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We haven’t held a Friday Happy Hour in a while. Let me throw out some questions.
1. Last weekend, we offered up the mental_floss summer reading list. But what about summer DVDs? What out-of-the-ordinary titles are you moving up in your Netflix queue?
2. You might not be enamored with your city or town, but I’m guessing everyone can get somewhere cool (and back) in a day. What’s the best day trip option in your part of the world?
3. If you could invite any living musician to play a concert in your home for you and a few dozen friends, which artist would you choose?
4. We’ve been kicking around a potentially very fun idea with interns Ben, Kristen & Sydney, and I wanted to gauge your interest. If they were to pick a movie on cable and host a group chat/running diary kind of thing while it was airing, would you tune in and participate? (It doesn’t have to be a movie. We’d just need to find something a large percentage of readers have access to.)
The interns would provide Pop-Up Video-esque commentary, give away prizes, and have a chance to get to know our readers. Anyway, it’s just a seedling of an idea. Since we don’t have group chat capabilities (at least I don’t think we do), we’d probably do this on our Facebook page, or possibly here on the blog in a constantly-updating entry. All suggestions are welcome.
Have a great weekend!
* * * * *
Shhh…super secret special for blog readers.
1. This is the summer of the classics. I’ll be starting with North by Northwest then Dr. Zhivago. Not sure what we be after that but open to ideas!
2. Just under 3 hours from northern NJ is Mystic Seaport & Aquarium. If you’ve never been there it is worth the ride
3. Roll in the piano and let Billy Joel have at it
4. Yes! Sounds like fun.
posted by JaneM on 6-27-2008 at 11:59 am
1. While my subscription is actually Blockbuster’s Total Access, some of the titles I have coming up are:
Roshomon,
Weeds (Season 2)
Babel
Cloverfield
Branded To Kill
and like 300 more…haha
3. Definitely Trent Reznor.
posted by michael on 6-27-2008 at 12:04 pm
1. No queues here, but I recently saw three great films:
Rocket Science
Love Me If You Dare
The Saddest Music in the World
2. Hrm … Seattle has a ton of hiking/camping places all a days trip away. And the “beach,” although I can’t really consider it a beach it I’m wearing a scarf…
3. Definitely Ugly Casanova, since current contracts don’t allow for Isaac Brock to persue this side-project.
4. Love the idea!
posted by Juliet on 6-27-2008 at 12:14 pm
1. Debbie Does Houston IV, V, and VI
2. The best day trip from my hometown (STL) would be the Augusta wineries. The only problem is getting home.
3. Jack Johnson
4. Hell no!
posted by B-Weezy on 6-27-2008 at 12:15 pm
Yay I’ve missed this feature!
1.) I could never catch up on the movies I’ve been missing. Maybe when DD graduates.
2.) I’m just over an hour away from Mpls./St Paul-there’s a ton of fun stuff to do there!
3.) No contest, hands down, Prince.
4.) I would check it out!
posted by mrs.djs on 6-27-2008 at 12:18 pm
1. definitely some 90’s classics: my girl, clueless, independence day, forrest gump, trainspotting, a little fight club, maybe some Gia
2. with the right people I’d have to say galveston, tx!!! even by yourself. amazing how clear my head is after a day laying out at the beach when it is absolutely beautiful (even though the water isn’t so much)
3. I’d love to get robert plant doin some acoustic versions of classic led zeppelin songs!!!
4. I’m so down
posted by sebrown113 on 6-27-2008 at 12:25 pm
2. Wisconsin Dells!! It’s the ‘waterpark capital of the world’ with more than 20 waterparks and has Noah’s Ark: America’s Largest Waterpark! Which I love so much and go every summer. The Dells also has a ton of other tourist things such as museums, scenic tours, golfing, live entertainment and theaters, amusement parks, and a bunch of other stuff. I don’t really partake in any of the tourist junk but I love the feeling of just being in that area.
posted by susan on 6-27-2008 at 12:39 pm
I live in Newfoundland Canada. We have an Insectarium, with Butterfly pavillion. very nice. We are less then an hour drive to Gros Morne National Park, with TableLands, Fjord, great scenery. Love my nexk of the woods!!
posted by Tonya on 6-27-2008 at 12:42 pm
1. not a huge movie fan but i’ll probably rewatch big fish, finding neverland, moulin rouge, peter pan (NOT the cartoon)
2. i’m in tennesse so there’s a lot of places to go….i’d probably hit nashville and memphis or maybe mammoth cave natl park in KY
3. matthew sweet or phil collins…..i can’t decide
4. it would be interesting
posted by stef on 6-27-2008 at 12:47 pm
1) Right now I’m going through a BBC TV kick with Jekyll on its way, followed shortly after by MI-5, and then the new Dr. Who. With a 6-month old in the house, I find that it’s easiest to spend my time in front of the TV in quick bursts.
