September 10th, 2009
Galley friend S.B. sends this link to a new Johnnie Walker commercial featuring Robert Carlyle. Except it’s not really a commercial; more like an infomercial. The kind you can watch over and over.
There are a ton of questions, such as how many takes did it require? Was there a teleprompter below the camera that allowed Carlyle to look down and read? Was this really one take?
All that matters is that it works. And as I told S.B., you really can’t go wrong with Robert Carlyle. Except, of course, if you bump into him at a pub and make him spill his drink.
0 commentsBeatles for Sale
September 10th, 2009
With all the Beatlemania going on at the moment–the videogame, the new release of all the Beatles albums both in mono and stereo–it can now be said with utter certainty that John and Paul were greater together than they were apart. How certain am I?
Galley friend A.F. once again points me to another post-Beatles link on YouTube. This would be Paul McCartney and (the first iteration of) Wings singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Yes, that would be Linda on the swing. Oh…dear…God.
But which is worse? That or John and Yoko singing “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog”? And really, sit and reflect on Yoko’s “vocals.” Go ahead try to defend that one. What can you say? “Oh, that Yoko Ono, no one can make dog sounds the way she does.”
0 commentsWhat Was Going on in Oudin's Box?
September 10th, 2009
Melanie Oudin (why do we assume that she’s a sweetheart and not a mean girl?) lost last night, ending America’s first outbreak of Oudinimania. I hope it works out for her. What American tennis has always needed is an Austin-Henin hybrid.
(By-the-by, I’ve always suspected that despite their flaws, we’re going to really miss the Williams sisters when they’re gone.)
But last night’s coverage of the Oudin match was a perfect example of the insularity and clubbiness of the tennis media. A whole lot was made over Oudin’s box, what with her twin, her bf, her coach, her little sis, her mom, all those Charm City-style “Believe” t-shirts and . . . what was missing? Oh, right, her dad! Turns out, there’s a story there. Whoa.
All of this, however, is a wind up to note how unbelievably insipid Pam Shriver has become as a TV presence. Nearly every exchange she’s involved in becomes about her–last night was at least the third time this Open that she informed viewers that she once bumped into Alec Baldwin on Sunset Blvd. But she went from annoying to slightly evil with the way she bullied Oudin into giving an on-court loser’s interview immediately after the match last night–with a hot mic broadcasting the uncomfortable off-camera exchange. Maybe Shriver didn’t know the mic was live. But she should be enough of a pro to understand that just like “all guns are loaded,” “all microphones are on.”
I’m not totally sold on Oudin being America’s sweetheart, but she didn’t deserve that.
0 commentsMore Homophobia from Mickey Kaus
September 9th, 2009
Check the headline on the P.S. So hateful!
0 comments"I've hunted most things that can hurt you, but the way these things move . . ."
September 9th, 2009
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CNgwZgoKFc&hl=en&fs=1&]
0 commentsTrailer City
September 9th, 2009
Like Charlie Kaufman, only good?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ2t2vDfM1M&hl=en&fs=1&]
0 commentsMore on Marvel and Disney
September 8th, 2009
Courtesy of Galley Friend A.K.
0 commentsStar Wars, cont.
September 8th, 2009
I’m late to the big Star Wars counter-insurgency debate, but for whatever it’s worth, I’m in near total agreement with Matt Yglesias, particularly his last graph.
Except that I wouldn’t go applying labels there at the end.
0 comments
