Chicago: Become Familiar with its Distinctive Neighborhoods

I liked Once, it was more subtle and naturalistic than most romance movies. The songs were a little samey but pleasant. Could have maybe used a little more plot.

I've been kind of annoyed lately at people who criticize movies because the music in them isn't hip enough or whatever. I feel like Once got some of that.

Sarah, I think it was about 134 movies, but I counted a whole season of a tv show as one entry.

Once is coming up on my queue. My first movie of '08 was Dead Man, which I loved.

people who criticize movies because the music in them isn't hip enough or whatever

can you be more explicit about this? are you talking about juno? i was ok with the music in juno, it was the music discussions and references that grated for me. i don't know if the music in once is hip or not, but it works great within the movie - he's a singer/songwriter, and the songs are pretty good singer/songwriter-type songs

Help! Help me figure out what to spend $200 at Amazon on. It's a funny amount, that -- much less than that, and I wouldn't mind spending it on lots of little things, books and music and such. But it feels like just significant enough of an amout that I should do something... significant. And yet, it's not enough to go buck wild with. Hmmmm.

i have a copy of the veg cookbook dan mentions and it seems to be filled with deliciousness. also, thorough in a pleasing way.

i have Once coming in the mail from netflix.

i had a problem with the end of 'once,' but i can't discuss it without a spoiler

I didn't think I was as crazy about the music in Once on its own, but then I saw the guy and gal from that movie at the Vic last month and it was a really good concert.

Kenan - get one of the El Bulli books.

ok i'm going to get this for sure, because I've been meaning to for forever and I think I may have the wherewithal to get it framed like I should. But that's only twenty amazon bucks.

I've been reading this, and it's subtly depressing but very good:

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Farmer-American-Memoir/dp/0671498037

That is a fun problem to have, K.

Kenan, if I were you I would just use that $200 as a treat fund. So if you want to buy yourself a little something fun, you just dip in $20 or so at a time.

yeah, my compulsion to get something "significant" is pretty silly, on further consideration.

ElBulli! I was trying to remember the name of that place the other day.

Nick: I guess I was thinking of Juno partly and how the kneejerk reaction among a lot of ILXors and other music snobs is "Gah, what is this twee bullshit?" I mean, I think it's totally fair to critique the movie on its reliance on quirkiness or preciousness or whatever, and the music used is totally part of that, but it just seems like a lot of people don't even want to deal with the movie for the simple reason that the Moldy Peaches are in it. With Once, I've heard people say things like "it's the dude from the fucking Frames playing earnest guitar music."

You could also use it as a birthday & Christmas fund with which to buy presents for other people.

xpost - I loved Juno.

Also, Juno introduced me to the Moldy Peaches.

Yeah, I remember back when garden State introduced me to the Shins. Oh, whimsy.

I liked the Reader's assessment of Juno's music: "like getting beat over the head with the twee-est umbrella."

I did not find the music distracting for the most part, though a couple of times I felt the urge to squirm.

i think there are problems with how juno uses music, like the tone it's trying to set with the music it chooses, but obviously attacking it out of some kind of hipster prerogative is lame obviously. i don't really understand anybody attacking 'once' for the music, though if you hate all dudes playing acoustic guitar and singing, i guess you probably wouldn't like it.

early contender for understatement of the year:

'He did not like his son-in-law'
Jan 02, 2008

Prosecutors say an Oak Forest man set a fire that killed his pregnant daughter, son-in-law and young grandson because he was upset over his daughter's marriage.

i like a lot of the songs in juno as songs, but in retrospect i have problems with how the movie uses them:
a) too many songs - seemed like there was wall-to-wall music, which smacks of using the music as a cheap shortcut to convey an emotion
b) using a ton of cute twee songs in a movie about teen pregnancy - sending the wrong message? though this is probably a problem with the movie as a whole, not just the music

Am I dumb for thinking about getting this? (Not from eBay, though: I saw it at Linens N Things.)

