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Instant Gratification: Benny’s Video

(Part of the weekly Instant Gratification feature)

Benny’s Video

Run time: 105 mins | Director: Michael Haneke
Netflix Categorization: Scary, Dark
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My films are intended as polemical statements against the American ‘barrel down’ cinema and its dis-empowerment of the spectator” – Michael Haneke

There aren’t better words to describe Haneke’s films, especially those of the more violent nature like Funny Games and Benny’s Video. While some may chide him for being overly violent just for the sake of it (Funny Games), it would be more important to look at the psychological underpinnings that drive us toward violent or horrific movies. I think Benny, the character, does exactly that.

Benny, a spoiled and seemingly ignored upper class Viennese teenager, is obsessed with watching violent videos. He spends countless hours in his room (which is probably decked out with more video equipment than an editing room at VH1) watching and re-watching videos like that of a brutal slaughter of a pig on his family’s farm. Beyond the videos, his other activities seem to revolve around trying to master a pyramid scheme his sister enacted, barely speaking, watching war footage, and listening to really shitty metal. Typical teenage shit?

After his parents go away for the weekend, Benny visits his local video store and encounters a teenage girl (their interaction has no audio). After returning with her to his crib, she examines his bizarre video setup (he has two video cameras recording both outside his window and a corner of his bedroom, respectively) and the two engage in a little “foreplay.” And by foreplay, I mean, Benny pulls out the bolt-action mechanism that slaughtered the pig in his favorite video and holds it to his body. The video footage toggles to Benny’s recording and the mood grows tense. Benny urges the girl to pull the trigger, but she won’t (how’s that for a first date). Watching via Benny’s video (get it?) makes the scene somehow distant, but not at all far away. “Feigling!” he cries (Coward!) and he points it at her. Benny hesitates and won’t pull the trigger, but this time, she calls him the coward.

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Yours Truly + First Aid Kit

Watch this beautiful footage of First Aid Kit performing for the site Yours Truly right here in San Francisco.

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Samantha Mansfield

View the portfolio of San Francisco based graphic designer Samantha Mansfield.

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Neighbors – Hooligans

Here is the new video for Neighbors title track off their new EP Hooligans! You can view the video on Vimeo by going here. We released their record on Paper Brigade on June 22nd and I’m excited to post this video.

Filmed by Ethan Blum
Directed by Noah Stitelman
Post Production by Evan Johnson
Ghost is Sarah Grinberg

Upcoming Shows:
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY
Aug 18 2010 8:00P The Bell House Brooklyn

Available on iTunes and Amazon.
myspace.com/neighborsmusic
paperbrigade.bigcartel.com (Purchase Vinyl)
digital.paperbrigade.com (Bandcamp)

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This Weeks Releases – July 27, 2010

I’m hoping this Best Coast record will bring Summer to San Francisco. It’s killlllinggggg meeeeeeeee nooo mooorreee colddddd. (Buy all those Kinks re-issues too)

If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like itAlbum title links go to Amazon and sometimes iTunes. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs – you can purchase from iTunes or Amazon using these links! (please and thank you)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3 >> Best Coast – Boyfriend

MUSIC:
Best Coast: Crazy for You [mp3] [vinyl] ***
Die Antwoord: 5 EP [mp3]
The Dillinger Escape Plan: Option Paralysis (box set)
Futurebirds: Hampton’s Lullaby [mp3]
Jaill: That’s How We Burn [mp3] [vinyl]
Jesu: Lifeline EP [vinyl]
The Kinks: Give the People What They Want (reissue)
The Kinks: Low Budget (reissue)
The Kinks: Misfits (reissue)
The Kinks: One for the Road (reissue)
The Kinks: Schoolboys in Disgrace (reissue)
The Kinks: Sleepwalker (reissue)
The Kinks: Soap Opera (reissue)
The Kinks: State of Confusion (reissue)
The Kinks: Word of Mouth (reissue)
Loudon Wainwright III: 10 Songs for the New Depression
Madlib: Medicine Show No. 7: High Jazz (Yesterday’s New Quintet) [vinyl]
Major Lazer: Lazers Never Die EP [mp3]
Matt Pond PA: The Dark Leaves [vinyl & mp3]
Menomena: Double Seven Inch [vinyl]
Menomena: Mines [mp3] *
Miniature Tigers: Fortress [mp3] [vinyl]
Mystery Jets: Serotonin [vinyl]
Seu Jorge: Seu Jorge And Almaz [mp3] [vinyl]
Social Studies: Wind Up Wooden Heart [mp3]

DVD:

21 Jump Street: The Complete Series (you betcha)

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Instant Gratification: Street Thief

