Vote For Lando!

11 Movies to Watch Before the Election

Turn off CNN, turn off MSNBC, turn off PBS. Seriously, turn it off.

Yes, the U.S. presidential election is only 1 day away. No, you won't see/hear anything new or interesting from anyone tonight.

I suggest watching a movie instead. Here's a list of some films that will segue nicely into tomorrow's regularly scheduled obsessive election results viewing.

Top 11 Pre-Election Movies:

1) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - James Stewart plays a young idealistic Senator who shows the old dudes that good things can still happen in Washington. View clip.

2) Street Fight - Documentary surrounding a down n' dirty mayoral election in Newark, NJ. View trailer.

3) The Parallax View - This 70s political conspiracy film stars Warren Beatty. View the wicked trailer.

4) The Day the Earth Stood Still - A benevolent alien beams down to earth to unite humans to avoid certain destruction. View trailer.

5) Persepolis - This animated gem deftly illustrates the profound detachment and investment that simultaneously exist between the personalized individual and the politicized citizen. View clip.

6) Fahrenheit 9/11 - Michael Moore's 2004 film will remind you how badly the last two went. Watch the entire thing on YouTube.

7) The Weather Underground - Check out what Barack Obama's "pal" Bill Ayers got up to with the radical left group the Weathermen. View trailer.

8) Iraq in Fragments - A reminder that this election is not just about the recent economic collapse. It's about the Iraq war, and the fact that the United States and its President has an impact that extends well beyond its own borders. View trailer.

9) Southland Tales - This movie will surely confuse you enough that you'll thankfully forget ever hearing of 'Joe the Plumber'. View clip.

10) The Dead Zone - David Cronenberg's film is based on Stephen King's novel and it revolves around a schoolteacher who's suddenly burdened with psychic powers and foresees that a rising political star will become President - with disastrous consequences. View clip.

11) Election - Alexander Payne's satire on a high school election where Sarah Palin, er... I mean Tracy Flick will do anything to get elected. View trailer.

Just don't watch W.

REAL People in Political ADVERTISING

Okay, so we're all aware that's a barely reconcilable contradiction, right?

Real People/Advertising. Guess it depends on your definition of "the real"....

Well, whatever that is, it hasn't stopped politicians off all stripes from hoisting up the everyman in their TV ads since the 1950s. Framing them with their respective marketing strategies, and basically robbing them of any personal agency, or "realness". In effect, they are often reduced to an instrument of the campaign.

Errol Morris has an Editorial rundown in the NY Times today about these "Real-People Ads."

The impetus behind this article is his recent work on a new campaign ad for Barack Obama. "People in the Middle for Obama". It does better to let the 'real-people' speak for themselves (seemingly), but Morris's signature editing style does just that - it edits their soundclips to echo those of their chosen candidate.



Poor (pun intended) John McCain is getting seriously outspent (4:1) and now outclassed by Obama's advertising campaign (for President). Most expensive election ever.

Check out past campaign ads starring Joe Schmo. From 1952 on. (McGovern's ad is sick).

Antidotes: Drunk History Volume 4

The "Drunk History" series of web videos is hilarious and learn-ed. With cameos from the likes of Jack Black and Michael Cera, the concept is simple - get someone drunk and have them narrate an event from American history... and then come the over the top recreations.

This new one stars Paul Schneider of Lars and the Real Girl and All the Real Girls. He keeps it real in this too:

Indeed. "Don't elect an old dude for President". Sorry McCain fans.

Volume 1 (with Michael Cera). Volume 2 (with Jack Black). Volume 3 (with Danny McBride).

Poor John McCain: He's Not A President

Poor ol' Johnny. He doesn't know how to run a campaign, and he's increasingly showing it.

I predict a frazzled and unprepared McCain tonight who is decidedly crushed by Obama.

If McCain doesn't lose this election, it will be no fault of his own.

Let's play him one of his favourite songs. A classic tune, and appropriately, a bit of funeral march:



And yes, Obama picking Nina Simone's Sinnerman as one of his Top10 songs is the coolest thing a politician will ever do.

Sarah Palin: The New Old America

Kind of like "New Country" to his Merle Haggard, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was swept in the spotlight today as John McCain's vice presidential nominee/running mate.

Watching her acceptance speech, I couldn't help but be reminded of a certain episode of The Simpsons where Cletus "The Slack Jawed Yokel" calls his children for dinner. Download (or click to listen) to that soundclip here.



So after she introduced her husband Todd, a snowmachine world champion, she named off her kids: Track, Bristol, Piper, Willow, and Trig. And I think those monikers speak for themselves.

On a more serious side note, I'm not even going to get into how disgusting it is that the mainstream media (eg. CNN) is already implying that Palin's youngest child's down syndrome is somehow a testament to her strong principles and pro-life, anti-abortion stance. Like somehow not-aborting your disabled child is some great mark of distinction.

The real exciting part of her nomination is that now the two-on-two basketball game between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin looks a little more competitive [see picture left / see video].

Looks like Palin will run the point against Obama, and McCain and Biden will bang inside.