2) I also live in St. Louis and aside from going to Chicago for the day (a 6-hour, one-way drive), there’s a state park just barely over in Illinois that has a cave you can go spelunking in. And this ain’t no guided tour. We’re talking hardhats, headlamps, knee pads, and prepare to get wet because you’re on your own and can go wherever you please. Great time.
3) If I could get the Dave Matthews Band to play a private concert for my wife’s birthday, I would be the greatest husband that ever lived (in her eyes, anyway).
4) It sounds interesting. Depending upon the film/program, I’d check it out and see what you guys were up to.
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 6-27-2008 at 12:48 pm
1. Right now working through season 1 of “Slings and Arrows”, an excellent sitcom that my boyfriend tells me is Canadian.
2. I live in DC, you want day-trip destinations? We got ‘em: Annapolis, Baltimore, Charlottesville, Six Flags, Kings Dominion, Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, the Allegheny mountains… man, I LOVE this town.
3. I can’t pick between Tom Waits or Patty Griffin.
4. That sounds like fun!
posted by mandapanda on 6-27-2008 at 12:51 pm
1. fight club;hope & glory;on the town
2. 90 minutes from Glacier National Park
and I live on the largest natural freshwater lake West of the Mississippi, so lots to do.
3.itzhak Perelman
4.depends on the feature.
posted by qt314159265 on 6-27-2008 at 1:01 pm
1. I’m a fan of documentaries. The last great one I saw was about Leonard Cohen, called ‘I’m Your Man.’ If you love music (and the Wainwrights) you’ll like it.
2. I live about four hours from Dallas. There’s plenty to do there.
3. Oh no, this list is long. My top three are Amos Lee, Ron Pope and probably Damien Rice or Jack Johnson (tied for third).
4. I cried when I found out Pop-Up Video was no longer on. If you can replace the gaping hole that was left behind, I’m all for it.
ReCaptcha: ‘to Kentucky’, where my husband is going next week. Odd.
posted by adrienne on 6-27-2008 at 1:03 pm
1. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Clash of the Titans, a couple of the discs from the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, and Quantum Leap
2. There are countless lakes within a 2 hour radius of where I live, so tons of options for swimming, boating, lounging, etc.
3. Jack Johnson or Bob Seger
4. sure
posted by MC on 6-27-2008 at 1:07 pm
1. Right now it’s Junebug, Lollilove, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Battle Royale, Oldboy, Black Sunday (Mario Bava
posted by Nikki on 6-27-2008 at 1:08 pm
1. Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee) and Donnie Darko are my 2 favorites and next on my list to see again
2. I live in South Carolina, even if you dont get to Charleston
3. Widespread Panic (or Yonder Mountain String Band, couldnt decide)
4. sounds great to me
posted by carolinakicker on 6-27-2008 at 1:09 pm
1. forget it
2. SWFL…..Everglades National Park,beautiful beaches, or 150 miles to Miami and South Beach
3. None other than the Ol Possum!!
GEORGE JONES!!!!!
posted by olal on 6-27-2008 at 1:15 pm
1. I don’t have Netflix anymore (When McDonald’s installed a Redbox a block away I gave it up.) But I did just buy the HBO Series John Adams - very well done.
2. I live in Houston. I would have to say the coolest thing around here is the Beer Can House. If you ever come to Houston, you must go. Google “Beer Can House Houston” for directions. (Why so close to home when I have a day, because my recaptcha is “traveling upsets”
3. Boy George is banned from the country, so I am protesting by not inviting anyone over!
4. I would love to check it out. Please do it on the blog though, I am too old to get a facebook (yes, I know, open to everyone…. trust me.)
posted by Witty Nickname on 6-27-2008 at 1:17 pm
3. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND!!!!!
posted by the creature on 6-27-2008 at 1:28 pm
1. looking forward to watching:
the 10-disc baseball documentary
upright citizens brigade season 2
The public enemy
and rewatching The Wire Season 4 (the best series on TV, EVER!!)
2. lots of places to go camping a few hours away from chicago
3. Thats a tough one…i would take any one of these:
Mike Ness of Social Distortion
Blake Schwartzenbach of Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil
Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate
Dustin Kensure of Thirce
All of which would do an awesome acoustic set.