(Part of the weekly Instant Gratification feature)

Street Thief
Run time: 85 mins | Director: Malik Bader

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“Who is this guy, and why the hell is someone filming his robberies?”
The thought swirled through my mind during the initial scenes of Street Thief. The film opens on theverybrink of a break-in outside a Chicago supermarket. From his car, a man sucks cigarettes and watches the last of the store’s employees dissipate into the darkness. He exits his car and paces around in the lonesome street. The camera footage is raw (is this a documentary? A mockumentary? Just pure fiction?), it’s grainy, and it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on.
“What is he doooooooooing?”
Your heart races as the man approaches the store window, peers in, and prepares to make his entry. He looks around, steps back, and tosses a small, indistinguishable object at the glass door. A diminutive pop! barely becomes audible as the camera angle moves overhead to the rooftop across the street.
“Uh, what?”
In a flash, the man expertly kicks out the glass, hops inside, and cleverly covers the broken shards on the ground with cardboard. He drapes a black garbage bag over the door. It resumes looking like every other rundown market in a bad part of town. Time to work. Loud, penetrating sounds of tools destroying a safe ring through the air.

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This Weeks Releases – July 20th, 2010

If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like itAlbum title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs purchase from iTunes or Amazon.

Big Boi: Sir Luscious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty [vinyl]
The Books: The Way Out [mp3] [vinyl]
Bruce Springsteen: Live on Air
Dan Sartain: Lives [mp3]
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse: Dark Night of the Soul (2-CD, 2-LP deluxe edition)
Daniel Johnston: Story of An Artist (6-CD box set) [vinyl]
Darker My Love & Moccasin: Split 12″ [vinyl]
Daughters: Hell Songs [vinyl]
Delorean: Ayrton Senna EP
Department of Eagles: Archive 2003-2006 [mp3] [vinyl]
Francis & the Lights: It’ll Be Better [mp3]
The Gentle Guest: Cast Off Your Human Form [mp3]
Japandroids: Younger Us [mp3 & vinyl] [mp3]
Mahjongg: The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger [mp3] [vinyl]
Mirah: Don’t/The Tears That Fall [vinyl]
Mountain Man: Made the Harbor [mp3] [vinyl]
The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (reissue) [vinyl]
Nirvana: Live on Air
Pelican & These Arms Are Snakes: Split [vinyl]
Piebald: Volume III
Richard Youngs: Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits (remastered) [vinyl] [mp3]
Rick Ross: Teflon Don [mp3]
Shellac: Terraform (reissue) [vinyl]
Sleigh Bells: Treats [vinyl]
Toro Y Moi: Leave Everywhere [vinyl] [mp3]

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David Luraschi

View the work of San Francisco based photographer David Luraschi. You can also find more of his work on his Flickr and Tumblr. (via 01)

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Instant Gratification: Booty Call

(Part of the weekly Instant Gratification feature)



Booty Call
Run time: (A whopping) 79 mins | Director: Jeff Pollack
Netflix categorization: Raunchy, Goofy

Watch Now

This is less of a review and more of a “May I have your attention!?” – since one of the greatest, and most frequently aired movies in Comedy Central’s history, Booty Call, is now available for your instant consumption (seriously though, it’s probably on TV right now, just go check). If you’ve never seen it, or just want to relive Jamie Foxx’s horrendous haircut, Tommy Davidson playing a “Buppie” (Apparently allmovie.com’s term for “black yuppie”…?), or Vivica Fox as the amazing “Lysterine,” get on it now! Fire up the xBox, log onto the laptop, wind up…your Wii….?

In addition to an incredible cast, the basic premise (essentially, two dudes need to find condoms in order to bone ZOMGgG1!) nails what it’s like to be in a new relationship and wonder when (and how) you’re going to take it to the next level. You know, THAT level.

Fun fact: this movie really brought the term “booty call” into common parlance with your father, who probably (constantly) misuses it!

Purchase Booty Call (The Bootiest Edition) on DVD at Amazon.

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This Weeks Releases – July 6th, 2010

You should go grab the Baths record that came out today. Just watch him do his thing live over at Yours Truly.

(If they have a STAR by them, it means I’ve heard it and I like itAlbum title links go to Amazon. If I miss any good releases, please add them in the comments.)

For all your MP3 needs purchase from iTunes or Amazon.

Baths: Cerulean [mp3 version] ******
Big Boi: Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty [cd & dvd] [mp3] *
John Phillips: Many Mamas Many Papas
Juvenile: Beast Mode
Kathryn Williams: The Quickening [mp3]
Robert Pollard: Moses on a Snail
The Roots: How I Got Over [vinyl]

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