Slowly Going Bald
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Dan Carlson
Los Angeles, California

I'm a twentysomething white male with ambitions to be a professional film critic and generally spend my days getting paid to watch movies and write about it. I try not to think too hard about how I want to build my life around talking about other people's creations and not mine. A compulsive reader and stubborn cineaste, I take an often contrary stance to my more fundamentalist peers and upbringing by celebrating the pursuit of the good, and the Good, in life, love, art and film. If you watched enough episodes of a few TV shows ("The Hungry and the Hunted," "The Cut Man Cometh," "The Body," "Waiting in the Wings," "Out of Gas," "April is the Cruelest Month," "20 Hours in America," "Colonial Day" for starters), you would understand me completely, and you'd also realize that much of my worldview and philosophical insights are heavily influenced by fictional works/programs, and many of the good things I've said in my life are just a regurgitation of someone else's imaginings. I guess I was made to be a film critic.
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Sunday List Blowout
by Dan Carlson on Sun 18 Jun 2006 04:14 PM PDT  |  Permanent Link  |  Cosmos
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Re: Sunday List Blowout
by mary beth on Mon 19 Jun 2006 09:28 AM PDT |  Profile |  Permanent Link
Love it. Hey, did you write a review for the movie "Rumor Has It"?? I just saw it and thought it was terrible, just wanting to know your thoughts.
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Re: Sunday List Blowout
by Dan Carlson on Mon 19 Jun 2006 02:38 PM PDT |  Profile |  Permanent Link
I didn't review Rumor Has It, and have no plans of ever seeing it. Ever. No, Dustin took one for the team and reviewed it, though our run-in with the Department of Homeland Security a month ago (I wish I was making this up) wreaked havoc with our archives, and that one seems to be among the fallen.

What was so wrong with The Graduate that someone wanted to make a crappy meta-sequel? Man. That movie did not look good.
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Re: Sunday List Blowout
by Kyle on Mon 19 Jun 2006 02:41 PM PDT |  Profile |  Permanent Link
Okay, so I haven't read you're blog since 6/3. Some good stuff here. A composite comment:

You did use caps in a way I thought was unnecessary. It was neither ironic or comic. Maybe I missed it.

You are a grammar Nazi. You probably cringe every time I type something.

Texas history classes brainwash our children. It's pretty amazing, but I was surprised that everyone doesn't know their state reptile.

I have trouble getting into anything on Sci-Fi either (except for Scare tactics and magic shit), and I seriously doubt I'll ever watch BG. I've got too many other DVD TV shows on my plate. I've never seen an entire episode of any of the following: The West Wing, Alias, Lost, Firefly. As I'm sure you will agree, I've got some catching up to do. My problem is that every time I give a TV drama a chance I either loose interest because I don't have the time (24) or I don't get how it's any different from every other TV hospital drama (Grey's Anatomy. Because they're all hot and having sex that's supposed to make me care more?)

Tony seems harmless. Does he make more work for you? Try to talk to you? Sit near enough to you that you can smell him? He seems like someone I would have a ball laughing at. You need people like that around.

I hear Nacho sucked from everyone else too. You were actually kind in comparison.

I have trouble with spending 7-10 dollars to watch cartoons. I may go see Cars, but it will be because nothing else is playing and I'm sick of being at home catching up on blogs.

Brown posts in a carport? Did you hit one? Who's the retard that did that?

I actually like Target now. Way better than it used to be and about a millions times better than Wal-mart. But, yeah, don't shop there wearing red.

Flixter seems cool, but Netflix allows you to do something similar. I don't know if I want to go through that again.

Really nice little essay on the importance of movie reviews. If it makes you feel better, you've changed my mind on things a couple of times.

I would get rid of my cable all together if I could keep just Fox Sports for Astros games and Comedy Central and maybe a couple of the Nat. Geographic/Disc./History channel types. VH1, E, and MTV can eat me.

Let's see, did I miss anything? Oh, yeah, Borat, hilarious. Green Eggs and Whores, freaking funny. Trade rounds ups, I'll read them later.

And you reminded me that I need to pick up some rock salt to make some homemade Ice cream.
Reply
Re: Sunday List Blowout
by Dan Carlson on Tue 20 Jun 2006 08:58 PM PDT |  Profile |  Permanent Link
Kyle: That's quite a comment. I'll try and match you, but I don't know if I can. In order:

Probably.

I am, I'll admit it. No worries though.

The horny toad, right? I could be wrong.

I understand. Sometimes I'm struck by how much time and money I've invested in these shows. But it's been worth it.

He is harmless, yes, but still frustrating. Plus he farts a lot.

Nacho was a letdown.

Cars is worth renting. No need to hurry.

No, I haven't hit a post yet. Yet.

Target is good. I go there when I get tired of spending $5 on deodorant at Ralphs.

Yeah, Flixster is basically the Netflix profiles w/o the membership and renting. And since I cancelled Netflix a while ago after getting screwed on their bottlenecking policy, Flixster is a good alternative.

Thanks. You might not believe me, but that's really good to hear. That's why I got into this.

I hear you. A la carte cable would be great.

I'm glad you liked the Green Eggs & Whores joke. I wrote that list out from that joke. What can I say, I like validation.

I could go for some Blue Bell.
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"The critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising."
— Pauline Kael


"Film lovers are sick people."
— Francois Truffaut


"I hope I strike a blow for chubby bald men everywhere. I hope they rise like an army."
— Paul Giamatti, quoted in the Los Angeles Times, 12/14/04


"Let others praise ancient times, I am glad I was born in these."
— Ovid

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Remembering speechlessly we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into heaven, a stone, a leaf, an unfound door. Where? When?

O lost, and by the wind grieved, ghost, come back again.
— Look Homeward, Angel, Thomas Wolfe


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— John Stuart Mill


We are all under the same mental calamity; we have all forgotten our names. We have all forgotten what we really are. All that we call common sense and rationality and practicality and positivism only means that for certain dead levels of our life we forget that we have forgotten. All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that for one awful instant we remember that we forget.
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