PUNISHMENT

My Significant Other, a fine woman, ventured via Chinatown bus (the in thing to do, and extremely cheap) to DC to check out Neubauten. She and her friend Lauren have a Neubauten tradition where they get drunk and check out a few of their gigs. Personally, having seen them perform once before many of you were in nursery school, I think getting drunk and watching them is some form of torture. Not to say I don't appreciate them. As Dan Hamill put it: "It doesnt matter what the tradition is, its just good to have tradition" I, being someone who has never seen Greg Dulli perform while being sober because of "tradition" (with the exception of that one Pigface related incident which you can read here somewhere) cannot argue, especially in light of my recent actions in Brooklyn (see previous entry re: Twilight Singers at Warsaw).

Anyhow this was the first time Irene has gone out of town since she moved in. It's usually me leaving for LA and her staying here, but it was shocking to see how quickly I regressed to being a 15 year old again. When I wasn't working, I was either buying or watching Kung-Fu movies, playing videogames, reading comics, surfing the web (more ebay shit), eating unhealthy, and playing music at indecently loud levels. This was all done in the company of either Evan, G or both.

Though I have to admit, it was fun watching the directors cut of WRATH OF KHAN and reciting the dialogue for G and Ev during the entire movie. However, I missed being an adult!

Ok so then, mostly out of obligation to my non music profession, Evan and I went to check out THE PUNISHER late Friday night. I don't know what I did to piss off God, but making it throught his movie earns me the right to change my second initial to Jesus. Everyone involved with this movie should be shot, especially Travolta (who should fire EVERYONE who works for him NOW for letting him do this piece of crap). Poor Thomas Jane. He's a nice man who was right for the role but was saddled with a script that was seemingly re-written to be as shitty as possible.

Someday, THE PUNISHER will be taught in a classroom (probably by me) about how NOT to make a comic book based movie. Utter shit.

We were saved somewhat the next day when me and my two pals went to check out KILL BILL VOL.2. I don't think it's any secret that I am not a big fan of the first volume. I thought it was predictable, not too clever, and the action was so-so. Overcritical? Yes, of course, as its QT going onto my turf of Asian Cinema. Anyhow, Volume 2 is a very enjoyable film that is tight and fun, character driven and filled with great action. IN particular, the throwdown between Uma (looking better than ever) and Darryl Hannah (looking scary as fuck) was excellent. Also, Vol 2 made perfect use of Gordon Lui and Michael Madsen, which is what I really needed from this movie.

OK, QT, now save Travolta again and go make the Vega Brothers!

Meanwhile, my Ebaying has gone totally overboard. I have won a dozen Jackie Chan photobooks and two stunt crew tshirts. It's very weird that this has all kicked in, though I think it has to do with the fact that JC has just turned 50. FIFTY! I remember being a kid and him approaching 30 and thinking that he was only going to make 3 more movies or something. JC, despite that my girlfriend has to wake up every day and stare at a wall of JC pix and posters, is still the man!

F