes out.

Sometimes I find myself thinking I should be doing more, but doing more of what?  Could I really be that languid and apathetic?  Has the life I have led made my ambitions somnolent?

Tiny dancer...

WTF?

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Time to make a horror film...

I like to see people who have great aspirations:

Need a Horror Villian? (O'Fallon)


Reply to: gambit587@hotmail.com [?]
Date: 2008-11-03, 10:22PM CST

If you are looking for an amateur but dedicated guy to play a villain for a horror/thriller film, I'm willing to try and do my best for your film and to put experience under my belt, my other information is that I'm 21 years old, Blue eyes, around 6'-6'1" tall, about 230lbs. willing to wear masks, make-up, etc. minor martial arts experience, etc. e-mail if interested and need someone. I would also prefer to keep my work around O'Fallon, MO. St. Peters, St. Charles, and other surrounding towns are ok. 
Gambit587@hotmail.com is my e-mail. thanks for your interest.
  • Location: O'Fallon
  • Compensation: -
  • This is a part-time job.
  • This is a contract job.
  • This is at a non-profit organization.
  • Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
  • Please, no phone calls about this job!
  • Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Brian and the Beast

I have finally completed the music video I've been working on for Jason and the Beast.  The song is "Street Preacher" and you can check it out below.  Your comments are greatly appreciated and feel free to pass the video along to your friends (help spread the gospel of the Beast).


Friday, November 7, 2008

Vote Propaganda

So, the election is over but I wanted to post this last week sometime (I've been absent, but more on that later). Still, the images are available for your viewing pleasure. Just click the pic for the gallery. Some are really neat, playful, engaging or smart. Others are retreaded hack jobs.


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Thursday, October 30, 2008

FALK!

Because he's Columbo, that's why!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Fringe Film Fun

This past week found Karibe and I taking a couple of different filmmaking events. On Monday, we took in the latest tour of the Gadabout Traveling Film Festival at the Tin Ceiling. Gadabout is organized and presented by Eric Ayotte. He travels the world with his own unique brand of DIY short films, music, and art presented an eclectic group he has met and befriended over the years. This was our third encounter with the Gadabout, though the first two were at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. The quality of films were across the spectrum, but there were several great documentaries, Jack Daniels' commercials with new voiceovers, and a few pieces from founder Ayotte's 31 films in 31 days campaign. Giddy with excitement over next year's tour, I made contact with Ayotte the next day through Myspace and proposed staging Gadabout in conjunction with the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2009. Ayotte was equally excited and hopes to be able to collaborate next year as well.

On Friday, we took in a screening of "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" at the Way Out Club. This film is very gratuitous for the time of production, but definitely pales in comparison to some of director Russ Meyer's later exploitation films. Meyer is the predecessor to such boob-crazed or exploitation directors as Andy Sidaris and Lloyd Kaufman. Pussycat presents a weird and frenetic critique of America circa the 1950s. It presents a backlash against suburbia and the expectations of both men and women. It questions the standards of sex while at the same time celebrating the female figure. It's a great stash of innuendo, quips, and quotes - most notably "Oh, you're cute... like a velvet glove cast in iron." The film is notable because it pushes the envelope, obviously through the very revealing outfits and suggestive camera work, but also because of it's characters' anti-stereotypical roles. It may be generally consumed now as fodder equivalent to that of Miss Buffalo Chip, but the ladies depicted in the film are as likely to give a guy a fist of full tit as they are to give a face full of fist.


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Mean Skills

My pal, Jerry, is a graphic designer. He works with his sister and their business has launched a new website. Check out his sweet creation!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Very cool...

Click the pic for more.

Cool Covers

Daniel Clowes is probably best known in mainstream media as the creator of Ghost World, but he's one of the kings in the indie comics scene. I've selected the cover of Eightball #23 because it contains such stark awesomeness. The story contained therein is about Death Ray, a hero who defies convention.

Friday, October 17, 2008

What Shapes A Young Brian Spath?

This shaped my young psyche more than anything I can remember.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Beast Man Cometh

Work continues on the video for "Jason and the Beast."  It's taxing and frustrating, but also a lot of fun.  Here's a sneak peak at the arduous work:

Safe for Work

From the mind of James Gunn (and his brothers) and starring Malcolm Reynolds. Notice the wicked, horselike bridge on the female star.

