Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Keepers Of The Purple Twilight Are Coming For You!

NEW Book Coming: Graffiti Lives



Gregory "Professor Greg" J. Snyder (Assistant Professor of Sociology at Baruch College, City University of New York) is about to drop a book on contemporary graffiti culture. It's called "Graffiti Lives" and will be available in January 2009 on NYU Press. Make sure to check for it as it promises to be major.

"Outstanding, innovative, and multidimensional.... I can easily see this book becoming the new 'best book on graffiti.'" —Joe Austin, author of Taking The Train: How Graffiti Art Became An Urban Crisis in New York City

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

NEW DJ MIX: Music For Artists At 3am


This time around it's a Minimal House and Electro Mix that includes tracks from Professor Genius, Aphex Twin, Model 500 and (insert shameless plug here) myself, among others.

Get It Here

If you would like the tracklisting, please contact me at rontronik@rontronik.com

Monday, May 26, 2008

Final Analysis: Movies With Ron: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull


Indiana Jones Desperately Searches for a script

Final Analysis: SKIP IT
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2.5stars (based on scale of 1 to 5 / 1=worst / 5=best)

• This movie is another example of why George Lucas should not be writing (or directing) anymore. and Spielberg is just as bad for a directing this garbage and letting it see the light of day
• I've seen better plots in a Scooby-Doo cartoon.
• Totally disappointing

Friday, May 23, 2008

Through A Lens Darkly (Black Photographers Documentary Trailer)



Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People is a two-hour documentary film and multimedia project that explores the ways black communities have learned to use the medium of photography to construct political, aesthetic and cultural representations of themselves and their world.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Album Cover of The Month


Another "blast from the past." This is one of my all-time favorite covers by one of my favorite designers. Peter Saville created this cover for the Joy Division album "Unknown Pleasures" in 1979. It still resonates today.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Before Questioning Rev. Wright's Patriotism, READ THIS

From the April 6, 2008 Washington Post:

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.

In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.) The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician.

Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery.

For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation. What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father.

Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities.

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades. Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations, denouncements and rejections of his comments and him. We've seen on television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev. Wright's many sermons.

Some of the Wright's comments are inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned, but in calling him "unpatriotic," let us not forget that this is a man who gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.

How many of Wright's detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many.

While words do count, so do actions. Let us not forget that, for whatever Rev. Wright may have said over the last 30 years, he has demonstrated his patriotism.

Two-Face?


Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face)

So i saw the new full trailer of "The Dark Knight" and noticed this image of Harvey Dent. Looks like we will see Harvey Dent become Two-Face in the movie. Take a look at the image above ... notice a little problem with the other side of his face (close to the gun)?


UPDATE: POSSIBLE SPOILER



pictured above: Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face) WARNING: image may be fake

Final Analysis: Movies With Ron Review (Early Review): Speed Racer


Speed Racer

Final Analysis: GO SEE IT IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE ORIGINAL 1960s ANIMATED SERIES
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4stars (based on scale of 1 to 5 / 1=worst / 5=best)

• great adaptation of the original animated series
• superb special fx (colors schemes from scene to scene are vivid!)
• awesome action sequences
• definitely a kids or "tweens" movie - so do not expect it to have really adult overtones

- lots of sillyness, just like the cartoon NOTE: the kid who plays "Spritle" is fanatastic

Final Analysis: Movies With Ron Review: Iron Man


Iron Man

Final Analysis: GO SEE IT
-
5stars (based on scale of 1 to 5 / 1=worst / 5=best)

• best casting i've seen in a long time in terms of comic-book-based movies
• great dialogue (hits all the marks -- great balance of humor and seriousness)
• outstanding special fx
• not a big fan of the secret scene at the end of the credits but like it (Avenger Initiative)

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