Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Before seeing a screening of No Country for Old Men, the new movie by Joel and Ethan Coen, I decided to read the book by Cormac McCarthy. One, because I haven't read any fiction in years and I figured this would give me an excuse to read a novel, and two, because I get so nervous in thriller movies that I wanted to find out how things turn out in the end before seeing the movie. (There is a twist in the narrative and the Coen's are faithful to the book.)
But once you know the twist, half of the fun is gone. (Do movies like The Sting or The Sixth Sense ever get better with repeated viewings? Not for me.) I didn't care for the book, which is written in a minimalist style that I found pretentious, but it felt as if the Coen's could have written it themselves. It's right up their alley and the book reads like a screenplay.
The movie is skillfully made. There is some vivid imagery (Roger Deakin's photography is often stunning) and wonderfully tense moments. The Coen's use sound very well--the sound of a rotary dial phone, the squeak of a suitcase; in fact, several sequences don't have any music at all. There are familiar Coen touches--tracking shots of the open road from a car's point-of-view, ceiling shots looking down on a sleeping character, grotesquely funny-looking yokels, voice-over narration, goofy haircuts, dry dialogue and inside jokes (Mike Zoss Pharmacy--Mike Zoss is the name of their production company).
The movie is terse, and brutal but I thought it was empty. It's like a B-Movie made with A-Movie talent. There isn't much pulpy fun in it, despite the trademark Coen humor. It takes itself seriously in that it portends to say something heavy about human nature (Maybe it's just another bleak film noir--the Coen's never take themselves too seriously, but the movie felt too serious). As a friend who recently saw the movie said, "it slams you up against the wall and there is no room for your imagination to roam."
When it was over I just thought, "Why? What's the point?" I'm sure the Coen's have their reasons--again, the material is so well-suited to their tastes that perhaps they just couldn't turn it down.
I won't be surprised if the movie turns out to be one of the Coen's biggest commerical hits. But it reminds me of Silence of the Lambs, another technically well-made entertainment that felt soulless. (I don't think Demme has ever recaptured the funky spirit that infused his early movies like Melvin and Howard, Something Wild and Married to the Mob.) This movie isn't a departure for the Coen's, but it feels like an excercise in style. It looks great and delivers thrills, but, again, when it was over, I just shrugged my shoulders and was like, "And...So...?"
love the off-season non-baseball pieces. keep em comin.
Also Nick, I think that I'll be in minority in not responding to this one. I think it'll be very satisfying for a lot of people..
1 i saw the darjeeling limited last weekend. i liked it. it was similar in style (and cast) to anderson's other stuff, but i thought that it stood on its own merits. this one was less "cutesy" and relied more on the acting than quirky characters.
I'm ready for "No Country for Old Men," though, and I haven't seen a movie in a theater since "The Queen" and that broke up a two year drought. I'm on a Cormac McCarthy bender right now. Guy is phenomenal.
In Yanks news, it looks like Torreabla is going to get picked up by the Rox AND they are looking for a BUC. For the love of all that is holy - please get Iannetta, Cashman.
personally, i think that would be more applicable to most of anderson's other films. this felt like a conscious departure from that stuff... for anderson anyway.
anderson relies heavily upon his soundtracks. he always has. i thought this one was great, but i am a sucker for the kinks ("powerman", "strangers" and "this time tomorrow" are great songs and are all in this film) and appreciate eastern music.
i also thought brody was great. schwartzman (sp?) plays everything the same way, but i thought even the wilson brother was pretty good in this. i usually can't stand him.
now... only a nude natalie portman could save the little vignette at the beginning.
...and just barely. (the pun is completely intentional.)
I agree that they're best when there's some warmth to their characters, and that Millers Crossing has grown on me over the years. I didn't love O Brother, though, except that it made more people aware of Sullivans Travels.
I'll always have a special soft spot for Blood Simple, which I saw when it came out. It's the least stylish of all their movies, probably because of its extreme cheapness. But it has not only a young Frances McDormand, but also Dan Hedaya and M. Emmett Walsh. Hot damn!
I absolutely loved Rushmore. Precious, perhaps, but also with a sweetness and a sincerity that redeemed it. I didn't like Tenenbaums, and haven't bothered since.
Sullivan's Travels is probably still my favorite. Preachy, yeah, but also ambitious. It was also my introduction to Sturges, some 30 years ago, and I was astounded that I'd never heard of him.
I've heard that Veronica Lake wasn't a very nice person but man, was she ever fetching.
As for baseball schtuff, getting Tejada and sticking him at 3B is an interesting option. He's a gamer, has pop, and has a good defensive reputation.
Agree about Turturro, his ability shines. For me it's where goes from cowering and crying to threatening Tom Reagan.
"In the meantime I'll stay outa sight. But if Caspar ain't stiff in a couple of days I start eating in restaurants."
Don't be hatin' on McCarthy! Have you read The Road?
