my favorite things...

here's what i've been digging lately

movies

the razor's edge (w/tyrone power), the razor's edge (w/bill murray), broken flowers
the razor's edge is a favorite book of mine - i think in some respects it was ahead of its time in depicting a person rejecting societal conventions to find themselves. i finally tracked down both the old and newer version. the power version seems more true to the original - and i think i prefer it. the murray version was perhaps his first stab at a serious role - he seems in a transition from his slight, but hilarious comedy roles (stripes, caddyshack, etc...) to his more serious roles - he doesn't quite pull it off - but his willingness to grow is admirable.

jim jarmusch's broken flowers is available on dvd now and features a more mature murray giving another fine performance -i'd place it a notch below his lost in translation and life aquatic performances, but very fine...

murray is my favorite actor. no one can be as funny and as touching as him - unlike some comic actors who slip into melodrama when attempting serious roles - he is subtle and remains true to himself. perhaps one of the reasons i like him so much as his growth and maturation as an actor has kind of paralleled my own maturing as a person - to a degree - but like murray, i don't think i've grown up completely...

music

coltrane, monk and coltrane, brad mehldau
i am not sure what it means when two of the best jazz records of the year were both made 40 or more years ago...but the recording of coltrane and monk at carnegie hall is one of the best recordings ever made. it was recently discovered and released. it is a perfect record.

winter means jazz for me. maybe summer is the time for fun and winter reflection - but i seem to gravitate towards jazz in the winter months. the monk/trane record has caused me to want more trane. and mehldau just so i'm not stuck in the past. my favorite record never made (that i've compiled) is mehldau plays radiohead - a collection of his covers....

podcast

ricky gervais, robin eubanks
gervais' podcast is hilarious - have listened to each episode several times and laugh as hard each time. eubanks is a favorite musician, in a favorite band (dave holland's) - great insight into the mind/life of a great musician...

those are the podcasts i love - the others i've tried - well, not so much...

clothing

blazers now that i am in a vain period, a blazer kicks up any outfit - got two nice corduroy ones as christmas gifts

cars

my precioussssssss. the scion xB