Baby Dolls and Waxworks Baby Doll: Excuse me, Mr.Vacarro, but I wouldn't dreamof eatin' a nut that a manhad cracked in his mouth.Silva Vacarro: You'vegot many refinements. Baby Doll: Thank you.Federico Fellini once explained that he cast Donald Sutherlandas the lead in Casanova (1976), because the actor looks like"a big sperm-full waxwork with the eyes of a masturbator."Hmmm, maybe that plays differently in Italian. Then again,maybe not. Is it a backhanded compliment, or the world'smost disgusting putdown? It covers both bases handily.Recounting the tale is how Jack Pendarvis begins his article, "Baby Doll: The Smuttiest Story Ever Told," one of the h

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Crafty Work: Part Three(for part two, please click here)Here's the conclusion of my conversation with Bülent Akinci, the Berlin-based maker of Running on Empty, a fine film more people should have the opportunity to see...but probably won't. We had a pleasant chat, though interviews aren't really his forte. Note that he starts to interview me towards the end. He seemed much more relaxed in that role. *****So, what attracted you to [actor] JensHarzer? I think he's great, by the way.He's more famous in the theater world, and in movies where he wasn't the main character— the supporting actor—like Requiem.I haven't seen that, but I've heard about it. Did

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Crafty Work: Part Two(for part one, please click here)As with Steve Buscemi, I spokewith writer/director Bülent Akincifor The Stranger during the 33rd Seattle International Film Festival. In order to keep things brief, I only posted a small portion to Slog. Here is the rest of our conversation. Parts are translated from his native German, hence Akinci's short answers—which make my long questions seem even longer! *****I was really struck by the editing of your film [Running on Empty]. I'm assuming you worked with an outside editor?Yes. Part of how we edited it—I wanted audience members,at some point, to see things from the character's point of view.[T

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Burden of Dreams Holler, Wild Rose!, Our Little Hymnal, Backlight Records [9/18/07]Our Little Hymnal is pseudo-operatic alt-rock in the traditionof Jeff Buckley and Arcade Fire.I prefer the former to the latter, and while I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike Holler, Wild Rose!, they don't do much for me. I was expecting something lighter, looser, and, well, jauntier by that countrified name—plus, exclamation point!—but this is some pretty serious business.At times, the New Jersey sextet also recalls U2, Ride, and Rufus Wainwright. The music swells and subsides while John Mosloskie—a superior singer to AF's atonal Win Butler—intones and testifies.C

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The Quicker Picker UpperPRE, Epic Fits, Skin Graft [9/18/07]Akiko only wears underwear on stage. When she comeson at first, she seems a little vulnerable in her minimal clothing...but then she starts singing and explodes.-- Rock On LondonIf it's on Skin Graft Records, you know it's going to be loud. That's the rule. I've listened to a few of their records now, and this London outfit are a perfect fit. Lots of yelling, sub-metallic guitar mangling, rumbling bass, and pounding drums—works for me.That said, I have no idea what Akiko "Keeks" Matsuura is yelling about, or whether it's even in English (though a few words seem to be...). John Webb and Kevin

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15 Minutes With Steve BuscemiAn Interview About Interview: Part Two (for part one, please click here)In June, I spoke with the actor/director [above, with Michael Pitt in Delirious] for The Stranger. It was the last day of my assignment as Seattle International Film Festival contributor, so I quickly transcribed half the interview, and posted the results to Slog.Here is the rest of our short, but interesting conversation.*****Do you see them [characters] in any way as extensions of your personality? That they represent something that's a part of you anyway—a certain cynicism, or...[I was referring to Pierre in Interview and Les in Delirious.]I don't k

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My Gun Is LongPULP(Mike Hodges, UK, 1972, 91 mins.)"What kind of a bird is that?" "It's a Maltese Falcon."-- Mourners in Pulp ***** ***** ***** ***** *****As a fan of 1971's Get Carter and 1998's Croupier, I should'veheard about Pulp before this year rolled around. I hadn't.Just as 2003's I'll Sleep When I'm Dead was Hodges secondgo-round with Clive Owen, Pulp was his second go-round withMichael Caine. Though both pale in comparison to their prede-cessors, strong performances bind the crime-laden quartet.Pulp landed on my radar when I came across a review claimingthe UK band name took their name and style from the celluloidobscurity. By style, I'm thi

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From Tennessee to TexasSlider Pines, Road, Avenue, Railroad, Wire to Ear Records [9/25/07]To me, Memphis is a strange mix of strip malls, lame tourist traps, unsung talent, and racial unease. In my mind, it's a weird town.-- Joey Shanks, Slider PinesFrom the press notes, I couldn’t tell whether this trio (Shanks, Bill Spellman, and Andy Lester) was based in Dallas or Memphis, but they do sound vaguely Southern. It’s not that the music is vague—it’s fairly hard-rocking stuff—just that the Southern thing is subtle rather than pronounced, i.e. more Big Star than Muscle Shoals,to keep those Deep South analogies going. (The band's MySpacePage indicates tha

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Shake It Up, BabyGoodnight Loving, Crooked Lake, Dusty Medical Records [9/18/07] This Milwaukee quintet offers up lo-fi garagey sounds with country trimmings. I found it instantly appealing. (Previous effort, Cemetery Trails, was produced by Greg Cartwright of the Oblivians, Reining Sound, and the Detroit Cobras.)If the recording were crisper and cleaner, I probably wouldn't like it as much. There's something charming about all that glorious fuzz, the byproduct of a secluded Wisconsin recording session.According to the press notes, "Multiple listenings will expose rustic auditory atmospherics such as thunder and chirpingbirds, all caught on tape live

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Autumn LeavesThese are the reviewsand other assignmentsI'm working on this month.Amazon CDs: Colbie Caillat - Coco.Amazon DVDs: Pet Shop Boys - Cubism In Concert, Small TownGay Bar, Demetri Martin - Person,and The Naked Brothers Band - Battle of the Bands.Resonance Film: The current issue features an interview with Stephen Kijak (30 Century Man) and a DVD review of Radio On.Resonance Lit: Paul Drummond - Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, the Pioneers of Psychedelic Sound.Seattle Sound: The current issue features an interview withJohn Sayles and a sidebar on the Honeydripper All-Star Band.Siffblog: Lights in the Dusk, Ba

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Knockin' Around the NetEvery few months, I check Google to see where my reviews (and other pieces) are ending up. Here are some of the more interesting results. *****American Shopper - The Movie:Link to my Stranger reviewTom Cruise - Free Falling:Amazon review of The Outsiders - The Complete NovelThe Evening Class:Link to my Siffblog review ofTwo or Three Things I Know About HerHot Splice, the NWFF Blog:Link to my Siffblog review ofTwo or Three Things I Know About Her[I'm dubbed a "buzz kill," but in context, it's true!]The Huffington Post:Link to my Siffblog interview with John ScheinfeldMess Up the Mess:Link to my blog review of their CD["Kathy Fenn

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