Media Sickness

Change of Server

mediasickness — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:13:24 +0000

head over to www.mediasickness.com to get your dose of cultural disease. (We can’t be blamed for bumps on your genitals)

Winter Storm Movies

mediasickness — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:08:56 +0000

Weather.com is reporting that my town will receive between 10-15 inches of snow. Since I’m under a snow siege, I thought that I would post some film recommendations to make your shoveling, the general misery of the cold, and the bruise on your ass from slipping on the ice seem slightly more tolerable.

“The Thing“

John Carpenter’s 1982 paranoid masterpiece “The Thing” stars a grizzly Kurt Russell as a member of a scientific expedition team in the Antarctic. Besides battling sub-zero weather, the team has to contend with an unearthed alien organism that assumes the body and characteristic of any organism that it encounters. Throughout the film, tensions mount and team members either become infected or increasingly suspicious of their teammates. While being stuck inside with your family members/significant others/cell mates during the storm might bother the living hell out of you, at least take solace in the fact that they aren’t trying to overtake and replicate your very existence.

The Thing gets bonus points for having a pre-diabetes Wilford Brimley in the cast.

“The Last Winter“

A title that I want to come true for all future winters, Larry Fessenden’s eco-horror tale “The Last Winter” focuses on a mining company exploring a virgin Northern Alaskan territory to drill for new oil supplies. Ron Perlman plays Ed Pollack the manager of the KIC Corporation, a headstrong bull of a man who is hellbent on continuing the operation despite the looming portents of doom and climate shift. He continually comes into conflict with James Legros‘ character, James Hoffman, an environmentalist watchdog overseeing KIC’s drilling to make sure that they follow governmental standards. Interpersonal turmoil starts to mount as the temperature steadily increases and a whole load of supernatural shit starts to go down. Surprisingly, this movie was not funded by Al Gore. And thankfully there is no Melissa Etheridge song on the soundtrack. Just remember that pneumonia and your back creaking from shoveling tons of snow are a reminder that the seasons are still following the natural order.

“Return Of The Jedi”

At least you didn’t have to disembowel a Tauntaun and crawl inside it to stay warm.

“Dead Of Winter“

Arthur Penn’s 1987 thriller starts as a fun Hitchcockian homage that eventually degenerates into a ludicrous slasher during the climax. “Dead Of Winter” is worth watching just for its references to Hitchcock’s incredibly large oeuvre. And hey, if you’re depressed because you’re snowbound at home stuck reading a shitty blog , this film will help you take comfort in the fact that at least you’re not trapped in the middle of a blackmail plot.

“Jack Frost“

Not the sentimental Michael Keaton vehicle of the same name, this Jack Frost follows the murderous exploits of a homicidal snowman. After finding a corpse dressed up as a Christmas tree, Deputy Pullman’s quote sums up the b-grade quality of the film, “You don’t reckon that we keep her up for the twelve days of Christmas, then?”

And I wouldn’t mind sharing a shower with Shannon Elizabeth, regardless of season.

“Fargo”

It is expected that Connecticut will get 10-15 inches of accumulation and North Dakota is getting nothing. What the fuck is with this shit? Joel Coen’s 1996 Oscar Awards winner supposedly depicts a farcical version of the Midwest idiom perfectly, but I can’t say because I’ve never left the Eastern seaboard. But my travel issues notwithstanding, I can say that Joel Coen demonstrates a mastery of filmic techniques in this modern classic.For the few of you who haven’t seen it, Coen’s film revolves around a bungled ransom turned murder and a persistent, pregnant, small-town policewoman, played by Frances McDormand, who stays on the trail of the crime. If you’re stuck at home and you have a copy of “Fargo,” exit out of this blog now and go watch it.

Golden Globe Nominations

mediasickness — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:03:45 +0000

Does anyone want to give me press passes or screeners so that I can offer my own thoughtful reflections on the Golden Globe nominations? Of course not, so I’ll just continue my usual journalistic pursuits of blowing my meager pittance on Icehouse and pretending that I had the money to go see these films at the cinema.

I know that the Golden Globe Awards are like the Dundies of Hollywood award shows, but hey, it’s a good indicator of what films will receive Oscar nominations. Here’s an article written by Brook Barnes of the New York Times, who definitely knows much more about these movies than I do.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/movies/awardsseason/16globes.html?ref=movies

Hoo dat said they was gonna beat dem Saints?

mediasickness — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:20:49 +0000

Budweiser? Check. Hicks? Check. American Football? Check. High-powered weaponry? Check. Sixty inch HD Television shot to shit? Check

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2d8_1260823295

Hey, that ain’t nothin’ compared to what I lost to the bookie.

Further proof that America’s future is doomed.

mediasickness — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:48:40 +0000

Even though I’m a huge fan of the “booty clap,” I don’t think that it’s possible for me to get behind this song.

your 13-year-old sister probably booty drops to this song on a regular basis :shudders:

Controversial Topic Alert

mediasickness — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:04:00 +0000

Personally, I think that Rachel McAdams is hotter as a brunette than as a blonde. To help you weigh the evidence, here are some pictures that www.wwtdd.com posted from the NYC premier of Sherlock Holmes

http://www.wwtdd.com/2009/12/rachel-mcadams-is-adorable/

Now back to less superficial topics…

FBI makes arrest in ‘Wolverine’ case

mediasickness — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:28:21 +0000

Variety.com reports that Gilberto Sanchez, the 47-year-old Bronx native who allegedly uploaded a pirate copy of” X-Men Origins: Wolverine“, was arrested at his home early Wednesday. In the Variety article it states that, “The studio (Fox) estimates that 15 million people downloaded the movie. If the figure is accurate and half of those who saw “Wolverine” online would have gone to see it in theaters, that is more than $50 million in lost revenues.”

The question that I want to ask is: Who here coughed up the $10.50 to watch “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”? Should the financial hit that Fox Studios incurred be taken as a warning sign for the movie industry to lower admission costs? to produce higher quality films? or for the studios to offer extra incentives to help drive the movie-watching audience into the theatres? Or conversely, do you feel that Fox Studios is offering a solid product at a reasonable cost and movie pirates are just unscrupulous bandits opportunistically trying to get something for nothing?

Let your voice be heard.

FBI makes arrest in ‘Wolverine’ case

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John Waters’ Ten Best Films of 2009

mediasickness — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:48:27 +0000

Courtesy of artforum.com, we have a list of the ten best films of 2009 from the man who introduced coprophagia and the drag actress Divine into the filmgoer’s field of vision. While it is possible that “The Filthiest Man Alive” is best known for his more prurient interests, John Waters’ has a keen eye for all things cinematic. I promise that this list won’t leave the taste of shit in your mouth.

http://artforum.com/inprint/id=24234