Two ways to run an agent
Body of Lies stars Russell Crowe doing an accent. He’s done a lot of accents lately: New York City Irish cop in American Gangster, also directed by Ridley Scott; American cowboy in 3:10 To Yuma; and Virginia family man here, again directed by Ridley Scott. He also apparently put on 66 pounds to play this character, a lead analyst in the CIA, living in affluence in Virginia, running an agent in Jordan by phone while he picks the kids up at soccer practice in the Lexus. It may not be a Lexus and it may not be soccer, it may be ballet, but it is definitely suburban; we are never allowed to forget that. The contrast between the agent in the field, sleeping on floors, sussing out IED’s, being tortured, speaking different dialects of the native language and the boss who processes the intelligence and directs the agent into more and more dangerous situations is made clear every time Crowe is on screen. It’s about all that is made clear. I find Crowe’s acting to be increasingly like a man who goes to a big closet and picks, first an accent, then a few physical mannerisms, the hair, a walk, something to do with his hands. He puts on a character the way you might put on a suit of clothes, but the clothes always have that new clothes look, they haven’t been worn enough to feel owned. And ownership is what brings authenticity, and that is what makes a character in a situation believable. Crowe’s partner, the man on the other end of the satellite phone, the agent in the field, the dog out sniffing up the terrorists, is played by Leonardo DeCaprio, again working against type to play a grown man, doing a tough job, in a dangerous environment. I know he can grow facial hair, or at least wear a wig and beard well, but that doesn’t quite get him over the hump fully into manhood. There’s something about the whine that gets into his voice when he becomes excited that holds him back and makes him still a boy pretending to do a man’s job. He tries on accents too, going a little Southern once in a while during the course of the film. But consistency is a problem with DeCaprio. Ridley Scott has worked with Russell Crowe several times, all the way back to Gladiator. He has also made some films that should be in anyone’s best all time list: Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise. And one of the best of the modern war films: Black Hawk Down. He knows his way around an action sequence and can tell a story in a compelling way. Body Of Lies is certainly the high-rent version of how Middle East intelligence operations work. Two major stars, an A-list director and a script by the man who wrote Departed, William Monahan, will get you a big budget and a nice release pattern. Why then did it fail? The […]
Mar 19th, 2009 by Mark Metcalf
$3 Wine Test-Drive
There is no better placebo for depression and anxiety than to wander the aisles of a Wal-Mart or Target superstore. It is comforting on many levels: to know that in case of Armageddonic survival there is one place that has it all. To know that there is a product out there which should salve some need in your life. To know that someone is inventing new ways to contain or dispense a beloved product. To know that you can afford something beyond your means - even if it will only last a year before breaking.
Mar 19th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
Exciting Fun!
Milwaukee is a happenin’ town, and there’s always lots of stuff going on across our fair city. Here’s my (own, personal, and probably biased) round-up of what I’m really excited about in the next week. Berzerk!, Alchemist Theater, March 22. Always a good time of clean fun, Berzerk! returns to the Alchemist for another installment in the wacky theater adventures that arise when producing in one day a script that’s been written in 10 minutes. Does the thought make you tired? Imagine how the people that do it feel. Accidental Death of An Anarchist, Peck School, March 25-29. This modern piece by Nobel laureate Dario Fo asks how far we can go in protecting ourselves, as a nation, from those that mean us harm in a humorous (if satiric) fashion. This production is part of the Lab/Works series, which brings the focus on what theatre is all about: the acting. Minimalist sets and costumes, if any at all, make the performances stand out all the more. One-Act Festival: Tales from the Dugout, Pink Banana Theatre, March 27 through April 11. Pink Banana Theatre teams up with Renaissance Theaterworks to bring Milwaukee this collection of hilarious, heartfelt and just plain strange tales of relationships. Featuring the works of local up-and-coming writers from all walks of life, Tales from the Dugout will tell the story of the various games we all play in our relationships with lovers and friends. The Neverending Story, First Stage Children’s Theater, now through April 5. Being the geek that I am, I cannot help but be excited about First Stage’s production of this classic fantasy tale. Walking the line between the world of reality and the world of imagination, this production weaves the two together in an unforgettable and thoroughly enjoyable story of mindfulness, forgetfulness, courage and friendship. Read TCD’s review! Complete event listings for what’s happening on all Milwaukee’s stages are available at Footlights online.
