Dead Letters

lonelysandwich: First trailer for Arrested Development -...

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:09:45 -0700

First trailer for Arrested Development - Season 4!

Jesus. It’s finally happening.

Oh god, I want it now!

Like A Tech Pig In Digital Shite

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:49:26 -0800

Playing around on my brother’s MacBook Pro, and getting my first look at the new Tumblr. Haven’t been on the desktop version in months and only yesterday saw the post from the Tumblr staff about the new update. I’m just in awe of its beauty. I didn’t think things could get much better from the last major overhaul. Boy was I wrong, this new design is so insanely beautiful, can’t overstate that enough. I just wish I had more posts to post.

p.s. I’m still a whiz typing on a DVORAK layout on a hardware keyboard. Like riding a bike.

Week 4 (slacking). “As soon as I am left alone / The Devil...

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:34:11 -0800

Week 4 (slacking). “As soon as I am left alone / The Devil wanders into my soul” - Polly Jean Harvey. #sketch #CameraPlus #HeliosFilter #PJHarvey #WhiteChalk #TheDevil (at Starbucks)

A Second Wind

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:39:37 -0800

Coming off a long string of what I refer to as “bad days”. I was hoping, and planning, to turn things around yesterday, but surprisingly something I didn’t expect to harpoon that possibility surfaced. Yesterday was as bad as any other “bad day”. But thankfully I feel a slight change in the air today. Today’s much better than it has been in a while. I just hope it’s not just this. Not this one day, but the beginning of something new. We’ll see. Feeling uncharacteristically hopeful today. Feeling a second wind.

“Paper Kitty”. Watching “iPad Today” and...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:41:09 -0800

“Paper Kitty”. Watching “iPad Today” and playing around with the new version of Paper (iOS). Also playing around with Google Drive and the new version of Camera+. :B #Paper #CameraPlus #SoEmo

Pocket Planes Progress (really just wanted to test out the...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:16:08 -0800

Pocket Planes Progress (really just wanted to test out the Photoset app (iOS))

"The Master" - Disappointments & Recommendations

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 19:08:25 -0700

Went to see Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master yesterday. [Actually several yesterdays ago, given that I’ve been drafting this post for a while now]

PTA being one of my all-time favorite directors, I’d been building up The Master to be something of an event for the last several months; probably my most anticipated film of the year, just ahead of Prometheus. And learning that there would be select 70mm screenings of the film scattered across the US, and that one of them would be in my own backyard only added to my excitement.

On the bright side of things, the film looked gorgeous. I’ve no doubt that the placebo effect could be at play here, but I wouldn’t bet on it, I have never seen a film look quite so rich and sharp before. I can only assume that was due to the 70mm print. Though, awesome cinematography couldn’t have hurt anything either. The picture was just exquisite. I’d happily watch the film again if I could have that exact viewing experience once more. Sadly, that’s probably the only reason I’d ever think about watching the film again. Unless of course, a different version of it was available to me.

My iMac’s been out of commission for what seems like months (in reality, just a few weeks), which has thrown off a few (well, a lot) of my little routines, one of which being my trailer viewing. Watching 1080p trailers on my iMac’s ridiculously large monitor is one of my life’s little pleasures. I’d been meaning to play catch up on the HDTV in the living room for the past few days (via the Apple TV), but in a moment of weakness, cuddled up in bed with my iPad last night, I broke down. I’m only human. Sort of. Anyway, during my late night trailer binge I rewatched The Master’s teaser trailer and full trailer (which I hadn’t seen before, for fear of spoilers).

What was wild about the full trailer was how much deleted footage in it there was, and given that I’d only just watched the film mere hours before, every frame of it was still fresh in my mind; I know I’m not mistaken on this point. Anyway, it just made me wonder, given my disappointment with the film, maybe the only reason I felt like I was “missing something” was because there was something missing. Maybe a whole lot of little somethings, who knows? But on that presumption alone I’m gonna give the film the benefit of the doubt and reserve any of my harsher judgements. Before I write off the work completely, I would like to see a director’s cut of the film sometime in the future. I don’t think I saw what PTA intended me to see.

Or at least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself, I gotta find some way to make sense of the world again. I’ve become quite accustomed to reeling in expectations and minimizing disappointments, but I was just totally blind-sided by this one. Literally, one of my my all-time favorite directors, Paul Thomas Anderson. Magnolia. Boom. Punch-Drunk Love. Boom. There Will Be Blood. Boom. The Master. Eh, not so much.

Still, everything you may have already heard about Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was spot on. If anything, it was probably undersold. And the extraordinary thing about that whole situation was that I was so personally put off by the guy a few years back during his whole mental breakdown/publicity stunt/performance art debacle that I couldn’t ever imagine feeling any sort of… Couldn’t imagine ever really connecting with anything he would ever do again in a film because I would always have that image seared into my mind, his carefully cultivated douche image. To be honest, had he lived out the rest of his life not ever appearing in a film that I considered a must-watch (based on a director, or whatever else) I don’t see how I would ever have seen another one of his performances ever again. I would’ve just avoided the guy, in the same way that I avoid Roman Polanski, and Woody Allen films (though, of course, Phoenix’s transgressions in no way compare to what those two villains have done). But from the outset all of that just went away. I was totally lost in his performance. So kudos to him, and his astounding talent.

