Some Came Running

If I may be allowed a moment of self-promotion...

...I'd like to say that I'm incredibly honored and excited to have participated in this. I am actually happier with the essay I wrote than I am with, well, pretty much anything else I've ever written, for which I credit the encouragement and belief of my friend Kent Jones, who edited. I can't wait to see the soon-coming finished product, which, as you can see from the table of contents, promises to be exceptional, and exceptionally varied. 

Lou Reed, Patti Smith

Artificial Intelligence band practice, Ultra Sound studios, Manhattan, November 26, 2011

Reading Oscar omens, or, "Dey don't know me vewy well, do dey?"

I think I've mentioned at least once on this blog that it was very unlikely that I'd ever do Oscar predictions, or any other such sort of thing, again, unless I got paid for it. This determination had at least a little to do with the fact that, in my clear-eyed estimation, I kind of stink at Oscar predictions. Despite my protestations on this front, my pals at MSN commissioned an Oscar-predictions piece from me anyway, with the main focus being nominees rather than winners. Given my track record, I tried to fill it with as much entertainment value as possible, but in terms of crystal gazing it may not turn out to be a total write-off after all. For instance, Katherine Bigelow's win at the DGA Awards for The Hurt Locker sets the stage for precisely the Best Director/Best Picture split I envision at the Academy bash. I may be onto something in other categories, too. Or I may be on something. The piece is here, and you can comment at MSN or directly below. 

Holy crap

This is a seriously cool poster. 

I'm in a movie that has a seriously cool poster. 

Rock. 

Let's talk about discs

My former interlocuter and good friend Aaron Aradillas has started a blog-radio show called "Back By Midnight," and I am honored to be one of his first guests. He invited me and stalwart DVD maven Douglas Pratt to discuss the evolution of home video as it relates specifically to cinephiles. It was a lengthy, lively discussion with a lot of (hopefully) amusing anecdotes and some points of contention. You can listen to it here.

UPDATE: Link fixed! Fire away.