Mar 19th, 2009 by Ryan Findley
I heard an amazing song today and decided to write about it.
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m a fat, fat man. On the US Department of Agriculture’s Pyramid of Fatness (kind of like their food pyramid, but with more chafed thighs), there’s “fat” fat, “obese” fat, “Jesus, look at that guy!” fat, and me. Seriously. I’m what the Native Americans used to call “a real porker.” That was before they got their groove back and were killed by Kevin Costner. Anyway, in addition to my generous girth, I’ve always had extremely poor posture. Just my luck! I remember a girl from junior high that would get a kick out of calling me “Igor” to my face. “Hey, Igor!” she would shout. “Want some more pudding, fat boy? Mind if I just set it atop your freakishly pronounced hump?” I never did mind, and we remain close to this day. But my point is this: despite my many physical deficiencies, (I also have enough moles covering my body to start a goddamned army. Think that’s funny? What if I told you they were all cancerous, and that I had 4 months to live? Who’s laughing now, dipshit?) I remain an upbeat guy who can occasionally be moved by a simple pop song. Just today – whilst walking through Downtown Milwaukee and doing my best to avoid throwing a brick at that fucking Jesus-mobile – I came across a forgotten song on my Zune that nearly knocked me over with happiness. For people not familiar with obscure, ill-conceived technology, the Zune is Microsoft’s answer to the iPod and a horrible, horrible piece of junk. That song? “What is Life?” by George Harrison. Jesus, what a song: glorious, ebullient, transcendent. Glowing with that Phil Spector-produced sound that makes grown men weep and a grown Phil Spector kill that one chick from Barbarian Queen. It’s a song I hadn’t heard in years – one I had nearly forgotten about completely – but hearing it today really made me happy to be alive and relatively young in this dumpy little town. And when you factor in the onset of spring/summer and a malignant brain tumor, we have a winner. Does anyone else smell oranges? So anyway, this is the part where I would normally embed a YouTube video of the song, but I CAN’T. SEEM. TO. MAKE. THE. FUCKING. THING. WORK. Who designed this Mickey Mouse website anyhow? Even in the future nothing works! (cue an embedded clip from that scene in Spaceba…FUCK!) I kid, I kid. It’s an honor and a privilege to be writing for this site. Truly an honor. And if the thing really does work and I’m just too dumb to figure it out, well, you can call me a dick again. Which you probably will anyway. In the meantime, click HERE for the song. You can thank me later, and ask me where I got these smart new blue jeans I’m wearing (hint: Kohl’s). Don’t forget to Sign My Guestbook before you leave! You are visitor 000283 to […]
Mar 19th, 2009 by Matt Wild
Milwaukee Ballet Announces 40th Anniversary Season
The Milwaukee Ballet announced its 40th anniversary season in style with a lovely early-evening soiree at the Iron Horse Hotel on March 12. It promises to be an exciting and innovative season, with something for every taste. The Nutcracker will (as usual) be the longest-running show of the season, taking over the Marcus Center for most of the month of December (the 11th through the 27th, to be precise). The Company will continue to present artistic director Michael Pink’s vision of this classic holiday favorite. In addition, Milwaukee Ballet will present two other family-friendly, traditional ballets: Cinderella in October of 2009 and Peter Pan in May of 2010. The production of Peter Pan will feature the Mr. Pink’s choreography set to an original score by Philip Feeney composed for the Milwaukee Ballet. Cinderella will enthrall young audience members with lavish period costumes and a pumpkin carriage. Both Peter Pan and Cinderella will feature not only Company members but also performers from the Milwaukee Ballet School, expanding the scope of the School beyond the traditional Nutcracker roles. However, as Mr. Pink noted in his remarks at the announcement party, the Milwaukee Ballet may be turning 40 this year, but it will not use that as an excuse to rest on its laurels or start to look exclusively to the past for its productions. The Company has developed a reputation, both in