Control - Movie 13; Fun Fact 21

Last night we saw the movie, Contol, about Ian Curtis the lead singer of Joy Division, a leading post-punk band that was big in the very late 70's. Curtis wound up killing himself, crushed by the demands of celebrity, increasingly severe epileptic seizures, and the problems that ensue due to an ongoing affair that his wife threatens to leave him over. (Other accounts discuss severe mental illness, which seems to make more sense - the movie leaves you wondering what led him to feel so utterly trapped and without hope.) Shot in black and white, the movie does a good job of capturing the bleakness of his homelife from adolescence to the end. Great music throughout. I think that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is one of the best songs of this genre. Joy Division reformulated under the apt name New Order after Curtis' death and went on to produce some interesting early electronica / dance music.

Fun Fact: The name Joy Division is taken from a brothel frequented by German soldiers during WW II.

Specimen Days - Book 13

Michael Cunningham is such a great writer that you just have to excuse his rather bleak take on the world. Like other books that I have read by him ( The Hours, A Home at the End of the World) this book is in the end the story of human endurance in the face of high odds and periods of incredible lonliness and alienation. It is composed of three novellas, all set in New York, all integrating the poetry of Walt Whitman in one way or another. The first is a story of Irish immigrants set at the dawn of the industrial revolution, the second is a kind of post 9/11 police procedural mystery that seems to signal the beginning of the demise of capitalism, and the third is a post-apocalyptic story cast in the mid 21 century after capitalism has led to the destruction of pretty much everything. Each story features recurring characters types. Sounds hokey, but he manages to pull it off very well. I had read the first story months ago and then put it down as I was not in the mood for grim destruction. But when I picked it back up recently I found I could not put it down. Cunningham is really an extraordinary writer. Great book!

Dylan and Costello - Performance 10; Chicago Theatre - Place 26; Fun Fact 20

We went to see Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello on Susan's birthday on Sunday. What a great show! Dylan's band was really good and they played a lot of long jams on both old and new songs. Dylan's voice was extremely raspy, even for him. And he made up some new melodies for his old songs. But the real star of the show was Elvis Costello. From start to finish he was pure energy and entertainment, with great song selection and enthusiasm. He sang many old favs as well as some new songs including several anti-war songs, and even a humorous old chestnut from the 20's about elections and politicians. Even his banter from the stage was great. Although it was relatively brief, it was one of the best performances we have seen. Ever. We both came away wishing that he would have been alotted more time. The Chicago Theatre was a great venue in which to see them both. Its a cool old theatre with high ceilings, ornate decorations, and a wide main floor. So much more intimate than an arena venue which they undoubtedly could have filled. We were about 15 or so rows back on the side and had a great view of the whole show. Fun (?) Fact: Dylan did not talk to the audience once during the entire show -- until the encore when he introduced his band.

International Film Fest: Movies 10, 11, and 12

Because we're still playing catch-up from our brief hiatus due to moving, we need to mention that the annual Chicago International Film Fest was held a few weeks ago and we attended several movies, including Jellyfish (an Israeli movie about the joy and despair and magic in the lives of several women), and a grouping of some very interesting Animated Shorts. But our hands down favorite was "Jump" a documentary about several teams of teens from across the country competing in the national jumprope competition. Wierd interaction of athletic competition with zealous Christianity for many of the teams. Talk about extreme behavior! This film doesn't have a distribution deal yet, but if it comes to a theatre near you, we highly recommend it.

The Sparrow - Peformance 9; Fun Fact 18

Last Saturday we took in a performance of the play The Sparrow at the Apollo Theatre, located about 1 1/2 miles from our apartment. It was a beautiful night, so we decided to walk down to meet our friends Karen and Josie for dinner before the show. We decided on Indian Food at the Raj Darbar, mentioned previously on this blog. We shared chicken tikka masala, chicken shahi kurma, saag paneer, and a chick pea dish whose name escapes me at the moment. They were all pretty good, but not as good as they had been when we visited last month. The play, however, was excellent. It is the story of the girl with magical powers and their effect for good and ill on her small town. Though it got a little Carrie-esque towards the end, highlights of the play included the singing and dancing and the enormously creative staging that seemed to really define the play itself. Fun fact: This acting troupe consists of a bunch of college friends who decided to come to Chicago to contribute a new troupe to Chicago's lively independent theatre scene.

Gale Street Inn - Restaurant 26; Fun Fact 19

Let the birthday celebrations begin -- with ribs! Sunday is Susan's 46th birthday and we got the party started with some excellent ribs at the Gale Street Inn on the northwest side of Chicago. Fall of the bone meat topped with excellent sauce, cooked just right. Yum! The place was packed, even though it was only Thursday night. We'll definitely be visiting Gale Street again. Fun Fact: The Gale Street Inn is not an inn, nor is it on Gale Street. Go figure!

Across the Universe - Movie 9; Fun Fact 17

I went and saw "Across the Universe" at the afternoon show today at the Landmark Theatre on Diversey, Clark, and Halsted. Yes, I know that it had been playing to mixed reviews, but I liked it. (Plus it was fun to see a movie for the bargain matinee price of $7.00.) In order to enjoy it you have to be ok with musicals and all of the hokiness that can go along with them on film, really like Beatles songs, and be interested in the ambience of the 60s. If that appeals, this is the movie for you. If not, take a pass. I think this might account for the wildly uneven reviews. Fun fact: Bono has a great cameo as a Californian who is way ahead of the New York LSD learning curve.