Quick Lit Shit #13: Already Dead

I read this so slowly it took me the whole book to realize the fucking cover looks like a goddamned skull. His prose is kind of perfect in a fucked up (too lyrical and bloated, if gorgeous) kind of way that many poets suffer at their own reformed hands. But, he pulls it off despite its troubles. Hell, I wish I could write fiction like that (that well) some times (most times). --RWK

Quick Lit Shit #12: We Don't Live Here Anymore

skip the movie. this is the real deal. perfects that new yorker type of short story/novella writing without falling over itself. 'finding a girl in america' touched my heart. on the real. i'll take dubus over carver any day. --RWK

[I think I was unnecessarily harsh on the film, but I still don't think it'll match the book.]

Quick Lit Shit #11: Lanzarote

meh --RWK

Reclamation #3: You are correct!

Two of my favorite things! So fun! So correct! Say it! --RWK

Throw a neg! #1: Ben Butt

Yesterday I saw this with my new pal, Glenn (who initially wrote this), up in the thick of midtown. It's not that good. Although some of it is good. I left this comment on my new pal Danny's piece:

Finally saw this thing. And, for the most part, I agree it’s a waste. It wastes yet another perfect Pitt performance, and a steady stream of too-fucking-pretty images, all in the service of some kind of fable kind of scare quotes idea of “memory” or of “time” or of “storytelling” — all under the umbrella of that idiot framing device. Ormond is kinda good, too, like Pitt, in her reserves, but, like you say, Danny, she’s not quite right (like a lot of the picture). That said, it makes sense, in a way, that her story be drained of the amber and the glow and washed out (literally in the end). And with THAT said, it’s not quite worth it, really, despite a few genuine moments, because every one of those is undercut by some hokey “ism” line of dialogue. Lucky though we may be for that ten minute segment of the blissful and beautiful years where everything drips sex, and lucky though we may be for all the generosity (and, yes, curiosity) of Pitt’s performance, this thing, on the whole, stinks of Eric Roth’s word processor. That, and, well, Fincher can’t seem to let a shot last very long here; I got kinda dizzy in simple dialogue scenes with all the shot-reverse shot flip flops.

Bah. At least I saw it big. That’s the only way to really appreciate how fucking gorgeous some of these CAPITAL LETTER COMPOSITIONS truly shine and shimmer

I mean, I wanted more of this type of shit, below, but that's just a preference. And yet, that still coulda worked in D-Fincher's little wannabe gemlike nugget-elephant. --RWK

A Question Ive always had has been Answered, unfortunately.

What will rappers who arent of big enough success do in 10 years? Aceyalone was without a doubt in my top 5 growing up. Not just for Freestyle Fellowship, but solo things that followed. I feel bad for him. Not only is this a freestyle I could probably do, hes gotten some neck fat and hes all grayed out. Poor guy, man. Hes also wearing a sweatshirt and heaphones. Im not trying to just make fun, its a real question and it will be a very important question in 15 years when Solja Boy and co are all grown up.

Mos Def is about as old as Acey Id guess. Heres his new single (cant insert) http://www.zshare.net/audio/54096667e89cd2d1/

Encounter #126: Friday Child

This fucks me up. Even out of context. Van Morrison's whine is just pure hurt, the kind of hurt you can feel from your ears (through your heart) to your belly-bowl. This is a clip from yet another Garrel film I have yet to see, btw, called Sauvage Innocence, which is about heroin, of course, and, I imagine, killing yourself. I want to see it. Then I want to dance. Let's go dancing already. --RWK [via Dave's shared list, and this]

Design Poach #6: Weiss

What: A Daniel Weiss photo of a neon wall of imperatives.
Stolen from: This booooooom page, via FFFFOUND!

Goats #4

Design Poach #5: The sea.

What: A John Constable seascape.
Stolen from: An epic post at The Art of Memory that errbody should go eat right this second. --RWK [x-posted on ViH]

Genius Marketing #44: Stellet Licht

Now at Film Forum. Go yesterday. Go three times. Go as often as possible. Get Carlos enuf monies so he can get another lovely thing out in America. He's the real deal, people. I mean, it's even better now than it was then, cuz I'm here now, and not there. And this trailer is just great. It made me cry a lil the first time I saw it. And then the movie did other things to me, which were unexpected and beautiful. All in all, it's needless to say: I'm feeling this. --RWK

What community? #76: Pissed off.

Of course his name is Kenneth ANGER. --RWK [from KU's latest links; no link here!]

¿What up NY? You need to come back before this blog goes off the deep end. Scarface, uh, damn, High Notes

wheew

¿What up NY? Nas lives there

I dont think the song is great or anything, i just like that some rappers are skeptical enough to make a song about it. I have been liking a lot of Jeezy´s shit recently. My president is Black

also this song is ahhhhh

¿What up NY? You seen how funny Norm Macdonald is?

This is the best roast Ive ever seen and the bottom video, the shit on Who Wants to be a Millionare. ah! Sweet

¿What up New York? Artists who make videos of their own remixed songs are cool.

Kid Cudi, obviously, does not approve of this. Read about it here. (fuck i cant insert the link, so, uh, here http://kidcudi.com/news/?p=361). So hes quite popular at this point, and alhtough im a late post-man, Im not late on the hiphop news, so i gotta say I saw this shit coming. he´s dope, good for you, amigo. Heres his myspace, uh, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=53122595. Also, question, if anybody reads this, Im fucking sure "you" dont: isnt it great how excellent people in hip-hop dress now? rhetorical. because no one reads this.

Gettin back to my Roots

My friend Melodie wrote me the other day saying happy Hannukah. i thought that was great! there arent any jews in Barcelona (maybe theyre hiding, or maybe and more probable-y, Europeans are fucking anti-semitic and jew cultures been guillotined. anyway, i miss you (them) so im back to what brought this blog about, at least for today. Thanks melo and lD and jS.

A Toast. Mazel Tov!

Good for Gosling

Dead Man,s Bones

Dont think i care one way or another about the song, but at least it wasnt Wonderland, which is what i was sorta expecting. I think in a way i look like a darker version of him, or he reminds me of me, so i wish him/me the best, ha!

--- Vicky Cristina Barcelona --- Life is Cycling Downhill

Not totally sure what to say about this film. But thats why there are pictures of Penny JAvi and Scarlett. In fact the movie itself lives by a similar philosophy. Its all narrated by a dorkus white boy, a fairy tale voice for certain, a fairy tale film so indulgent in all things beautiful, why say all that much about the non-gorgeous? why not spread more art (it does) more beauty (it does) more of this fucking city that i have the pleasure of currently living in,(it does indeed). Its kinda Godard, kinda Woody aLlen. how? Scarlett´s character, Cristina, is a free-spirited, sexually uninhibited, blossoming artist, frolicking around Barcelona, who only knows what she "doesnt want." Still, no matter how badly Woody Allen doesnt quite want his characters satisfied, much less his audience, he fails miserably here, and we all walk away happy and horny. As for my title, pues, the only time bikes get ridden, is when theyre going downhill. ahhh,

What Community? #75: Home, where I'll be.

Making yourself at home is hella revolutionary. Lift your wings. --RWK