Effed by the Wind

“I’m Now” – An Essential Chapter in Rock History

thebaxter — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:09:34 +0000

Seattle is known for many things, not the least of which is spawning Grunge. Most of the bands in the Seattle music scene had very little to do with the ultimately hackneyed word; A word which is far more marketing term than musical genre. Nonetheless, in the early nineties, the title was thrust upon any band in Western Washington with a distortion pedal. One such band was Mudhoney, who inadvertently become Grunge poster boys. They were lumped in with a whole bunch of other bands with which they had nothing in common other than an area code. If it had not been for this stupid, meaningless catchall title, perhaps Mudhoney’s career would have gone much differently. Perhaps they would have had the success they deserve.

Of course, Mudhoney is successful, relatively speaking. But they should have been huge. They probably would have opted out of having crazy, drug-fueled parties at the Edgewater Hotel where groupies were violated with fish and branded with cattle prods (a la Led Zeppelin). But damnit, they should have had the option. At the very least, they should have been credited for being at the forefront of a musical revolution. Yes, they’re that good.

If you live in Seattle, you might be able to score a ticket to the June 8th premiere of “I’m Now”, the feature-length documentary which spans Mudhoney’s entire history and finally gives credit where credit is due. The Triple Door will hold two screenings of the film that night. It’s a beautiful theater and a great place to see this unforgettable film (review follows).

“I’m Now” (2012)
Directors: Ryan Short & Adam Pease
5/5 Stars

If you aren’t a Mudhoney fan when you start watching King of Hearts Productions’ new music doc, “I’m Now”, you certainly will be by the closing credits. The band has a lot to be bitter about. But they aren’t bitter. In fact, they couldn’t be more gracious. These are guys who love to play music and consistently found a way to keep doing it.

Interspersed throughout the narrative are interviews with other Seattle music scene notables including Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop Records, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam and Kim Thayil from Soundgarden. But none of these famous faces are as captivating as the band members themselves.

Each of the guys is interviewed separately, getting the chance to tell the story from their individual perspectives. They’re well spoken and clever, and never do they seem at all arrogant or inaccessible.

For me, one of the most refreshing moments is when front man, Mark Arm, speaks candidly about his drug and alcohol issues. He acknowledges the rock n’ roll cliché in which he found himself. But he didn’t have to surrender to any higher power to get through it. It’s not a juicy, “Behind the Music” tale. He just isolated the problem and took care of it. Fuckin’ A.

But it’s not just the interviews that enchant. It’s also the live performances. The footage from these shows is intimate and electrifying. Much of the b-roll is from the band’s own archives, but filmmakers, Ryan Short and Adam Pease, also followed Mudhoney on a recent tour. In 2008, this documentary team cut their teeth on a film about another unsung Seattle band, Tad (“Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears”). With a long resume of music videos, they certainly know how to film a band. As a result, “I’m Now” is the most riveting and reverent music documentary since Julian Temple’s “The Future is Unwritten”. Short and Pease have made an explosive piece of art, fueled by the raw power of Mudhoney’s music, that delivers sweet comeuppance to all the folks who did the band wrong over the years. Treat yourself to the aural and visual intoxication of “I’m Now”. I promise you won’t have any regrets come morning.

Filed under: Filmpinions, Seattle

Film Threat Review: Mansome

thebaxter — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:10:47 +0000

Morgan Spurlock has quite a few talented names in his address book. Good thing too, because without them to pad his latest vanity project, he might be exposed for the hack he’s starting to become. If anyone is going to like a documentary about facial hair, it’s me. I’m what you might call a beardthusiast. But Spurlock’s “Mansome” fails to expose any sort of substance behind the follicles.

Maybe it’s because there isn’t actually much to talk about. Some people like beards and some don’t. Some men can grow a beard and some can’t. There are many different ways a man can sculpt his facial hair. Some people embrace their hairiness and some people seek to depilate their entire bodies. And sometimes someone who can grow a very long beard will end up with delusions of grandeur. That’s about all “Mansome” has to say on the subject. The only real insight it gives is into the waning career of a once celebrated documentarian…

Read the rest at Film Threat.

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat

Hotter with a Beard: Jarvis Cocker Edition

thebaxter — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:45:04 +0000

Now I know what you’re thinking. That voice! Those dance moves! The sharp-as-hell wardrobe! Jarvis Cocker is already an 11 on the 1-10 hotness scale. How could he possibly get any hotter? Well, feast your eyes on this:

Christ on a cracker! Hey Jarvis…Wanna turn that easy chair into a love seat?

