Blog – Page 27 – Xaviar X. Xerexes

My Favorite: Movies: 1988

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 31, 2013

1988 in retrospect doesn’t seem to shape up as a great year for great films, but oh boy am I missing seeing some very highly rated movies. Still a lot of the comedies from that year are ones I think back about and still find very funny. I need to rewatch a bunch of them. HAVE SEEN: Die Hard, Scrooged, Beetlejuice, Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Coming to America, Big, Cinema Paradiso, Heathers, Cocktail, They Live, Young Guns, A Fish Called Wanda, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Midnight Run, Twins, Stand and Deliver, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Adventures of Baron …

Weird Al Raps… Really!

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 31, 2013

I don’t know how much credit is given to him, but Weird Al basically inspired a whole musical subgenre, Nerdcore, with his parodies of rap music that focused on suburban, middle class, well nerdy, subjects. He’s had three fairly large hit songs parodying rap songs and his last one, White & Nerdy was a top ten hit, a Platinum single according to the RIAA. Amish Paradise [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfZLb33uCg?rel=0&w=550&h=413] All About the Pentiums [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpMvS1Q1sos?rel=0&w=550&h=413] White & Nerdy [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw?rel=0&w=550&h=309]

Weird Al Finds The Force

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 30, 2013

This is turning into a whole week of Weird Al posts I guess. There’s a whole string of parodies Al did in the nineties where he took a popular song and then made fun not just the song and the band but a whole bunch of other pop culture stuff. More of a blender, shotgun approach. Smells Like Nirvana parodies the ur grunge song but also the whole grunge movement. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY?rel=0] Bedrock Anthem parodies a couple of Red Hot Chili Pepper songs in the course of its affection for the television show The Flintstones. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV_nQKhkdY?rel=0] Gump parodies not only …

Thank You Michael Jackson for Weird Al

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 29, 2013

I had forgotten how Michael Jackson MADE Weird Al. If Michael Jackson hadn’t gotten to be such a huge pop star — in a way I’m not sure anyone growing up in the 21st Century will understand – – than Weird Al might not have broken as big as he did in parodying two of Jackson’s hit songs: Beat It and Bad. Both songs from Al are pretty funny actually although fully appreciating the original is probably necessary to really laugh at the parody. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJjMnHoIBI?rel=0] Brothers from another mother? Weird Al in a fat suit and Eddie Murphy in …

My Favorite: Movies: 1987

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 28, 2013

1987 wasn’t a bad year. I graduated from high school and some pretty memorable movies came out. The Untouchables is easily my favorite movie from that year – a stylish dynamic crime thriller with brilliant performances from Robert DeNiro, Sean Connery and yes, Kevin Costner. This had to have been one of Andy Garcia’s first roles, right? Everybody in the movie is quite good. The staircase scene is classic — I now it’s a huge lift from the 1925 Russian film, Battleship Potemkin, but that doesn’t take anything away from the tension inspired by director Bryan DePalma’s take on it. [youtube …

Guttersniping

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 28, 2013

I read The Gutters — I have never closely followed the “comic book” industry though so sometimes the jokes and pokes escape me. The art is almost always nicely done though! Anyhow today’s jumped out at me — I have an ongoing interest in issues related to copyright, trademark, etc (even grouping all of that together as “intellectual property” is contentious to one side of the argument) so I really liked the artwork today and the concept Jim Zubkavich put together. I’m not even sure exactly what point Jim is making since the “punchline” about torrenting is kind of submerged …

Weird Memories of Weird Al

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 27, 2013

As a kid and than a teenager I loved Weird Al songs and most of the time I felt largely embarrassed by my love of Weird Al songs. I still would probably be reticent to bring up all of my pop culture enthusiasms with everyone I know. I had these pockets of compartmentalization in my life even then – things I liked where I just knew a bunch of people I otherwise liked (or were trying hard to get to like me) would not “get it” or even worse think less of me (or at least that was my fear). …

Donuts for Lunch? Sure why not

by Xaviar XerexesJanuary 26, 2013

It’s been a busy time at the x-household this weekend. Kids went rock climbing last night which went amazingly well until younger x girl bumped her chin on the wall at the last minute. She was fine but I hope it’s not the thing she remembers from the experience. Pancake breakfast this morning, sledding on the snow followed by the indoor soccer game (they won!). It’s hard to tire kids out – the little one may actually fall asleep early tonight. And then I noticed my rear left tire was low. Off to Costco to get it checked out. Very …