Unyielding Commissioning Explosively Excited

For all you Big Jim Slade fans - To be released in 2009, Black Dynamite is apparently a real movie. And while it is clearly a send up of 1970s Blacksploitation theater, it has also done us the favor of taking itself very, very seriously. Even the soundtrack seems promising. Please. I'm begging you. Go watch the trailer. Note that it is definitely not safe for work, unless you work in a brothel. Odds that this film gets an airing in Buenos Aires: 2.3%. Odds that I fly back just so I can watch it: 8%. Odds I find a way to see it eventually: 100%. There is no official release date yet, but everything about this seems badassss....

It's still that time of year - Hear Ya Indie Music Blog is running down their top 50 albums of the year. Unlike most of these, year-end lists, this one is actually interesting. #s 50-41 went up on Monday, and 40-31 arrived yesterday. Each album listed has an mp3 so you can check out the band yourself. The list is highly recommended for your musical edification. Watch their site for updates throughout this week.

Abiding their time - Requisite report from Lebowskifest brought to you this time by the New York Times. Honestly, everyone I know who's attended the festival came away perturbed by the level of pretension and how all the attendees tried to out-Dude one another. But any mainstream media coverage of this phenomenon is a welcome thing. They did go and actually speak with original Dude, Jeff Dowd, and ask him about the white russian thing. His summation: they're tasty.

Looking a lot like that time of year - Greg Kot of the Tribune runs down the year's best boxed sets. Then he gives you his favorite albums of the year. His choice for #1 comes as no surprise based on his previous ovations - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Everywhere you go - Jim DeRogatis also weighs in on the albums of the year. His choice - also Nick Cave. Maybe these dudes are hanging out together too much. Personally, I found the Nick Cave album to be fine, but nothing remotely as earth-shattering as they are trying to convince us. Jim also lists his top ten concerts of the year.

Naughty and nice - Scene Stealers is in the giving mood and drops two Top Ten lists on us. First, Top Ten non-Christmas Christmas movies. Second, Top Ten Christmas Scenes. Note that no movies end up on both lists. I had no idea Eric was such a yen for Yule... As per usual, both lists are highly entertaining. Check 'em out...