Link Burp for 02.16.11

It's high time I started a feature on the blog that is simply a bunch of stuff and bits that I found interesting over the past few days/week, but about which I haven't had the time to write a proper post. Therefore: link burp.

On to some sentences and some links:

• The book is great, but why not listen to the actual recordings of The Hitchcock and Truffaut conversations?

• You've been saying there aren't enough 14-part Star Wars documentaries out there in the world. You can stop saying that quite so much.

• Exciting news for anyone who enjoys The Criterion Collection and the ease of use of Hulu: Criterion comes to Hulu plus.

• Radiohead is releasing their new album this Saturday. Exciting. That they're releasing a "newspaper album" as well? Very exciting. And head-scratch-inducing. What's a newspaper album?

• I enjoy Pantone's colors (I often drink from my favorite Pantone mug). I enjoy cookies. Finally someone made some Pantone Chip Cookies.

• Take a trip around the offices and workspace of Pixar and remind yourself that where you work should always have a secret room triggered by a Shakespeare bust.

Space Blog 1.2

As promised, this one has even less to do with outer space, but far more to do with David Bowie.

Jonathan Lethem – along with a bevy of admirable sorts like Patton Oswalt, Bill Plympton, and Steve Buscemi, among others – contributed his top ten picks of the Criterion Collection. I was honored to see that Jonathan's author picture for the Top Ten is from one of my sketchbooks, a drawing I did while listening to him and fellow authors giving a panel discussion at Columbia College here in Chicago last year.

Seeing that drawing surface on the site was pleasantly surprising (Jonathan had asked me to send it a while ago, though I had no idea where or if it would ever show up), but nowhere near as great as noticing Jonathan's number ten pick (and Mike Allred's second pick): The Man Who Fell to Earth, staring David Bowie as a visitor from afar.


About two nights before this Top Ten was posted, I had watched this film. And while I can agree with Jonathan that the first portion of the film – upwards of four fifths – is masterful and entrancing, the last fifth or so spun way out of control, to an extent that seemed unintentional. Not that it loses itself in an uninteresting way altogether, but... well, you'd just have to try it. I'm not sure I'd recommend it on hard drugs. Though if you want a more throughout solid but equally twisted and underrated trip, I'd recommend The Ruling Class, starring Peter O'Toole, also from Criterion. Absolutely nuts, creepy, and one of those films I'm surprised was ever made (and I mean that as the highest of compliments).