Beltmann

Apart from times when the film broke or burned, I have never walked out of a movie. I have fallen asleep at a few, though.

It goes a little slack in the second half, but until then it's a kickass zombie movie with some ripe political subtext. I liked it a lot.

We had an assortment of choices that kids could self-select--Butterfingers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats, Smarties--but I also kept a separate bowl of peanut-free stuff, just in case. Plus, every thirtieth kid received a set of steak knives.

Dumbledore: A Lovely Outing

"Subtitles are a small price to pay for not being provincial in our moviegoing."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Stacy and I finally saw that one yesterday. While it is unmistakably a Wes Anderson movie, it still felt like a welcome departure--less stylized, more sincere. (And there's one event that pushes it into a different emotional register.) And yet, it left both of us a little cold. I'm interested to hear your take. And I've just about had enough of Jason Schwartzman. Outside of Rushmore, I've disliked him in everything he's ever done.

Very good movie filled with deadpan humor--the compositions are always beautiful, but often surprisingly witty, too. Some people might find it slow as molasses, but I felt it unspooled at just the right speed and with just the right tone. And Schultze, a large, genial German, fills the frame as a memorable character.

I've been listening to the White Sessions version of "About Today" all night... it's a perfect take on a great song. Wow.

Thanks for the info, Shuck... this device looks promising. Have you tried using the included Analog Audio/Video input cable? I would use this cable to transfer truckloads of old VHS home movies, but I'm worried about synching problems and frame dropouts (common complaints of many video capture devices, particularly external USB ones).

I'm listening to this right now... I think I like it.

I think it works better for filmmakers working in surrealism--The Orange Thief, for example is a straight narrative that finally feels fragmented.

I've seen a few movies made according to the "exquisite corpse" principle, most recently a low-budget American flick called The Orange Thief.

Cox News, heh heh.

Ha, no... but I have tons of home videos that I want to toy with. (I did make a movie once, though--but, despite the local screenings, it was really just a 70-minute, glorified home video.)

I'm thinking about buying a video capture card for my PC, and since there are so many options I am looking for advice. Right now I'm leaning towards an internal card for my desktop PC, which runs XP. However, I also have a laptop running Vista, and am open to the idea of an external device that can move between both machines. Both machines have plenty of power and space to do what I need. I'd like to be able to do the following: 1. Capture cable-TV signal 2. Capture from my camcorder using firewire 3. Capture from a VCR using S-video as well as RCA cables (audio and video) I know there

Excellent. Thanks!

That's what I do.

Are you sure?

Jeebus, that would tear my face to shreds. I have overly sensitive skin and yet a fearsome beard--not a good mix. I usually resort to a combination of both razor and electric (I like the Gillette Fusion and that Norelco Cool Skin that you can use in the shower). The heat from the shower definitely helps. I also try not to shave more than four times a week. This one time, I traded shaving tips with William Henderson, a fullback with the Packers.

Double feature tonight of two well-made genre pieces: While Michael Clayton is the tighter entertainment, there was something rote about it; I think I preferred the flabbier yet more surprising and more human Gone Baby Gone.

While he definitely shot some of these in 1.33:1, there seems to be considerable disagreement about whether he actually intended them to always be shown in 1.33:1, or instead with masking. Various circumstances yielded different answers from Kubrick--he typically composed in-camera to simultaneously accomodate theatrical release, TV broadcast, and home video distribution--and so for several titles it's hard to pin down which version is the "definitive" version. In particular, I remember much unresolved controversy regarding the fullframe DVD release of Eyes Wide Shut.

Not too sure what to make of this one. The ads promised a straightforward comedy, but it's actually pitched somewhere between understated humor and impressionistic melancholy. The vision is certainly unique, and Molly Shannon's performance creates an interesting portrait of grief and alienation. Still, there's something a little too arch about the design--the relentless use of straight-on shots during conversations become unnerving--and something a little too vague about the characterization of Peggy, an office worker who loses her dog and becomes a PETA activist. Even though it's intrigui