2 + 2 = 5

1) eXistenZ (dir: David Cronenberg).

Over the weekend I saw eXistenZ for, oh, the fourth or fifth time. I love it more after every viewing. Specifically, I love that he made a 90 minute philosophical treatise in the guise of a sci-fi thriller. And it's not just any sci-fi thriller, it's a Cronenberg sci fi thriller, meaning it's mordantly funny and filled with... well... horriffic pieces of organic gore. (Oh how I want a tooth-shooter made from mutant amphibian.) Easily the best Kierkegaardian virtual reality-themed thriller starring Jennifer Jason Leigh of the '90s.

2) "King's Crossing" by Elliott Smith (from from a basement on a hill).
Weary but with a sense of urgency, Elliott mustered enough energy to try and tell us just how fucked up of a place he was in. Like watching a supernova.

3) Badlands (dir: Terrence Malick).

What I find so interesting about Terry's work (we're old drinking pals, so I'm allowed to call him Terry) is the wispy, naturalism of them. He's content to let his actors float through beautifully composed tableaux, interrupting them only to cut in static shots of animals, nature, etc. It all seems so pretty (if shallow) and incidental. Suddenly you reach the end of the film and you realize that all along you've been meditating on some huge truth.

4) "Only Shallow" by Jon Brion (live at Largo, 8/13/04).
At my request, Mr. Brion perfectly recreated the cornerstone of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Building the track instrument by instrument, he nailed the walls of droning guitar, the drums, and the sweet vocals that drown in the mix. Example number 17,942 that the J-Brizz is certifiably a pop genius.

5) The brilliant camera work used in covering the Olympics.
It seems like every four years there are new, unreal advances in the way that we watch the Olympics. My favorite camera move is the on that they use in diving: the camera is on the board, facing the diver. It then follows the diver as he jumps, plunging with him to the bottom of the pool. F-ing sweet.