Watch: Boyhood

On a flight over the holidays, I finally had the chance to see Boyhood. Even with all its fantastic reviews and awards, I was worried a film made over 12 years would be boring. Not so - at all! I loved it. In some unexpected ways, it reminded me of one of my favorite films, Dazed and Confused: school days in Texas, well-meaning but out of touch parents and memorable characters.

I saw an onstage interview with the film's director and writer Richard Linklater at last year's San Francisco Film Festival. It feels like time for a refresh on his films: Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and the film he was promoting then, Before Midnight, starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. 

On Not Getting Drenched

The coat might not be practical for rain, but it's fun!

Two years with very little rain has been terrible for California's water supply. But it has rained almost every day since Thanksgiving and adjusting to this much wet weather is wearing on me. 

Bright colors help get through dark days.

My outerwear has helped me at least feel prepared, warm and somewhat stylish. It's also all old - since I bought most of it when rain was more common! 

My uniform for the past few weeks has been an L. Spiewak & Sons lightweight bright orange down jacket with an adjustable hood. For shoes, either beat-up biker boots or lightweight Da Ichi Japanese fisherman rain boots - an amazing purchase several years ago from the fun New York store Loopy Mango. 
 

Painting by Hsin-Yao Tseng. From Pinterest.

Searching on Pinterest led me to San Francisco painter Hsin-Yao Tseng, who depicts rainy days in the city beautifully. Maybe a new perspective on the beauty of a rainy day will help me through this week's wet forecast.

Watch: The Interview

I glanced at the email headlines from Variety magazine: Sony Pictures had been hacked, employee social security numbers and salaries had been released on the internet. Then the news kept coming. Seth Rogen and James Franco's pay for their latest comedy The Interview was released, and North Korean hackers were suspected of the breach. I laughed out loud - the chain of events sounded like a movie, but apparently it is not a hoax. 

I saw The Interview on November 18 at a screening sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society at the historic Castro Theater. Rogen and his longtime co-writer Evan Goldberg were interviewed before the film was shown. A little plug for membership - the SF Film Society gives its members opportunities to see great screenings fairly frequently. 




The Interview is a very funny movie with a current events-related plot, and the news junkie in me always loves that type of mashup. Typically likeable performances from Rogen and Franco are complemented by the actress Lizzy Kaplan, known for her role as Virginia Johnson on Showtime's Masters of Sex, who brings a strong and funny female role the cast. 

The latest news says the hackers are demanding the film be pulled from distribution. In the interest of protecting free speech, go see The Interview when it opens in theaters on December 25!

60+ minutes of sound: november 2014

Griffith Park, Los Angeles

November 2014 Playlist

Cold Sweat -- James Brown

Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars) -- Mark Ronson

Good Thing -- Fine Young Cannibals

Los Feliz, Los Angeles

  Trick Pony -- Charlotte Gainsbourg

Never Tear Us Apart -- INXS

Funky Drummer -- James Brown

Freestone, CA

 Orange Juice Blues -- Bob Dylan & The Band

Viola Lee Blues -- Grateful Dead

Empty Pages -- Traffic

Street Life -- Randy Crawford

 

Bodega Bay, CA

 What is Life -- George Harrison

Bell Bottom Blues -- Derek & The Dominos

Moving in Stereo -- The Cars

Model of Disneyland, Walt Disney Museum, SF Presidio

Listen: Serial

What is Serial?

Serial is a podcast where we unfold one nonfiction story, week by week, over the course of a season. We'll stay with each story for as long as it takes to get to the bottom of it.

I keep hearing about the addictive new podcast from the creators of This American Life and hosted by Sarah Koenig. I just downloaded episode one and can't wait to start listening!