Beltmann

I prefer options. I use archive.org, and sometimes I go for lossless, sometimes for mp3--and I like having choices that best suit my particular wants and needs. Choice helps everyone, and hurts no one.

I don't think we disagree about anything, ever.

Hey, some of my favorite movies are about black people! No, really!

Same here. I like it and all, but no great shakes.

Thought it was sensational--a workmanlike tribute, somehow, to both classic gangster flicks of the '30s as well as the grittier ones of the '70s.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Rob!

I'm with ya... if I gave this list more thought, I wouldn't be surprised to see Of Montreal nudge its way into my top 5.

1. The National 2. Patty Griffin 3. New Pornographers 4. Panda Bear 5. Mendoza Line Honorable Mention: White Stripes, Wilco, Broken West, Gogol Bordello, Of Montreal, Radiohead, Spoon, Chuck Prophet, White Rabbits. I didn't think too hard about this; I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch that I ought to have considered. I'll think harder in late December.

I love eMusic. Pros: MP3s at 192, no DRM, much cheaper than iTunes (around 30 cents a track). Cons: The only catch is that eMusic doesn't offer everything--it's mostly indie labels. Still, I have the largest subscription package and never run out of good stuff to download.

"If someone is poor, it's always the result of choices they made somewhere along the line." That's a direct quote from my Republican sister. How do we combat a worldview that replaces reality with a cartoon?

Our local shop had none on the "new release" shelf, but had one copy stuffed in with the other Dylan. Now they have none at all.

I hated it, too. I'm surprised that you did, though. I don't know what that means.

Besides Rosemary's Baby, and leaving off well-known stuff like Alien or Jaws, I like all of these a whole lot: Funny Games, Peeping Tom, Dead-Alive (aka Braindead), The Descent, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Tenant, Carnival of Souls (1962), The Vanishing (1988), Little Otik, Aguirre the Wrath of God, The Devil's Backbone, Freaks (1932), Eyes Without a Face, The Innocents (1961), Bunman: The Untold Story, Repulsion, Dark Water (2005), Re-Animator, The Uninvited (1944), Dead Ringers, Suspiria, The Bad Seed, Memento Mori... I guess I could go on and on. If you're looking for weird recent movies o

My favorite scary movie of all-time is Rosemary's Baby, mostly because it plays out its premise--a pregnant woman is losing her mind, or maybe she really is carrying Satan's child?--as credible, creepy drama. It really got under my skin.

Same here, but we're also getting it on Nov 8 (Thursday). You might have the same schedule!

So what's this about a forthcoming feature-length documentary about The National?

Now, there's a show I'd get pissy about if it were canceled. Love this band, but I'm not crazy about the new EP.

How awesome is my wife? Tonight, she was out and about and called me to ask, "Want me to bring some McDonald's fries home for you? Large, of course."

Cheeky!

During college, I ate nothing but Totino's Pizza Rolls and Bagel Bites. My colon's never been the same. Totally worth it, though.

You mean when it "accidentally" arrives via Netflix, along with a host of Tinto Brass flicks?

I never bothered to catch up with that one... just didn't seem worthwhile.

I saw Creepshow when I was a young kid and I never forgot the image of Ted Danson, underwater, hair swirling, with his eyes wide open as he faced certain drowning. In the spirit of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to revisit the movie, but it didn't hold up for me at all. I'd say three of the five segments are dreadful, and the other two--the one with Danson, and the one with the crate under the college stairs--are only mildly interesting. I suppose I shouldn't revisit UHF, either.

Will do, thanks! 30 Year Low is easily one of my favorite albums of the year.