The Rake Magazine

Year: 2007

  • Anger, Armies, and Some Good Sex

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    An Evening With Kenneth Anger. Friday night at 7:30 at the Walker Art Center Cinema.

    Holy tapdancing cats, there’s a ton of intriguing movie choices opening Friday. Army of Shadows, the crazy Existentialist-Noir-French Resistance picture, is in town for a few days at the Oak Street Cinema (and here’s my review, from an earlier showing this summer). Then Venus is opening at the Uptown Theatre, while Anthony Minghella’s intelligent and deeply flawed Breaking and Entering is opening around town. All three films offer a fascinating night out, and the latter two are sexually honest pictures (a rarity). Of the last pair, the first is a sweet story that doesn’t pull any punches about the hungry libido of a very old man, played by Peter O’Toole, who deserves this year’s Oscar, and not just because he’s due. The role is often unappealing and brutal, and well worth watching. B & E is surprising emotionally, though it spins out of control, losing focus and relying on a horribly pat ending. But the sex scenes betwixt Jude Law and Juliette Binoche are heart-thumping and real. I guess old Jude is the only actor willing to go down on his lady love in Hollywood today…

    But I would really like to point you in the direction of the Walker, who are bringing in our favorite Satan-worshipping, homoerotic short filmmaker, a man who’s influenced Scorsese (by his own admission) and David Lynch (my own observation, though you’d have to be blind not to notice the comparisons), in the guise of former child-actor Dr. Kenneth Anger. Anger might be most famous for his wicked tell-all book Hollywood Babylon, which at times is so mean-spirited and gruesome it’ll give you nightmares during your afternoon nap.

    Anger will be in town to plug a new DVD collection of his works, and mesmerized theatergoers will also be treated to his films Fireworks, Rabbit’s Moon, Scorpio Rising, Kustom Kar Kommandos and Invocation of My Demon Brother. Scorpio is an obvious precursor to Blue Velvet, with its soundtrack of rippin’ 50s and 60s hits, including Vinton’s “Blue Velvet”, all this playing while leather-clad bikers stroke their motorcycles, and other objects. Fireworks is startling, if only for the fact that it’s an American film from 1947, and its rampant homosexuality is shocking even today (a man has to be torn to pieces by angry sailors in order to finally enjoy a relationship). These films really beggar description, but are beautiful, moving at times, and well worth watching. I imagine that Mr. Anger will be giving us some interesting commentary to accompany them. To say the least!

    In other words, if you’re interested in a movie and have your thoughts provoked, there’s a veritable smorgasbord in town–not to mention all the good stuff that’s already here.

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  • First Story: Geography of the Upper Midwest

    Here’s a quote from the Strib about the new editor of City Pages and his pending move from Cleveland, which is in Ohio, to here, which is in Minnesota:

    “Hoffman, 30, who joined the Cleveland paper as a writer in 2002 and was promoted to managing editor in 2005, said he was drawn to the City Pages job because he and his wife, an attorney, were looking for a place to live that wasn’t too far from her family in Michigan.”

    Ohio is the state that touches Michigan. Minnesota is the state that has Wisconsin and a Great Lake between it and Michigan.

  • Puck Fuel

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    Dirty Little Secret #62: I am obsessed with the hunt for the Winter Carnival medallion.

    Yeah, I know.

    My family doesn’t even really understand the extent. Sure, they’ve seen me on the computer noodling out the clues, looking through maps and aerial shots of Ramsey County parks, I can’t hide that. But I’ve been sneaky in other areas; they have no idea that while they toil at work/school, I’ve been out, digging.

    They’ll forgive me if I find the puck, if I come home with some shiny loot and cash, right? Not that I need to be forgiven, I am not alone in this.

    But it’s an historic year and exciting year, so why not come clean? The Infamous Jake found the original 07 med in record time, and a second hunt is already underway. Whether you love/hate the Cooler Crew, give away your clues on the discussion boards or only in person in the park, have been hunting since you were born or just joining the fray, we all have one thing in common: baby, it’s cold outside and we’re just a little nuttier for it.

    So, my fellow seekers, I’ll be at Central tonight (shunning the Como, too obvious) packing my thermos three:

    Kid Friendly Cocoa
    Swiss Miss with a hit of fresh cream mixed in.

    The Velvet Vulcan
    Schokinag Extreme Dark cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cumin, and Amaretto.

    The Medallionator (in homage)
    Schokinag Milk Chocolate, espresso shots, vanilla vodka, Bailey’s Irish Cream.

    Come find me if you need a bump.

