Black Swan
Fox deserves to be chastised for not putting that movie out to the audiences it deserved this weekend. Of all the "prestige" (possibly good) movies on the release schedule, it's the only one with hype even close to True Grit's. It would have sold out the arthouse here in town, likely.

I attended a screening of Rocky in September, and had a great time. It's not a great movie, but it is, in my opinion, a highly effective one. But then, I am very fond of deliberate camp as a subversive form of expression. Rocky is no more or less transgressive than an early (good) Tim Burton movie or mid-period John…

You took Dr. Brule very well, though he was terribly disappointed in your fondness for hunks.

Tairy's Worf story ranks among the funniest things I've ever seen Zach Galifianakis do.

I was at the Louisville show, too. Wonderful experience. Laughed my ass off for three solid hours.

Shiban did fine work in collaboration, but just could not write a full script to save his life. Except, as mentioned above, "The Pine Bluff Variant." His episodes of Breaking Bad, though, are very highly regarded.

She's not only naked, but masturbating while slicing off slivers of her flesh and feeding them into a blender.

Ass Cot, I haven't seen Animal Collective, but Deakin recently opened for Deerhunter and put on a decent show. It sounded like Feels-era Animal Collective. But what can I say? It wasn't exactly enthralling in the context of a crowded club. It felt to me like something I should be listening to through headphones.

MY MORNING JACKET- They actually sound exactly like their records, which is to say better than the celestial choir. But with expanded songs that occasionally explode into impromptu metal jams, and incredible charisma.
ARCADE FIRE- Obviously.
SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS- Do you want to dance? Do you want to dance like…

Greta Gerwig serves the saddest pie in American cinema.

Inherent Vice vs Scientology
Which would you rather see? I'm more inclined toward Anderson's original take on cult structures than on his version of a Pynchon novel, mostly because I assume the former will illuminate its subject, but the latter will most likely fail to capture what is great about Pynchon.

If the film stinks, we can say Rapaport gets an E for Effort and a T for Nice Try.

Oh, Sugar Slam, Sweet Sugar Slam,
…why must you be so sweet?

It's a film about the psychology of sex- of both the puritanical and hedonistic impulses, and of gender. It's about the ideal of childish innocence juxtaposed with the epitome of base corruption. It's about desperation and what it does to a person. It's about The South. It's about what we think about God.

El Pato, I Am Love is definitely ridiculous, but it's brilliantly, gloriously ridiculous. Romantic love of the kind the film depicts is a completely outrageous emotion, and the film reflects that. Swinton brought humanity and complexity to her character, even though that character is a variation on a cliche. The film…

Since The Subject Hasn't Come Up Just Yet,
…what did everyone think of the nominated films, and of cinema in 2010 in general? I was tremendously impressed with I Am Love, Winter's Bone, Toy Story 3, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, The Social Network, and Never Let Me Go. As with most years, mediocrity ruled the day at the…

Two Terrible Things That Go Terribly Together!
A Heroes marathon and this: http://www.theatlanticwire….

Possible Reasons to Put Electro in Pornography:
1. Shock-induced vibrating of a person in rubber gloves makes for a uniquely spasmodic handjob.
2. Fulfilling the tawdry daydreams of Nikola Tesla.
3. Multiple-penetration headgear.
4. Burning explains the stars' garish spray tans.
5. The Lizard's been done to death.

This was just a missed opportunity. The appropriate firstie would have been, "First, I get you used to the money, then I make you swallow."

M.I.A.'s at least had "Born Free," for my money her best song. Soul has experienced a damn good year, hip hop less so. Still, this, Sir Luscious Left Foot, A Badly Broken Code, How I Got Over and Beat Konducta in Africa have at least kept the genre alive, and the first four are thoroughly incredible.