Shallow Thoughts: Night Crawler, Zebra Katz and Twin Peaks
October 10th, 2014
Shallow Thoughts: Vapid headline grabbing, meandering nothings and a false sense of importance
Nightcrawler
I consider myself a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal. He was fantastic in “Brokeback Mountain” and “Jarhead,” and has a wide range he can play as an actor. So I was a little bit worried to see that he was starring in a movie called “Nightcrawler.”
No, this is not the costume he will be wearing, because thankfully this happens to be one of the most misleading movie titles of recent memory. Rather than being another in a slew of endless superhero movies, this film is about a man desperate for work, that realizes there is money to be made by being the first to the scene of a crime. He hires a cameraman to accompany him in this pursuit, scooping stories to sell to the news. The trailer shows how quickly this spirals out of control for him. To me the trailer looks a bit melodramatic and one-note, but I like the premise, and I like Gyllenhaal, so I might just give this one a chance.
Zebra Katz
I first learned about Zebra Katz after winning free tickets to see his show. Zebra Katz is the stage name of Ojay Morgan, who is part of the “queer hip hop” genre. This song sticks in my head. The beat is infectious, and his flow as he raps over the track is energetic and fierce. Zebra Katz is a fantastic performer, and if you ever get the chance to see him you should. When I saw him he began his set wearing a full leather suit, mask included. After a song he ripped off his black leather mask to reveal a white leather mask underneath it. Later he pulled that mask off, and danced consistently through his set and engaged the whole crowd. He also had two fantastic backup dancers who performed with him as well, making the whole performance interesting and energetic.
“Twin Peaks”
David Lynch fans are all rejoicing in the streets. The famed director hasn’t put out a feature since 2006’s “Inland Empire,” instead working on a variety of video and music projects in the meantime. This cult classic will be premiering in 2016 on Showtime, with all of the upcoming episodes being directed by Lynch. It has been stated that this will not be a reboot, but many of the details have yet to be revealed. This is going to give me a real reason to finally watch the original series.
Caol Illa 12
This scotch isn’t particularly well known as a single malt. What this Islay is known for however, is what it is blended into. Apparently 95 percent of the scotch Caol Ila makes is used for blending, primarily in Johnny Walker Blends (primarily Black and Double Black). The scotch they hold back to age however, is fantastic. This twelve year “received two double gold, three gold, and one silver medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2010.” A lighter Islay, this drinks fantastic. With a defined peat presence that is not quite as dominant as the more well known Islay’s like Ardbeg or Laphroaig, this one goes down extremely smooth. At 86 proof this has a delicate mouthfeel, and fantastic campfire flavors with a slight butterscotch sweetness. This one is highly recommended.
