Krasinski makes foray into directing

Note: the following piece was co-written with my co-editor for the Hilltop Views, Holly Aker, to view our complete Q&A with Krasinski, visit the Hilltop Views story.

Before anyone had ever heard of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s resident funnyman Jim Halpert, New York waiter John Krasinski was planning his foray into directing with the screen adaptation of “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men."

Seven years later, the actor, best known for his role as on NBC’s The Office, has finally brought his brainchild to the big screen.

The film is based on the book of the same name, written in 1999 by the late David Foster Wallace. It contains fictional interviews and short stories in which the male subjects reveal their repulsive characteristics, fantasies and behaviors.

Krasinski, who adapted the screenplay, also directed and acted in the film.

Krasinski said his decision to make the film was twofold. First, to draw further attention to Wallace’s work, and secondly to create a conversation about the provocative topics discussed in the film.

Krasinski said one of the highlights of his career was actually getting to elicit story feedback from Wallace prior to when filming began.

“[Wallace] said he was trying to write a book about a character that you never see or hear from, but through all the guys around her, you get to understand what she’s all about,” Krasinski said.

When adapting for a visual medium, Krasinski made the choice to create a narrative and further develop the female lead.

The story follows Sara Quinn, a recently dumped graduate student doing her dissertation on male sexuality. Quinn assembles a lineup, all of whom reveal themselves to be sexually deranged, misguided men suffering from a wide range of fears and inferiority complexes.

The film has a largely nonlinear, experimental style, and reveals more about each character with the story’s progression.

As part of the ensemble cast, Krasinski plays the role of Sara’s ex-boyfriend. However, this was not part of the original plan.

“I actually was planning on not being in it at all,” Krasinski said. “In the end, the reason why I was in the movie at all, was because an actor dropped out about two weeks before we were shooting.”

Krasinski and the producers felt that since the movie was such a unique project, someone wouldn’t have time to learn the lines, let alone grasp their concept in only two weeks time.

“I think the only thing on my resume that allowed me to do that part, was the fact that I had read the book 150 times,” he said. “And, I will say it was the most terrifying performance I’ve ever done.”

The film, which brings up many heavy subjects, will leave movie-goers thinking.

“I really hope that people leave the theater and can’t decide what they think of the movie for a few minutes until they talk about it, so that was my big goal,” Krasinski said.

The dirt on Fun Fun Fun Fest

Festival-goers were treated to many perks as they arrived at Waterloo Park Saturday morning for Fun Fun Fun Fest.

Among them, a speedier willcall line than years past, free iPhone and iPod cases from sponsor Incase, a string of vendors offering up tasty treats, and of course, a wide array or musical offerings, poised to deliver a good time.

An early afternoon performance from Austin’s own L.A.X drew a sizable crowd for so early in the day, and managed to get many people dancing. The six-member dance hybrid group showed off their moves as well as their musical talent.

Altercation Comedy members JT Habersaat, Jake Flores and Joe Staats garnered laughs at the yellow stage for ripping on hipsters, UT football fans and the realities of being broke. The jokes seemed to strike a cord with much of the crowd. Ironic considering the packed stadium was only blocks away.

Vega and Neon Indian, both projects of Austin native Alan Palomo, performed on the blue stage only hours apart. While both projects produce danceable electro tunes, Neon Indian’s set was more psychedelic and hypnotic than the livelier Vega show.

Brooklyn band Les Savy Fav gave what was arguably Saturday’s most inventive performance.

Lead singer Tim Harrison embraced his balding head and prominent gut, by strutting around on stage in everything from a reptilian mask paired with a wedding dress, to a pair of iridescent purple leggings, worn under blue brief-style underwear. Harrison also applied black and red face paint to himself, his band mates, and members of the crowd and press pit.

His onstage antics were extended into the audience further with multiple stage-dives, one of which included a fully extended ladder being spread horizontally across the crowd so he could walk on top of it.

Yeasayer, Face to Face, 7 Seconds and Ratatat also delivered popular performances on Saturday.

The second day of the festival was dampened by rain, and eventually a thick sludge of mud covering large parts of the festival grounds.

Nothing Austinites were not accustomed to after ACL’s now notorious Dillo Dirt sludge-fest.

The Austin buzz band Black and White Years played an early set on the orange stage. Their blend of electo, dance and rock coupled with some bold fashion choices, made for a entertaining set.

