Arts

The Act of Being: Louis C.K. at the Chicago Theater

Leave a Comment
Louis C.K.

Image via netdna-cdn.com

So, I got to see Louis C.K. do a stand-up show at the Chicago Theater last night. This was sort of a huge deal for me. In fact, my first impulse for this article was just to state that fact and then post Nyancat. I’ll try for more, though!

Since discovering his eponymous TV series nearly five years ago I have become an enormous fan of Louis C.K. His melancholy sense of humor, playful intelligence, dedication to not being a corporate jagoff, and disheveled style have been cornerstones of my pop culture identity. To wit, more than one friend has told me they’ve watched a particularly sad or embarrassing scene on Louie and felt bad for me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m so vocally a fan of his or because he’s had such a influence on me, but there we go. If the goatee fits I will wear it. [Read more…]

Mr. Rostan at the Movies: Artists Making Movies About Artists

Leave a Comment

Andrew Rostan was a film student before he realized that making comics was his horrible destiny, but he’s never shaken his love of cinema. Every two weeks, he’ll opine on either current pictures or important movies from the past.

rsz_il_fullxfull367048261_ju4g

“The Stray” by Margaret Keane…guess what I’m writing about today?

 

In my last column, I put two major Oscar contenders that told the biographies of scientists side by side. This time, I’m comparing movies about painters, which also feature great acting…but further work on every other cinematic level, one of which is among the best of the year.

rsz_distant

“Landscape With Distant River and Bay” by Joseph Mallord William Turner…who got a movie about him that’s just as beautiful.

[Read more…]

New Year’s Eve Cocktails

Leave a Comment

New Year’s Eve is only a couple days away, and a lot of cocktail guides are going to give you a list of specific drinks you can prepare for whatever party you’re attending.

This is going to be a little different. Since we’re located in Chicago, the capital of improv, I’m providing you a guide on how to add improvisation to your cocktail-making. No matter what your host has at their bar, you should be able to mix a drink or two for yourself or fellow guests. Here are the assumptions I’m working under:

You are a guest at the party. Maybe you enjoy pre-batching punch, mulled wine, or complex cocktails and bringing them to a party. But even if you do, sometimes circumstances prevent you from bringing more than a few bottles. And if you’re attending more than one party? Yeah, you’ll want this flexibility.

Your host has some basics, like citrus juice, soda, sugar, a few spirits, and maybe even a mixer or two. I’m also assuming that there will be more than enough champagne and sparkling wine to go around.

You only have capacity to bring a few things. I, for one, cannot afford Jim Meehan’s bartender bag, so I’m limited to what I can carry in my trusty backpack. This means a couple bottles of spirits, a couple smaller bottles/jars for mixers, and a few small bottles of bitters.

IMG_0507

So many options, so few hours left in the year…

With those in mind, here are some simple cocktails using the limited ingredients you might have in front of you, Iron Chef-style. I’ve also broken out a a recipe in each category, variations on existing cocktails to surprise you and your fellow revelers.

[Read more…]

Mr. Rostan at the Movies: Imitation of Everything

Leave a Comment

 

rsz_url=httppct3apct2fpct2fd1oi7t5trwfj5dcloudfrontnetpct2f6bpct2fc2pct2f94f5c08b4fac89bb3f1e887c67f0pct2ftheory-of-everything

Andrew Rostan was a film student before he realized that making comics was his horrible destiny, but he’s never shaken his love of cinema. Every two weeks, he’ll opine on either current pictures or important movies from the past.

rsz_22

In my last column, Alex and I discussed how the biopic is a genre the Academy always favors. It’s also a genre that’s hard to do well. There have been some outstanding examples (Amadeus, Lincoln, 12 Years a Slave) but I’m usually uninterested because I know how the story ends. When I go to movies, I want films that will unfold with drama and unpredictability, not like the connect-the-dots I adored as a child.

