I'm Probably the Only One, But...

I know this is more a result of me being weird and creepy, but does this Edward Sharpe video remind anyone else of Manson Family footage? I can't be the only one who thinks so.

I'm probably the only one who thinks so.

The One Where I Defend Weezer

My very first concert was Weezer at the Blossom Amphitheater when I was 16 (I think?). My dad took me, Alex, and my best friend. Weezer was my favorite band at the time, and I was wholly convinced that it was the best night of my life. I don't know why I thought that. It's not like I slept with Rivers Cuomo or anything. Regardless, I loved them the way only a teenager can love a band (it was the same blind, adoring love I brought to the Smiths, Ben Folds, and bands far more embarrassing). I'm glad they were my first concert, and I'm glad my dad took me, and I'm glad that Little Alex wrote an essay about it and made fun of me for being so annoying and weird. I'm also glad the A.V. Club is around to remind me, and you, and all of us that Weezer isn't the horrible band we all think they are now. I mean, I am still not going to buy that new album. It seems pretty bad. But there was a time when I used to pore over the pages of Spin magazine, reading articles about Rivers Cuomo holing up in his room and writing literally hundreds of pop songs, like a less crazy Brian Wilson. I really thought he was going to do different things, and it makes me a little sad, but who knows? It could all turn around.

Book Club: December

The Talented Winfrey Family H.P. Lovecraft Book Club is still chuggin' along. Don't you worry your pretty little heads about it. I still have about 20 pages to go on The Moviegoer, so no post about that yet (try to contain your anticipation), but I wanted to let you know what December's pick is. In case you want to read along with us? I don't know who I'm kidding. I don't know why I'm telling you. Either way, our pick is 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill.

Alex picked this, and I went along with it because:
1. It's Stephen King's (Uncle Stevie's) son.
2. Ghost stories!
3. It's semi-recent, which should mean less totally-historically-accurate-but-still-uncomfortable racism (more on that when we get to The Moviegoer!)
4. There were three copies at the library.
5. Good reviews from nearly every major publication in the country (that might be a lie, but there were a lot of good reviews).

As always, feel free to read along. There is still one copy at the library, so you'd better snatch that up before someone else gets their greedy little paws on it.

I Don't Think They Sing, They Just Screech in Pain

Let's address the elephant in the room. As you may have noticed (or as you may have NOTED, on my facebook page), posting has come to a standstill. It's that time of year again. Little Alex is home until January, which means that posting will be sporadic at best. Not only are we terrible at remembering to update when we can actually, you know, hang out, but Alex also has limited internet access.
Enough with the excuses! Alex's lack of internet be damned, I plan on keeping the blog going at a plodding pace, at the least. I mean, you are guaranteed a plod. Anything more than that I can't promise.
We have been watching a lot of movies between the both of us. Some have been Gigantic disappointments. But most have been great. Only one, however, is our new favorite movie.
My Best Fiend is a documentary about the relationship between director Werner Herzog and crazy actor Klaus Kinski. Supposedly. What it's really about, you'll find as you begin to watch it, is Werner Herzog telling absolutely insane stories as if they were simply amusing anecdotes. Even if you aren't interested in film, or Werner Herzog, this movie is amazing. I'm not going to front (First rule of The Talented Winfrey Family: No fronting), I have not seen the entirety of a movie made BY Werner Herzog. But I have seen a lot of footage OF Werner Herzog. And I love him. This is, of course, a classic. It's not from My Best Fiend, but it gets across the basic essence of Werner.

You can stream the movie on Netflix or, if you don't have Netflix, you can watch the whole thing on Youtube. It's so easy, you guys! I can't stress enough how great this movie is. It's hilarious, sad, confusing, violent, and hilarious again. In closing, here are seven seconds of Herzog nimbly leaping.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

As much as I like this band, I think the less I know about them the better. What I'm saying is, maybe this isn't the kind of band I want to take home to my mom, because maybe this is the kind of band that likes to wander around in the woods and doesn't like to wear a shirt.

Jim Henson

If I'm to believe Google, Sesame Street's 40th anniversary was last week. Since this blog is nothing if not topical, I decided to make a post about Jim Henson THIS week. Sesame Street was a big, big, big part of our childhood. I can't even count how many times we watched the special about Big Bird going to the hospital (but never the special about firefighters, because Alex was scared of it). And we used to constantly rewatch our library's only VHS tape of The Muppet Show (with the Alice Cooper episode AND the Vincent Price episode). This video, Time Piece, is an experimental short film by Jim Henson. Winfreys (highly) recommend.

Please Go Easy With Me

Finals week, please go easy with me.