- posted by Steven @ 7:55 p.m.

 


Killer.
- posted by Steven @ 1:31 p.m.

 
"I watch your show every day, and it kills me. Oh. Oh, it's so painful to watch..."

Jon Stewart schools Crossfire. Beautiful.
- posted by Steven @ 11:30 p.m.

 
My favourite part of the Rock Opera of Franz Kafka is the commentary by Jason heard around the middle of the song.

"Oh Dwayne...He died so young...You're like James Dean..."
- posted by Steven @ 3:01 a.m.

 
I have seen the future, and it is The Rock Opera of Franz Kafka.

He is Franz Kafka!
Franz Kafka!
Be careful if you get him pissed…
Franz! Franz Kafka!
He’ll smite you with metaphor fists!
Writing all he can, he’s just a man
A warrior of words taking a stand
He is Franz Kafka!
Spoken: Oh look, but there he is, what will he say?
I’m a lonely German…a lonely German from Prague!
Kafka! Kafka! Kafka!

I don’t know what’s wrong with me I think I’m turning into a bug
I see double what I see I think I’m turning into a bug
I ain’t got no self-esteem I think I’m turning into a bug
Bet you fifty dollars I’m a man, I’m a scholar and I’m turning into a bug
Momma like a daddy like a baby like a baby like I’ll turn into a bug
Yeah! Yeah!
He is Franz Kafka!

Living like a bug ain’t easy
My old clothes don’t seem to fit me
I got little tiny bug feet
I don’t really know what bugs eat
Don’t want no one stepping on me
Now I’m sympathizing with fleas
Living like a bug ain’t easy…

Spoken: Welcome to heaven Franz! My name is God! I think you’re going to like it here!
He is Franz Kafka!
- posted by Steven @ 12:11 a.m.

 
"'We want to bring out Funded Individuals. In cartoon strips. We'll dramatize it in pictures.' Doubt and suspicion were still there, in Steichel's eyes, but interest began to kindle. 'Nobody reads, any more,' I went on. 'Pictorial presentation, that's the whole future.'"

From Kenneth Fearing's 1946 roman noir, The Big Clock.
- posted by Steven @ 1:06 a.m.

 
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Montreal was supposed to be a screening of Haute Tension at Cafe Chaos' illegal horror movie night with J.

Anyway, I wasn't about to let moral ambiuity overcome a chance to watch this film. I had read great things about it, and I was so excited I even took the opportunity to reread the Rue Morgue profile on the film. There are three major things that went wrong, all of which stem from this announcement.

1) The most blatant mistake was in billing the movie as starting at 8pm, which is crystal clear on the announcement. We arrived at ten to 8, and sat through half-an-hour of sound check and staff members looking at us like we're crazy. This isn't like showcasing bands, where one can be slightly late if one wants to miss the opening act. No, this is a fucking movie screening, and being late would have made the whole exercise useless. We went for a walk, and they didn't begin until 9.

2) A previous trip to this night had led to assurances by J. that the screenings were free. This makes sense, considering that they are screening these films illegally and probably assumed that by not charging any money they can get away with it. Anyway, when we got there the second time they charged us the $5 admission, which we refused to hand over. Reading their little announcement over again, they only barely try and cover their ass by claiming that the money is for the bands. This could be construed in many different ways, but considering that they have set a previous precedent in allowing free entry to the movie without also seeing the band, they should have been more clear in what they mean by their admission price, especially for those of us travelling long distances for the privilige.

3) Finally, when asked whether there would be subtitles, we were told there would be none. Now, I understand completely a sense of pride in showing an all-French movie in Quebec, and in no way do I blame them. However, if all you've been showing all along have been movies in English, and a portion of your audience has been Enlish-speaking, shouldn't you make this clear to that part of the audience before the screening? The staff tried to convince us to stay, but we declined, and as we left we were sure we saw others coming up to confirm that they, too, had been swindled. Whether it was intentional or not shouldn't matter.

Thanks for nothing Cafe Chaos!

- posted by Steven @ 1:10 p.m.

 
"For it must be remembered that at the time I knew quite nothing, naturally, concerning Milo Payne, the mysterious Cockney-talking Englishman with the checkered long-beaked Sherlockholmsian cap; nor of the latter's "Barr-Bag" which was as like my own bag as one Milwaukee wienerwurst is like another; nor of Legga, the Human Spider, with her four legs and her six arms; nor of Ichabod Chang, ex-convict, and son of Dong Chang; nor of the elusive poetess, Abigail Sprigge; nor of the Great Simon, with his 2163 pearl buttons; nor of--in short, I then knew quite nothing about anything or anybody involved in the affair of which I had now become a part, unless perchance it were my Nemesis, Sophie Kratzenschneiderwümpel--or Suing Sophie!"

I used to read mysteries as a kid, but never fully appreciated them. As I got older, I realized that what I really wanted was the mystery without the whodunit, or, suspense. And the more outlandish the plotholes and coincidences, the better. The above quote is from my new favourite author, Harry Stephen Keeler, more on whom you can read here. I'm positive I'll return to this subject periodically as I learn more.
- posted by Steven @ 7:43 p.m.