Monthly Archives: October 2010

I started posting all these on facebook, but that’s probably annoying and you guys have a wider range than I do. What are you favorite Halloween songs?

Here are a few of mine:
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Went to the Blitzen Trapper show at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle last Friday. If you’re unfamiliar with Blitzen Trapper, just listen to old Guess Who and Grateful Dead albums — Blitzen Trapper is the modern reincarnation of those classic rock bands. Their style is southern rock mixed with a little psychedelica and a little straight up hard rock. Their songs are catchy and their concert vibe is a ton of fun. Read the rest of this entry →

I had the real pleasure of going to the opening of the Battlestar Galactica exhibit at the EMP-SFM in Seattle. As part of that, I attended a press conference with Ronald D. Moore, Edward James Olmos, Michael Hogan, Kate Vernon and Richard Hatch. A few tidbits from that conference below, and some photos from the exhibition. Read the rest of this entry →

Unfortunately, this notice comes to late for those who missed last night’s part 1 of 3 in this Sherlock Holmes re-imagining. Pity, too, because the first episode, “A Study in Pink,” was brilliant.

This version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant anti-hero detective is set in twenty-first century London. But don’t let that put you off; it still translates remarkably well. Sure, Holmes uses cell phones and computers, but his prime tools is still is remarkable powers of observation and deduction.

Stephen Moffat is the source of this translation, proving again that he’s one of the most talented people working in television. If you’ve seen the British series “Coupling” or the newest version of “Doctor Who,” you may be familiar with Moffat’s work. (My favorite might be an episode of Doctor Who called “Blink” featuring the now rising-star actress Carey Mulligan.) Moffat’s stuff is usually creepy, funny and well-paced. He’s a fantastic storyteller, and “Sherlock” is no exception.

Sherlock also features fine performances. Martin Freeman plays Dr. Watson. Freeman is probably still best known for playing “Tim” in the original British “The Office” (the character re-named Jim in the U.S version). Freeman was recently announced as the actor cast to play Bilboa Baggins in the upcoming Peter Jackson “Hobbit.” The improbably-named Benedict Cumberbatch nails the brilliant and anti-social title character.

Check it out. PBS is running these under the Masterpiece Mystery banner on Sunday evenings. If episodes two and three are anything as good as the first, they are well worth your time.

At long last we have the answer to the question: What’s Danny Boyle’s worst movie? Read the rest of this entry →

Just to let everyone at Kulturblog know that I’m not strictly a “your-favorite-indie-band-sucks” kind of guy, let me turn that meme upside down. Here are 5 indie bands that I’ve come across recently that I really like, although I don’t see them getting as much attention as some others.
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As a faux hipster who still tries to stay current and listen to new music—not just the stuff I listened to back in high school—there are certain bands that the record critics and whatever passes for a new-media-program-director-taste-maker these days assume I should like. But I don’t. (Maybe you do, or will. Maybe this post will serve as a wonderful portal of discovery for you. I wish you no ill if you don’t share my dislike.)

These are those bands. Or five of them anyway.
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Given that I encouraged everyone to go buy 125th Anniversary Dr Pepper, I feel it is my duty to warn you of a bait and switch.

Originally 125th Anniversary packaging indicated that the Dr Pepper it contained was made with REAL SUGAR. This is no longer the case. Now we have wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are using the 125th Anniversary packaging but sweetening (and flavoring) the drinks with high fructose corn syrup.

So consider yourselves warned. The Dr Pepper renaissance was nice while it lasted.