Category: Blog Post

Kevin and his wife, whose family lives somewhere in Michigan

The new City Pages editor, Kevin Hoffman, logged on to the City Pages blogs Wednesday to clear up the geography question regarding the relative proximity of the Twin Cities and Cleveland to Michigan.

Some have suggested that he could have made the whole thing go away by claiming that his wife’s family is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is arguably closer to Minnesota, and doesn’t require a boat ride to get there. But no, he went with the time tested explanation employed by politicians everywhere: “I wuz misquoted by a journalist.”

In this case, that journalist is Deborah Rybak, the media reporter at the Strib.

First, you might want to ask yourself, Kevin, “Do you want to piss off the Strib’s media reporter right off the bat?” Second, you might want to ask yourself, “Do I want to act so thin skinned right in front of all my new subordinates?” Third, you might want to ask yourself, “What sort of big brass ones does City Pages staffer Chuck Terhark have to make him want to make fun of me before he even has the opportunity to kiss my ring?”

There’a thread going over at mnspeak about Hoffman and some of the ribbing he’s taken so far. The latest entrys are Deborah Rybak’s short jab in the Strib this morning (last item) about Hoffman’s myspace page, (Clarification: Rybak wrote the item on Wednesday, before Hoffman said he was misquoted) and my son’s fictitious Seven Quick Questions for the out-of-towner.

Given Hoffman’s comments on the CP blog, and his own defensive remarks to Rybak when questioned about his age, what we can perhaps conclude about him is that he could use some help in the humor and self deprecation department.

Maybe he could just use a better writer. Let’s pretend, ok?

Rybak: “Kevin, aren’t you kind of young?”
Hoffman: “Yeah, I’m so young, I still have my high school graduation on my myspace resume, just to make it seem longer.”

or

“I’m so young, I have a picture of a green guinea pig on my myspace page.”

or

“I saw that the City Pages’ publisher’s twelve-year-old daughter has a myspace page, and I thought being her myspace friend would be a good career move.”

or, maybe even

“Yes, I am young and I have some huge shoes to fill. Steve Perry has been an institution in the Twin Cities since before I got my learner’s permit. Over the years, he and City Pages have been responsible for a lot of remarkable journalism, and I hope the current staff, (none of whom were even considered for the editor’s job by the corporate bosses) will help me get to know the cities, and help me carry on the tradition of excellence they and Perry have established.”

Naah.

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.