Things That I'm Into: Dancing Thom

This makes me laugh. A lot.

(via Paste magazine, via the Dancing Thom blog)

Things That I'm Into: Awaiting a Blizzard

We are hunkering down and preparing for almost TWO FEET of snow with a) cinnamon tea, b) furry slippers, and c) multiple episodes of the first season of "The Wire." Could be worse.

(the wire image from here)

Things That I'm Into: The Kids are All Right

I loved this movie for a lot of different reasons. It reminded me of the good parts of living in LA. Mark Ruffalo is ADORABLE.  The Joni Mitchell sing-a-long is reminiscent of my family dinners growing up.  It has a smart script and interesting characters. Good soundtrack.  The teenagers are thoughtful instead of total dipshits, like they are usually portrayed in movies. Highly recommend!

Things That I'm Into: Let the Right One In

I really dislike horror movies. A lot. Especially serial killer/slasher/gory ones... if there are ghosts, then I might be okay, but if there are serial killer ghosts then I am NOT okay.

Since my home movie viewing has pretty much been limited to Netflix Watch Instantly movies these days, I decided to watch "Let the Right One In," a swedish vampire movie.* I highly recommend it. Even though it's in Swedish.

Watch it, and then remember NEVER TO INVITE THEM IN.... bum bum bum.


*NOTE: I am not yet a subscriber to the vampire craze, not for any real reason except that I didn't get on board and now it seems late/unnecessary. Are crazes ever necessary? Unclear. Either way it seems like it would be weird and late and it would make me super old if I got into it now.

Things That I'm Into: Robert Smithson

A girl (woman? girl.) in my college senior art history seminar wrote her thesis on Robert Smithson's spiral jetty and its relation to science fiction. She was pretty much the coolest.  Since then I've always associated Robert Smithson with super cool people, and just thought that maybe if I knew just a little bit more about spiral jetty then I could be one of those cool people. Clearly that isn't true, but, um, it doesn't hurt to try.

Spiral Jetty is a large, land-based installation piece in UTAH* that was constructed in 1970. It was submerged for decades after the lake rose, but it's visible again because of a drought that has been occurring the last couple years.

I've wanted to see the 32 minute "making of spiral jetty" movie for a while, and it's part of the "Earthworks" exhibit at the MCA right now.** And since Tuesday is FREE DAY I went to check it out.

Here are some excerpts:

The movie is slow moving, but still really interesting. My favorite part is when Smithson runs to the center of the Jetty and you get the sense of the movement of the installation. I'd love to see the piece in person someday. Anyone want to go on a Utah land art roadtrip?

Images from here, here.

* Also known as the best state in the union after Oregon.

** Museum of Contemporary Art, for you non-chicagoers.

Things That I'm Into: Ali Macgraw in" Love Story"

I just watched "Love Story" for the first time, and even though it was maudlin and sappy and poorly acted, I loved everything about how Jennifer (Ali Macgraw) dressed.

Maybe I want to live the the 70s? Or at least have some coats from them. Since I live in a place that needs coats again. (Miss you LA!)

Things That I'm Into: Please Give

I liked this movie a lot. Not surprising, since I liked "Lovely + Amazing" and "Friends with Money" a ton as well.

Particularly awesome parts of the movie were everything that the little girl said. And how it made fun of people who go tanning. And how the Grandma was a crazy crazy person. There has been an ongoing conversation in my apartment, however, about whether the oliver platt- amanda peet affair was necessary for the movie and true to the characters or whether it was just added for, um, "fun."

I wish Nicole Holefcener would make a movie that pertained exactly to me, pls. How about mid-twenties early-thirties people who live in Chicago? Catharine Keener could play a kooky aunt or something.