READ/LISTEN/WATCH/RENT

READ: Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby is one of my top 5, all time, favorite authors. His latest book, "Juliet, Naked" is one of his best. His book before this, "Slam", was good but seemed almost like a YA novel. Juliet, seems to take the tone of How to be Good and A Long Way Down. The story is told by 3 people, Annie, Duncan and Tucker. Annie and Duncan are a couple living in sea-side England. They are trapped in a small nothing town and only have each other and the music of a reclusive 80's rockstar to comfort them. Tucker, is that rock star, living in rural Pennsylvania with his 5th wife and young son Jackson. Tucker is Bob Dylan meets JR Salinger. The story begins as Annie finds her self in contact with the recluse, unbeknownst to her partner (and number one Tucker Crowe fan) Duncan. This book is great, I can't say to much more without giving the story away. But read it, I am sure you'll like it.

LISTEN: Belle and Sebastian

Belle and Sebastian is (like Hornby was with authors), one of my top 5 favorite bands of all time. In fact, if it wasn't for Nick Hornby I wouldn't know who B&S were. In the film High Fidelity, based on Hornby's great novel, there is a scene where Jack Black walks into the record store and says "What the Fuck is this?" and John Cusack says "It's the new Belle and Sebastian". That's when Black's character Barry pops in his mix tape and you hear "Walking on Sunshine." I loved the name, "Belle and Sebastian". I was 17 and living in the apartment in my parents garage and I logged on to IMESH and downloaded as much as I could find. The first song I listened to is what I know consider my favorite song of all time, "The Boy with the Arab Strap". Ever since, I have been hooked. Also, the fact that they are from Glasgow, Scotland clinched a spot for them in my heart. I love every song. Their newest album, "Write About Love" is perfect, and was on my list for best albums of 2010. Below will be the video for "The Boy with the Arab Strap". Enjoy.

WATCH: The Walking Dead

I do not like horror movies. I also don't really like zombie movies. The only two zombie movies I have really got into were Zombieland and 28 Days Later. If you like the latter, then you will love The Walking Dead, AMC's newest amazing television show. I almost did this on Mad Men, which I have just started watching and really enjoy, but The Walking Dead is more exciting to me. It follows a small town sherriff who wakes up from a gunshot wound to find that a Zombie Apocoplyse has happened. He doesn't know if his family is a live or dead, and has no real answers as to what is going on. It is only 3 episodes in, so start watching it now, you'll dig it. It's based on a popular graphic novel that I had never heard of, but still, it's great. I like how some shows on television now have better acting and directing then most hollywood movies.


RENT: Scott Pilgrim vs the World

This movie is wonderful. I didn't watch it in the theater because when it came out I had just scene Youth In Revolt and really liked it, so I thought that this wouldn't be able to stand up against it. After seeing both, I think I like Scott Pilgrim better. It's a fun movie, with a lot going on, and some really funny actors. I love me some George-Michael Bluth, so I should never have doubted him. And with the man behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz behind the camera, it really is a win/win situation. One of my favorite people in this movie was Kieran Culkin, who hadn't done a movie since back in 2002 (the year of The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys and Igby Goes Down) who stole a lot of scenes as Gay Wallace. This came out last Tuesday so go find it.

Read/Listen/Watch/Rent

READ: The Star of Athilien by Kendall Merk

This book is about two friends, Jonathon and Tristin who are your average everyday teenage boys growing up in america, until one day they stumble upon an alien named Elshin who takes them on a great adventure, and to a planet known as Athilien. The boys are told that they are needed to help restore the star of athilien (like the title) to save Elshin's home. This book is part one of a five part series, and it is a fun read. It is geared towards young adults, but if you are an admirer of Tolken or C.S. Lewis you can get into this easy. The author, Kendall Merk, is a friend of mine and I recommend everyone check this book out. Especially if you have kids, and the more people who enjoy this book, the faster Kendall will finish the series! So this is all a selfish plot of mine, because he wont tell me what happens next. Click here to purchase the book from Amazon for the low low price of 10.95!

LISTEN: Frontier Ruckus

What can I say about Frontier Ruckus? Everything about this band excites me. I first found out about them back in September by just searching for music on Google (google is a search engine, like Altavista.) The first song I listened to was "Orion Town". That sucked me in, and soon I found that "Orion Town" wasn't just a song, it was a life. I immediatly found everything I could from them, and bathed in the sound, the words. The band is a bunch of friends from Michigan, who come together and make me believe. I never feel like anything is forced, they arn't trying to be anything they are not. I cannot find one solid line that stands out more than any other. The lyrics are beautiful, and at times crushing. My buddy Nick, his friend Megan, Stacie and I got the chance to see these guys in Ames in October, and it was one of my favorite concert experiences ever. The band is not all that big yet (although, you can feel that they are on the cusp of being one of the elite bands of this soon coming decade), so to see them in concert was fun and relaxed. We got to talk to the band members and actually have conversations. I'll include a video, but you should watch all the ones you can find of them on YouTube. They made a film and just wondered around there backyards and timbers and played music. This song, "I Do Need Saving" is perhaps one of my current favorite songs. It's goregous. Enjoy.

WATCH: Clark and Michael

Clark Duke and Michael Cera. Magical. "Clark and Michael" is a 10 episode internet show from 2007 about the stars living together in LA and attempting to write a movie script. It is a mockumentary, shot like The Office, where the actors are completely aware of the cameras. Even though there are only 10 episodes and each episode is only a few minutes long, this is one of my all time favorite shows. Michael Cera kills in everything he is in (Note: I have not seen Year One), and Clark Duke, who I was not familiar with until this, steals a lot of scenes. I want more, I want these two to be on my Television weekly, but sadly we don't always get what want, just ask Mitch Hurwitz. Click here to visit the Clark and Michael website, where you can watch all 10 episodes. The show is full of great guest stars, like Tony Hale (Buster Bluth from Arrested Development), Andy Richter, David Cross, Tim and Eric (of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job / Tom Goes to the Mayor fame), Jonah Hill, Jon Francis Daley and Martin Starr. Heres a Preview for ya:


RENT: The Squid and the Whale

The Squid and the Whale was written and directed by Noah Baumbach. He was the co-writer of The Life Aquatic and The Fantastic Mr. Fox with Wes Anderson, and since this movie he also wrote/directed Margo at the Wedding, another wonderful gem. The Squid and the Whale is a story of a family going through divorce, and how it effects everyone involved. The mother, a successful writer played by Laura Linney, finds solice in her youngest sons tennis instructer (who is played by a fucking baldwin. And no, not Alec. Not Stephen either.) The father, an unsuccessful writer played by Jeff Daniels, who never lets an audience down, starts to bang his young student, Anna Paquin. (Fun Fact: Daniels played Anna Paquin's father in the 1996 film Fly Away Home, and now, 9 short years later, she blows him on camera. Fun stuff). The children, Jesse Eisenberg who has shined recently in Zombieland and Adventureland, plays the disfunctional teen to a T. (what the fuck does "to a T" mean anyways?) And Eisenberg even gets a piece of Rogue too. And my favorite, Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline, is the youngest son, a 10-11 year old who deals with his family meltdown in amazing ways, like drinking heavily in secret, masturbating in the school library and whiping it on lockers, and telling his father he is a philistine. Watch this, and I hope you like it.