At the Round Earth’s Imagin’d Corners

 

2011 appears to be a great year for the notion of the sudden appearance of another planet in the night sky, at least as far as the cinema-scape is concerned.  Lars von Trier’s Melancholia opens today in theaters, the narrative of which “…revolves around two sisters during and shortly after the wedding party of one of them, while Earth is about to collide with an approaching rogue planet.” (via Wikepedia)

I’m pretty sure this will clobber the competition for best comedy of the year … … …

 

Earlier this summer another movie, this time focusing on the appearance of not just a rogue planet but another Earth itself, was released.  The aptly titled Another Earth follows the story of “…Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT’s astrophysics program [who] aspires to explore the cosmos.  A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child.  On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined.” (via the films homepage).

 

So you’ve got your rogue planet and you’ve even got your parallel Earth… but let’s take it a step further, shall we?  Last week NOVA began a new four part series, The Fabric of the Cosmos, based on (and hosted by) the work of acclaimed astrophysicist Brian Green. In the summation of the first episode, which focuses more specifically on the notion of space itself, the scientists delve into a new theory about black holes and the notion that perhaps our Earth is merely the projection of an astral hologram, a universal imprint on the edges of a black hole.  I’ve embeded the video to start at the relevant time but watch the whole episode if you’ve got an hour to kill!

Mind = BLOWN!

 

Artist: Benjamin Britten / Album: Holy Sonnets

That’s Entertainment

 

I spent another one of my days off in Ann Arbor exploring some of my favorite haunts around State Street, beginning with seeing two movies (The Tree of Life and The Trip) at the gorgeous Michigan Theater on Liberty. 

  

 

In addition to appreciating the fact that they show independent and art films I also LOVE that they still have an operational organ that is played before each movie.  I arrived at one show just in time to catch the last vestiges of one such performance.

 

Though the news is a couple of weeks old, when I first got back the news broke that Borders Bookstore was being liquidated.  Ann Arbor is the corporate headquarters and home to store #1 so I felt it only fitting to stop by and check out the sale.  It was still in its infancy then (only up to 40% at that point [lame]) but I did make my final Borders purchase in the form of Jane Austen’s Persuasion… because I know you care and all.

  

 

Also in the nearby vicinity is one of my absolute favorite Ann Arbor spots: Encore Records.  I used to go there about once a week and troll through the immense selection of records in hopes of adding to my own.  Luck was with me this time as I found yet another Martin Katz collaboration with Frederica von Stade!!

 

All in all I’d say it was quite a perfect day by Ann Arbor entertainment standards!

 

Artist: Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz / Album: The Bandwagon

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

 

I’m not sure if you’re all aware, but apparently it’s a bit cold out there.  I mean, it’s supposed to snow in Houston tonight, so, you know, I hope everyone’s alive in the north.  I’ve often been heard saying how much I enjoy the cold weather and miss the snow in Ann Arbor, and I do… but most of that is for nostalgia’s sake.  There’s something to be said for how quiet the world seams to get with a fresh dusting of snow all around, but I don’t miss trying to decide where exactly the lanes were on Plymouth road.

Whenever it gets unbearably cold I outside I usually take the opportunity to put in one of my favorite movies: Fargo.  It’s sort of a reminder to myself: “You may think it’s cold here, but at least you’re not in Fargo or Minneapolis… and being murdered in a wood chipper!”  I’ve actually felt the utter bleakness of having to chip away at a windshield encrusted with 20 carats worth of ice in a snowstorm. IT SUUUUUCKS!  Actually, the first time I ever watched this was with my friend Nate and Jamison IN Minneapolis.

 

I could wax on and on about the different things I love about this movie, but above all other things it is because of Frances McDormond’s faaaantastic performance.

“Oh… I just think I’m gonna barf!”

 

So tonight you will most likely find me snuggled up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate watching my favorite Coen bro’s film thinking to myself: “Well, I guess it’s not that bad out there…”

 

Artist: James Taylor, Natalie Cole/ Album: At Christmas