The Rake Magazine

Category: AAX

  • Cupcakes, Political Humor & Icelandic Dream Pop

    WINE & DINE

    World Flavors at The Bulldog Northeast



    Hot tip alert! The Rake still has a VERY LIMITED number of tickets left for tonight’s World Flavors dinner at The Bulldog Northeast! Now, I know what you’re thinking, fancy pants, but the Bulldog is not just a cool bar with an awesome outdoor patio, killer beer selection, and shuffleboard – it’s also a fantastic restaurant. Tonight’s special dinner goes above and beyond with four courses of gourmet deliciousness along with three (yes, three) thoughtfully paired pints of Belgian brew, and to top it all off, a famous Bulldog cupcake with a side o’ Peace Coffee! Eat and drink like it’s going out of style
    this evening as the Bulldog serves up such culinary delights as foie gras
    meatballs, stuffed shrimp cocktail, cobb salad with chicken confit and
    harissa dressing, succulent salmon fillet and more, all for a mere $35! If you know what’s
    good for you, you’ll click HERE right this minute to snap up one of the few remaining tickets that we have left!

    6pm-8pm, Bulldog Northeast, 401 E. Hennepin Avenue, Northeast Minneapolis, $35


    COMEDY

    A Political Conversation for Everyone



    Come on down to the Highland Park Library this evening for a hilarious political conversation with Triple Espresso comedian Bill Arnold. Join like-minded folks at this humorous edition of the St. Paul Public Library’s Saint Paul-itics
    series, which was created to inspire and inform the public through
    discussions with respected authors, speakers and community leaders.
    Tonight Arnold explores how past and present public figures have shaped
    our democracy (for better or worse) in A Political Conversation for Everyone. Make a night of it with a cute dinner at popular Highland Park pizza and pasta joint, Grampa Tony’s,
    which I can personally vouch for, having waitressed there for a year
    when I was an out-of-control teen. I’d personally recommend the
    super-savory Italian roast beef sandwich with mozzarella, it comes on
    buttery garlic bread and it’s as big as your head.



    7pm, Highland Park Library, 1974 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, Reserve free tickets HERE

    MUSIC

    Parachutes



    In my imagination, Iceland is a dreamy northern paradise where
    strapping, bearded men wear wool sweaters and smell like cold air and
    sea salt, and all the girls look like Bjork.
    They drink ice-cold vodka from heavy tumblers while talking about
    literature and art and music. They kiss each other constantly and time
    moves slowly, sleepily and happily. Tonight’s show at the Varsity only
    encourages my assumptions with the entrancingly sweet and chilly sounds
    of Parachutes. Hailing from Reykjavik this pretty young troupe of Icelandic dream rockers joins my own psychedelic faves Solid Gold and special guests Greycoats for a hazy, melodic evening of beautiful music that will most definitely put stars in your eyes.


    7pm, Varsity Theater, 1308 4th Street SE, Dinkytown, $10





    STATE FAIR TIP OF THE DAY

    Kathyrn Savage’s Stick-It Guide



    To me, the State Fair rivals sex, strong drinks, and Law and Order: SVU
    reruns. And I love fornicating almost as much as I love watching TV.
    Walking into the State Fair, the guy who took my ticket told me to
    "enjoy something on a stick!" I told him I would. Oh, yes I would.
    Because everyone knows, the fair is proof you can never go wrong
    deep-frying anything and putting it on-a-stick. I’d eat Jerry Orbach’s
    eye if you battered it, and served it in stick-form. Thanks to reader
    request, (and my own desire to eat as much at the fair as possible),
    I’ve compiled a list of day-one, stick-samplings. Sad to say, I made
    some disappointing choices. Read my guide to spare yourself the same
    fate. -Kathryn Savage



    Click HERE to read Kathryn’s Stick-It Guide!



    6am-Midnight Daily, State Fair Grounds, Saint Paul, $11

  • Hamlet 2

    For many
    people the very idea of a sequel to Hamlet is preposterous.
    But if Shakespeare
    fans want to see a good tragedy, they should check out the last act of Hamlet
    2    .
    A truly funny slapstick film for the first hour, the tragedy of Hamlet
    2     is
    that it turns away from its comedic prowess in favor of an ending with
    an
    inspirational message–the same dramatic device that the film is
    parodying.

    Dana
    Marschz (Steve Coogan) goes by the motto, "acting is life."
    Unfortunately, his acting and his life are pitiful. A failed Hollywood
    actor, Marschz
    has settled down with his wife Brie (Catherine Keener) in Tuscon, Arizona,
    where he teaches drama at a high school for next to nothing. His
    desires to
    save the school’s pathetic drama program, and his career, rest in the
    hands of
    reluctant students whose participation is due to cancellation of other
    school
    activities.

    Like the
    inspirational movies that Marschz has been attempting to bring to the
    school’s
    stage, he tries to make lemonade out of lemons. He decides to write an
    original
    play for his students to perform in hopes of raising the six thousand
    dollars
    necessary to save the program. When word gets out that the play is a
    sequel to Hamlet
    with questionable content relating to sexuality and religion, the
    school principal
    shuts down the production. In spite of his obvious ineptitude,
    Marschz’s
    dedication has inspired his students to go to great lengths to put on
    the play
    amidst public outcry.

    The driving
    force behind Hamlet 2 is Coogan’s masterful performance as
    Marschz. He lampoons
    the "keep your head held high" mindset of the drama teacher
    perfectly. His commitment to the character is akin to Will Ferrell’s as
    Ron
    Burgundy in Anchorman. The one-liners and sight gags that he
    brings to the
    screen spawned numerous laugh-out-loud moments.

    While Hamlet
    2     does a great job of parodying the schmaltzy inspirational teacher
    story line
    found in movies like Mr. Holland’s Opus and Dangerous Minds,
    the film abandons its
    irreverent satire in favor of an inspirational ending. Marschz’s
    downfall and
    inspired resurrection is a drastic departure from the rest of the
    film’s
    tongue-in-cheek humor.

    The parody worked extremely well for the first two-thirds of the film,
    but left
    no room for the character development necessary for an audience to care
    if the
    students are inspired by their teacher. By the time Marschz hits bottom
    and the
    students rally around their teacher, all the audience cares about is
    the punch
    line…and they are left hanging.

    A bizarre, over-the-top ending, ala Ron Burgundy giving up his chance
    at a
    comeback to leap into the grizzly bear pit at the San Diego Zoo and save Veronica Corningstone, would
    have better
    suited the movie’s satirical strength.

    In
    Marschz’s pivotal moment of clarity he realizes that he has truly
    inspired his
    students and declares that his life is a "parody of a tragedy." The
    tragedy of Hamlet 2 is that the film didn’t stick to the parody.

  • Ok, Maybe not Sabathia for Santana


    How’d you like to see this coming at you?

    If last night was any indication, either I’ve severely overestimated C.C. Sabathia or Eric Wedge way overused him during the season. Over 240 innings in a year is a lot these days. (Santana pitched 219 this year.)

    Last night (and in game one of the Boston series) he just wasn’t sharp at all. Zellar opined that it was because he was just tired…and he’s not in very good shape to start with. Over 290 pounds is a lot of weight to move around. About 90 pounds more than Johan has to heft with each pitch.

    Sabathia did go 4-1 against the Twins this year, though, while Santana was 0-5 against the Indians.

    I’d still take Grady Sizemore for Mauer in a heartbeat though.