Switchblade Comb

While all of you are partying, I’ll be watching the Space Mutiny episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Hello, 2008.

Celebrity New Years Resolutions

A haven for showing fantastic, little-known films from across the world, Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center has announced a new ‘Expanding the Frame’ series.

“Following the amazing success of the inaugural edition of Expanding the Frame last year, the new series continues with bold work by filmmakers breaking the conventions of film and video. Over seven weeks, films by emerging and established international directors challenge ways we experience media.”

The series will feature the work of Piotr Uklanski, Danny Williams, Jennifer Fox, Heinz Emigholz, Ulrike Ottinger, Karim Ainouz, Camila Guzman Urzua, and most notably the Romanian New Wave works of Cristian Nemescu and Cristian Mungiu, whose 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days won the Palme d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Read more about the line-up and schedule HERE.

Trailer – 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days

Infamous Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike is one of the busiest directors in the world, making 74 movies in 16 years. Somewhere in that time, he’s also been directing live theater, and one of those plays will see a North American DVD release in May.

“Demon Pond, by prolific director Takashi Miike, captures the popular Kabuki-esque play of the same name that he staged and directed to sold-out audiences in Japan. The sparse, almost minimalist production, dramatically recounts a mythical fantasy based on a traditional fairytale by Kyoka Izumi. In it, Miike weaves the modern-day story of a man searching for a friend who has mysteriously disappeared, with a magical tale involving strange creatures, a heartbroken princess, and a pact that can’t be broken. Conflicts between faith and skepticism, and between social obligation and personal desire drive the narrative toward a dramatic conclusion where the worlds of the real and the surreal inevitably collide.”

Also, if you happen to live in L.A., the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax is holding a retrospective of some of Miike’s more popular work over the next two months.

Jan 6th – Audition
Jan 13th – One Missed Call
Jan 20th – Big Bang Love
Jan 27th – Gozu
Feb 3rd – Happiness of the Katakuris & Visitor Q
Feb 10th – Ichi the Killer & Fudoh
Feb 17th – Great Yokai War & Zebraman

Punknews.org recently sat down with Ryan Young, lead singer and guitarist of Minneapolis pop punkers Off With Their Heads. Off With Their Heads is, in my opinion, one of the best of the new crop of punk bands out right now and Ryan is not afraid to say exactly what he means, even it means pissing people off. And really, when you get right down to it, isn’t that what punk rock is all about?

Check out the interview here.

1. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford

2. Manufactured Landscapes

3. Heart, Beating in the Dark (New Version)

4. I’m Not There

5. There Will Be Blood

6. Linda Linda Linda

7. I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone

8. No Country For Old Men

9. Once

10. Electroma

Best of the Rest (alphabetical order) – Away From Her, Bourne Ultimatum, Death Proof, Exiled, Heima, Hot Fuzz, In The Shadow of the Moon, Into Great Silence, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Kurt Cobain: About a Son, Manda Bala, Offside, Syndromes & a Century, Tekkon Kinkreet, There’s Only One Sun, 12:08 East of Bucharest

Most Notable Films I Didn’t Get To See In Time – Colossal Youth, Honor De Cavalleria

Louis CK, the man responsible for the cinematic achievement known as Pootie Tang, just sent out a myspace bulletin with the following message:

“Hello folks that are you. I’ve pretty much finished booking the first quarter of 2008. My Standup tour, “Chewed Up” continues and I’ve added shitloads of new cities. Below is a list. Please go to my myspace page…

And as a reminder, I am performing all new material, none of it has been on “SHameless” or any other special.”

Louis CK 2008 tour dates:
01/05, SACRAMENTO – The Punchline
01/16 MIAMI, FL – Lincoln Theater (South Beach Comedy Festival)
01/18 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theater
01/19 Louisville, KY – bomhard Theater
01/24 – 01/26 SAN JOSE, CA – THE IMPROV
02/08 MILWAUKEE, WI – The Pabst Theater
02/09 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Pantages Theater
02/14 BUFFALO, NY – SUNY Center for the Arts
02/15 Cleveland OH – Playhouse Square Theater
02/16 Royal Oak, Michigan – Royal Oak Music Theatre
02/29 Levitown NY – Governor’s Comedy Club
03/07 Wilkes Barre, PA – Kirby Center
03/15 BOSTON MA – SPECIAL EVENT WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
03/28 Hartford, CT – The Bushnell
04/03 Houston TX – Improv
04/04 Austin TX – Paramount Theater
04/05 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
04/26 Glenside, PA – Keswick Theater

Louis CK – 3 short clips from Shameless

Note: These are probably the 3 least dirty bits he performs. Go here to check out many more hilarious videos.

Russian Circles, have announced a handful dates for February. The Chicago instrumental rockers will be releasing a new record on Suicide Squeeze in the spring of 2008.

Russian Circles tour dates:
(Dälek opens on all dates)

February 19, 2008 Chicago, IL – Subteranean
February 20, 2008 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
February 21, 2008 Columbus, OH – The Ravari Room
February 22, 2008 Pittsburgh, PA – The School
February 25, 2008 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
February 26, 2008 Philadelphia, PA – The Barbary
February 27, 2008 Washington DC – Rock N’ Roll Hotel
February 28, 2008 Cleveland, OH – The Grog Shop
February 29, 2008 Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
March 1, 2008 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club

Russian Circles – “Death Rides a Horse” (live)

With No Country For Old Men winning a bunch of year-end awards, Burn After Reading almost finished, and A Serious Man set to film in Minneapolis in March, the old Twin Cities boys Joel and Ethan Coen just added another movie to their busy schedule – a brutal western in the days of cowboys and Indians.

“We’ve written a western with a lot of violence in it. There’s scalping and hanging … it’s good. Indians torturing people with ants, cutting their eyelids off . . . It’s a proper western, a real western, set in the 1870s. It’s got a scene that no one will ever forget because of one particular chicken.”

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! will be released in the UK on March 3rd via Mute. A US date has not yet been announced.

After releasing approximately 265 split 7-inches this past year, local pop punkers Off With Their Heads have decided to release a full length record. The album, titled From The Bottom, will be released on No Idea Records and come out at some point in 2008.

Stream: Off With Their Heads – “Self Check Out”
(off the upcoming From The Bottom LP)

Michael Cera’s amazing comedy streak continues.

In case you can’t wait a week or two for the film itself, or just want to check out the writing style of P.T. Anderson . . .

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE SCRIPT HERE