thought i'd share with y'all the locals that never disappoint anytime i see them spin. whether it's at a club, a house party, or free gathering at a park, these deejays move me to dance. track selection (both live and promo cd's), energy behind the decks, and just plain friendliness are also considered. mixing ability isn't very important to me, since i'm not a deejay myself. in alphabetical order:

charles torrence

eric saylor

fei-fei (pronounced FAY-FAY)

gil la

james coleman (ground control)

joshua allen

joshua lee

kristina sky

mike lord

oz vander

rachel d

zan

here's a list of my top 15 favourite films. i couldn't narrow it down to just 10. and it actually hurt to pick just 15  :P  now, i'm not saying these are the GREATEST films ever made, just that they are my favourites. i went to film school, so i know a good film when i see one. these are films that i can watch over and over again. the kind of film that, whenever i catch it on tv, i can't shut it off until i see it until the end. the list is in no particular order:

CONTACT (Contact (1997) (d. Robert Zemeckis, w. Carl Sagan)
i recently chose this as my favourite film of all-time. THE PRINCESS BRIDE was my previous choice. jodie foster (a long-time favourite actress of mine) carries the film. stunning special effects (for it's time) and a wonderful script based on astronomer carl sagan's novel.


THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) (d. Rob Reiner)
for the last ten years i always said this was my favourite film. it has everything: romance, comedy, action... robin wright (the future ex-mrs. sean penn) is beautiful in this one. cary elwes stars as the farmboy/dread pirate roberts.


MEMENTO (2000) (d. Christopher Nolan)
this is the only film i've ever seen more than twice on the big screen. it makes more sense every time you see it. (if you've ever seen it, you know what i mean.) lenny is a lost soul who, due to an accident, has no long-term memory. he can't remember anything for more than a few minutes. every day he wakes up, he feels like it's the day after his brain injury. what is so unique about this film, is that the director unfolds the scenes in reverse order, where the first scene is the finale, and the last scene is the beginning of the "story." he did this so we would be just as temporally disoriented as lenny is.


KALIFORNIA (1993) (d. Dominic Sena)
a lesser known film about an ivy league yuppie couple going on a cross-country road trip with a white trash couple. juliette lewis gives a stunning performance as a good-natured simpleton and brad bitt (who she was dating at the time) as a sociopathic serial killer. very dark, smart, and beautifully filmed.


KILLING ZOE (1994) (d. Roger Avary)
another lesser-known indie film (an american-french production), starring eric stoltz and french actress julie delpy. director roger avary was an old buddy of quentin tarentino's. this movie is a bit more raw than tarentino's polished films. about a bank heist in paris gone terribly wrong.


RAPA NUI (1994) (d. Kevin Reynolds)
this film, unfairly skewered by the critics upon its release, blew me away the first time i saw it. the story can be seen as an analogy of modern day society: a microcosm our our own environment. easter island, before the white man discovered it, was a paradise. it was eventually turned into a barren land, due to the use of all the trees to build the stone heads. stars jason lee and the gorgeous sandrine holt.


THE BEACH (2000) (d. Danny Boyle)
another film generally panned by critics, stars leonardo dicaprio as a typical  arrogant, american asshole. the drop-dead gorgeous french actress virginie ledoyen plays his object of lust. leo happens upon a secret, tucked away island, but the utopian veneer soon peels away to cold realities.


MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) (d. Terry Jones)

this may be the funniest movie i've ever seen. i first saw it as a teenager, and i can still appreicate its comic genius today. the british comedy troupe tells the story of an ordinary jewish boy, living during jesus' time, who unwittingly becomes a messiah. needless to say, conservative christian groups thought this film was blasphemy and it was very controversal upon release. i tend to like any film that pisses of fundamentalists. so many classic and hilarious scenes...


GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) (d. Harold Ramis)

this is a film people seem to either love or hate. if you cannot stand repetition, you may want to skip this one. i actually saw this film on my first date. bill murray plays an obnoxious, sarcastic, yet funny and charming new anchorman who keeps reliving the same day, over and over again, for years on end. he moves from disbelief, to denial, to anger, to suicide, to acceptance. andy macdowell plays his lovely object of affection.


OFFICE SPACE (1999) (d. Mike Judge)
mike judge, of BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD fame, created this mini-masterpiece of office politics. an average guy is awakened out of his day-to-day slumber and starts living his life as if there's no consequences. based on his MILTON shorts that originally aired on "saturday night live."


SLC PUNK (1998) (d. James Merendino)
the role matthew lillard was born to play, in my opinion. about a group of anarchist punk rockers in the 1980s, living in the very conservative and close-minded town of salt lake city, utah (the mormon capital of the world). lillard's rebellion of the establishment starts to crack as he slowly realizes that he needs to make a future for himself.


SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (1994) (d. George Huang)
another corporate office film, this time as a dark comedy. frank whaley plays a country bumpkin, recently relocated to los angeles, who works for the boss from hell. kevin spacey steals every scene as the cold-hearted, abusive bastard. michelle forbes (also in KALIFORNIA) plays a supporting role.