I'm glad I own my home (and fixed at a low rate for 30 years)...

Thanks to Thomas Crone.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Cool Covers

This is the first in an ongoing series featuring my favorite comic book covers from my personal collection. As such, I'll only be able to post images of covers that I could pull out of a box and show you at my house, but since I don't want you at my house you'll have to settle for seeing a picture down below. First up is Wolverine #59 from 1992. Yep, I was ten years old when I first read this issue and it's still a fave in my mind today. Note the "Terminator" reference, which I didn't understand for another couple of years.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

My great, bestest pal Dave

It's funny what the internet can turn up sometimes. Dave Callahan, the sexy and creative half of Meatloaf Productions, graduated from Webster University in 2004, but he has been a ham his entire life.

Here's an article from Webster's alumni newsletter, Scan.
SCAN highlights School of Communications alumni who recently landed jobs in their field. David Callahan (BA, Video Production, 2004) is a video producer for the St. Louis Science Center …
You can read the full article here.

Friday, October 10, 2008

It's Friday!

Let's rejoice for it is the end of the working week which brings the fruits of the weekend! Sorry to all those suckers out there who have to work (but wait, so do I for volunteer registration will not operate by itself!). Will this weekend match the pace from the last? Kara and I hit two art openings on Friday - first at Star Clipper then for our good pal Mister Ben. On Saturday we took in the Benton Park Chalk Art Fair and then headed to KDub's neice's birthday party. Sunday was inline hockey action followed by a casual evening at home. That evening, however, should have been interrupted by grocery shopping and my stomach is still feeling the painful effects of our laziness. Alas, it is Friday and that means good tidings. Since it is Friday, here is a picture of the great Tom Selleck.
He has a 'stache you just wanna cuddle up in!

A Pox on Jimmy John's!

Lunch today - a Turkey Tom from Jimmy John's, minus alfalfa sprouts, plus cheese. They got the cheese portion right. I hate alfalfa sprouts. It's like eating grass. It's like the old days of baling hay - except in my mouth. It makes me feel like I am putting hay into my mouth.

Alfalfa:

Hay: I taste a conspiracy brewed by Jimmy John's!

No luck is better than bad luck...

From the AP (MINDEN, Nev.):
Clint Malarchuk, the former NHL goalie best known for having his jugular vein slashed by a skate in a 1989 game with Buffalo, is recovering after accidentally shooting himself in the chin with a rifle.

Wife Christy told sheriff’s deputies that the .22-caliber rifle discharged after her husband placed the butt on the ground between his legs. He had been shooting rabbits.

The 47-year-old former player, now a goalie coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets, was flown by helicopter to a Reno hospital for treatment Tuesday.

“Our concern is with Clint and his well being,” the Blue Jackets said Thursday. “We are optimistic that he will have a full recovery very soon.”

Sucking at the teat of the Hollywood Beast...

This is Rin Tin Tin.
This is a crazy Texan.

For the whole story, listen here.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Bonafide Bad Ass

Just a cool picture.

My cousin is a psycho*...

Stemming from a forwarded email...

Dude, if the Baptists said they were going to kill us and destroy our economy. I would get the dissenting fucks on the chopping block. But the Baptists or whoever would take it upon themselves and decide to get the ones with in their religion that was bad. Bad is blowing up your young men with bombs strapped to their chests so they can kill innocent people that are not in a war zone,ANd then you pay the family for their sacrifice, and tell everyone God wants it. No Muslim group or groups have risen up in dissent and pointed to the terrorists in US. We still allow Mosques to be built in peace. See by Dax's house. You cannot even have a bible in most Islamic countries. Religion is a Zionist belief system. Force is the only thing they understand. OBAMA is a Muslim. I would not elect a Baptist to be President even if he was now a Muslim if the Baptists wanted us dead. Fucking Christian, My ass. Rev. Wright is a prick. God Damn America is what he said. Fuck you ya veteran jackass. Please pass this on to anyone you want. I hope I am wrong. Obama is the Antichrist. Times are going to get bad. If everyone would see how much we have been given and how dangerous repression disguised as political correctness is, we would have a chance. You cannot fight an enemy while trying not to offend him with bad table manners. Since when do Muslims have more rights than Anarchists. I could not start and Anarchist school in NY. How about a recruitment center for the study of Fascism. Why do women have to wear Burkas. They are beaten for being raped. No not a generalization. Look it up.