Also, I can’t let this review go by without mentioning Jonny Greenwood’s score. Love. That opening sequence got me so excited, my mind was racing with possibility. Not knowing exactly what to expect, but knowing/hoping that it would be something phenomenal. Unfortunately, I felt anyway, that most of the film’s score was composed of classic pieces, and Greenwood’s work were few and far between (And honestly, not quite as bold as his work in There Will Be Blood). Great work, unfortunately my expectations were just greater.

In an attempt to offset my negativity and leave off on a more pleasant note, I’ll just say that if you haven’t seen them already you should definitely do yourself a favor and watch Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. If you’re anything like me they’ll stay with you for the rest of your life. Magnolia has so much to say about the human condition; about connection, about death, about loss, about pain, about love, about the chaotic and ordered state of the Universe… I imagine it’s the sort of thing that the writers of Lost were shooting for with their interconnected story lines plot mechanic, but I wanted to end this post on a positive note so I’ll leave it at that and not delve into my rant about how much of a train wreck Lost (as a whole) was and how betrayed I feel about investing so much time into something that I ultimately feel was a waste of time. Magnolia plays with that concept more succinctly (obviously; one film versus hours upon hours of television) and effectively in my opinion. Oh, and it’s set in Los Angeles instead of some magic island, so score! Oh and speaking of score, if by some chance you don’t connect with Magnolia’s performances/characters/story you’ll at least be in for a treat with Aimee Mann’s score; genius. And if you don’t love that? Well I don’t know, I guess I’d suggest you just kill yourself ‘cause I can’t imagine how you could derive any sort of pleasure from life if not from that.

There Will Be Blood, oh where to begin? I was actually watching this again, for the umpteenth time, earlier today. It’s certainly not as uplifting as Magnolia, but I relish in what I feel is a wonderful little indictment of America, or at least the spirit of it as it exists today: a twisted mix of avarice, obsession, deceit, hatred, and violence. Daniel Day-Lewis turns out one of the most amazing performances you’ll ever see; A villain for the ages. I think they could base entire acting classes solely on the work he does with his eyes throughout the film; utterly subtle and awe-inspiring. And while it’s certainly dark and brooding, more than anything else I come away from the film bowled over by its shear beauty; the way it pairs imagery of the American Southwest with Jonny Greenwood’s avant-garde score is just magical; truly poignant and, for me, hauntingly nostalgic.

Still reading Book 1 of #HarukiMurakami ‘s #1Q84 . (Taken...

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 21:51:50 -0700

Still reading Book 1 of #HarukiMurakami ‘s #1Q84 . (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)

Finished, bleary-eyed. This latter half was something of a...

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:13:30 -0700

Finished, bleary-eyed. This latter half was something of a trial. The memory of my brother’s death is as vivid and painful as it ever was. #BananaYoshimoto #HardboiledAndHardLuck (Taken with Instagram)

The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak; Hand’s getting...

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:58:27 -0700

The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak; Hand’s getting sore. Time for some reading. :B (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)

dont fall asleep at parties you dumb bitch I’m not in...

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:53:12 -0700

dont fall asleep at parties you dumb bitch

I’m not in the habit of reblogging, but some posts are just too awesome to resist.

How adorably inappropriate, and hilarious most of all.

Another dear friend of mine is dying. This is my iMac’s...

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 04:23:13 -0700

Another dear friend of mine is dying. This is my iMac’s current start up screen. Even mid-seizure, he still looks beautiful. (Taken with Instagram)

Tonight’s area of interest. (Taken with Instagram at...

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:26:57 -0700

Tonight’s area of interest. (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)

laughingsquid: Baby’s Insane The look on the mother’s...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:21:34 -0700

laughingsquid:

Baby’s Insane

The look on the mother’s face in the last panel sold the reblog.

parislemon: caro: “Anything but the telephone.” Let me third...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 03:07:08 -0700

parislemon:

caro:

“Anything but the telephone.”

Let me third the “Anything but the telephone.”

Me, all this week. And now, as I type this. God I hate Summer.

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:07:12 -0700

Me, all this week. And now, as I type this. God I hate Summer.

Tonight. “And you can use these teeth…” (Taken with...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:45:45 -0700

Tonight. “And you can use these teeth…” (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)

My Sis got me Murakami’s “1Q84”. Sweet!...

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 21:01:23 -0700

My Sis got me Murakami’s “1Q84”. Sweet! Sidenote: Kinda wanna make love to John Gall, Vintage’s art director (the cover design is sick!). (Taken with Instagram)

Made with Paper

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 05:41:04 -0700

Made with Paper

Lol half of your followers are on tumblrdatinggame(.)com

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:53:19 -0700

Really don’t pay attention to follower count, I think it’s one of the douchiest things in the Metaverse to do, especially when that number/list isn’t obvious on sites like Tumblr. If you hadn’t brought this to my attention I would’ve never known it was even possible to see a follower list, which I actually have to thank you for since there were a couple of people I should’ve been following that I wasn’t. Thanks for the heads-up, Anonymous. And sorry to those peeps who I wasn’t following, I thought I already was.