4. Sure…why not
posted by andy on 6-27-2008 at 1:28 pm
1.I am currently on a superhero movie kick, so I am re-watching all the old batman movies (esp. the old one with Adam West), the classic Superman movies, and some of the stranger cartoon straight-to-vhs/dvd releases you can only find if you have really geeky friends who actually bought them.
2. I live inside the DC beltway, but outside of the city the best places to go are the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space museum (the planes!), the blue ridge parkway to hike/relax, or the chesapeake. If you are willing to get up really early and go on a three hour there and three hour back road trip the beach is possible.
3. I hear the Barenaked Ladies do a good live acoustic show, but I might decide to be a silly teenage fangirl for the day and get Panic at the Disco- just so I could see my friends freak out.
4. If I got cable I would be in.
posted by Becki on 6-27-2008 at 1:31 pm
1. Upcoming on the queueueueue:
the Spiderwick Chronicles
King of Comedy (the Stephen Chow one)
Neil Hamburger:The World’s Funnyman
The Happiness of the Katajuries (Miike)
Squirm (1976)
The Onion Movie
2. Jacksonville - Chamblin’s Book Mine, no doubt about it
3. I’m seeing him next Tuesday, Tom Waits
4.I don’t have cable, but if I did, I would probably choose C.H.U.D.
posted by Boldman on 6-27-2008 at 1:35 pm
1. Withnail and I, Blow-Up, Son of Rambow (when it’s released on DVD), Pan’s Labrynth, among others.
2. Sedona, i.e. the most laid-back, picturesque, chill destination in the Southwest.
3. I second Billy Joel, or maybe James Taylor or Ryan Adams. But it’d have to be outside, under the stars.
4. In a heartbeat!
posted by Megan on 6-27-2008 at 1:38 pm
1. Starting the summer season off with Body Heat.
2. Day tripping to Ann Arbor.
3. Emmylou Harris and her sweet pipes.
4. Not with my schedule.
posted by Tim Wright on 6-27-2008 at 1:39 pm
1. In preparation for the latest Batman movie, we are watching all of the Batman movies. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Also on the queue are Helvetica and Pulp Fiction.
2. I love going down to DC (from Baltimore) or out east to the beach for the day.
3. I’d have to choose Michael Jackson; all the wrecent wierdness aside, he’s an awesome performer and would appeal to many of my diverse group of friends.
4. Probably not. I’ve learned mostly from experience that anything involving the internet and real-time seldom has the intended outcome. I do miss Pop-Up Video though. Now I’m going to have the song stuck in my head for the rest of the day…
posted by Heather on 6-27-2008 at 1:43 pm
1. Meerkat Manor 1st season!!!
2. my brother from WA is gonna be in town this weekend…..we hope to hit TAG for some crazy caving adventures and then hit the Chattahoochee for some easy going paddling!!!!
3. METALLICA.
4. eh….
posted by motorkitty on 6-27-2008 at 1:48 pm
1. Comparing BBC and Hollywood versions of Jane Austen. BBC is winning.
2. I live in my area’s day trip town- New Braunfels- home of Schlitterbahn, German cutesiness, and lots of rivers (Tubing!)
3. Jimmy Buffet
4. No thank you.
posted by Amy on 6-27-2008 at 1:49 pm
1. Next up on my watch list are Duck You Sucker, High Noon, City On Fire, Will Penny, Shinobi, Bullet in the Head, Last Hurrah for Chivalry.
I’ve just watched a couple that have been gestating on my watch list forever, Hard Boiled and The Killer. John Woo was a Killer director before Hollywood put a Stranglehold on him. Trying to Face Off with US studios is like shooting a Hard Target with a Broken Arrow. Thankfully, A Better Tomorrow is in sight. He’s got his Paycheck and is crafting a new Chinese film, Red Cliff.
3. Alice Cooper, easily.
4. I don’t have cable (or watch TV).
posted by Austin on 6-27-2008 at 1:54 pm
1. Driving Lessons, with Rupert Grint. I’m really looking forward to it! Also Eagle vs. Shark…genius!
2. I live near milwaukee, so of course I have to say Summerfest on lake Michigan. It’s the world’s most wonderful music festival!!! (@susan: I also second the Dells, but with all the flood damage I’m waiting til later in the summer!)
3. I would think about some legend like Michael Jackson or something, but in all honesty I’d probably go with Nicole Atkins… she’s AWESOME.
