It's what you think

43. "The Hangover"
Yea, it's a Dick Flick but it is funny. The best lines come from Galifianakis and they seem ad-libed but they fit the film. They don't disrupt the flow and they don't get in the way of the story. It may be one of the most successful big budget R rated comedies of all time.

Local artist

42. "In the Realms of the Unreal"
Thanks to my friend Jude and a wonderful band Vivian Girls, I watched this great documentary about the recluse artist from Chicago named Henry Darger.

Mr. Darger was a custodian for the duration of his life. He had one friend and a few acquaintances. He went to church on a daily basis. He worked on his art/writing on a daily basis. The work was entitled "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion". The epic work spanned over 15,000 pages, with more than 10,000 pages of other writings. He produced hundreds of paintings. None of his work was showcased during his lifetime. This documentary explores Darger's life and his art. Nothing I write could do the man justice.

See this documentary. It's near perfect.

As in happy

41. "Bruno"
I thought it was great. It was no "Borat" but it couldn't be. That was once in a lifetime. Does that mean "Bruno" wasn't good? Absolutely not. I loved it. It's everything you think it is but maybe a little gayer. The interesting aspect of this film will be where it goes next. Does Cohen retire his characters or try to find the few places in America that still has no idea who this man is.

The guy from Loveline

40. "The Hammer"
A nice, independent film from someone probably not associated with nice, independent films. I enjoyed it throughout and could see how more money (time) would have benefited the final product.

It's the story of an aging boxer/construction worker with no prospects in the first ten minutes of the film. Then he spars with some up and comers. He does well. He moves on to the Olympic trials. He does well. He's used by a coach. He branches out on his own. He performs romantic gestures to win over a new love. There's a happy ending. It's nice. A great date film.

I like the Nick Cave parts

39. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
A beautiful film that moved at two different paces. The first 75% went by slow, the last 25% slightly too fast. I'm sure it would've been damn near impossible to pace it consistently considering the layers of stories, but it might have been nice. It was good and did deserve the heaps of acclaim it got. I doubt I'll watch it again but it left a positive imprint.

At least one still exists, Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009

At least one still exists, Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009

Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009

Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

A head in a box, Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009

A head in a box, Petoskey, Michigan, July 4 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Outdoor stove, upper Michigan, July 2009

Outdoor stove, upper Michigan, July 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

The house fell down, upper Michigan, July 2009

The house fell down, upper Michigan, July 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Scary tree, upper Michigan, July 2009

Scary tree, upper Michigan, July 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, upper Michigan, July 2009

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, upper Michigan, July 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Roscoe and Damen, Roscoe Village, Chicago, June 30 2009

Roscoe and Damen, Roscoe Village, Chicago, June 30 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

These flowers never age, West Town, Chicago, June 2009

These flowers never age, West Town, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Hideout, Noble Square, Chicago, June 2009

Hideout, Noble Square, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Eating the street, Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009

Eating the street, Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009

Lincoln Square, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

The dog is big, River North, Chicago, June 2009

The dog is big, River North, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

Please subscribe

The new podcast is up. You, Me, Them, Everybody Chicago Music Podcast is on iTunes. Please subscribe. Here's the link. It'll open iTunes.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=322394773

#2

The second video podcast is up and ready for download. Another Spare Machine song. Celebrity Readings are up next.

There is a man, River East, Chicago, June 2009

There is a man, River East, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.

I am a sucker because I will see any Will Ferrell film

38. "Land of the Lost"
I saw this movie because my apartment doesn't have air conditioning. I don't regret seeing it. I would've been curious to see if there were any redeeming moments. There wasn't. One line was funny. It seemed ad-libbed. I'll never know.

The film didn't know whether it wanted to be a comedy, action flick or kids movie. It wasn't any. It was bad.

I like all the actors. I don't think it was their fault. The script was bad. The pacing was disjointed. The effects were decent. The Subway plugs were obvious. Watching this was like having to eat Subway for 90 minutes straight.

Why do fire trucks respond to car crashes?, West Town, Chicago, June 2009

Why do fire trucks respond to car crashes?, West Town, Chicago, June 2009, originally uploaded by Brandon Wetherbee.