Alaska in Winter played an inventive show on the blue stage. The one-man electro band, Brandon Bethancourt, sang and played the keytar onstage, while his virtual video orchestra was projected on a screen above the stage. The video featured images of Bethancourt playing all of the different instruments utilized in each song.

Boston punk band Street Dogs inspired circle pits in the rain with their performance on the black stage, drawing on live show mainstay tracks like “Tobe’s got a drinking problem.”

Of Montreal headlined the orange stage, and gave the kind of flamboyant, psychedelic performance that is typical of the band, known for their live show featuring dancers, ninjas and elaborate costumes. Probably the only notable difference between the band’s performance and their other shows was the fact that lead singer Kevin Barnes kept his clothes on for the rainy occasion. In previous Austin performances, Barnes has opted to strip into more revealing attire.

Competing with Of Montreal in the 8:30 timeslot was Danzig, returning to Austin for the first time in approximately 15 years. Though frontman and namesake Glen Danzig may have aged a bit since his Misfits, Samhain and early Danzig heyday, his vocal abilities were still on point. Fans stuck it out through the rain and sludge to rock out to the rock legend’s performance.

Other notable Sunday performances came from Atlas Sound, Youth Brigade, Mission of Burma, D.R.I and Crystal Castles.

Review: Flight of the Conchords

There are two types of people in this world: people who love Flight of the Conchords and people who are genuinely perplexed and annoyed by why other people find them so funny.

Exaggeration or not, the former are still in luck, because New Zealand’s most popular musical export, not to mention television’s most endearing bromance, has cranked out a second studio album.

Like their self-titled debut, the majority of the songs on the effort, aptly titled “I Told You I Was Freaky,” were featured on this past season of Flight of the Conchords. But what the album lacks in surprises, it makes up for in consistency and hilarity.

For Conchords fans, the album sticks to the format that has catapulted them to success: catchy, genre-bending instrumentalism, coupled with infectious, witty and predominately bizarre lyrics.

While tracks like “Fashion is Danger” and “Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)” showcase synth-infused dance beats, other songs range from reggae to heartfelt acoustic ballads. But regardless of the genre, each track tethers on the delicate edge between parody and paying tribute.

Time will tell if any of these new tracks can ever reach the quote-worthy status of “Business Time” or “Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenoceros,” but some show considerable promise. In “Carol Brown,” the pair fictitiously details a number of creative excuses women have given for leaving them: “Felicity said there was no electricity, Emily, no chemistry. Fran ran, Bruce turned out to be a man.”

While “I Told You I was Freaky” abounds in many of the same successes as its predecessor, it may also suffer its most obvious pitfall. That is, that many of the tracks are far more enjoyable once you have seen them incorporated into the plot of their HBO series, rather than exclusively on the album. A bit of the humor could be lost on those without the frame of reference.

But whether they find the album to be epically hilarious or simply silly, fanatics and newcomers alike should be able to appreciate the musical diversity and lighthearted charm of this solid sophomore release.

Beware of your choice, Marge

Marge Simpson is baring it all.

This November, the mother of three is making history as the first cartoon character to ever grace the cover of Playboy. The following is an open letter to Mrs. Simpson.

Dear Marge,

I apologize for writing publicly, as I was unable to locate your address—you’d be surprised how many Springfields there are in this country. Anyways, I have to say I’m conflicted about your recent decision to pose for Playboy.

On one hand, there is no denying that aside from some pigment issues, your body looks pretty amazing for a woman of your age, not to mention after three kids. It’s obvious why you would want to show it off.

And I have to applaud you on your decision to keep the full-on exhibitionism above the waist, as you are saving yourself from countless carpet-matching-drapes jokes, even if you are kind of asking for it with that signature ‘do.

It is refreshing to see a woman with some intelligence and life experience behind her making this plunge. Obviously, you are not some barely legal, bottle-blonde co-ed with delusions of sexy stardom. You have been representing the blue-haired, maternal minority in the public eye for 20 years, and only now have you chosen to pose nude.

But this drawer-dropping decision can be lofty.

What starts as female empowerment soon has every dribbling regular at Moe’s Tavern oogling your goodies while pounding back Duffs. Imagine Homer’s dismay when he finds Barney Gumble stockpiling copies of the issue for his personal collection.

When I was reading the magazine for the articles, I noticed that you said in your Q&A that Bart and Lisa are never to find out about this.

But Springfield is a small town, and word travels fast. It’s only a matter of time before your center spread is passed around the playground of Springfield Elementary, more popular than the latest Jonas Brothers Tiger Beat cover. A simple “eat my shorts” from Bart isn’t going to keep those loquacious schoolchildren from discussing your lack thereof.

