The Morning News

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Currently: walking to the curb from here
Today’s Feature: “The Republican Speaks of Jungles” by Lauren Frey
Digest: “Mp3 Digest” by Erik Bryan
DIGEST: A roundup of books, mp3s, and videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Friday, July 7, 2006

Video DIGEST

Sarah Hepola has written about film for The New York Times, Slate, and Nerve. Her favorite movie is Magnolia. Please don’t try to argue her out of it. Have a video you think she should see?

When Strangers With Candy premiered on Comedy Central, I felt like it was an inside joke I didn’t completely understand. And apparently, that’s true. As FourFour: The Revenge explains this week, Amy Sedaris’s character Jerri Blank is based on eccentric motivational speaker Florrie Fisher, reformed hooker and drug addict. Not only does Sedaris look like Fisher, but her character also affects the same gutter-bum stories of “boozing and using.” Before you see the new Strangers With Candy movie, meet the woman who inspired Sedaris’s loony character.







Of course I already realized that SWC was inspired by those ‘80s after-school specials about the perils of angel dust, speedballs, and divorce. I know all about those shows. Why? Because I was raised by a television set. I like to think of myself as 1/4 television set, on my mom’s side. So this montage of ‘80s commercials is like coming home (alone).




These days, kids don’t give a crap about Ataris and Care Bears. That’s because they’re too busy killing Nazis in some role-playing game on MySpace. Here’s a GameTrailers feature on the top 10 video game weapons of all time. “First, it attaches to the enemy’s head. Then it drills into their skull. Then it sends their gray matter scattering with the blast.” And that’s only #10.




Speaking of adolescent angst: A few years ago, Chuck Klosterman wrote a fascinating Spin article about Morrissey’s huge popularity with Latinos. L.A. filmmakers Jessica Hundley and Jonathan Miertschin used that same head-scratching phenomenon for a documentary short called “Viva Morrissey,” which has recently been making the festival rounds. A trailer for the film below.




And now, the question we’ve all been asking ourselves: “How is fish’s weight that Dora’s cat can carry?” You don’t have to speak Japanese, or Bad Translation, to understand that this experiment involving cats carrying fish is truly groundbreaking stuff. You’re also allowed to skip to the end. Because, really, do you have 10 minutes for this?




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RECENTLY IN DIGEST

» Video Digest, March 28, 2008
In light of Spitzer’s boondoggle, Meave Gallagher takes a look at other politicians behaving badly, particularly a wealth of juicy mayoral scandals around the U.S.: Kilpatrick, Newsom, Villaraigosa, Cianci, and Barry.
» Mp3 Digest, March 26, 2008
In the first of a series of musical biographies, Erik Bryan traces the many career arcs throughout the ubiquitous Steve Winwood’s 50-year career.
» Book Digest, March 24, 2008
Robert Birnbaum on: Pop Art Is; The Ghost Soldiers; Long Life Cool White; Understanding America; W.H. Auden: Prose, Volume III: 1949-1955; 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War; Lawrence Weiner: As Far as the Eye Can See; Foyle’s Philavery; Where to Invade Next; Free Lunch; Shakespeare’s Wife; Old War; Rediscovering Jacob Riis; Hollywood Crows; The Execution of Willie Francis.

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TODAY’S FEATURE

The Republican Speaks of Jungles

The presidential election continues to bring forth policy promises and attempts at soul-bearing honesty. LAUREN FREY takes a look at what they really meant to say.

HEAT RASH

The New American Music

Non-Expert Andrew Womack rewrites the lyrics of patriotism.

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July 2 | Au Revoir Simone covers Bowie; Wire; One Little Plane; Beta Satan; Death Vessel…

» Book Digest, June 30
» Video Digest, June 27