General Geekiness

My latest discovery

General Geekiness
Photo taken by Ben Parks

Photo taken by Ben Parks

I like collecting LPs. I don’t actually own a turntable, but there’s something very special about going into a record shop and finding something that you didn’t expect to.

The other day I came across this LP, the soundtrack to the cult classic Quadrophenia, based on the Who album of the same name.

Quadrophenia holds a special place in my heart, both the album and the movie. The album because it’s one of my favorites, if not my favorite. The movie? Well, I’m enamored with mods and rockers.

Also, the movie showcases Brighton, England, as the heart of the mod-rocker fight in May 1964.

The photo is actually one of the back of the album; I really like the pier in the background and Jimmy in the foreground–the picture is very pretty, and instantly pulls you in.

In this age of mp3s and iPods, being able to hold something in your hands, to hold music between your fingers, is a wonderful thing. There is little joy to be found upon discovering a song on iTunes, but to find an album in a record shop? Now, that’s something to smile about.

On dreams

General Geekiness

Yesterday while napping, I dreamed. Not an unusual occurance by any stretch of the imagination. This dream was different.

In my dream, I was trying to make a decision about my future. I had three options–move abroad, get my doctorate or get a job after graduation. I was speaking to someone about it, and she said, “Ah! I know exactly what you should do!”

Then my alarm went off.

On Wes Anderson

General Geekiness

Wes Anderson is swiftly becoming one of my go-to directors. No, I don’t have his phone number on speed dial, but I find myself watching his movies on a semi-regular basis.

Today I watched Rushmore, which while not my favorite movie of his, was thoroughly entertaining (even while conjugating Italian verbs). For those who haven’t seen this strange little movie, it’s about a kid (Jason Schwartzman) who practically rules Rushmore Academy and is put on academic probation. Crazy hijinks occur (my favorite being the prank war between Schwartzman’s character and Bill Murray, set to the tune of The Who’s “A Quick One, While He’s Away.”)

The first Anderson movie I saw was The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which I thought was incredibly strange. Note that I haven’t seen it since, and am left with only vague memories of red stocking hats, David Bowie in Portugeuse and a claymation shark.

The next one I saw, and remains my favorite, is The Darjeeling Limited. It’s a strange rather colorful film, but I liked it. Random though it is, it’s a movie about family and relationships. It never forgets that.

Next up on the Wes Anderson queue? No idea, but I’m looking forward to Fantastic Mr. Fox.

More on the Who, and a little on St. Patrick’s Day

General Geekiness

The Who go Irish?

Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle team up with the Chieftains and play an Irishy acoustic version of “Behind Blue Eyes.”

There’s something refreshing and different about the song. Just makes me sigh and smile. Of course, the original version is still one of my all-time favorites, but this one is very pretty. Could be all of the Irish music I listened to during my brief stint as a step dancer.

I’d never heard that version of the song before and thought it was lovely, so, I had to share. Thoughts?

On Netflix, Doctor Who and lowered productivity

General Geekiness

I just installed Silverlight on my computer so I can watch movies and TV on my computer. This is very dangerous. Now I can watch seasons 1-3 of Doctor Who, which is wonderful now that I don’t have Sci-Fi. Productivity may be down.

Oh well. I only managed to catch the majority of season one when it aired on Sci-Fi. I’ll finally be able to watch seasons two and three! And I can alternate Doctor Who with Highlander now.

That’s enough geeking out for now.