[Read more…]

A Brief Farewell to Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A.

Leave a Comment

Stephen ColbertOne of the greatest creations in television history is ending its run tonight. When the series finale of The Colbert Report airs tonight on Comedy Central it will be the end for Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. For the nine years that the Report aired and for eight years before that as a correspondent on The Daily Show, this character has been bringing hilarious (and sometimes poignant) life to the poorly-informed and rage-filled Id of the American body politic. Though the character was conceived of as a satire of empty cable news bloviators like Bill O’Reilly, he eventually grew beyond that into a refraction of the overweening pride and self-regard of our entire political sphere in all its inane insanity. [Read more…]

One Last Time: Anticipating “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies”

Leave a Comment

The-Hobbit-Battle-of-the-Five-ArmiesMy long-standing love of Lord of the Rings has been covered here multiple times. I’ve written thousands of words on both books and films, devoted countless hours to watching Peter Jackson’s magnum opus trilogy, and read and re-read the original novels at least yearly ever since 1999. You might call me a Tolkien nut.

And yet, my dread is growing greater and greater as the days go by. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies comes out this Wednesday, and that terrifies me beyond measure.

[Read more…]

Games on Addison: ‘Tis the Season

Leave a Comment

It’s the holidays, which means it’s time for board games!

Naturally, board games are perfect for every season. And, naturally, the holidays are about more than board games (ostensibly). But it’s also a season when you have an overabundance of family time, down time, and “what should we do now” time. If there’s a more perfect time to play more games, I haven’t experienced it.

image

‘Tis the season to play more game.

Below is a list. A series of suggestions, hopefully some of which are new or different. It’s not exhaustive, which tells you how much board games have exploded in popularity of late. I’ve stuck with titles that can be found at your Friendly Local Gaming Store, and tried to hew towards games released in the last year or so (or had expansions released recently). Many of them also have digital versions you can try before going analog, and some have been featured on Tabletop.

It’s also a highly subjective list, in that I enjoy playing them all. [Read more…]

Three Poppy Punk Chicago Bands to See This Month

Leave a Comment

At a recent Swimsuit Addition show, someone turned to me and very sincerely asked “What if there are no rules anymore?” The four-piece sprawls over their music, and they’re in absolute control of evil beach punk.

Swimsuit Addition is celebrating the release of their new 7 song TANKS! EP with a free show at Emporium Barcade this Thursday, Dec. 11th. It’s great if they’re the only ones who know the rules.

Oh no, a pop punk band with fun synth bits who mention pizza. People do it, and Absolutely Not does it so much better. Their longest song is 2:39, but the number of stop-and-gape hooks they jam into each one is staggering.

They’re headlining a great (and free) Chicago Singles Club lineup at the Empty Bottle on Monday, Dec. 29th. If you don’t dance, you’ll be trampled.

The meanest band here, Meat Wave favors music that drives along non-stop until your chin is on the floor. Don’t worry, the payoff is consistent, and you’ll get up for more.

Go see them for a New Year’s Eve show at Reggie’s ($25-$30) before they kick off a U.K. tour. Then check back on their new EP landing around January 19th.

—

New Year Bonus Round: Ian’s Party starts January 1st and ends on the 4th. All the bands mentioned here will be playing various venues around Logan Square. Even if you dive in with no direction, you’ll get a fistful of quality local music.

Four Men, One Woman, and a Bit of Meh: The 2014 Grammy Album of the Year Nominees

Leave a Comment
One of these people may be winning Album of the Year again, and it isn't one of the dudes in helmets.

One of these people may be winning their own Album of the Year Grammy this year, and it isn’t one of the dudes in helmets.

Last year, I wrote a review of all five Grammy nominees for Album of the Year. This year, in the Addison Recorder’s never-ending endeavor to always stay culturally abreast, I’m doing it again. (I’m also doing it again because no one else is crazy enough to try this.)

[Read more…]