If you need further proof, here he is throwing shapes at Coachella:

I’m pleased as punch to say I was there to witness it.

I’m sure you are convinced by now. But let’s see a few more pics for your Friday afternoon delight:

Could this be his O Face? Only a few lucky ladies in the world can say for sure:

Aaaaaand I’m spent. Time for a cold shower!

Filed under: Hotter with a Beard

Film Threat Review: The Five-Year Engagement

thebaxter — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:09:30 +0000

I suppose that when a film is called “The Five Year Engagement,” one should expect a certain amount of foot-dragging in the narrative. Before we watched the film, my husband joked that he hoped it wasn’t shot in real time. It’s not. But, unfortunately, it often feels as though it is. Turns out, it’s not a lot of fun to watch a relationship fall apart even if you know that eventually, everything will turn out just fine…

Read the rest at Film Threat.

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat

Cookbook Review: Quinoa Cuisine

thebaxter — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:58:55 +0000

Not to brag or anything, but I’ve been into quinoa since before it was cool. I grew up with a slightly hippie mom who forbade sugar cereals and soda and thought that carob was an acceptable alternative to chocolate. We also rarely had red meat. She provided proteins from fish, chicken and tofu and, of course, quinoa. I became a vegetarian when I was 14 and finally began to appreciate my mother’s health-conscious ways. Because of her, I already had several healthy recipes under my belt. Of course, it never hurts to have more.

Quinoa has been very popular, of late. David Lynch even cooked up a bowl as a special feature on the “Inland Empire” DVD. And now we have Jessica Harlan and Kelley Sparwasser’s terrific cookbook, “Quinia Cuisine”, which boasts “150 Creative Recipes for Super-Nutritious, Amazingly Delicious Dishes”. If you’re skeptical about quinoa, that claim might sound like a bit of an oversell. Perhaps it’s because there are still a lot of people out there who are suspicious of it. I can understand why. It looks weird. It smells a little strange before you cook it and especially before you give it a good rinse. But trust me when I tell you that this strange little food really can be “amazingly delicious”.

“Quinoa Cuisine” is a terrifically laid out cookbook with an unusually worthwhile introduction, outlining its history and health benefits as well as many cooking methods and a few factoids. For instance, did you know that quinoa is NOT actually a grain? I did not. Apparently, it’s more closely related to beets, spinach and chard. What you’re actually eating is quinoa seeds, thus making it a “pseudograin”. I won’t spoil the whole thing for you. I’ll just say that I usually skim over introductions to pretty much every book I read. Not this time.

The actual recipes in the book are coded with helpful symbols that indicate such qualities as “30-minutes or less”, “gluten-free”, “kid friendly” and vegan or vegetarian.

The first chapter consists of “Essential Recipes” which are not only recipes you’ll make often, they also appear as part of other recipes later in the book. This is where you might begin to realize the true magic of quinoa. You can make every damn thing with it, from pancakes to pizza dough, tortillas to pie crust. If you’re living gluten free and didn’t know about quinoa this book will probably change your life.

From there, the book moves through every meal, blowing your mind with options: Breakfast, Starters, Salads, Soups & Stews, Side Dishes & Pilafs, Meat & Fish, Vegetarian and even Dessert. There are also special sections for Packed Lunches and Party Food. This is a truly comprehensive book that transcends genre and cuisine ethnicity. Think of your favorite dish. I’ll bet you cash money that there is some version of it in there. And, as a side bet, I wager that you’re going to love it made with quinoa. Maybe I have a little bit of a gambling problem. But that doesn’t mean I’m not right about this.

My one complaint with this book is that, apart from the front and back covers, there aren’t any photos of the food. I’m a visual person and I always like to compare my completed dish with the photo in the book, just to make sure I did it right. Granted, I get kind of annoyed with the step-by-step photos that food bloggers are so fond of. I don’t need to see what all my ingredients look like laid out on the counter together. But a little food porn is what often draws me to a recipe. I know they probably wanted to make more room for recipes (and possibly to save money by printing in black and white). But I wouldn’t mind a slightly higher cover price for the benefit of one little picture for each recipe.

Apart from the lack of photos, I am perfectly pleased with “Quinoa Cuisine” and highly recommend it to anyone who is already a fan or even a little quinoa curious.