Example: It was ok to be a Nazi before WWII. We met wiht them. Signed treaties, agreements. Chamberlain.look it up. They said ok. We smiled. Then we were attacked. Some said oh don't do it they may get angry. Some wanted Joe Kennedy as Prez. He liked the Nazi's. Dick. The Nazi's aren't bad. No they just burned up Humans in Furnaces that were masked as Showers. So after the war Nazi's were bad.They should have been removed earlier. Why did we not do it? Let's see................Fucking table manners. Millions of people could have been saved. Some see evil, some deny evil, some embrace it, some are apathetic. What are you Brian? I would give anything to be wrong. All this comes from a drug addicted-crazy, who is a member of the largest Anarchist organization in the world. NA.Love Fuck all the Bush Arguments, Wake up he is not running Love, DaxBy the way, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly rule. Hannity is a fascist but has a good point or two. Savage is a Nut bar but has a good point or two, like the Baby boomers caused all this with their free love Bullshit.

*but he means well.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

What Shapes A Young(er) Brian Spath?

I was in my late teens when I was first exposed to "Cowboy Bebop," but that doesn't make it any less impressionable or influential. That opening is just so damn good I had to post it.

Poly Sigh

This clip is slightly funny, but reminds me a lot of the Squigglevision styles of "Dr. Katz," "Science Court," and "Home Movies." Man, I miss "Science Court."
Thanks to Thomas Crone.

You've got issues.

Through various internet bouncing, I saw a reference to Bobby McFerrin, which reminded me of a "Don't worry, be happy" shirt I had when I was 6 or 7. This lead me to think about another shirt I had when I was 18. I grifted it from my dad, who was no longer able to fit into it (it was his when he was 18) and it had been left to sit in a dresser in a semi-used bedroom. This shirt was orange and awesome and fit so beautifully. It also happened to be adorned with a NY Mets logo (or maybe it just said New York Mets). Damn, that shirt was sweet. This shirt later landed in the hands of girl I semi-dated in high school. After the nuclear fallout, she asked if I wanted it back(in addition to a too awesome to describe vintage Adidas jacket). I said no. What the Hell was I thinking? The combo of the shirt and jacket together was mind boggling and either alone was enough to make me the hippest dressed dude in 1978. I don't have many regrets, or maybe I have regrets all the time, or maybe I don't care enough to realize I should regret something, but to this day I hate the fact that I didn't just take those two articles of clothing back. If I had it to do all over again, I most certainly would. I don't care about the results of a failed high school relationship, but I am constantly haunted by the ghosts of those clothes.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

On the "To Buy" list

David Heatley's new work "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down" looks awesome. Two chapters, Sex History and Black History, seem like they need to be read multiple times.

WTF?

Why? Why does Lego Princess Leia have cleavage?

Friday, October 3, 2008

October

There are many things I like about October. The transition into autumn colors. The end of the baseball season. The beginning of the hockey season and outdoor skating. Most importantly, the end of the month brings Halloween. I really like costumes and props and Halloween always presents a great opportunity to shop temporary holiday shops - especially in November when everything is on sale. Karibe is a huge fan of Halloween and I think that has made it a lot more fun for me, being able to enjoy it with someone. Especially when that person is into macabre masks.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Action Camus



Full color versions of the three shown here as well as several others
will be available in an upcoming Ivan Brunetti edited anthology.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bad Habits

Today, I pulled another classic Spath move when I thought I accidentally threw away a DigiBeta tape a filmmaker had mailed into the fest. This is significant because after we make selections for the festival, filmmakers will send in a screening-quality replacement for their festival review turd. That usually equates to a higher expense than your standard writable DVD. I scurried about the office trying to find the misplaced tape, but alas to no avail. I tore through drawers and stacks on my desk. I rooted through the piles under my desk and cabinets on it. Nothing. I decided drastic action had to be taken and I found myself wallowing in the dumpster tearing through the trash bags I had disposed of earlier today. I came up empty handed. What was I to do? Tapes like that are not cheap for the independent filmmaker and how do I explain I threw the tape away? I came back inside with dwindling hope and looked through the stacks of tapes I had already received daring the tape to exist against all odds. Amazingly, the tape was sitting right on my desk, underneath another albeit in the wrong program stack. I had looked at this tape multiple times before in my search. This raises many, many questions:

How did I not realize that it was sitting right here?