4. It would depend on the program but sounds interesting :D
posted by Liz on 6-27-2008 at 2:01 pm
1. Why not kill two birds with one stone and do a screening of Mystery Science Theater 3000? It is definitely on my summer watch list. I just got my NY Giants Road to the Super Bowl DVD’s for my b-day, I am going to watch the playoff games again, and then watch the Super Bowl in its entirety on the fourth of July. Hopefully I sync up the moment when the Patriots realize thier quest for eternal glory has failed at the same moment the grand finale goes off in my town.
2. I live in so. ohio. The creationism museum is just 45 minutes away! Lets go find out how god REALLY made dinosaurs– 6000 years ago!
3. 311
posted by Martin Abrahams on 6-27-2008 at 2:14 pm
1. No
2. There’s a lot to do here in Chicago, but Southern Wisconsin and Milwaukee are both nice, as is SW Michigan’s “wine trail”
3. JBT
4. no, I only blog M-F, 8-5. (are you telling me people do this shit on their own time?)
posted by Florida on 6-27-2008 at 2:18 pm
1. Studio 60 on the Sunet Strip
2. I live in Orlando so aside from the obvious Disney crap, there are many, many beaches anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hrs away (depending on where you are starting from and which one you want to go to, since you can get to East and West coast beaches), Kennedy Space Center is 2 hrs from my house, I can do Busch Gardens or anything else in Tampa in a day.
My personal favorite is taking the 2 1/2 hr drive into St Augustine and spending the day in our nation’s oldest city! (I love that place!)
posted by Marta on 6-27-2008 at 2:40 pm
1. No
2. While there is literally a festival of some sort or another every weekend here in Chicago, Southern Wisconsin and Milwaukee are both nice as is the SW Michigan “wine trail”
3. JBT
4. No. I only blog M-F, 8-5. (Are you telling me people do this on their own time?)
posted by Florida on 6-27-2008 at 2:53 pm
1. Okay, I admit that I really looked forward to renting National Treasure 2 — Isn’t summer about guilty pleasures?
2. To the east is New Orleans (enough said), a little farther is Ship Island (a gorgeous barrier island off Biloxi, MS). To the west I’ve got the Atchafalaya Basin (create canoing and other outdoors fun), Lafayette for some Cajun culture. To the north we’ve got Tunica Hill (great hiking, natural waterfalls), St. Francisville (quaint little town), and in fall and spring the Angola Prison Rodeo. To the south is Grand Isle (barrier island off the LA coast).
Man, living in south Louisiana rocks!
4. No.
posted by Lindsey on 6-27-2008 at 3:59 pm
1. Hm. So far I have been into the odd classics.
I really want to see Catch-22 and 1984 (only cause I finally finished both books, next to read? Clockwork Orange, Naked Lunch and Brave New World) . I also really want to see some old Andy Warhol films and of course Cioa Manhattan! (I absolutely ADORE Edie). I have to finish watching all of the Hitchcocks, and dabble in some of the movies my great-grandfather was in.
2. Well I live in West Orange, New Jersey which is about 30s minutes from the city (New York), there is a Zoo in my town (as you well know!) and a giant reservation (we will not mention all the fun things “other” teenagers do in those woods), I love wandering around Montclair and stalking Steven Colbert (buttt shhhh, he does not know!). I also own a Christmas tree farm in Sussex County New Jersey (right around the corner is part of the Appalanchian trail!), and smack in the middle of two ski resorts (though I have never been to either one!)
3. THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DECIDE!
Hm.
A. Kimya Dawson (it is impossible to see her after the whole Juno disaster!) or Moldy Peaches
B. Animal Collective or Panda Bear
C. Unicorns or Islands or Alden Penner
D. Tom Waits
E. MIRAH!
F. The Microphones or Mount Eerie
G. Neutral Milk Hotel or one of Magnums various E6 bands.
H. Pete Seeger or Arlo Guthrie
I. Architecture In Helsinki
J. Boy Least Likely To
the list could go on and on and on and on and on.
and those are just the living people, imagine the list if I included the dead people too!
4. OF COURSE!
Name the time and the place and I am there!
btw, Juliet, LOVE ME IF YOU DARE WAS THE MOST AMAZING MOVIE!