Milwaukee and across the country, for innovative and inventive productions, and that will not change. In addition to the three traditional ballets, the 2009-2010 season will offer two additional ballets as well as a collaboration with UWM’s Peck School. Innovative Motion (February 11-14, 2010) brings back the winner of the 2009 Genesis international choreography competition, in addition to a world premiere work by Luc Vanier and a piece entitled “Clowns and Others” by Salvatore Aiello. All three will be abstract works showcasing the movement and physicality of dance. In late March, Pure Dance will bring a slate of works that draw not only from classical ballet but from all forms of movement, from Hispanic and Arabic culture to gypsy sensibility to contemporary dance. Jerry Opdenaker and Val Caniparoli will contribute pieces, and Milwaukee’s own Petr Zahradnicek will create another world premiere for the Milwaukee Ballet. In collaboration with the Peck School, the Milwaukee Ballet School, and the Milwaukee Ballet II program, a one-night performance of Ma Maison will be offered on March 9 as part of the Trey McIntyre project. This performance is not included in any of the Ballet’s regular season packages, but tickets can be purchased through the Ballet. In addition to the season, Milwaukee Ballet also announced the launching of their new website. Found here, it features more in-depth information about every aspect of the Company and School. The Milwaukee Ballet also has a new friends group, Balletomane, which will provide support to both the Company and the School. The Milwaukee Ballet’s next performance is the choreographic competition Genesis, March 26-29, 2009 at the Pabst Theater. Tickets […]
Mar 18th, 2009 by Ryan Findley
IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!!!
Is it Milwaukee Film or Milwaukee Film Festival or what? Either way, read on, poke around on that your smarky little iPhone/Blackberry and make plans to submit that film…. Milwaukee Film Announces 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival and Call for Entries New and highly anticipated Milwaukee Film Festival will kick off September 24 Milwaukee Film, the new and independent organization dedicated to presenting Milwaukee’s premier film festival, is proud to announce the dates and a call for entries for its 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival. Running September 24 through October 4, the back and better-than-ever Milwaukee Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films at venues throughout the city, including the Landmark Theatres Oriental Theatre and the Marcus Theatres® North Shore Cinema. The Film Festival will feature films from around the country and the world, providing a unique community platform for films that would otherwise not screen in Milwaukee. “We’re incredibly excited to be able to announce the Film Festival dates today,” said Jonathan Jackson, Milwaukee Film artistic director. “We’re confident that the new festival will be the best Milwaukee has seen and that it will be a Milwaukee institution for many years to come.” The early deadline for film submissions is April 6. Entry fees start at $10, but the fees are waived for any film created by a Milwaukee filmmaker. The festival will offer cash and production prize packages, to be announced at a later date. Tickets for individual films will be $10, but Milwaukee Film will offer discounts for those purchasing their ticket packages and passes early. The first ticket packages will go on sale in April, and in addition to early discounts, Milwaukee Film is planning a series of contests, promotions, incentives, and special events leading up to the film festival. “Thousands of Milwaukeeans filled the seats at the film festival in years past, and this year our goal is to bring those guests back and to attract a diverse new audience,” said Diane Bacha, executive director of Milwaukee Film. “The response we’ve gotten since forming the organization last year has been overwhelmingly positive, and we can’t wait to present Milwaukee with this world-class festival come September. It’s truly a privilege to be able to essentially bring the whole world to Milwaukee through film.”
Mar 18th, 2009 by Howie Goldklang
Milwaukee Film announces 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival!
