The House Next Door

1. "The Director's Director": From GOOD Magazine. (Hattip: Audrey Laricchia)

["Hal Ashby's movies captured a messy, post-1960s America in alternately hilarious and poignant ways. Here, Wes Anderson, Judd Apatow, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, and Jason Schwartzman talk about their favorites. ... Payne on The Landlord: I don’t want to tell you much about it. Discover it the way I did: Just see it. It contains all the gentleness, eccentric rhythms, oddball humor, brilliant editing, and deep humanism that mark his other films, and like his other films, it’s utterly unique. The performances are sensational—particularly by Beau Bridges, Lee Grant, Louis Gossett, Jr., and the great Diana Sands. Add cinematography by Gordon Willis—his third film—in case you need more convincing. All right, it’s a little uneven at times, but so what? It’s wonderful to watch a great artist still searching for economy of style."]

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2. "Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Brasillach, and Anti-Semitism: Some observations": Fascinating post from Glenn Kenny; equally thought-provoking comments.

["In English, the inscription reads, "Here, Rene Revel, Peace Officer in the 15th District, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, was killed by the Germans, August 19 1944." Berthe, who later, in the film’s video-shot flashback, will try to do battle with the forces of Steven Spielberg (a Jew! imagine!), says of the plaque: “They shouldn’t phrase it like that. Neither ‘Officer,’ neither ‘peace,’ neither ‘Germans’.” That Eloge de l’amour, roundly heralded as a contemporary Godard masterpiece, fetishizes Robert Brasillach while turning up its nose at the Liberation is certainly…um, provocative?"]

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3. "Just a Minute With: Gene Hackman on his retirement": From Reuters India.

["I haven't held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I'm not going to act any longer. I've been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don't want to do it any longer."]

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4. "What's on Barack Obama's iPod?": From CNN.

["Bob Dylan. Yo-Yo Ma. Sheryl Crow. Jay-Z. These aren't musical acts in a summer concert series: They're artists featured on Barack Obama's iPod. "I have pretty eclectic tastes," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview to be published in Friday's issue of Rolling Stone."]

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5. "'X-Men' frogs sprout claws on demand": From MSNBC.

["At least 11 species of African frogs carry a built-in concealed weapon — they can sprout claws on demand to fight off attackers, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. When threatened, the frogs can puncture their own skin with sharp bones in their toes that they then use to claw their attackers, David Blackburn and colleagues at Harvard University reported. "It's surprising enough to find a frog with claws," Blackburn, a graduate student, said in a statement. "The fact that those claws work by cutting through the skin of the frogs' feet is even more astonishing. These are the only vertebrate claws known to pierce their way to functionality.""]

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Quote of the Day: Thomas Carlyle

"The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none."

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Image of the Day (click to enlarge): Could one of these become Hassel Castle?





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Clip of the Day: Well... my soul is destroyed.

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"Links for the Day": Each morning, the House editors post a series of weblinks that we think will spark discussion. Comments encouraged. Suggestions for links are also welcome. Please send to keithuhlich@gmail.com.