More Bjork

I'm getting pretty pumped for Bjork's new album. When most musicians are content to repeat themselves, Bjork consistently pushes the envelope. She's one of the few artists whose work is always exciting; you're left wondering what she could possibly do next, and then she does something and it blows your mind.

And then there are Bjork's music videos. Her collaboration with Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, and Chris Cunningham has produced some of the most innovative videos in the history of music videos. Always weird, always eye-catching, Bjork's videos are to be treasured, especially when compared to the banal videos typically put out these days.

Here is the leaked video for Bjork's "Earth Intruders." Frankly, it has mesmerized me (although the video seems to freeze every now and then - am I the only one?).

Click here.

Bjork

Bjork performing a couple of songs from her new album, "Volta."

Entourage

Yesterday, I gave a tour of the Variety offices to the producers, director, and location scouts of HBO's "Entourage."

They're coming back in two weeks to shoot a few scenes here.

Maybe I'll conveniently walk by in the background. ;-)

Best of Each Decade

I was talking to a coworker about what were the best films of each decade since the 1920s (neither of us had seen enough from the 1910s to qualify, and really, not that much was released then anyway).

I'm quite happy that more than half of my selections are foreign.

1920s
Metropolis

1930s

Grand Illusion

1940s

The Bicycle Thief

1950s

All About Eve

1960s

2001: A Space Odyssey

1970s

Apocalypse Now

1980s

Grave of the Fireflies

1990s

Goodfellas

2000s
City of God

Gilbert & Sullivan Meet Sir Mix-A-Lot

Conan the Librarian

Ah, UHF memories.

Simpsons Intro

This would explain a lot...

Darth Vader Playing Around

Patrick Wolf - Magic Position

Switching gears from the ultra-masculine topic of "300," here's Patrick Wolf with his very goofy and sexually ambiguous "Magic Position."

God of War > 300

I meant to talk about this earlier, but I still haven't seen anyone mention how "300" is a weak imitation of the PS2 game, "God of War."

Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is pretty much a replica of Kratos, albeit with less depth and personality.

"300" progresses like a video game. Each wave of enemies represents a more difficult level: Level 1 - Persian warriors, Level 3 - The Immortals, Level 4 - Rhinoceros, Level 6 - Bald, ugly giant, Level 10 - Persian King Xerxes.

The battle scenes use the same style as "God of War," in that everything occurs at normal speed until a Spartan goes in for a kill. At that point, the film enters "stop-motion fetish" mode, so that we, the viewers, can appreciate the CGI blood that splatters out of the enemy.

And the fact that "300" was filmed on blue-screen stages so that everything else could be filled in with digital animation just adds to the feeling that we're watching a claustrophobic video game simulation. Although "300" supposedly contains a vast landscape, I felt like every scene pretty much occurred in the same, restrictive space.

Perhaps one can say "God of War" ripped off Frank Miller's "300" graphic novel, but it doesn't matter. "300" is "God of War" with less character development, a weaker story, and the sad reality that it's a video game that we can't even control.

Not to mention that Kratos could kick Leonidas' ass.

The Landmark

The website for The Landmark, LA's new upscale 12-screen movie theater devoted solely to indie and foreign films, is now up.

The theater opens June 1st.

"Pictures of Assholes"

Young and talented actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt made a short film in which he started filming the paparazzi who were taking photos of him.

It's interesting when the tables are turned...

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go

Such a great song...