Friday Feels
Sending you into the weekend with M.O.P.’s Ante Up
Friday got me like
Month: October 2015
A #TBT Halloween Special: The Nightmare Before Christmas
If you’re a 90’s kid like me, chances are you had a pretty extensive VHS collection. In that collection, you had one movie in particular that you kept coming back to. Old faithful. The one movie that became your “go-to.” I asked a few of my friends what this movie was for them, and got such answers as: Space Jam (like Ocean’s 11 for kids, this had all the greats), The Sandlot (a good movie, but this is vanilla ice cream. There also seems to be a correlation between liking this movie and being more likely to wear a sports jersey unironically. “I want to date a guy like Turtle,” said no girl ever), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (one look at Jessica Rabbit and my sexual identity was formed at 6 years old), The Mighty Ducks (GOLDBERGGGG…also, D2 > D1), and Home Alone…
Sure they’re all great movies, but none did it for me quite like Tim Burton’s, The Nightmare Before Christmas (from here on out referred to as “TNBC”). For starters, I don’t really consider this a kid’s movie. You’re talking about a film by a guy who’s got his name on stuff like Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Batman Returns, and Beetlejuice. Animated does not equal juvenile (go ask Archer). It’s all stop-motion, which somehow makes the characters even creepier than had it been fully digitally-animated. This movie is visually stunning. Burton has a certain aesthetic that really comes through in his films.
See what I mean? They’re dark and brooding and very very beautiful. Side note: Burton looks like the kind of guy who listens to The Cure (and apparently he does, as Edward Scissorhands was inspired in part by The Cure frontman Robert Smith). TNBC will make you laugh and then pull back and hit you in the feels. It’s as fun and lighthearted as it is scary, suspenseful, and dramatic. Did I mention the protagonist, Jack Skellington? Yeah, he’s the fucking MAN.
How about the music? I guarantee you will have these songs stuck in your head for weeks and you won’t even mind (it was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe… should have won both).
Even with all this praise, I’m not doing this movie justice. You just need to trust me and go watch it, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I don’t know how to end, so I’ll just throw up this photo of Jessica Rabbit and mic drop.
-jaliner
Alessia Cara, Portishead, Isaac Hayes, and why I hate FM radio
2007 was an awkward year for automobile technology. On one hand, car technology had evolved to the point where Bluetooth was becoming pretty ubiquitous and you could connect your phone to your car to make/receive calls. On the other hand, that was about all you could do with bluetooth. The concept of being able to use the technology to stream media from your phone to the audio system of your car was still a couple years away at best. Unless your car had an AUX port or you wanted to rely on those shitty AM/FM transmitters, you were basically stuck listening to CDs or the radio. If you’re anything like me, you haven’t purchased a CD since 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (21 questions is my JAM) and your current computer can’t/won’t burn a goddamn CD. I know this is a first-world problem. Shut up.
I’m currently driving a car from 2007. It’s a sweet ride and there’s a lot to like (I digress), but what I don’t like is being forced to listen to FM radio. FM radio was cool when you were 12 and getting tickets to Z100’s Jingle Ball was a thing. Now it’s pretty much only good for ironically listening to Spanish music stations (shout out to Amor 93.1)
Have you heard Alessia Cara’s new single Here? I have, because they play it a whole fuckton on FM radio. Maybe you’ve heard it. Maybe you even like it. I do, it’s a good song, but it’s good primarily because the entire melody is a sample of Isaac Hayes’ song Ike’s Rap II. Take a listen.
I’m aware of the fact that pretty much all mainstream music today is derivative in some form or another of stuff that came before it. There are producers out there who have made a name for themselves entirely by sampling music from decades past (see: Kanye West). The thing is, I’m not mad about it. Sometimes paying homage to a GOAT like Isaac Hayes while also flexing your vocal abilities is the perfect way to launch your career and enter the spotlight. Cara’s song is different enough that it feels exciting and original, unlike that canal street Birkin bag you bought from a shady Ethiopian for $100 (you’re not fooling anyone, Becky)
But that’s not even the best part. There’s another artist out there who has sampled Mr. Hayes work and I think it’s even better than Cara’s take.
Portishead’s Glory Box, off their first album, Dummy, is a first ballot trip hop hall of famer. This song oozes sex. It’s the leadoff batter on my James Bond playlist (I’m done with the sports analogies, I promise). Go give the album a listen and tell me what you think.
-Jaliner
The first post
This is it. The first post. El posto primero. Yes, I just butchered the Spanish and Italian languages in one sentence, and you know what? I don’t really care… this is my mother fucking blog!
That’s right people, welcome to my blog. A blog without purpose. The Seinfeld of blogs if you will. My original intention was to create a lifestyle blog, discussing music, film, fashion, design, miscellaneous esoterica (no, I did not just write erotica…unless you want me to?), while also sprinkling in some pop-culture and political commentary along the way (nothing too serious, scout’s honor).
My wish is that you find this blog equal parts entertaining and informative. Wanna talk about mid-century modern furniture or the top 5 greatest Hitchcock films? Done. How about power-ranking each NBA team for the 2015-2016 season or what’s the best way to cook a porterhouse at home? We can talk about that too! The fact is, I’m not entirely sure where I’m gonna take this thing, but I promise to keep it fun, funny, and interesting the whole way. Buckle up, subscribe, stay tuned.
-jaliner
jaliner 