Look at me!

Or rather, look at the things I'm looking at! I actually updated the Playtime Picks. Will my updates be more regular? Who the eff knows? But you have to admit, I've been pretty good about blogging this week. I'm trying not to pressure myself too much, so I don't view blogging as a burden, but rather as the tool it was intended to be.

As for the picks, here's a bit more on the one's that I haven't already blogged about (those previously blogged ones would be Red Rover and The IT Crowd).

Milk

I'm a total Gus van Sant hater. I never really liked My Own Private Idaho and Psycho (his nearly shot-by-shot remake of the Hitchcock film) is what finally pushed me over the edge. The way he samples other films usually seems lazy, unnecessary, and annoying to me.

But my love of Harvey Milk and his kind treatment of the title person trumps my annoyance with GvS. Sure there's a stupid iPod commercial phone tree moment. And, yes, he copies a lot of footage (A LOT of footage), but it's of news reels and makes sense in this context. I get all of the criticism about the violent context of SF and queer life in Milk's time doesn't seem too present. But I have to say that I appreciate the film's positioning Milk as a hero rather than as a victim. We've heard that story. It's time for gay people to feel empowered because we're great and NOT just because we're under attack. Which is to say: Milk -- it does this body good.

Gary Jules

I heard him perform on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic (a la iTunes Podcast). What a frickin' awesome voice and beautiful lyrics. Love it.

The Sluts

This is the most disgusting piece of pornography I have ever read in my life and for all the right reasons. Talk about pushing the boundaries of my consciousness, this shit fucked me in the head. Approach with caution, but I highly recommend it.