Sorry about the absence, etc. To make up, I'm giving you, the ever-rapacious customer, 2 year-end lists (film + music) with a collection of reviews of recent viewings to be appended shortly.
As much as I'm drawn to film, I don't go to the theaters terribly often. I'm very picky and when it comes down to going out to pay $9 for fucking Helvetica or staying in and netflixing some artsploitation from the late 60s, I usually vote my conscience. I'm not sure if film culture has actually gotten worse or if, by not living in New York or LA, I'm just not exposed to the latest in cutting edge cinema. Regardless, you will only find 3 2007 releases in my best of film list. The rest were first viewings of retrospective screenings and rentals that I enjoyed much better than say, I'm Not There. I should also note that while I don't consider Mr. Bjork's film to be a 'great' one, its feverish rhythmic hedonism prompted my girlfriend and I to have sex in the IFC bathroom following the film. Thus, it bares some recommendation.
As for the music, I probably bought more CDs, records, and tapes in 2007 than in the previous 4 years of my life (that would be college) combined. I also did quite a bit of downloading, but have found the rewards of a growing iTunes list to pail in comparison to handling actual vinyl.
My employment has remained spotty and low-paying however, so I can't say that I've been able to fully dip my toes into the world of the ardent collector but I suppose I probably have a better perspective than in high school. I tended to attempt to keep up with the very latest 'underground' sounds in 2007 for once, so my collection is beginning to grow large past historical-contextual gaps, but that's just the way it is. To saying nothing of the contextual gaps of 2007 that I have left to fill (Lambkin, et al.). Along with the painfully obvious recent stuff, there's a few older or very recently past things that were more or less purchased during 2007.
So without further ado....
THE MOVIES:
Black Christmas Bob Clark (r.i.p.) 1974
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Richard Brooks 1958
De Lama Lamina Matthew Barney 2007
Evil Dead Trap Toshiharu Ikeda 1988
Heaven + Earth Magic Harry Smith 1957-62
The Holy Mountain Alejandro Jodorowsky 1973
Hush, Hush...Sweet Charlotte Robert Aldrich 1964
India Matri Bhumi Roberto Rossellini 1959
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple Stanley Nelson 2006
Laura Otto Preminger 1944
Le Circle Rouge Jean-Pierre Melville 1970
L'Eclisse Michelangelo Antonioni (r.i.p.) 1962
L'Intrus Claire Denis 2004
No Country For Old Men Joel + Ethan Coen 2007
No End in Sight Charles Ferguson 2007
Performance Donald Hammell + Nicolas Roeg 1970
Pierrot Le Fou Jean-Luc Godard 1965
Pink Narcissus James Bidgood 1971
Simbiopsychtaxiplasm: Take One William Greaves 1968
Sult Henning Carlsen 1966
Tini Zabutykh Predkiv Sergei Parajanov 1964
Werckmeister Harmóniák Bela Tarr 2000
Best? How about L'Intrus.
Worst? I guess it's a tie for Little Miss Sunshine, Volver, or Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf.
MUSIX:
16 Bitch Pile-Up Bury Me Deep Tronix CD
Air Conditioning Dead Rails Load LP
Akitsa Goétie Hospital Productions CD
Burning Star Core Operator Dead...Post Abandoned No Quarter CD
Cadaver in Drag Raw Child Animal Disguise LP
Cecil Taylor Unit Structures Blue Note CD
Harry Pussy Ride a Dove Siltbreeze LP
Francisco Lopez Untitled #104 Alien8 CD
Mouthus The Long Salt Important
Pere Ubu The Modern Dance Blank LP
The Peter Brotzmann Octet The Complete Machine Gun Sessions Atavistic CD
Pink Reason Cleaning the Mirror Siltbreeze LP
Pure Fetor Freak Animal CD
Royal Trux Twin Infinitives Drag City CD
Sic Alps Description of the Harbor Awesome Vistas LP
Sightings Everything
Skarekrau Radio The One-Eyed Swine is Queen Apop CD
Sword Heaven Entrance Load LP
Temple of Bon Matin Bullet In2 Mesmer's Brain! Bulb CD
LIVE:
Indian Jewelry @ Ronny's (Chicago) topped almost everything in the altered state department. I doubt I would ever buy a record by this crappy fashion band, but it was a one-of-a-kind show. I saw Lightning Bolt for the first time as well and got to hold Chippendale's mic up to his mouth for the encore. Swoon.
Otherwise: Sightings @ Rhinoceropolis (Denver), Air Conditioning/Mammal/Cadaver in Drag/Paranoid Time @ Flower Shoppe (Chicago), Oakeater @ a few different times (Chicago), Kites @ Mr. City (Chicago), The New Flesh @ Ronny's, and probably some other stuff.
Satisfied? Well, I just saw some more movies recently! Including a couple that are better than like 90% of what was on my top 2007 list! Stay Tuned...