Filed under: The Printernet

SXSW Review: Jeff

thebaxter — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:22:39 +0000

The film opens on a very lengthy shot of a fish tank. The camera pulls back to reveal a man with large glasses and an unsettling mustache. He’s clearly an actor portraying serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the necrophiliac cannibal who was convicted of the murder of seventeen men. “Is this not actually a documentary?” I wondered. Chris James Thompson could have made a dramatic narrative film. But he decided instead to get to the meat of the story by patching together reenactments from Dahmer’s quiet public life with first-hand accounts from the people who inadvertently got to know him better than anyone. The film doesn’t depict Jeffrey Dahmer’s human side, but rather, it shows a very detailed picture of the mask of humanity which he wore every day…

Read the rest at Film Threat!

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat, sxsw

SXSW Review: Sun Don’t Shine

thebaxter — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:34:46 +0000

Every once in a while, an indie film will come along that receives universal praise. It will be the talk of the town and win awards. And then I will see the film and find myself disagreeing with everyone else. This is the case with “Sun Don’t Shine.” The weird thing is, I can absolutely see where all the film’s cheerleaders are coming from.

Writer/director Amy Seimetz oozes talent. Likewise the actors portraying the young couple on the lam have got some chops. I like the way the story unfolds slowly and what they’re running from reveals itself over time. What I can’t stand is Crystal (Kate Lyn Sheil), the shrewish and infantile simpleton that is the film’s female protagonist. Unfortunately she is in nearly every scene, whining like a mosquito and completely detracting from what is otherwise a very good movie…

Read the rest at Film Threat!

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat, sxsw

SXSW Review: Wonder Women – The Untold Story of American Superheroines

thebaxter — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:50:56 +0000

I’m willing to bet that “Comic Book Heroines” has never been a category on Family Feud because Wonder Woman is not only the obvious answer, it’s practically the only answer. Meanwhile, mainstream films have spent so much time and money on male superheroes that they have to mine the dregs for new franchises. It boggles the mind that we have a Green Lantern movie and yet, we have never managed to bring Wonder Woman to the big screen. (And no, “Catwoman” and “Electra” do not count.) As least now we have “Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines.” This thought-provoking and inspirational documentary about what a superheroine could and should be is a good start.

Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s film covers the history of the best-known comic book heroine and how the image of strong women has morphed in the media since William Moulton Marston created her in 1941. There are so few female comic book protagonists (super or otherwise), that Guevara-Flanagan has to include basically all media to have enough to talk about. We have had some proud moments (“The Bionic Woman,” Ripley, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and some embarrassing moments (The Spice Girls). Regardless, when you stack it all up against the sheer volume of male-oriented stories, it pales in comparison…

Read the rest at Film Threat.

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat, sxsw

SXSW Review: Girls Against Boys

thebaxter — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:48:45 +0000

I don’t know why Austin Chick decided to attempt a feminist film. Did he feel that his surname made it his destiny? It’s certainly not for any truly feminist reason because homeboy went about it all wrong. I imagine Mr. Chick as the sort of guy who took Women’s Studies in college specifically to bang the straight ladies in the class. He certainly wasn’t there to learn because there is not one iota of legitimate feminism in “Girls Against Boys.”

Now, I’m not saying that every Girls and Guns caper has to be polemic. But a revenge plot as personal as the one that Shae and Lu embark on implies that Chick is trying to be poignant about something. Is the intended theme of this film anything more than just “Rape is bad, mmmkay”? Only Austin Chick knows…

Read the rest at Film Threat.

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat, sxsw

SXSW Review: The Do-Deca-Pentathelon

thebaxter — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:04:10 +0000

I just need to get this off my chest. Ten years ago, my husband, then a man in his mid-twenties, came up with the idea of a twelve-event competition. The nature of these events varied from drinking competitions to games of skill or (mild) athleticism. He called it the Dodeca-Cathelon. This competition has taken place every year since then, around his birthday. Fast-forward to 2012, and we come to find out that the old Duplass brothers are festival touring a film called “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon.”

Granted, they shot “Do-Deca” in 2008 alongside “Baghead.” This was way before they “made it” with mainstream audiences. But that’s still six years after the world’s first Dodeca-Cathelon took place in Seattle, WA. Now, maybe there’s a collective consciousness thing at play; also possible that two or three guys just had the same idea. Anyway, as you can imagine, we were definitely curious to see what this film is all about. And while it ended up having a bit more drama and life-lessons than my husband’s birthday parties, it’s still pretty entertaining…

Read more the rest at Film Threat!

Filed under: Filmpinions Tagged: filmthreat, sxsw