Brad’s War The behind-the-scenes battles, the rewrites and reshoots, and the stakes involved in World War Z, Brad Pitt’s first attempt to build himself an action franchise. [Vanity Fair]
The Freeway Out of prison and on the move, the legendary crack dealer is seeking his fortune yet again. A journalist picks up the trail of the man who has captivated and confounded him for decades [LATimes]
Street Life is All I Know Filthy and violent it may be, but life is still precious for the world’s street children. [AEON]
On Self Respect Revisiting Joan Didion’s 1961 piece in Vogue.
Mormons and Film Schools How B.Y.U. churns out Hollywood creatives [NYT]
original photo by Esquire
I DROP MEGATON BOMBS Thirteen years later, Liquid Swords continues to age well and is a stellar case of quality ’90s hip-hop. GZA talks to Wax Poetics about the making of a heralded classic.
THE AL GORE GOLDEN YEARS The almost president has become the ultimate Davos Man, a moral entrepreneur and richer than Mitt Romney. [NY MAG]
PIGSKIN AND PINYIN? Can the NFL plant its flag in China? [Grantland]
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM It was a tiny town of farmers, a village where everyone knew everyone and nearly all struggled to make ends meet. But then, a few days before Christmas, they won the largest lottery in the history of Spain. [GQ]
INVENTING BOWIE Bowie’s art is about style, high and low, and style is a serious business for a museum of art and design. [NY Books]
I LOVE WINNIE COOPER
Winnie Cooper, the object of Kevin Arnold’s affection, was the paragon of innocent boyish yearning. Her brown hair was long and straight, and always managed, when sheshook it out, to improbably catch the best light. And her bright smile, made charming by her buckish front teeth, finely complimented her olive complexion. But the looks were really just the manifestation of her disposition, which was sweet and polite, with a hint of fragility behind her big doe eyes. It didn’t suggest she could go to pieces at any moment, like a damsel in distress, but rather that she had absorbed some blows—her parents were at odds—and was, as a result, a tad older and smarter than her actual years. Yet the smartness, thankfully, wasn’t expressed in absurdly pithy quips, which always draw attention to the artifice of adolescent dialogue. Instead, she had what my grandfather would have called “dignity,” as if she were waiting patiently for all those silly boys to grow up. Winnie Cooper was too good for Kevin Arnold, but she gave him attention anyway, and provided hope for the rest of us in the process. - Mike Spies
(Source: theworldsbestever.com)
Meet the Kid in the Jackie Robinson Photo The real story behind a famous picture.
Thing of Beauty Revisiting a 1988 piece on the destruction of model Gia Carangi.
Pain & Gain The background behind Michael Bay and Marky Mark’s new film on steroid fueled gym rats turned gangster.
Biggie Smalls and the Art of Mythology Identity politics and self through the lens of larger than life rap personas.
Notes of a Know-Nothing Knicks Fan Woody Allen’s 1998 op-ed on his beloved NY Knicks. [NY Observer]
De Niro in 93’ Elizabeth Kaye’s profile of Robert De Niro for the NY Times 20 years ago. [NY Times]
SB 1070 Being a Latino ballplayer in Arizona in the anti-immigration era [Grantland]
Dennis the Diplomat Even in the baddest bad-ass behavior of his basketball days, when his hair looked like flame and his enormous piercings seemed made from a chain-link fence and it was always hard to divide his reality from his calculated ridiculous, it was inconceivable that Dennis Rodman would one day change world diplomacy. [Dailybeast]
Visitors to Thompson’s house are greeted by a variety of sculptures, weapons, boxes of books and a bicycle before entering the nerve center of Owl Farm, Thompson’s obvious command post on the kitchen side of a peninsula counter that separates him from a lounge area dominated by an always-on Panasonic TV, always tuned to news or sports. An antique upright piano is piled high and deep enough with books to engulf any reader for a decade. Above the piano hangs a large Ralph Steadman portrait of “Belinda”—the Slut Goddess of Polo. On another wall covered with political buttons hangs a Che Guevara banner acquired on Thompson’s last tour of Cuba. On the counter sits an IBM Selectric typewriter—a Macintosh computer is set up in an office in the back wing of the house.
- Hunter S. Thompson, the Art of Journalism No.1
You Can Get A Steak Here Daddio An Oral Recap of the making of Pulp Fiction and why Daniel Day Lewis and Matt Dillon never made the film.
Pride and Joy Joy Division co-founder Peter Hook romances on how he helped start one of the English Rock’s most foundational bands.
In Convo With Steven Soderbergh One of H-Wood’s best talks about J-Lo, Clooney for President and industry.
Goodbye Liz Lemon Rolling Stone’s piece on the last 30 days of 30 Roc.
Prince of the City A throwback piece from NY Mag in 1998 on Leonardo Dicaprio and his entourage.
RAY OF REALITY
There is no question in anyone’s mind that Ray Lewis will undoubtedly go down as one of the premier linebackers to have ever played the game.
All week long it’s expected that we’re going to hear about Lewis’ ride into the sunset, his reformation from murder suspect to decorated gridiron legend.
It’s quite a dramatic synopsis, but it’s a swan song befit of Superbowl tape reels and “I’m going to Disneyland” commercial spots.
Some may soak this screenplay up, but to me it’s a narrative that reads as if there is no friction.
We should heed from believing in this narrative, not because Lewis isn’t worthy of any praise athletically, but because for anyone with a conscious or a wikipedia of history, the sense of uneasiness in rooting for him is alarming; alarming because over a decade ago he may have pulled off the greatest “Keyser Soze” on the criminal justice system we’ve ever seen since O.J. Simpson.