And now … the news you’ve all been waiting for … with a brand-new logo to boot. So exciting! – Ed. Milwaukee Film, the new and independent organization dedicated to presenting Milwaukee’s premier film festival, is proud to announce the dates and a call for entries for its 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival. Running September 24 through October 4, the back and better-than-ever Milwaukee Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films at venues throughout the city, including the Landmark Theatres Oriental Theatre and the Marcus Theatres North Shore Cinema. The Film Festival will feature films from around the country and the world, providing a unique community platform for films that would otherwise not screen in Milwaukee. “We’re incredibly excited to be able to announce the Film Festival dates today,” said Jonathan Jackson, Milwaukee Film artistic director. “We’re confident that the new festival will be the best Milwaukee has seen and that it will be a Milwaukee institution for many years to come.” The early deadline for film submissions is April 6. Entry fees start at $10, but the fees are waived for any film created by a Milwaukee filmmaker. The festival will offer cash and production prize packages, to be announced at a later date. Tickets for individual films will be $10, but Milwaukee Film will offer discounts for those purchasing their ticket packages and passes early. The first ticket packages will go on sale in April, and in addition to early discounts, Milwaukee Film is planning a series of contests, promotions, incentives, and special events leading up to the film festival. “Thousands of Milwaukeeans filled the seats at the film festival in years past, and this year our goal is to bring those guests back and to attract a diverse new audience,” said Diane Bacha, executive director of Milwaukee Film. “The response we’ve gotten since forming the organization last year has been overwhelmingly positive, and we can’t wait to present Milwaukee with this world-class festival come September. It’s truly a privilege to be able to essentially bring the whole world to Milwaukee through film.” About Milwaukee Film Milwaukee Film was founded in 2008 to serve as the area’s independent organization dedicated to presenting Milwaukee’s premier film festival. The 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival will be held September 24 – October 4. In addition to the film festival, the organization hosts a series of film events throughout the year. Visit www.milwaukee-film.org for information on the film festival and the organization, special events, ticket availability and promotions and contests, and to sign up for the email list and to donate funds. Connect with Milwaukee Film on Facebook (search “Milwaukee Film” in groups) and on Twitter (@MilwaukeeFilm), and visit the Milwaukee Film blog at www.milwaukeefilm.blogspot.com. About the Milwaukee Film Board Milwaukee Film’s independent board is made up of the following members: Chris Abele, Tom Barrett, Sue Black, Tina Chang, Jeff Fitzsimmons, Alec Fraser, James Gelly, Bill Haberman, Carmen Haberman, Tracey Klein, Mary Ann LaBahn, Marianne Lubar, Cathie Madden, Steve Mech, Paul Mathews, Andy […]
Mar 18th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
The North End – ONE
UrbanMilwaukee.com was recently taken behind the construction fence for a tour of the first building, ONE, to be complete in Mandel Group's The North End project.
Mar 18th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
More Work To Do
Barack Obama won by applying solid community organizing fundamentals to a national campaign. He built an extremely loyal and disciplined network of staff and volunteers, developed an extraordinarily smart strategy and rode the combination all the way to the White House. Wisely, he is now applying those principles to help ensure that his national agenda gets the grassroots support it needs to succeed. Mobilizing the Obama nation in support of his budget and his agenda is a no-brainer. Developing grassroots organizations to advance real change locally is equally important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Energy? Education? Health care? Jobs? What happens locally matters! It really, really matters! Governor Doyle, very much like President Obama, has seized on the challenging economic environment to include ambitious yet responsible, forward-looking yet, dare I say, necessary reforms in his proposed state budget. And critics, just like the ones opposed to the President’s budget, are complaining that the budget process isn’t the right way to advance a policy agenda. Well, it seems to me that such an argument is the last refuge of a minority party. Disagree with a particular proposal? State your case and make your argument. But the budget process is exactly the right time to ensure government is doing the things it should be doing. We certainly know that obstructionists have used the budget process to block things they oppose. So let the debate begin and let it be public and lively. The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance will be in town to