MasterChugs Theater: ‘Be Kind Rewind’

In its sweet, lackadaisical way, Michel Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind illuminates the pleasures and paradoxes of movie love. Its two main characters, a pair of Passaic, N.J., loafers named Mike and Jerry, are devotees of the Hollywood mainstream, paying tribute to well-worn classics like Ghostbusters, Driving Miss Daisy, Rush Hour 2 and The Lion King. The way they express this affection lands Mike and Jerry in a spot of copyright trouble, but they (and Gondry) provide a welcome reminder that even the slickest blockbuster is also a piece of handicraft, an artifact of somebody’s nutty, unbounded ingenuity and the potential object of somebody else’s innocent, childlike fascination. Continue reading MasterChugs Theater: ‘Be Kind Rewind’

The Real Story: Botox users already dead inside

While the news media may report on a story, sometimes they miss the actual story in their own reports.

Today’s case: People who receive botox injections famously have difficulty moving their faces or expressing emotion after treatment. But, according to a new study, the recipients may also experience difficulty feeling emotions as well.

The test subjects reported “less emotional response to some emotional video clips, and as a result, did not feel their emotions quite as deeply as their counterparts who received treatment with a wrinkle filler called Restylane.” Oh, my!

The Nugget:
“That said, those who received Botox reacted to the same to video clips after their injection as they did before they received the injections.” [Emphasis ours.]

So, despite this admission in the article itself, it still maintained a “botox may kill emotions” standpoint when the results were no different before and after injections. The real story here isn’t that botox kill emotions, but that people who get botox treatments may be emotionally shallow or even dead inside already.

Mmm, mmm! Recycled meat trays!

Great. Just what the world needs-more hippy crap.

Seattle is giving Portland a run for its money when it comes to being the most eco-forward city in the Pacific Northwest. With a ban on Styrofoam in restaurants and grocery stores going into effect on July 1, the city’s Metropolitan Market chain and other businesses have come up with a packaging solution-compostable meat trays made of corn. Made by Illinois-based Pactiv, the tan trays can be used for meat, fish and poultry and then tossed into the compost pile along with other food waste.

Chemist and Pactiv rep Dave Powell says that using the new trays is a boon for Seattle’s green reputation, and that while there is controversy surrounding the use of corn for anything other than food production, his company’s customers want more eco-friendly packaging that will break down. Styrofoam doesn’t.

If they wanted something that breaks down, why didn’t they just get me under pressure? Thank you everyone, I’ll be here all night.

Who hates the English now?

We’ve told you about the growing anti-English sentiment growing because of the World Cup and the worst oil spill in the history of the United States. It’s time to add another name to the list of haters: New Orleans.

The city began an ad campaign to let people know that the oil spill has not closed up the city’s landmarks and culture to tourists. One ad showed a picture of Jackson Square and read, “This isn’t the first time New Orleans has survived the British.” Referring to the Battle of New Orleans in late 1814 and early 1815, where future president Andrew Jackson routed an invading British force technically after the war was over. This is also pretty much the only reason Americans think they won the War of 1812.

The ad was pulled for being too anti-British. Where’s your spirit, New Orleans?