1. One reason I like Zach Braff is how he dives into the internet.
his website/blog: http://www.zachbraff.com/ <–the left sidebar is cute in theory, but horribly horribly HORRIBLY done. his website in general is really awesome in theory (let's embed more youtube videos!) but kind of clunky. also, easter eggs are all the rage.
the website for his newest movie: http://www.lastkissmovie.com/
his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/zachbraff
the myspace page for the SOUNDTRACK to his latest movie: http://www.myspace.com/thelastkiss
itunes music store link to his video podcasts: long link
Another reason I like Zach Braff is he looks like David Duchovny. Especially in this shot from the trailer for “the last kiss”
A third reason I like Zach Braff is that I already love the music he loves. Years ago Ryan arranged both “Warning Sign” and “Chocolate,” for example. Ok, that’s an example of how RYAN already loves the music Zach Braff loves, but whatever. Oh! I already love imogen heap, and because of my roommate, not because of the Garden State soundtrack. Really!
That soundtrack (to the last kiss) looks really good. I watched the video for Joshua Radin’s “closer” and I’m kind of … meh. He doesn’t look… self-possessed enough or something, like he’s overdoing the “I’m a young, struggling musician, please love me, see, I’ve got these innocent eyes” look. But he has a strange, pleasing whisper of a voice.
“The Last Kiss” is a coming-of-age at 30 story; “Garden State” was a coming-of-age-in-your-mid-20s story. But I guess everything is sort of a coming-of-age story. “Cars” was a coming-of-age-if-you-are-a-noob-racecar story. “The Little Mermaid” was a coming-of-age-and-ditching-your-family-and-friends-and-everything-you-know-for-some-random-prince-you-know-nothing-about story. LOTR is a coming-of-age-because-you-are-a-little-hobbit-destined-to-do-great-things story. “Fight Club” was a coming-of-age-and-being-ok-with-blowing-up-financial-institutions-because-it’s-all-in-good-fun-and-no-humans-were-in-them-anyway story.
2. I really like Muse. Right now after a quick run-through my favorite is “supermassive black hole.” oh god oh god i love it so much. A very close second is “starlight.”
Muse is a little hard to sing along to for a few reasons. A) All the melodramatic pitch-sliding and rhythm-bending. You have to listen to the song a million times to memorize exactly how he does it or you sound terrible when you try to sing along with him. B) Lyrics you feel stupid saying, like “you electrify my life./ let’s conspire to ignite/ all the souls that would die just to feel alive.” At least it’s better than “get to know you/ a little more better.” jesus christ. C) He sings really high.
There are a bunch of songs that could possibly be about war. The first song is probably about Bush. Hahahahaahahaa
I think I’m going to have to subscribe to your very all-encompassing theory of Coming-of-Age movies.
I’m trying to think of a movie that can’t be a coming-of-age story. I’m having a hard time. I know that as soon as I say this, people will be like “duh, here is a list of a million movies that aren’t coming-of-age stories!” but still.
Damn, I’m going to have to think about that one. So far everything in my arsenal is now a coming-of-age movie!
Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke? DaVinci Code? The Italian Job?
I’ve never seen those D:
But I’ve read the DaVinci Code. Coming-of-age-story-if-you-are-a-young-cryptographer-searching-for-understanding-your-father’s-strange-actions-and-also-finding-love-wooha! ?
Oh yeah, that counts!
Monty Python’s Meaning of Life