hear what you have to say next Wednesday. Is there something in the proposed budget that you love or hate? Here’s an opportunity to be heard. My personal favorite is the proposed ban on smoking in workplaces. It’s about time Wisconsin workers didn’t have to risk their health by showing up on the job. And there’s no doubt that reducing tobacco’s impact will result in real savings in health care costs so don’t tell me this doesn’t belong in the budget. And here in Milwaukee my attention is riveted by the proposed MORE jobs ordinance. This common sense proposal would extend hiring standards to include developers who receive more than $1 million in financial support from the city. In other words, if developers are going to accept handouts from city taxpayers they damn well better be willing to hire a certain percentage of qualified city workers and pay them the prevailing wage appropriate to that job category. The opponents apparently believe in corporate welfare without any strings attached. I like what the New York Post had to say about the AIG mess; “Not So Fast, You Greedy Bastards!” Interestingly, the Common Council is expected to take up the MORE proposal on the same day as the local Joint Finance hearing. So I’ll be rushing to State Fair Park after raising the flag at City Hall. So that’s my two cents for today. By all means, let’s support the President’s national agenda but let’s also show that we care about what […]
Mar 18th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
What Did Matt Do? Wednesdays
Welcome to the inaugural edition of “What Did Matt Do? Wednesdays,” a weekly column that recaps all the stupid shit I did during the day, along with some wicked Crock-Pot recipes for the kids. While this piece will be published each and every Wednesday, it will in fact cover the events of the previous Tuesday, making the whole “Wednesdays” part of WDMD?W kind of misleading. Does that make sense? No, no it doesn’t. So yeah, brace yourself for an exciting column/complete waste of time that would probably be better handled by something like Twitter. (Tweets? Oh, who gives a shit.) Coincidentally, Twittering (Tweeting?) rears its ugly head more times than I would like to admit in the events below, making me feel all dirty and 14 years-old. Technology, how you enrich our lives! I sit alone in my darkened apartment, cowering, afraid. The cold grip of death hovering ever closer, ever closer. Oh, God, just kill me now… What? Enjoy! 10:30AM – Wake up. Discover my girlfriend is calling in sick for the day, putting a serious crimp on my morning routine (i.e. masturbation). 10:40AM – Have sudden realization I made a solemn, drunken promise to blog on ThirdCoast every day. Despair. 11:15AM – Bagels with butter and turkey. Flip on Maury, catch the following priceless introduction. 12:00PM – Walk outside, notice it’s 70 goddamned degrees. Walk past Vitucci’s on my way to the bus stop, notice a dick-ton of people wearing green. 12:13PM – Realize it’s St. Patrick’s day. Catch my bus. 12:30PM – Hop off a particularly ripe 30 bus and meet my friend Larry for a before-work cigarette. Talk about weather, politics, lawn jarts. Larry confesses a crush on starlet Jennifer Love Hewitt. Awkward goodbyes. 1:00PM – Begin my day at work. Despair. 2:15PM – Walk through downtown on deliveries. Sirens and drunken bros abound. Everyone in green. Overhear the line: “Man! White people sure be losing their shit today!” 3:00PM – Head to the County Courthouse to pick up some documents. Have a confusing conversation with the security guard working the metal detector: GUARD (after scanning my messenger bag): “I can’t wait until they start making TVs that small!” ME: “What?” GUARD: “You know, TVs that can get cable and everything!” ME: “Um…” GUARD: “Your iPhone. In your bag. I can’t wait until they make TVs that small!” ME: “Oh! Actually, it’s not an iPhone. It’s a Zune.” GUARD: (blank stare) 5:15PM – Receive an unexpected visit from Adorable Deliveries LLC, a promising new company that sends two lovely, slightly crazed women to your door with a bunch of wonderful, ridiculous shit. Contents of my Adorable Delivery: corn dogs, Sprecher root beer, Gummi Bears, pack of Camel Lights. 6:00PM – Discover that Yahoo! News has a front page story on the awful, awful new Wisconsin logo and slogan. Twitter my discovery. (Tweet my discovery? Oh, who gives a shit.) Receive merciless insults from close friends and family for reading Yahoo! News. Immediately destroy my Tweets. 9:00PM […]
Mar 17th, 2009 by Matt Wild
Blarney Stoned