  • Victory Forgives Dishonesty

    The last of the Walker’s Out There shows opens tonight. I don’t know much about this weekend’s featured artists, The Riot Group, who are apparently an absurdist creator of political satire, but I did pick up on this snazzy bit from the Walker’s press release about ’em: these guys are apparently “riffing on influences as disparate as Moby Dick and the Marine Corps manual” in this show, Pugilist Specialist. So, I guess this will be something of a meditation on the U.S.’s eerily misguided searches for evil in foreign lands–replete with spooky music and a barren stage. Don’t miss it.

    Coming tomorrow: Cheap, outdoor theater from one of the least known but most physically inventive theater troupes in town. Oh, and my favorite visual artist David Rathman. And maybe a dash more of Kramer’s Ergot.

  • Minnesota Poll. We Hardly Know Ye.

    This past Monday the Star Tribune staff received the following memo from editors Nancy Barnes and Scott Gillespie.

    “Rob Daves has agreed to take on the role of project manager of buzz.mn through the end of March. In this role, Rob will be in charge of working with everyone in the newsroom to make the buzz.mn website a success and lay out a plan for its future, including developing marketing plans. To make this a success, we’ll need everyone’s help. Buzz.mn will succeed on the combined efforts of the newsroom, and contributors from the community.

    “Only a handful of staffers currently contribute to the site on a regular basis. We’d like for all staff members who live in the communities where we are now developing buzz.mn to contribute items each week. We’re not talking about devoting large chunks of your day, but to file two or three short items off your beat or from your community. You don’t have to be a reporter. In fact, any member of the staff can participate. If you have any questions or need help learning how to contribute, please see Rob or your team leader.

    Nancy and Scott

    What is noteworthy here is the fact that no mention is made of Daves’ role as head of the paper’s Minnesota Poll, an iconic piece of enterprise reporting that is operating on a much diminished schedule compared to several years ago. By the estimate of one person with knowledge of such things, the current, McClatchy-operated, Star Tribune is devoting something in the range of 15% of what used to be budgeted for polling.

    With Daves making this temporary move to goose growth in buzz.mn, one of a half dozen special/web-related productions the Strib has going, suspicions rise that cuurent managers may be quietly shutting the door on the Minnesota Poll in advance of their new, more likely than not budget-cutting owners, the Avista private equity group.

    I called Daves for his comment and he made a convincing show of enthusiasm for the buzz.mn work he has been asked to do, but defered any speculation on the vitality of the Minnesota Poll to Scott Gillespie.

    So … I sent Gillespie the following e-mail …

    Scott:

    I’m doing a media blog for The Rake. I’m told Rob Daves is temporarily moving over to handle one of your websites. I called him and he seems enthusiastic about the assignment, but defers any questions about the future of the Minnesota Poll to you.

    Frankly, I’m getting expressions of concern from your newsroom that the Star Tribune is planning fewer polls rather than more, and/or that this move portends the demise of the Poll entirely. Can you comment on that?

    I’m told the paper is budgeting roughly 15% of what it budgeted for the polls in their glory days. Is that number reasonably accurate?

    Can you say how many polls you have planned for ’07? ’08?

    Once Daves finishes his work with Buzz.Mn. will he be returning to his same role with the Minnesota Poll at the same or increased budget?

    Thanks.

    In an entirely timely fashion Gillespie replied as follows …

    Thanks for asking, Brian, and I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

    The Minnesota Poll will live on. Rob’s a really versatile editor who’s handled many temporary projects for us over the years while also running the poll. I’m not going to get into internal budget figures or frequency issues with you because we have competitors who would love to know what we’re doing and when. But I can assure you that the Minnesota Poll will continue to be an important part of our news report.

    Hope you’re doing well.

    –Scott

    I think its safe to say that a few questions were left unanswered there. One I hadn’t thought of is, “Who really poses any serious competition to the Minnesota Poll”?

    I’ll take Gillespie at his word, I guess, that the Minnesota Poll, which I regard as a valuable contribution to Minnesota discourse, will continue to be, “an important part” of the Strib’s news report”. But one truism of modern news “reporting” is that the public rarely complains about what is NOT in the paper, and pricey, labor-intensive endeavors like long-term investigative reporting and polling are therefore easily, uh, “down-sized”, occasionally to oblivion.

    Finally, as someone who marvels at the dramatic increases in productivity of American workers … in a time when the real value of their wages has barely kept up with the rate of inflation … I have to be amused at Barnes’ and Gillespie’s call for “all staff members”, reporters and otherwise, to “file two or three short items off your beat …”, each week. You know, when they’re not doing anything else … and with no hint of financial incentive, other than of course keeping their jobs through the next round of “down-sizing.”

  • As if we needed further proof that Bachmann's seriously unhinged.


    I grope Merkel, Bachmann gropes me.

    In case you missed it last night, Michele Bachman put on quite a show of pawing President Bush after he finished the State of the Union address. KSTP got it on tape. (Click play on the tv-shaped window on the right to view the video.)

