humpday - one of the funniest movies i’ve seen in a long time with wonderful actors - mark duplass (link to his production company here), joshua leonard (his production company link here) and alycia delmore were also really really funny). i can’t wait to see more films from the director lynn shelton who clearly is a genius.
oh - should i say that this movie contains sex so don’t watch this if you’re super sensitive. or is that just clear in the title?
i know i just got to see it because it was at the los angeles film festival and i am lucky enough to live in los angeles but hopefully it’ll be in your city soon or at least on dvd.
garage sales - generally, i love summer - i grew up in texas so the more heat, the better. and with summer, comes garage sales. i literally found over 20 in my neighborhood just by looking on craigslist. i’m a big fan of david kadavy’s eight life hacks for health, wealth and happiness and “buying used” is one of those things. there’s just such a joy i get out of making other people’s junk my treasure. i literally found a sci-fi decoupaged jewelry box a few weeks ago. is there anything cooler?
soulpancake - what a cool site! started by rainn wilson, soul pancake is the thinking man’s (or woman’s) website. it challenges you, questions you, and encourages you. i’m a fan.
this is the band i’ve been wanting to hear when i get up in the morning. there’s something fresh and relieving about them. can a band be fresh and relieving? i’m gonna say yes. sometimes, you hear something and you say, “what a relief. this is new and different.” this is that kind of band.
venus magazine - i tweeted about venus earlier this month and so many people replied by asking what it was. i was really shocked. venus is one of my favorite magazines and i’ve been reading it for a long time. i trust it for all my music recommendations. it’s a general source of massive creativity. check it out, friends. you will not regret it. and you can follow them on twitter.
it’s sunny and nice in los angeles (as usual) so i’m writing from my porch. what did we do before wifi? seriously. alright - list of things below that i like lately.
this album falls into my summer dance marathons. this video for “the reeling” is super rad too - looks like it was shot 30 years ago. this album makes me incredibly happy. you can follow them on twitter here.
lowboy by john wray - this is the best fiction book i’ve read this year.
a book about a schizophrenic boy named will on the subway of new york. amazingly written. there’s a good interview on the link above to an interview with john wray. also - here’s a great link to a music list by john wray on the nytimes paper cut blog.
night of the comet - ok. this isn’t a new movie. it came out in 1984, but it’s a really great post-apocolyptic, zombie/comet-themed movie. possibly the best ever with those combos. directed by thom eberhardt and starring catherine mary stewart, kelli maroney, and robert beltran, if you haven’t seen it, you should go rent it right now.
see? and you’d have to ask phil plait but i’m pretty sure if an extraordinary comet went by earth we would all turn to dust or zombies.
locali - located on franklin in los angeles near the ucb theatre. i love this place so much i have to blog about it. it’s like an organic, veg-friendly convenient store that also has sandwiches. i find myself going out of my way to buy c’est la vegan desserts there. plus, i think all business people can take a cue from them - they twitter their daily specials!
as usual, when i can’t think of what to blog about, i make a list of things i like lately. enjoy.
moon (the movie, not the earth’s largest natural satellite) - directed by duncan jones and starring (almost exclusively) sam rockwell. if you are in new york or los angeles, this is not to be missed. the best sci-fi move this year.
last goodbye - another great movie. directed by jacob gentry (you might remember me blogging about another movie of his i liked called the signal). i specifically checked it to see more of jacob’s work and it paid off. it’s an intense indie that’ll leave you both happy and a little sad.
jason lytle - yours truly, the commuter - best known for grandaddy, jason lytle’s album sounds pretty similar but in a good way. this has become my late night jam (is that a contradiction?) - it’s chill and pretty.
a great history of the politics of comics in the 1940s - including comic bans and burnings - with a focus on horror comics. great for you comic readers who may not know the history of censorship in the comic world.
i’ll be doing an interview tonight with the podcast answer man talking about heroes, h2, my comic, whatever. your questions are welcome. details are here. call in!
a little list of things i like for your reading pleasure.
phoenix - if you follow me on twitter, you might know that i have a small obsession with the new phoenix album, wolfgang amadeus. what you might not know is a sort of have an overall obsession with them. i feel like this album came out just in time for it to be my favorite album of the summer.
does anyone else feel like the singer looks a bit like paul dano? or just me?
reading the oed: one man, one year, 21,730 pages by ammon shea - this book came out last year and the title is pretty self-explanatory - he read the oxford english dictionary (all of it) in one year. it’s brilliant, funny, and you’ll probably learn something. plus, you can read it in about a day (ironic considering we know how long it took him to do his research for the book.) i’m excited to see what shea has up his sleeve next.
a few blogs i’m into lately:
belle savvy - it’s all about make-up and it’s all about savings. or not. either way, the belle savvy lady will not lead astray when it comes to what lip gloss to use or what to clean your face with. a new blog that i’m enjoying very much.
feminist music geek - run by an austin friend of mine, this is a great blog for politically-minded people who like music. an extensive examination of popular and indie music by a lady that knows what she’s talking about.
veggie thing! los angeles - it’s pictures of vegetarian food in los angeles. i read it when i’m hungry. i’m not kidding. they also have one for portland, new york, atlanta and lots of other cities.
it saddens me to say that i will not be able to attend the premiere of Corpse Run at Dances with Films here in Los Angeles on June 5th at 9:30.
so, i’m going to send you instead! that’s right. the first 5 people to twitter me with your first and last name and your favorite color (send to @breagrant) will get two free passes AND a signed Corpse Run poster.
rules are:
you must live in los angeles (i’m not flying anyone here)
and you must go get your poster from the director of the film (john michael thomas) at the film screening (and when you do, tell him you love him)
i’ll reply to you if you win and post your twitter name here!
UPDATE:
wow - that was fast.
winners are @yblud, @edgarch, @JELuttrull, @hairyasian, and @dperschonok. pick up your tickets that night (June 5th) from the theater manager at least 10 minutes before the show. the director, john michael, will be hanging out in the lobby somewhere and can give you your posters. he’ll also be answering questions afterwards. he knows you’re coming.
UPDATE AGAIN:
turns out @thatguy858 will be taking the place of @JELuttrull. thanks for playing!
i’ve been bad about keeping up with blogging lately. no excuses. apology accepted? now, a list of things i’ve been liking when i’m busy not-blogging.
metric - fantasies - one of my favorite albums of all time is metric’s “old world underground, where are you now?” i think because it’s catchy as hell and it also just seems cool. like cooler than i should be allowed to listen to. the new album, fantasies, does not disappoint.
“who would you rather be - the beatles or the rolling stones?” - great line
the signal - one of the BEST horror/sci-fi movies i’ve seen in a very long time. i can’t believe it took me so long to see it. it mixes comedy with some of the scariest stuff i’ve ever seen. all done for apparently 50K. just makes me realize what can be done with a little bit of money and a lot of brilliance. give yourself time to watch it because once you turn it on, you won’t be able to turn it off.
this book actually kept me from sleeping many nights. i kept worrying about the characters, trying to figure out how katniss (the main character) would survive. if you combine “the lottery” with battle royale (the book or the movie), you get the hunger games. i can’t wait for the rest of the series.
imagine my surprise when i just looked this guy up and found out he is also a freelance editor and non-fiction writer. the more i think about the book, though, the more i can see how only someone with a mind for detail and non-fiction writing could write it. this is an amazing book set in a dystopian america in which the economy has collapsed (because that seems so unlikely about now). the only people to help save this disastrous place once known as america are all international criminals. it’s a dense book, but one really worth reading.
and if you’re one of those hollywood-types who likes to buy rights to books, you should buy this one now (unless it’s already gone).