Oh Bridget where be ye? And who be ye? A Sheehan, Moran, Sullivan? Do you really expect me to find your gravesite with such slim pickins? No birth certificate, only the date (1849) you arrived on these shores, bound from Inch Bridge in Ireland, perhaps married (to John Moriarty, laborer), ten years your senior. A wedding certificate indicates you maybe married John in Massachusetts, but your name is oddly smeared on the document. So many Bridgets, so many Johns, how to know which one belongs to you? It’s said you were buried in Aberdeen, South Dakota. I drove there and couldn’t find you on the plains where sheep once roamed. I’ve searched Iowa gravesites too, near where you bought land in Muscatine County, Iowa, lots of graves, but no you; rows and rows of bones, but no you resting beneath slabs embellished with stuffed teddy bears, strange photographs, sagging crosses and angels with missing parts. Uh oh Bridget, it says here on the yellowing document I unearthed in the Muscatine County courthouse, that you lifted your skirts to neighboring farmer Henry Stoneburner. The document, filed and signed by John Moriarty (with an “X”), points fingers at two October nights, then asks for a divorce AND alimony. The trail petered out, so I’m guessing you refused the divorce, good Catholic be ye. Or were ye? Okay, the Iowa winters were long and hard and Stoneburner was only a stone’s throw away, plus he must have recognized a good plow when he saw one, but shouldn’t ye have known better? Also, I’m given to wondering just how John knew what you were up to. Apparently he drifted away after he addressing the court (leaving you with two kids), but his name, “Wandering John,” is still legendary in 2009. Could be he fled home to Ireland and drank his days away, but in all fairness, he may have been an okay chap saddled with the wrong woman in the wrong place in the wrong time. While grave searching in South Dakota, were you looking up from your pine box and laughing at me, your great granddaughter on a useless mission, combing through the weeds and crumbling slabs to no avail? I mean to say, why should I give a hoot about you? Though named after a saint, you were apparently not one. That said, I do admire your grit. So tell me, how did you manage to get through the Pearly Gates? As a Moran, a Sheehan, a Sullivan, a Moriarty? Things are tough enough up there, what with identity theft and wigs and false noses and plastic surgery, some of it transgender. Unsnarling the heavenly list must be nigh impossible, and whoever was guarding the Gates the day you waltzed through with your skirts held high, was likely snookered grandly. I’m guessing here. Did you know that one of Wandering John’s ancestors (a Maurice Moriarty by name) chased the Earl of Desmond into the Slieve Mish Mountains where he cut off his […]
Mar 17th, 2009 by Stella Cretek
Are you there LiveJournal? It’s me, SubVersions.
When people stop me on the street (a phenomena that happens at least three times every decade), the first thing they ask is: “Jim, if you had to choose your favorite Monkee, who would it be?” The second thing they ask is: “Didn’t you write for the VITAL Source? Whatever happened to that? Are they still in business? What was the deal with Des Moines?” This is typically followed by a long, awkward silence, some polite coughing, and me scurrying off into the night, only to end up drunk and bleeding in a stranger’s bedroom, clutching myself in the fetal position while weeping softly. Or whatever it is you people think I do with my time. OK, an actual story: While sitting in the ski lodge-like confines of the Y-Not III a few weekends ago, readying myself for a set from Milwaukee’s best band, The Trusty Knife, I was approached by Justin Kern, the singer of Milwaukee’s second best band, Crappy Dracula. (Got all that?) “So, with the print version of VITAL dead, are you still writing for them?” he asked. “Yup,” I replied. “After three years of dedicated service and strict adherence to deadlines, I’m now being published on the prestigious ‘internet.’” This sorry news was greeted by a big “thumbs down,” a loud “raspberry,” and a bellowing “Fuck that!” from Mr. Kern. He then took three shots of Old Crow, started a barstool on fire, and ridiculed some hipster girl’s haircut until she cried, all within ten seconds. He’s really quite a character. Which brings us to the brand new site: GoldCoast Subs. I mean, WestCoast Offense. No, wait…THIRD COAST DIGEST. Get it? There’s the East Coast and the West Coast (that makes two coasts thus far, Shooter…), and because of our proximity to the Great Lakes (I guess), we’re the Third Coast! Isn’t that exciting? Thrilling? Dripping with self-loathing? Just a fancy name for “Inferiority Complex The Size Of A Buick?” You bet! So yeah, I’m not a big fan of the new name. No big deal; after all, this is coming from a guy who writes a column called “SubVersions.” What do you think? About the whole “ThirdCoast” name change, that is, not my column. On second thought, if you have any comments about my column – its name and/or its contents – feel free to share. I’ll make sure to give each and every suggestion/spam plenty of thought and consideration. Thanks, Mom. But I kid. Really, I do. It’s a great thrill to continue my relationship with the VITAL crew, and an even bigger kick to be “published” on the internet. I was so eager to pitch in that it only took a dozen veiled death-threats to get me writing again. And while it did get ugly in the end – EastCoast Rap publisher Jon Anne Willow eventually threatened to kill my first-born son if I didn’t blog immediately – time wounds all heels, as they say, and here I am. Besides, her threat seemed […]
Mar 17th, 2009 by Matt Wild
