Beltmann

He's 7, I think. That's the trouble--my wife just mentioned Shakiest Gun in the West, and my first thought was: What are the odds these kids will know that one? I guess I'll add it to the list. I'll let Mom determine what's in their range of knowledge.

A friend of mine has a child with an upcoming birthday, and the boy wants a dentist-themed party. (Mom was pushing for a baseball or Spider-Man theme, but he was having none of it!) Anyway, mom wants to play a game where she presents various movie clips and have the kiddies guess the film--but she wants all the scenes to be related to dentistry. She asked me if I could think of any familiar kids' flicks with dentist scenes. I thought of only a few, so I'm asking VC for their suggestions. Any thoughts?? My list is pretty short right now: Finding Nemo Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mar

I've heard exactly half of your list... and now have a printed copy to remind to keep an ear out for the rest.

Fixed it for ya.

That's what she said.

The term "all studio recordings" implies recordings beyond the albums, right? Should we expect them to include material like, say, "Just a Kid"?

Finally got around to seeing A Mighty Heart. I've been beating the drum for Michael Winterbottom for many years, but while he's consistently one of the most interesting--and important--filmmakers alive, he still hasn't hit a home run. A Mighty Heart is like every other Winterbottom film: Visually aggressive, overflowing with ideas and anger, and in desperate need of a quality editor. Jolie's awesome, but the movie isn't fully shaped; in particular, the midsection grows redundant.

I was planning to make a trip for a sneak preview of Sweeney Todd tonight, but today's mountain of snow and sleet, which is still piling up with no end in sight, makes it unlikely. Bummer.

Under normal circumstances, Stacy and I would be there fo' sure. But the dates couldn't be worse--we have super big domestic plans that week.

I just started listening, so I don't have specific feedback other than it sounds very promising! I'll try to offer more later on...

) ) ) ) ) V I B E S ( ( ( ( (

I used to love that song.

It seems like I've always known he was there, but did I notice upon first viewing? Frankly, I don't remember... that was 1995, dude.

Me too. Love that movie.

Yeah, but only in jest.

Cage would have been a superstar in the silent era.

No kidding... I say, the toy companies ought to put as much lead into their products as they damn well please. And E. coli is just another spice, if you ask me.

Cage's performance is really the only good thing about that movie--but that's definitely enough to justify it.

My favorite is the '51 A Christmas Carol--hence my holiday avatar--but from this list I would pick A Christmas Story.

I've always felt a little indifferent towards The Weakerthans, but I finally picked up Reunion Tour over the weekend, and I can't stop listening to it. I think I might love it.

In the December 7 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King lists his favorite albums of the year. Sky Blue Sky comes in at #2. He says, "No audio tricks and/or experimentation this time, only a set of gorgeously simple tunes and class-A writing. Jeff Tweedy has never been sweeter, more controlled, or in better voice. Not a bad cut on the album. Even the cover art's beautiful." He also lists his top 18 tracks of the year. Number One? "Either Way."

There aren't too many comic-book movies that I've enjoyed more than Hellboy. The tone was, well, just perfect.

Yes, I noticed that. And I think the fact that Pat Garrett also underwent a major identity change--outlaw to lawman--connects to the overall theme here.