One of my favorite french movies of allllll time, which is quite a statement seeing as I like french movies better than the american trash called movies.
and with that, I am done. :]
posted by C. Bukowski. on 6-27-2008 at 4:37 pm
1. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
2. Holland MI is only a few hours north. We might try to get there before summer ends.
3. Jimmy Buffet and his 6 string. A night around a campfire listening to his stories would be a good experience.
4. I’d like to see this put together.
posted by Jim on 6-27-2008 at 9:38 pm
1. Amarcord, The Virgin Spring, In Bruges, The Great Dictator.
2. Chattanooga
3. Either Sigur-ros or the White Stripes
4. Sure
posted by Jonathan on 6-28-2008 at 1:09 am
1. I’m majoring in Bill Murray with a Minor in Harold Ramis, so I breezed through Ghostbusters 1-2, Caddyshack, Stripes (not technically netflixed because I bought them.) And Groundhog Day. Now it’s on to old-school SNL and SCTV, among other things.
2. I’m on the Big Island of Hawaii, so, when it snows, you can go up to Mauna Kea peak. If you want, you can watch the sunrise from a snow-covered mountain top, then have a cook out on the beach at sunset in 80 degree weather. Where else can you do that all in the same day, really? I live in the coolest place on earth.
3.Pete Townshend. I will create a religion founded primarily on his merits one day. The works of Lindsey Buckingham may be included in the canon.
4. I’d be down for that, but I suspect the time difference will be a major obstacle.
posted by Beth on 6-28-2008 at 4:54 am
1. John Adams the series
2. North under two hours-Austin TX, West under two hours Texas Hill Country, South a little over two hours Mexico, East a little over two hours the Texas Gulf Coast. In my home town, San Antonio–so much to do, so little time!
posted by Alice on 6-28-2008 at 9:35 am
3. David Bowie
4. Not my thing but I wish you success!
posted by Alice on 6-28-2008 at 9:37 am
1. Currently catching up on House and Bones episodes, need to watch Requiem for a Dream
2. I’m also in San Antonio, so I guess I should add on Fiesta Texas, Sea World, the River Walk, and Schlitterbahn. Within four hours’ drive, we’ve got Natural Caverns, tubing on the river, some pretty good wineries, and of course the Gulf Coast (not too pretty compared to many coasts though). And lets not forget the Spurs!
3. Jack Johnson, Ingrid Michaelson, and/or Sandi Thom
4. I don’t have cable
posted by nutmeag on 6-28-2008 at 11:28 am
1. “Coffee and Cigarettes,” “Science of Sleep,” and “Amelie”!
2. Picnic in the Great Smoky Mountains Nat’l Park. Best use of a day EVER.
3. YACHT, just because he almost never plays East Coast shows.
4. And yes, very neat idea, it seems like it would be the nurturer of a great many sarcastic quips and witty observations, and would probably be a lot of fun. It would be a lot of fun for something like C-SPAN, where it can sometimes be a little boring… but the movie thing would be nice too!
posted by Ed on 6-28-2008 at 2:02 pm
1. Unsolved Mysteries boxed set
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Crazy love
Kung Pow Enter the Fist
The rocky horror picture show
Multiple Maniacs (JOHN WATERS IS AMAZING!)
Network
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Basically any movie or show I’ve formed some kind of obsession with.
2. Philly has the Mutter Museum which is extremely interesting.
3.I’d have John Cameron Mitchell dress up as Hedwig and rock out. What a great show that would be!
4. Hillarious commentary sounds like a great idea!
posted by Kay on 6-28-2008 at 6:03 pm
1. A League of Their Own, The Rookie, Stand By Me.
2. I live in Queens, NY. Lots to do in Upstate NY, CT, NJ, PA. Plus everything here in NYC.
3. Bob Dylan
4. If I had cable, or a TV, yes
posted by Sue on 6-29-2008 at 12:23 pm
4. I heard there’s this thing going down this summer with athletes from all over the world and stuff.
Mental floss + opening ceremonies = the first time the opening ceremonies have been interesting since those bubble people in Albertville.
posted by Jason on 6-29-2008 at 7:41 pm
1. Pam and Tommy’s vid
2. The Offsets
3. David Allen Coe
4. huh?
posted by Joey B on 6-30-2008 at 3:26 pm
1. Wizard of Speed and Time. Tape only due to ownership squabbles.
1b. Casablanca
1c. African Queen
1d. Mary Poppins
2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum amd Pima Air Museum. Both world class and VERY hot in summer.
3. Beach Boys in their prime or Niel Diamond.
4. Can’t see PC from TV.
Age = 71
posted by Ken David on 6-30-2008 at 6:57 pm
I’m finally delving into the Battlestar Galactica series I missed out on watching, and I’m loving it. Great revisionist conception, and a well-paced story. Baltar is a scene stealer. Can’t wait to see how they end this, curently I’m watching season 2.0
posted by Johnny Cat on 7-6-2008 at 1:26 am