Take it is as a cautionary warning — flaunt it if you got it, but there will be consequences, not the least of which will be some exasperating lectures from that preachy Ned Flanders.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Reader

Zombies: slow vs. fast

Classic films taught us that zombies are supposed to be slow, dumb and persistent. They were usually easy to see coming, but they would take humans down with their relentless nature and unbridled pension for human flesh.

However, newer films such as "Resident Evil," "House of the Dead" and the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead," challenge this notion with strong, stealthy, speedy zombies.

While purists of the genre prefer the classic lumbering zombie, does the outcrop of agile zombie flicks prove this to be a welcome transition?

Perhaps.

In the early days of horror, zombies were not the only slow villains. Classic horror icons were never seen running, yet they always had the uncanny ability of catching up to their winded victims.

Today, aside from remakes, our movie villains tend to move faster. It's a combination of better special effects and a move savvy audience. For zombies and other creatures alike, we can now see them move at the speed of light without awkward, primitive editing to make them appear faster, or worse, relying on the physical limitations of the actors.

Because today's horror films tend to rely much more so on blood, guts, gore and "gotcha" moments, we are conditioned to fear swift attacks. Gone are the days when the fear was in the approach, now, the film victims tend to be dead before they even see their killer coming.


So, you certainly have less hope of escaping a fast zombie. They can be everywhere you can be, and they tend to not be halted by small obstacles.

Classic slow zombies on the other hand, usually cannot break into a well-built structure, and are easier to outrun on a straight-away.

If the viewers correctly identify with the human victims, there is some motivation for preferring the zombies slow. The characters have a better chance of escape, and the audience has that hope.

Many fast zombie movies justify the speed of their creatures by including a back story of some kind of genetic modification. A good move, because otherwise the audience would not be likely to assume that a decomposing corpse is suddenly able to achieve startling feets of speed and strength.

On the other hand, they came back from the dead, didn't they? Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to make assumptions about their physical abilities.

Zomcoms, that is, comedic zombie films, tend to parody the slow zombie. This is because most zomcoms highlight the human character's zombie kills, and it has proven to be far more comical when the opponent is much slower.

For purists, and comedic spoofs, slow zombies will always be the desired foe, but fast zombies still instill fear, in their victims and the audience

Stardom no excuse for Polanski

When we think of criminals fleeing the United States to avoid arrest, we often imagine them living off the grid in some exotic country, keeping a low profile by assuming a new identity.

However, after engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in 1977, filmmaker Roman Polanski fled to France. There, he has continued to live a privileged life, direct high profile films and even receive an Academy Award.

As we know, all of this changed when Polanski was arrested on an outstanding warrant in Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 26, while visiting the country to accept a lifetime achievement award.

He is currently in custody, awaiting a formal extradition request from the U.S.

The 2008 documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” illuminates the details of the original Polanski case. While photographing then 13-year-old model Samantha Geimer for the French edition of Vogue, Polanski engaged in sexual intercourse with the teen.

After the victim turned him in, Polanski faced a barrage of charges, including rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, a lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.

Polanski pled guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

While the film begins with a transcript of the victim’s chilling testimony, it soon delves into the narrative of Polanski’s life. He survived the Holocaust, suffered the pain of his pregnant wife’s murder by the Manson Family, was hounded by a relentless press and faced a ruthless judge who played fast and loose with the legal system.

After the initial shock, it’s actually easy to feel sorry for the man. Couple this narrative of perseverance with the fact that he is an award-winning filmmaker, and the Hollywood elite would have you believe this is enough to forget about his crime.

But Polanski is not above the law, and his accomplishments do not make his crime any less heinous or illegal. It’s only prestige that separates him from any other sex offender in the registry.

Yes, it was a different time; Polanski was confined for a 42-day observational sentence in state prison, and the victim is currently preaching forgiveness. But no inconsistency, legal injustice or minor technicality excuses what he did and how he subsequently handled it.

As we await his extradition, the thing that should matter above all else is a fact one wouldn’t think needed arguing: that no amount of wealth, talent or connections makes it all right for a middle-aged man to have sex with a 13-year-old child.

Swimmin with Seals

Finally developed the underwater camera's shots of our seal swim in Kaikoura, NZ this April. Pretty hit or miss, but there are a few interesting ones.

New Zealand Photo Essay #4: Parting is such sweet sorrow

New Zealand Photo Essay #3

New Zealand Photo Essay #2

New Zealand Photo Essay