This is a problem because fans enjoy ascribing their athletes with a golden coat of praise, praise that should be reserved for those who do so more than sacrifice their lives for game changing tackles.
In a 24-hour news cycle of blogs, television, and twitter feeds, villains these days are instantly turned into heroes just as easily as they are delivered back to the pits of irrelevance.
If public perception is open to the masquerade, Lewis is no longer a criminal, but every bit the God fearing man he exhibits himself now to be. For his sake, I hope he is.
But how can we live with ourselves if its the contrary?
Over the last few weeks Lance and Manti have taught us that we’re the ones who choose to believe in the fantasy, that we the fans are the ones who elect to ignore the truths.
This Superbowl Sunday, whether we care about football or not, the announcers and fans all around the country will cheer and laud Lewis’ name. They’ll wax poetic about this being his last stand on the battlefield, his rehabilitation complete from troubled soul to now sobbing giant.
Unlike the peanut gallery however, I for one won’t be extolling the virtues of Lewis or conjuring up more sympathic mythology.
Because I for one I’m smart enough to recognize that heroes can’t prescribed to us by highlights, especially when history proves otherwise.
- AB
Deep Like The Shining Stanley Kubrick’s original ending for “The Shining” and the theories on why he changed it.
In High School You was “The Man” Homie Why growing up doesn’t mean we all still don’t live like high school kids.
It Was A Very Good Year Richard Press talks about his brief bro-mance with Frank Sinatra.
Race and Rertort Salon asks the question: How would the media react to “Django Unchained” if Quentin Tarantino was white?
“The Chappelle Show” NCAA Tournament bracket by Rembert Browne.
Boy George In 1982, George Carlin was already on his way to comedic greatness. This is a throwback interview he did for Playboy. Uncensored, raw, and yet disturbingly humorous. [longform]
27 Things Twenty-seven things you probably use or see everyday, but never bothered to know the names for [Buzzfeed].
Khan He do it? The Guardian’s profile of Jags owner Shahid Khan, a rags to riches billionaire with intents on rebranding one of the NFL’s most beleaguered franchises.
Patties in Paris How the American burger has slowly evolved into a staple of Parisian life. [New Yorker]
- AB
Practice Squad Lights The reverse and untold rocky ride of pursuing an NFL dream [NYT].
Damien’s Hearse Is one of the art world’s most recognizable names, now a brand in decline? [BW]
“The Chronic” Turns 20 The LATimes takes a look back at the making of one of rap’s most seminal albums. [LAT]
Mama I Made It The rise of KAWS from the street art ranks to Macy’s float status. [WSJ]
Pacman vs Rodriguez 24/7 Jimmy Kimmel and Pacman spoof HBO’s award winning show [video].
art by Jeremy Worst
![Link Me | SXS Weekly Good Reads
Breaking Brando Revisiting Truman Capote’s 1957 profile of Marlon Brando as he filmed “Sayonara” in Japan [New Yorker]
Making Cents Tracking how the Canadian rock outfit Nickelback remains relevant and financially sustainable [BW]
The Dyansty That Never Was How it all fell apart for the Houston Rockets of the 1980’s (some people said its like if the Thunder broke up because of drugs and injury and Durant won a title in his 30’s ala Hakeem…that would suck) [Grantland]
Morgan Freeman Has F’N Style Morgan Freeman waxes poetic on what it means to be a Denimhead [FYM]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md8zwbg4q61ryujw5o1_r1_500.jpg)
Link Me | SXS Weekly Good Reads
Breaking Brando Revisiting Truman Capote’s 1957 profile of Marlon Brando as he filmed “Sayonara” in Japan [New Yorker]
Making Cents Tracking how the Canadian rock outfit Nickelback remains relevant and financially sustainable [BW]
The Dyansty That Never Was How it all fell apart for the Houston Rockets of the 1980’s (some people said its like if the Thunder broke up because of drugs and injury and Durant won a title in his 30’s ala Hakeem…that would suck) [Grantland]
Morgan Freeman Has F’N Style Morgan Freeman waxes poetic on what it means to be a Denimhead [FYM]
Remembering Jam Master Jay Spin marks the 10-year anniversary of Jam Master Jay’s death with a retrospective photo gallery (reportedly that’s Rev screaming on Lyor on the cord). [SPIN]
Not OK Bill Simmons investigates the sin that was the James Harden trade in Oklahoma City. [Grantland]
Decoding Colbert PB talks with poli-comedy’s folk hero Stephen Colbert. [Playboy]
Chinese Hipsterdom Breaking down the rise of China’s “cultured youth.” [Atlantic]
There’s a fine line between a good football game and a good fantasy game.
I thought I was in for a nice afternoon when Sam Bradford hit Chris Givens for a 50-yard bomb to go up 7-0, but then the Rams didn’t do a whole lot after that score and neither did my lineup.
Let’s recap last weekend’s beat down I took …
Sam Bradford (QB) - 205 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT (10 PTS)
Darren McFadden (RB) - 114 RUSH YDS, 23 REC YDS (13 PTS)
Chris Johnson (RB) - 99 RUSH YDS, 18 REC YDS (10 PTS)
Randall Cobb (WR) - 28 REC YDS, 1 TD (8 PTS)
Mike Wallace (WR) - 62 REC YDS (6 PTS)
Jacob Tamme (TE) - 33 REC YDS (3 PTS)
Jason Hanson (K) - 4 XP (4 PTS)
Detroit Lions (DEF) - 24 PTS, 369 YDS, 1 INT, 1 FUM (3 PTS)
- MR
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