The thing that gives me pause it that it has no audio out, so you have to rely on its internal speakers -- but I'm not much of an audiophile, and I really like the idea of not having a whole stereo system with multiple cords. This would look attractive on the mantel in my living room.

As a longstanding Moldy Peaches fan, I fear Juno for other reasons. (ie, teens talking like smartass adults)

I haven't seen Juno, but good to see Kimya Dawson get some big BMI $$$.

here's my top five happy list this morning:

1) Running linux on my work PC. Shh! Don't tell. I am allowed a whole lot of latitude with the computers around here, but I'm pretty sure repartitioning the drives was never part of the deal. I won't tell if you won't. :)

2) Being happy to be back at work, especially because there's not a lot of actual work to be done. I just missed my 23" cinema display monitor. I hope it missed me, too.

3) My chat icon, which is Elliot Gould enjoying a refreshing glass of Jim Beam. Ah, the 70's. Like the man said, those were different times. (whole article here)

4) Coffee.

5) Absolutely no chance of any sink nearby exploding, at least not where it will be my job to clean it up. Actually, this should probably be #1 on the list.

i think one's acceptance of juno is basically dependent on how well you can accept a fantasy movie about teen pregnancy. i guess i don't really have too many qualms with that since i generally enjoyed the movie

I wish it had been clearer why she decided not to (do the only right thing) get the abortion.

John - I'm no audiophile, and I have like 10 LPs, but I would not buy that turntable.

Though I would buy *some* turntable.

attention parents of america: it is time to begin beating your children again. Whatever you've been doing lately is clearly a dead end.

Tell me why, Jesse. I have like four or five boxes of LPs in the basement that I'm kind of itching to listen to. Also would be nice to have something to hook up my iPod to in the living room.

Also, I think I would only buy it if it was under $100. Linens'N'Things had it for $99 a couple weeks ago.

Kenan, I think you linked the wrong article.

Use one of those 20%-off coupons that Linens'N'Things sends out.

Ellen Page was good and convincing in Hard Candy (another two-people-in-a-room movie).

xpost No, that's the one. The one about a buncha kids breaking into robert frost's historic home and puking all over it. I'm just saying, somebody shoulda beat those kids a long time ago.

(Relax, I can't breed.)

OIC.

It's kind of big, and it doesn't have an audio-out. I would want to have the option to hook it up to a home stereo system. Plus it's not very pretty. But on the other hand it's serviceable. I just would think that you could find something about the same price that would be better. Maybe at a pawn shop, even.

I saw that turntable in Boston Store the other day. The turntable part looked pretty flimsy, but who knows.

Try craigslist, I got mine a few weeks ago for $40

I think I'm going to go see Juno to get another shot of Arrested Development lolz and hopefully I will be able to ignore the music and the baby message.

Oh, I have a turntable. I just don't have a stereo (receiver or speakers). What's appealing to me about the Crosley is that it can take care of all of my audio needs (vinyl, CDs, tapes, radio, iPod) in one compact package (I saw it in the store, and it's not very big at all).

so you can't use your turntable right now?

No. I've never been able to use it. In fact, I have no idea where I got it. I was under the impression that my brother gave it to me, but he claims he didn't.

Also, I think the Crosley looks nice. Esp. if I put it on the mantel in my living room. A lot more attractive than bulky stereo components with countless wires.

are there movies when unexpectedly-pregnant women get an abortion? this may be a stupid question.

Do what you feel, maaaan.

That was to John.

Jennifer Jason Leigh gets one in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Other than that, there's She's Not Having A Baby.

I don't know, Jordan. It seems like it would be hard to have a movie about a pregnant woman just getting a safe, legal abortion without a lot of hullabaloo.

Haha. xpost.

Does JJL really get one? I thought she just lies about being pregnant and needing a ride to the abortion clinic to play a trick on the sleazy guy?