SATAY PIRATE BABES FOR OBAMA

Meanwhile, just outside the Satay King in the basement of the Prudential Centre:



PRODUCTION NOTE: The Obama statue is a recent addition to the Satay King foyer décor. The pirate babe has been there for quite awhile. 

Say what you will about Obama as a US president, but as a global cultural icon he’s clearly made his mark – even if it’s just inspiring people to cash in on his name and likeness.

Which, as far as I know, no one ever did with Junior Bush.

Apart from Americans, I mean.

Sit yrself on down with yr POTUS,

This is dF

GIVIN’ CRAZY WITCH LIKE FAIRUZA BALK

I have no idea who Pentagram Sam is.

But he just got pwned by this guy. I think.

[Via Coilhouse]

Warlock feuds, eh?

Got Satan on speed-dial,

This is dF

TREES, BATTLESHIPS AND PSYCHOANALYSIS

I’m behind on my movie reviews. I’m sure you’ve noticed. So, I say let’s lump ‘em all in one post and be done with it.

The Lorax
In which Hollywood takes a Dr Seuss classic and pads it out into a goofy feature-length animated musical. The basic allegory of the book remains intact – don't cut down all the trees, because you’ll miss them when they're gone – but everything built around it, from the story of Ted trying to find a tree to impress a girl, to the stereotypical evil businessman/mayor who runs the city of Thneedville, is bloated, standard-issue slapstick and schmaltz.

Battleship
I should admit up front the only reason I went to see this was to see Hong Kong get demolished. The fact that it was the highlight of the film for me (apart from Rihanna with guns) says a lot – as does the fact that, in the process of demolishing HK, the filmmakers decided that the Big Buddha Statue is actually on Hong Kong Island, instead of on a completely different island. Anyway, some people have said it’s Transformers with more water (and Rihanna with guns). It’s not quite that bad, but it’s in the ballpark. And that’s close enough.

A Dangerous Method
The latest David Cronenberg film, which deals with the early days of psychoanalysis and the relationship between Sigmund Freud, his heir-apparent Carl Jung, and Sabina Spielrein, a patient of Jung’s who is cured and becomes not only a psychoanalyst herself, but also Jung’s mistress.

Apropos of a film about psychoanalysts, there’s a lot of allegory and subtext. And of course it’s got much to say on the sex drive and the risks of either suppressing it or unleashing it.

Still, the whole thing feels kind of slow and subdued. Cronenberg was deliberately going for a clinical feel to the story, and I get why, but it does make for a slow film. Still, credit to Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley for really good performances that make it more watchable than it otherwise might be.

You’ve got to be crazy,

This is dF