Day: December 29, 2015

Song of the month: S.O.B. by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

My monthly pick for a song of the moment which I will then purchase.

Nothing new popped up this month, so I’m picking a song I was obsessed with before December: S.O.B. by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

This song is so much fun to sing along with.  You can sing lead, you can sing backup, you get to swear, it would make an awesome karaoke song, you can clap along. It’s about the DTs! I love music with a horn section, and in my obsession with this song, I watched a live performance from a few years ago, and Mr. Rateliff looks to put on a good show.  That version has a different arrangement too, which was interesting to hear.

The video is fun too.  Especially spotting the people clapping off beat.  There’s also a tiny desk concert featuring the band, though not this song.

Three sentence movie reviews: Blackhat

blackhat

This is the kind of movie where I feel like I should take up a running program, just in case I become a computer hacker and need to run to escape from assassins.  I was watching this because of that guy on the cover,* and had low expectations, which were met. I was pleased with the fact that the female characters (yes plural!) had stuff to do.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

*That Ron Howard whale movie has completely disappeared from theaters, which is too bad as I planned some Chris Hemsworth viewing over the break.  This was a handy substitute.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/blackhat.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Aguirre, Wrath of God

aguirre
Thanks to the Next Picture Show Podcast, I have now watched this movie, which is a long meditation on why conquest is yucky.  The slow crash and burn was mesmerizing, and there is a lot of good camera work.  This movie will go down in my personal film history as having the best-ever threat in cinema.*

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play.  Videorama didn’t have it. The library has five copies, but I was on a schedule.
Where watched: at home on Matt’s Surface, with Matt, who really enjoyed it.

*To quote: “Anyone who even thinks about deserting this mission will be cut up into 198 pieces. Those pieces will be stamped on until what is left can be used only to paint walls. Whoever takes one grain of corn or one drop of water… more than his ration, will be locked up for 155 years. If I, Aguirre, want the birds to drop dead from the trees… then the birds will drop dead from the trees. I am the wrath of God. The earth I pass will see me and tremble.”
(See!  It’s even better when  you hear Klaus Kinski say it in context!)

poster from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068182/?ref_=nv_sr_1

My favorite part of my white elephant gift.

Every year, friends have a White Elephant Christmas Party.  It’s always very fun, and fun to see what burbles to the surface as White Elephant gifts.  This year, Jeff opened a present that included two DVDs (Darby O’Gill and the Little People, Lost in Translation) and also a mix CD titled “My favorite songs of 2015, by Jane, age 7.”

I asked what the titles were, and Jeff read them, to a lot of jeering from other (male) party goers.

I got to choose after Jeff, and so I stole from him. I gave the two DVDs away, but kept the CD.

IMG_4846

Matt and I listened to it in the car and I can say that Jane, age 7, and I don’t have the same taste in music.  And both Matt and I were surprised at how many of the songs were about sex.  I think Jane, age 16, will listen to this CD and be aghast at how much went over her head.  But I love that Jane, age 7 has an opinion about what kind of music she likes.  And that’s why I was happy to take home this CD.

Jane, age 7, by the way is the daughter of one of the other party guest.  Her mother said the mix CD was a party favor for her birthday and also that there are favorite songs Mix CDs for Jane age 6, 5, and 4.  Which is also pretty cool.