Why did I have to get in a dumpster to find it?Why do I not know how to read?Why is this guy my new roommate?
So many questions and only one place to look...

Soon we will be one...


Everyday I live is one day closer to TRON. As evidenced by this picture, Jeremy Roenick feels the same way. I can only hope that one day I am reatomized into a computer landscape where survival is all that matters.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Face the Facts

Okay, people, it's time for me to come clean. I'm lazy. If you look at my blog over the course of the last month or so, it's all videos and links and pictures and ha-ha funny time. Nobody wants that. What about my insightful, hardboiled reviews of movies or poignant, colorful thoughts on comic books? A waste of time. I bore you, I bore myself. Okay, it's brass tax time. I've been super busy. I wrapped up shorts selections for the festival last week and now it's time to corral all of the invited shorts. I've fallen way behind on several other projects: the Beast video, the Rocky Horror video, and Rhonda's antique video. I do want to post a quick review of a nice weekend.

Friday, Karibe and I went to "Birth of the Cool" at the Kemper Art Museum on Wash U's campus. This was a lot of fun - lots of neat art, photography, music - just not enough time to see it all. Especially when you spend too much time in the money museum downstairs! We hope to get back before the installation closes (Jan. 5) and spend a little more time in the music section. You should, too. We had planned on watching "The Man With The Golden Arm" when we got back home, but MetroLink was against that plan, what with its half hour wait between departing trains at Shrewsbury. However, if you are a county resident, you should still vote for Metro expansion in November. We arrived home too late to spin the film - Kara's VBall tourney started early the next morn. We settled on a couple of "The Office" episodes and ice cream instead.

Kara left very early the next morning for her Kirkwood Freshman volleyball tournament and I left soon after for the most thrilling adventure my Saturday's have seen in a long time. I picked up Billion Mead around 8:30am and we ventured out to St. Charles to eat breakfast at my younger sister's charitable soccer event. After breakfast, we headed to O'Fallon to meet up with a crew of local filmmakers who are hoping to produce a feature-length, ninja-based film in St. Louis. We went out to the pirate festival in Wentzville to stir up some shenanigans while dressed like ninjas. The footage will make up part of a promotional campaign used to generate interest, buzz, and donations. I returned home thoroughly worn out from all of the excitement.

On Sunday, Kara and I planned to eat some sweet, sweet crepes, but the restaurant such eats wasn't opened. We then settled on breakfast at The Riverside Cafe. Not an ideal setting (with the hoosiers, smoking, et al) but the food was actually decent. The second part of our Sunday plan (walking architecture tour of downtown St. Louis) was also nixed because the tourguide was out of town. We went grocery shopping instead and we wrapped up the day with a roller hockey game. I also bought some new hockey equipment at discount, blowout prices. Most of the equipment will serve as an emergency or friend-in-need backup.

In the meantime, I'll continue to have my hands full with shorts programming, various video projects, and other odds n' ends. Hopefully I can get back to watching other movies, specifically the large stack of DVDs I have waiting for me at home.

Poly Sigh

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

The good ole hockey game...

The NHL season starts in a little over a week and I've been playing in an inline league for the past seven weeks. Times are good. Here's hoping for ice hockey action soon...

Friday, September 19, 2008

Ole Sam Clemens...

Kinda neat.

JA miłość kino.

Karu passed along a list of brilliant Polish movie posters. There are some very, very awesome pieces here. It's a very neat and strange look at marketing in Central Europe.

Thanks, Kara!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Gross.

Look who's shacking up now. In the world of quasi-celebrity and 15 minute fame, it's nice to see that freaks still have a place in this world. Through the days of pagans and knights to housewives and men in gray flannel suits, these gentle gypsies and humble homunculi, these mysteries of nature and aberrations of humanity, these circus creatures still have a niche in our society. And the Lord among them? This gent...

Happy Trails.

Amy Poehler is leaving Saturday Night Live as she prepares for the birth of her first child. This just begs the question: Who cares? I feel bad for Will Arnett. Great taste for comedy, poor taste for women. Poehler will next appear in a spinoff of "The Office." It will be nice to watch that crash and burn around her.