Category Archives: arts

distinguishing traits

Watching Jericho, I wondered why Skeet Ulrich looks vaguely familiar; nothing in his previous credits rings a bell. Eventually I decided that his mouth sometimes looks like Johnny Depp‘s. That’s what I notice most about faces; how about you?

Posted in cinema, me!me!me! | Leave a comment

sumer is igoen out

Fritz Lang’s Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1933) is one of the best early movies I’ve seen, considerably advanced in technique over his own previous picture, M (1931).

Posted in cinema | Leave a comment

signal interference

I tried to remember the title theme of Dexter and all I could summon was that of The Odd Couple. Hmm.

Posted in cinema, music+verse | Leave a comment

the flickering image

Bela Lugosi was more interesting in a supporting role in The Black Camel (Warner Oland’s second Charlie Chan picture) than in Dracula, made the same year. Also recently watched: the first disc of season 10 of South Park. The first … Continue reading

Posted in cinema | 1 Comment

what’s it called again?

I’m watching Dexter. In a flashback, teen Dexter says, “Jesus, Dad, it’s called being on time, did you ever hear of it?” The actors playing Dexter in the present and in the past were born in 1971 and 1987, so … Continue reading

Posted in cinema, language | 1 Comment

secret history

“Tooth and Claw”, a recent episode of Doctor Who, features the Koh-i-Noor, a famous diamond: but the shape is wrong, a classic Brilliant cut. The writer missed an opportunity to say that it has its present irregular shape because part … Continue reading

Posted in cinema | Leave a comment

always look on the bright side

With the Wall Street Journal added to the Murdoch empire, I look forward to seeing Page Three Girls in that distinctive engraving style.

Posted in arts | Leave a comment