GARDEN STATE (2004) (d. Zach Braff)
zach braff wrote, directed, and stars in this drama-comedy about a tv-movie star revisiting his home town in jersey. he decides to leave his medication for depression in los angeles, and slowly emotions he hasn't felt in years come to the surface. natalie portman (wonderful, as always) plays his wacky, but beautiful new love interest. one of those films that captures the feelings of falling in love. a refreshingly unique film.


MATRIX (1999) (d. Andy & Larry Wachowski)
okay, keanu reeves isn't the greatest actor, but he plays his part well. a great nothing-as-it-seems film that makes you question reality, a great story, stunning special effects, exciting action sequences, and love story. remember how blown away you felt after neo took the red pill?


THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-03) (d. Peter Jackson)
if you're a fantasy, dungeon & dragons geek, this film is automatically on your list. is there anyone left in america who hasn't seen this trilogy yet? director peter jackson faithfully brings the tolkien books to life, and we are all greater for it.

i may have to make a top 15-25 list of the movies that almost made it into this list. thanks for reading...

mike lord

rachel d

jonathan morning

james coleman (ground control)

Engineer Of Sound (dj curtis)

D'morse

oz vander

okay, the following films all scared the crap out of me, and not just because something jumped out at me, but left a lasting nightmarish, impression on me. the first few i saw when i was probably too young to be watching horror movies, so that probably explains the extra scare-factor. i never saw THE EXORCIST as a kid, so as an adult, i didn't find it scary. here's my list:

Alien (1979) (d. Ridley Scott)
man, this was a true horror movie. the sequel, ALIENS, was more of a big-budget action flick. but this one set such a dark, ominous tone.

The Shining (1980) (d. Stanley Kubrick)
kubrick knows how to make a film! nicholson gives a performance of a lifetime, as a struggling novelist who slowly slips into madness, not only because of extreme isolation and inner demons, but the haunted mansion itself. i remember being so scared when the little ball rolled down the hallway towards danny on his big wheels, that i ran out of the room and couldn't see the end of the movie!  :o

Friday the 13th (1980)
i'm sure if i saw this today, i'd find it totally cheesy. but as a kid, i kept having visions of some serial killer hiding under my bed, gripping my forehead, and slicing my throat. this, added with the real-life serial killer in richard ramirez, led to me sleeping on the floor in my sister's room for weeks on end.

here's pix of my new room for those interested. i barely have enough room for my cd collection  :o  thanks to rob for suggesting putting my dresser in the closet  :)

here's my list of favourite 80s sitcoms. not necessarily the BEST shows, but shows i tuned in every week for. check out my friend bryan's blog for more...

Three’s Company
john ritter was so much fun to watch. i liked terri the nurse the most. richard klein (larry) came into our blockbuster encino sometimes, with silver hair, and was always friendly.

Police Squad!
this is where THE NAKED GUN movies got their start. it only last a single season, but leslie neilson is a comic genius.


Bossom Buddies
a young tom hanks and beautiful donna dixon (of SPIES LIKE US) is all you need to know about this one...

Family Ties
where we all got to know and love michael j. fox. he was a die-hard conservative republican during the reagan era, while his parents were liberal ex-hippies. and justine bateman was ditzy andhot.

Perfect Strangers
who didn't love balki? (remember bronson pinchot's hilarious turn in TRUE ROMANCE?) my sister was in the opening credits waving to balki while he's leaving his village.

The Tracey Ullman Show
okay, this one's more more of a variety show, than sitcom, but it's still comedy. and it was shot in front of a live audience. i actually got to see the taping of of episode live. oh, the simpsons also started out on this show. thought you'd appreciate the old school picture

My Two Dads
sure, it was a bit cheesy, but it was funny and sometimes endearing too. paul reiser used to be a stand-up comic. dramatic actor giovanni ribisi got his start here as the goofy friend who always pined after the daughter.

We Got it Made
i don't even remember if this was a good show or not. but teri copley, the marilyn monroe of the 80s, was in it. and that's all that really mattered to a 14-year-old at the time!  ;)

Charles in Charge
two words: nicole eggert. she was the hottest girl at that time. this was before she got implants for "baywatch."  :P  there were other actors in the show too, but i can't seem to remember any of them other than her...  ;)

Day By Day
julia louis dreyfus before "seinfeld." i was hot on courtney thorn-smith (of SUMMER SCHOOL and "melrose place.") and christopher daniel barnes was funny, and a metal-head, too. we were rare on tv at that time.

Married…with Children
this is my all-time favourite show from the 80s. this show and "the simpsons" were the reason fox became so successful back in '87. christina applegate was hotter than hot. i actually got to meet her when i went to the taping of the show back in '89 (i got drunk later that night for the very first time). david faustino (bud bundy) was as short as i was. and buck the dog sniffed my sister in the parking lot. funny, funny show, that went downhill after steve (david garrison) left the show and was replaced by ted mcguinley.

The Wonder Years
technically, more of a dramedy than a sitcom, but it had it funny moments and is too great not to mention. anyone old enough to catch this show when it was on knows how special it was. and for your added enjoyment, here's a shot i found of winnie (danica mckellar) from a stuff magazine photoshoot from last year...