Tag Archives: movies

Supreme Court keeps beaches closed

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Phooey. Affirming the private-property rights of shoreline landowners, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the public’s right of access to state beaches cannot be guaranteed when hurricanes or storms reshape the coast. The sharply divided ruling will limit the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stephen Klineberg, superstar

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I want to see this. David Thompson and his colleagues at ttweak are best-known for their work on the quirky “Houston – It’s Worth It” campaign, paying homage to the yawning potholes, soul-sapping humidity and all the other things that … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Friday random ten: The best little random ten list in Texas

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

A moment of silence, please, for Edna Milton Chadwell, the last madam of the Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, Texas, who passed away this week at the age of 84. In her memory, I bring you this list: 1. … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Tongue twisters

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Somehow I got to thinking this week about songs that are challenging to sing because of lyrical density and/or complexity. Tongue-twisting songs, in other words. I came up with ten from my collection: 1. Mari Mac – Flying Fish Sailors … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Saturday video break: Kiss

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Song #84 on the Popsode Top 100 Covers list is “Kiss”, originally by Prince and covered by the Art of Noise with Tom Jones. While I was able to find a Prince song video before, I regret to say that … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: With this ring

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This past Monday was my 13th wedding anniversary. I’ve now been married long enough that I have a hard time remembering what it was like to not be married. Of course, I’m also very old, so that may just be … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday video break: How do you say “Heigh Ho” in Spanish?

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Los Lobos makes everything better: Kind of fitting for Labor Day weekend, don’t you think? Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

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“Miss Representation”

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The above is a preview for Miss Representation, which is showing this Thursday for one night only at the Alamo Drafthouse, West Oaks Mall, at 7 PM. I’ve got tickets for the screening, which is also a benefit for Annie’s … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Saturday video break: We’re off to see the Wizard

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bobby McFerrin sings “The Wizard of Oz” in seven and a half minutes. It’s even more awesome than it sounds. There’s a more recent version of this performance, with somewhat better video (not having been ripped from someone’s VHS tape, … Continue reading →

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Film incentives

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Stuff like this always fascinates me. In a legislative session marked by a slew of high-profile budget cuts, Texas lawmakers opted to continue offering [film and TV production] incentives, but they reduced the amount available by 50 percent. They approved … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Saturday video break: Seven in seven

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seven “Harry Potter” movies, summarized in seven minutes: I haven’t seen a Potter movie since the third one – we saw it two days before Olivia was born, if that helps you understand why I’m behind in my movie-watching – … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: It’s OK to be Takei

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, George Takei: I suppose now is as good a time as any to show you this: That was taken at the Houston premier of a slightly bizarre, very cheesy, and mostly fun sci-fi western called Oblivion, at … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Songs of the Century, part 7

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with songs in my collection from the Songs of the Century as compiled by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. 1. I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown (#152) 2. Banana … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The Magnited States of America, where you are FREE to TEXT in a THE-A-TER

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In case you haven’t seen it yet, another reason to love the Alamo Drafthouse: I wonder if this girl has figured out yet what a spectacle she has made of herself. CNN’s Anderson Cooper picked up on it the other … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

In your grill

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I love the opening to this story about the people who call Weber Grills for tech support, and the people who take those calls. Man. Meat. Fire. It is supposed to be a foolproof formula. But the guy at the … Continue reading →

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“Born To Be Wild”

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The family and I had the chance to see a preview of “Born To Be Wild”, a 3D IMAX movie at the Museum of Natural Science about saving orphaned elephants and orangutans on Thursday evening. We all loved it. I … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Select all robots

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

All movies should be like this: Plot? Dialog? Those pesky laws of physics, not to mention logic? Pshaw. Who needs them when you have that much awesomeness? Via Gizmodo.

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Saturday video break: Ease on down the road

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We took the girls to see a children’s-theater production of “The Wizard of Oz” last weekend, and that made me think of this: Alas, I couldn’t find a clip of this from the movie, but if you just want to … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: The top 500, part 11

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on with the songs in my collection from the Rolling Stone Top 500 list. 1. Train In Vain – Annie Lennox (#292, orig. The Clash) 2. Heart of Gold – Neil Young (#297) 3. Like A Prayer – Madonna … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday video break: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The other day I heard Olivia saying – trying to say, anyway – fourteen-syllable words are quite the mouthful – that fabled construction from “Mary Poppins”, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, to Audrey. I sang her a verse of the song, and they were … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: The top 500, part 9

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on with the songs in my collection from the Rolling Stone Top 500 list. 1. Walk Away Renee – Southside Johnny and The Jukes (#220, orig. The Left Bank) 2. Moondance – Van Morrison (#226) 3. Fire and Rain … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Willingham documentary

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: As you’re reading this, Steve Mims and Joe Bailey Jr. are putting the finishing touches onIncendiary, a new documentary about theCameron Todd Willingham case that focuses almost entirely on forensics — on the science behind arson investigations … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RIP, Blake Edwards

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The man who gave us the one true “Pink Panther” movies has passed away at the age of 88. One of Hollywood’s most successful specialists in comedy, Edwards was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1922 and started out as an … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

RIP, Leslie Nielsen

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As Mel Brooks said when his friend Harvey Korman passed away, the world is a more serious place today. Leslie Nielsen, the actor best known for starring in such comedies as Airplane! and the Naked Gun film franchise, died Sunday … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: This is Halloween

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

And this is how you celebrate it: Happy Halloween!

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“Lunch Line”

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Want to understand the history of the school lunch program and what’s going on with it today? Then you’ll want to see the documentary “Lunch Line”, for which The Lunch Tray is, fittingly enough, a sponsor: Here’s a trailer of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair”

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Gish Creative (www.gishcreative.com) and Southwest Alternate Media Project/SWAMP (www.swamp.org) have come together to celebrate the arts and cultural landmarks with a public screening of “For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair” (www.andersonfairthemovie.com) on … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the twisted mind that brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new work that sounds just as excellent. Here’s the nickel description, from the Murder by the Book email newsletter: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (by Seth Grahame-Smith; … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Do the android!

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t even know how to introduce this one, so let’s just dive right in. Don’t be distracted by the fact that it starts out in French. It’s totally worth it, trust me. What can I say? It was the … Continue reading →

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Hector Uribe may be my favorite candidate for this cycle

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Anyone who can send out a press release like this is someone who can make the election season just a little more enjoyable. In Stunning Move, Land Commissioner Candidate Hector Uribe Already up on Statewide TV (Austin) Democratic candidate for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Happy 2010!

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Happy New Year, everybody! May this year be a peaceful and prosperous one, and may any alien species we encounter be benevolent.

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Terrible Yellow Eyes

Posted on August 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Please allow me to introduce you to Terrible Yellow Eyes. What I’ve wanted to do for sometime is make a collection of paintings inspired by Where the Wild Things Are as a tribute and celebration of the book. And now … Continue reading →

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RIP, John Hughes

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

John Hughes, iconic 80s movie director, has passed away from a heart attack at the age of 59. A native of Lansing, Mich., who later moved to suburban Chicago and set much of his work there, Hughes rose from ad … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The stations are alive with the sound of music

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Best reason I can imagine to have trains: So you can do this in the train station. Awesome. Of course, it helps to have a train station like that one, but still. And have I mentioned how I can’t wait … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment