my stay in china thus far, as represented by what little mandarin i've been able to pick up (in chronological order): -ni hao (hello) and xie xie (thanks) -- these don't really count, i knew them before i got here -pinda pijiu (cold beer) the "cold" part is important, otherwise you... more

my stay in china thus far, as represented by what little mandarin i've been able to pick up (in chronological order):

-ni hao (hello) and xie xie (thanks) -- these don't really count, i knew them before i got here

-pinda pijiu (cold beer) the "cold" part is important, otherwise you will be served beer at room temperature

-bu yao (something roughly like "i don't want (that)")

-gambe! (cheers!) oh, and if you say this, where i am anyways, it's expected that you'll drink what glass you're holding all at once... but it's no problem, because they usually serve beer with these little dixie-cup sized glasses. at one excusion to KTV (karaoke), i misplaced my little glass but a student wanted to drink with me, so he jokingly handed me a whole bottle (of beer). when i picked it up, clinked his tiny glass, and drank the whole thing he stared at me with a dropped jaw for like 2 minutes.

-wo ting bu dong (i don't understand) very important. well, not really, because even if you couldn't say it, it quickly becomes apparent that you don't understand. but usually when you say people seem to get a kick out of it. it also lead to a funny conversation, two chinese tutors at work were talking, in chinese of course, then noticed i was sitting there.. looked at each other.. all i heard of what they said was "ting bu dong" and so i said, "dui, ting bu dong" and then they both laughed at me because i'd understood at least that much.

-tai gui le (too expensive) - bargaining is routine here, especially if you're a laowai--foreigner-- and everyone assumes you're a. naive and b. loaded

-guanxi ( difficult to translate... link )

-moli (sounds like maw-lee) (jasmine) -- those of you that know me can imagine how this one might come up as being one of the first few words i learned.

-kuaizi (chopsticks) sometimes in restaurants they'll give us forks because i guess they assume we can't use chopsticks?

-man man chi (equivalent to bon appetit, but it literally means "eat slowly")

-wo chibao le (i'm full)

-ni chifan le meiyou? (have you eaten?) this is kind of a standard greeting, like "how are you?"

-ji rou (chicken meat) for that matter, i've learned most other types of meat, but the reason i bring this up is that i also learned that ji (chicken) is also slang for prostitute

-meiguo (america) once i was in an elevator with a couple of students and some other random people.. one of the dudes pointed at me and asked my student "somethin something...meiguo.... something?" getting off the elevator i asked my student if he asked if i was american. they were clearly impressed with my perfect grasp of their language and flawless fluency.


ok, so i omitted some boring stuff like 'excuse me' and some fruits and vegetables... i'm also a world music geek, so i already knew a lot of the traditional chinese instruments.

Today we're going to get a little controversial. That's right, we’re going to talk about the C-word. The C-word gets thrown around a lot. It used to be used mostly among men, but lately, women have started to take it back. It doesn’t sound any better coming from them either. I’m... more

Today we're going to get a little controversial. That's right, we’re going to talk about the C-word.

The C-word gets thrown around a lot. It used to be used mostly among men, but lately, women have started to take it back. It doesn’t sound any better coming from them either.

I’m talking, of course, about the word ‘confidence.’ Being confident is the holy grail of dating advice. “Women love a confident guy.” “If you believe in yourself, the man of your dreams will find you.” "You just need more confidence, Dude."

There are times I’m a fan of stock dating advice, but this is plain unhelpful. If you’re confident, you don’t need to be told. If you aren’t, being told what you lack often leaves you feeling even worse.

Of course, there's always the 'fake it 'til you make it school,' but I've found clever rhymes (Well, kind of clever. Rhyming 'it' with 'it' isn't exactly the height of lyrical sophistication) are a lot easier to say than to put into practice. Besides, pretending to have something you don’t--even if that something is a positive quality--goes against one of my most fundamental secrets to long-term happiness: Always represent yourself honestly.

The truth is, you don‘t need exceptional self-confidence to be successful at dating. Nor do you need to be mysterious, rich, alluring, or even particularly good-looking. Those things are nice bonuses, but they won’t do you any good without the Big One, the other C-word, the one no one talks about.

That word is Comfort.

To me, comfort has two components--being comfortable with other people and being comfortable with yourself.

It may be sexist, but I always think we guys have a harder time helping people feel comfortable. I don’t know if it’s because we get less practice, or because if we’re just tone-deaf when it comes to recognizing bad vibes, whether it's our own or other people's.

But we need to do it, gentlemen. Clever lines or cool magic tricks don't do a lick of good if the object of your affection is creeped out by your very presence.

Most guys worry about getting a woman attracted to him. But for most women I know, attraction is an ephemeral quality. It comes and goes, arises and fades. Attraction is an untrustworthy accomplice. Believe it or not, a woman doesn’t have to be THAT attracted to you, at least not at first. All she needs is to like you enough to give you a chance.

Comfort, on the other hand…comfort is king.

I‘m not talking about the Just Friends platonic blandness that comes with hesitating too long to make a move or we‘ve-been-going-out-two-years-so-I-don‘t-have-to-make-an-effort-anymore laziness. I’m talking about true comfort, where you feel you can say--or do--anything and you won’t be judged for it. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a one-night stand or the love of a lifetime. Comfort is the doorway to intimacy(*).

How do you make others comfortable? Do you ask them questions about themselves? Do you buzz around them like a hummingbird offering to take coats and mix drinks? Nope, nope and nope. You can do those things if they’re in your nature, but they aren’t the secret.

The secret to making people around you comfortable is to be comfortable with yourself. That doesn‘t mean having an unwavering belief in your own awesomeness. Nor does it mean refusing to accept feedback or change your behavior. It just means being okay with where you are and whatever you happen to be feeling.

Confidence is unreliable. It comes and goes. But you can always be comfortable. Even in times of uncertainty, you can be at ease with feeling unsure.

If you’re confident, be confident. If you’re afraid, be afraid. If you’re angry at yourself or fearful…well, embrace those things too. The more at peace you are with different facets of yourself, the easier it is for others to open up to you. They don’t have to worry about hurting your feelings. They can trust you. When you meet the world open and unguarded, those around you can relax and let down their own defenses.

Look. Your life is your own. Do what you want. But if you truly want to be comfortable with yourself, you might want to avoid making choices that leave you feeling uncomfortable.

It might not be as glamorous as being confident, but sometimes, just feeling okay about yourself is enough.

(*) As an aside, if comfort is the doorway to intimacy, then being judgmental is the dragon at the gates. It isn’t easy to slay that sucker--he has a tendency to rise from death more than Michael Meyers, but if you can do it, you will find yourself in a treasure-house beyond compare.

Check out my shameless self-promotion at: danbrodribb.blogspot.com


Note the URL code: danbrodribb.blogspot.com this is how you make a link in the columns.

Take a road trip with the hottest girls in the world. Sit back, buckle up, turn the music way up and let these girls take you on a ride. I can't think of more perfect company in any vehicle, whether it be a classic car, the Delorean or a big rig, then a SuicideGirl. When an SuicideGirl... more

Take a road trip with the hottest girls in the world. Sit back, buckle up, turn the music way up and let these girls take you on a ride. I can't think of more perfect company in any vehicle, whether it be a classic car, the Delorean or a big rig, then a SuicideGirl. When an SuicideGirl is behind the wheel, any place is the perfect destination.




























Fashion Notes:

The most important thing during a road trip is comfort, while still looking good, of corse! There is a thin line between comfy and classy and comfy and trashy! Believe it or not, it is possible to get the perfect balance between practical and cute. Rigel is a "big supporter of loungey sweat-pant type pants, but in no way advocates wearing them out of the house." To get the comfort she loves, without committing a fashion faux pas try Aerie's Cinched Pant, with a cute ribbon for a draw string on sale now for $19.95. For the perfect way to accessorize your road trip outfit, add a pair of oversized sunglasses and a cute tote to complete the look. For a large selection on sunglasses try Zappos.com. Sash like "almost all of the Betsey Johnson's" and also suggest Kenneth Cole and Ray-Ban. An adorable "Sleeping Panda" totecan be found at http://shanalogic.com for $15.00. Now for the best part!

Everyone knows road trips are the perfect excuse for a mass consumption junk food. So stock up on enough chips and candy to fill your tote and hit the road!

Check back for more Dirty Laundry and let SuicideGirls show you the best way to (un)dress.

Jeremy Piven is Don Ready, a rock star amongst used car salesman. With the economy and the national psyche in the doldrums, America is in need of a fast-talking, inspirational hero like Ready. We're a nation that needs to live hard, sell hard -- and laugh hard. In The Goods, a comedy from the folks... more

Jeremy Piven is Don Ready, a rock star amongst used car salesman. With the economy and the national psyche in the doldrums, America is in need of a fast-talking, inspirational hero like Ready. We're a nation that needs to live hard, sell hard -- and laugh hard. In The Goods, a comedy from the folks that brought us Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, Ready delivers on all fronts.

Like Piven's Entourage character Ari Gold, Ready is a man who believes that business is war. He is the fearless leader of a crack team of mercenary car salesmen hired to save Temecula, CA dealership Selleck Motors. Ready has just three days over July 4th weekend to sell all the cars on the lot -- and walk away with the girl.

James Brolin plays Ben Selleck, the owner of Selleck Motors, which is under threat of invasion by luxury car dealer Stu Harding (Alan Thicke). Harding plans to turn Selleck’s used car lot into a studio and rehearsal space for Big Ups!, a less-than-talented man-band fronted his too-old-to-be-in-a-boy-band son Paxton (Ed Helms) who just happens to be engaged to Ben's daughter Ivy (Jordana Spiro). Ready is off his game however, after losing a man (Will Farrell) in a tragic incident involving a parachute and a bag of dildos at a President's Day sale in Albuquerque.

Going in you know that Ready will ultimately prevail and save Selleck's American dream, the fun lies in watching how he does it. But Piven is waging a less certain war of his own against two big budget movies that open on the same day. He's proud of The Goods (and rightly so), and is going the extra mile to rally the troops and make sure people see it. Thus, with less than 72 hours to go before D-Day, Piven is working the phones talking to the likes of SuicideGirls. "It's been a long, long, strange trip this promotion," says the exhausted actor. "I feel like I've been literally promoting this movie for fourteen years. And I would do it willingly for another fourteen years."

Nicole Powers: I have to say this movie is absolutely hilarious. Life -- and comedy -- is all about timing, and right now America needs Don Ready. I mean even Obama is getting into the used car business with his Cash for Clunkers scheme. When you started working on this movie you couldn't have conceived how reality would reflect your art, but you've got to appreciate the irony right now.

Jeremy Piven: Well I don't necessarily enjoy the fact that car sales are down 40% in this country and we're in a bad way. I happen to be from Chicago and I love me some Obama, and he's doing everything he can. He's getting very creative like Don Ready gets creative. I mean Don Ready thinks of himself as a rock star and he is the ultimate producer of a party. He brings a celebrity, a DJ, Creatable Inflatables, and he makes it happen. I just love how original these characters are, how funny, and, sometimes, how completely delusional.

NP: It really is a wonderful ensemble piece. Who out of your fellow cast members do you think has the most natural, god-given car-selling ability?

JP: It's hard to say. I think Dr. Ken [a.k.a. Ken Jeong], the Asian gentleman who jumped out of the trunk in The Hangover naked, I think he's so intelligent -- he is a real doctor -- he could probably sell Al Gore a Hummer. I think David Koechner could sell water to a well. I think Ed Helms, Ed's just genuinely funny. So I think either of those. No -- I think the all time winner is Kathryn Hahn. She could sell anything.

NP: What research did you do for the role?

JP: There's this amazing documentary called Slashers. I watched that and was blown away by it. And I just dealt with a bunch of car salesmen, regular ones on the lot, as well as guys that are higher profile that have their own shows and whatnot, just getting their tricks and lingo and history. It's kind of interesting -- actually fascinating. You know we've all been played whether we know it or not. We have been played.

NP: It's hard to be on the receiving end of those psychological games. I went to one car dealership recently that will remain nameless, where they deliberately leave you and your spouse on your own in a car sales booth, and I know it's because they have microphones hidden so they can listen in to the husband/wife conversation.

JP: Yeah, I think so. And also when they go in the other room to "check with their boss" to see what they can do, 'cause they're going to make something happen that's very special just for you, they're not talking to anyone. They're going in the other room and they're having a Pop Tart, and then they come back in and, you know, they're going to close the deal.

NP: What other tricks of the trade did you pick up?

JP: There's so many different ways that they can come at you based on their perception of you. It kind of is all in the movie. At certain points Kathryn Hahn is literally selling sex for cars. You saw it. It's madness!

NP: After this film, you are going to be considered a god amongst used car salesmen. Does that worry you?

JP: By no means. It didn't worry me when people all seemed to think they wanted to be represented by Ari Gold, so I welcome this. Don Ready is a totally original character that I'm insanely proud of. He actually has more quotable lines than anything I've ever gone near in my life.

NP: He really does. Is it true that "we are living in the golden age of lap dances?"

JP: [laughs] That's such a funny line actually. Um, I don't know, but it sure sounds funny.

NP: You must have had fun filming those scenes in the strip club. I was actually concerned though, I mean, did you get any neck injuries? She was really giving you a rough time with her firm thighs.