As for Sullivan's Travels, all you need to know is:
---
John L. Sullivan: I want this picture to be a commentary on modern conditions. Stark realism. The problems that confront the average man!
LeBrand: But with a little sex in it.
John L. Sullivan: A little, but I don't want to stress it. I want this picture to be a document. I want to hold a mirror up to life. I want this to be a picture of dignity! A true canvas of the suffering of humanity!
LeBrand: But with a little sex in it.
John L. Sullivan: [reluctantly] With a little sex in it.
Hadrian: How 'bout a nice musical?
---
Nothing to equal it until "Barton Fink" and "The Player"
10 Great line...As for Anderson, I've liked all his movies to this point (and I loved Bottle Rocket and Rushmore), but I was just turned off to this one (Darjeeling). I don't see how he's growing at all, and I love the Kinks! I'll see it at some point I'm sure. I think both Rushmore and even Tennenbaums worked because they managed to show some genuine heart amongst the whimsy. But enough already, Wes.
Veronica Lake was insanely hot.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford........beautiful albeit a little long....and......Lars and the Real Girl..starts slow but great performances/story.
I think it is the scariest book I have ever read. It also helps to be completely aware of the Peak Oil theory, and be of a firm belief that civilization is quickly collapsing.
rereading alex's review, this section
It takes itself seriously in that it portends to say something heavy about human nature (Maybe it's just another bleak film noir--the Coen's never take themselves too seriously, but the movie felt too serious)
rang a bell, reminding me of the only Coen Brothers film I really passionately disliked: The Man Who Wasn't There another neo-noir that thought (mistakenly) it had, well, actually, thoughts.
hope i like this one better ...
I've never fully compiled a Top Ten favorite movie list, but whenever I start to think about something like that, two movies always make the list: The Third Man and Dog Day Afternoon. The Third Man feels so much like a Graham Greene book it's scary. Possibly the best star-turn cameo in movie history too, right?
When I was 13 years old, I really wanted to go see "Amadeus." So I went down to the Lincoln Plaza cinemas one rainy Saturday afternoon (you know, the theater where you have to go downstairs), only to find that it was sold out. "Stop Making Sense" was playing and I wanted to see something so I went down and watched that instead, and it was one of the most thrilling experiences I've ever had in a movie theater.
I was familiar with the group--my uncle from Belgium had long been a fan, but was completely unprepared for how exciting the movie was going to be.
You did much, much better to go with "Stop Making Sense" than with "Amadeus." I saw it on first release because I was reviewing it for my high school paper; I knew nothing about the Talking Heads beforehand, but it was such thrilling performance-filmmaking. Really special. I've been a huge fan of the band ever since (naturally, they broke up within a couple of years).
I loved Demme's early work (even the women-in-prison exploitation flick "Caged Heat"). I thought "Something Wild" was one of the best American movies of the 1980s -- it really got at something about the dark underbelly of that late Reagan era Americana thing that had previously been tapped in "Blue Velvet" -- but with all of Demme's funky idiosyncracies (and excellent soundtrack choices, courtesy of David Byrne, no less) intact. I actually thought that the 1986-1991 (or so) period was maybe the last great era of American filmmaking.
Do the Right Thing
New York Stories (just the Scorsese part, which is one of my favorite things he's ever done)
Casualties of War
Sex, Lies and Videotape
Drugstore Cowboy
Sea of Love
The Fabulous Baker Boys
Enemies, a Love Story
Glory
Say Anthing
My Left Foot
Henry V
"Meanwhile, Roger Clemens told the Astros he wants to start his 10-year personal services contract with the team, which means spending time as an instructor and consultant."
What does that mean exactly? What happens after the 10 years? And what does this mean exactly? Did I just repeat myself?
Hmmm....hello?.... Anyone there?
Maybe nobody knows the answer?
It's means Clemens might be retiring.
"The Pirates upper management has widely ignored OBP (on base percentage) in the past. How important will OBP be in player evaluation under your leadership?
-- Eric S., Pennsboro, W.Va
We are going to utilize several objective measures of player performance to evaluate and develop players. We'll rely on the more traditional objective evaluations: OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) , WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), Runs Created, ERC (Component ERA), GB/FB (ground ball to fly ball ratio), K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), K/BB (strikeouts to walks ratio), BB%, etc., but we'll also look to rely on some of the more recent variations: VORP (value over replacement player), Relative Performance, EqAve (equivalent average), EqOBP (equivalent on base percentage), EqSLG (equivalent slugging percentage), BIP% (balls put into play percentage), wOBA (weighted on base average), Range Factor, PMR (probabilistic model of range) and Zone Rating."
Oh my stars and stripes that is awesome.
The weird sisters: "By the knocking of my drums, something wicked this way comes."
And, as for Sturges,Palm Beach.
Saw Blue Velvet last week. Still works. Something Wild, one of my all time favs.
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