    According to a former Congressional staffer I know, Bachmann would have had to have arrived about 12 hours early in the House chamber to get the seat on the aisle that gave her the opportunity to grope W for the cameras.

    As much as I dislike the guy, he is the President of the United States, and he doesn’t look any more presidential by having this idiot-school-girl-who-is-pretending-to-be-a-member-of-Congress fawning on him.

    Is she really that lame? Don’t forget she’s the same one who hid behind the bushes or in the bathroom when confronted by opponents. So, I’d have to say, yes she is.

    I was just reminded of another possible explanation, though. Perhaps Bachmann was channeling German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was groped by Bush last year.

  • She leaped over somethin'

    Katherine Lanpher reads from her new memoir Leap Days this evening at Magers and Quinn. I just finished up the book last week. This one I devoured, mostly on account of its provincial delights. I used to work at Theatre de la Jeune Lune, for one. And Lanpher spends much time unpacking her failed marriage to former Jeune Lune artistic director Vincent Gracieux. There were a few references to local media types too, and I picked up on at least one Strib ex-pat. (John Habich? Was that you?) But I kept waiting for her to mention, oh, I don’t know, perhaps that much-publicized DWI. Or maybe the other man she fell in love with while still married to Gracieux–she only grazes the surface of this one. But I’d be similarly guilty of omission if I didn’t say that Lanhper has a knack for a conversational writing style that rather sucks you in. What’s more, I enjoyed wading through her feminist musings.

  • Another in the Wind

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    So … now Auriga has announced that it will close this weekend after ten years.

    I really like the food at Auriga. I think it’s fresh, exciting and I think they believe in the perfect bite. One of my favorite meals was during a late night stop-in during a snow storm. We ordered some stuff, a couple of plates we were going to share, and the kitchen mistakenly sent out the wrong dishes. The mistake was a blessing, the plates set upon our table were the ones the chef had made himself, for his own dinner. No way were we giving them back, they were better than what we ordered, simpler yet spicier.

    So now they’re done and I have to wonder why? Isn’t that area a gold mine? Aren’t there large houses with rich, hungry people stowed inside, just waiting for someone to pamper and feed them? Isn’t there a continual influx of freshly graduated twenty-somethings hoping to expand their minds and palates?

    Did they do everything they could? Did they cultivate their local regulars? Did they create new regulars by recognizing and winning over first-time guests? Did they explore the natural allliance with the Walker? Did they advertise? Did they let people outside their neighborhood know where they were?

    Or were they just done?

  • Late Breaking

    From the department of good news: I just found out about this rock show at the Hexagon tonight. Check it! It’s called the 8 Ball Unplugged. Twenty-three acts each do eight-minute sets. Here’s the lineup, roughly:

    Faux Jean

    Bill Caperton

    Bethany Larson

    Danny Sigelman (MPR night dj guy)

    Brian Just (Beight)

    Brad Senne (Beight)

    Travis and Jonny

    Anthony Newes

    Johnny (Friends Like These)

    Jacob Grun (It From Bit)

    The Nightinghales

    Bernie King

    Abisha & Jessie (Sick Of Sarah)

    Andy Elwell

    Fit To Burn

    Chris Dorn (from the Beatifics, a personal fave)

    First Communion Afterparty

    Luke Redfield

    Jennifer Markey

    Orion Treon (Plastic Chord)

  • What to look forward to

    Tomorrow is the “worst day of the year,” according to the BBC. This explains a lot. Brace yourselves, friends, and know that the next few days offer little in the way of mirthful distraction. However, for five bucks you can attend this evening’s staged reading of Shawn Lawrence Otto’s newest screenplay, Dreams of a Dying Heart. Otto is the dude who wrote The House of Sand and Fog. This new one’s about a female fighter pilot getting shot down over Iraq. It’s not exactly the thing that’ll stave off the blues. And you won’t wake feeling any better on Wednesday either.

    Speaking of Iraq and the blues, last week I saw a preview of a heart wrenching and dangerous flick that’s coming soon to the Bell: Iraq in Fragments. I watched it while all alone in my dark apartment and even got a little misty during the first and third fragments.

    So says the BBC: one of the reasons folks find themselves depressed is that there’s little to look forward to during this time of year. For me however, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel–and that’s the coming weekend, packed as it is with enticements. For one, there’s another installment of the Electric Arc Radio Show on Saturday. Or make that two installments. Turns out, the eight p.m. performance sold out so quickly that the Lit 6 and Creative Electric folks added a “preview” at five. This works out quite well for me, as I’m dying to get over the St. Paul for the Kramer’s Ergot reception at seven. I’ll write more about the coming weekend on Friday, I suppose. Until then, I’ll be the one biting my cuticles and biding the time.