JP: You're the only one that picked up on that. It's so funny that it takes a woman to notice that. All the guys are like, "Oh my god dude! That strip club scene -- you're so lucky." She was cutting off all the oxygen and blood going up to my head and wrenching my neck. Lovely woman, incredibly strong, and yet I had a big, fat monologue that I had to deliver, and drink a beer, and have my head wrenched. So that was an interesting day at work.

NP: The other interesting day at work must have been when you got to thrust your head into Kristen Schall's ample cleavage. How many takes did you need for that particular scene?

JP: You know that was not too many. She's so funny. That's an example of, like, every beat counts. She's so good. It seems like she had this enormous role, but she came and worked one day with us. Everyone that pops their face on the screen is over-qualified, and we're lucky to have them.

NP: It's a great cast, a great movie, but I kind of feel sorry for Temecula. It does have a lot more going for it than you're led to believe in the movie. It has an amazing wine industry for example.

JP: Yeah. Listen, comedy, it's also about the sound of a name. I mean "Tem-ec-u-la." -- it's like a "tar-an-tu-la." It sounds like something that's very uncomfortable. So god bless Temecula.

NP: Well I definitely recommend that you sample the region's wine at some point.

JP: I love wine, so that's done.

NP: Your character has certain pre-sale rituals that you see in the film. Did you need any to prepare yourself for the role of Don Ready?

JP: This is the kind of role, it's just a dream role. I feel like I've been apprenticing this role my whole life. Just the opportunity to do it made me pop out of bed every day and just sprint to the set. It was an incredible experience.

NP: I understand you were allowed a lot of leeway on set to improvise. What are some of the best examples of the improv that actually ended up on screen?

JP: For me, improvising things like, "Party back at my house. Everyone's welcome. No guys." That was improvised. When she [Jordana Spiro who plays Don's love interest, Ivy Selleck] goes, "Don, that was a one night stand," I go, "Don't ever think it. You're my wife, that's my son." That whole delusional turn is me. Everything that Will Ferrell said is an improv because he's a genius. Ed Helms would continuously crush it...There are plenty of examples of improvs all the way along. Dick Lewiston [who plays terminally politically incorrect car salesman] Charles Napier, he says, "You bald headed fuck, I've seen more hair on bacon." That's improvised.

NP: Ed Helms plays the lead character in a man band. Do you feel, like Jack Black and Tenacious D, that maybe he has a life with his band outside of this movie?

JP: Yes, I do. I do. Actually that's a great call. I'd like to see a whole musical based on Big Ups! Or, as Ivy Selleck's mom says, "Balls Out!"

See that was an example of, she got it wrong in rehearsal. She goes, "It's my son's band, it's Ball Out! Oh, I'm sorry you guys, I said it wrong." I said, "No, not at all. Do that during the take. It's perfect." I mean it's perfect, you know, to have these mistakes. You're looking for beautiful mistakes. We make mistakes in life all the time, why not put it on screen?

NP: There's obvious parallels between Ari from Entourage and Don from The Goods. They both have that Art of War / business is war mentality. Do you believe in that ethos personally?

JP: It's interesting because my life is so different from these characters. I'm a stage actor from Chicago, I go to yoga, and I try to find balance in my life. Not to sound too completely "Kumbaya," but I just know that these types of characters are fascinating to me. And I think I, in terms of my own career and life and that kind of stuff, I think I do share similar kind of philosophies or even ideologies. That you've got to do it yourself. You can't really get reactive if a job's not getting done, you really just got to make it happen yourself. I do think in that way, in that quality, I do share that with both these characters.

NP: You talk about your history in theater in Chicago, and I know that you come from a very theatrical family, and that in between Hollywood roles you run back to Chicago to participate in theater there. In a way you're a victim of your own success, because you've made Ari so believable that when Mercurygate happened, and you pulled out of a Broadway theater production, people automatically assumed you must have pulled an Ari Gold move. But why would you? You love the theater. Why would you, out of choice, pull out of a theatrical experience?

JP: Well I was incredibly guilty of listening to my doctors. That's what I did. It's been such a pleasure and an honor to be a working actor and part of the reason I got sick was I come from a family of not only "the show must go on" but the idea of turning down a role is sacrilege. And the reality is, sometimes you have to take a break. If you don't take a break for 20 years what happens is what happened to me. You hit the wall and you end up in the hospital and you've got an irregular heartbeat and your body is desperately trying to catch up. In my case, after eating sushi and all types of fish for 20 years your body's filled with mercury. The doctors basically examined me for three days and said, "You could have a heart attack. You have to take a break." And I listed to them. So that's what happened, and then you take your lumps -- that's a part of life.

NP: Are you feeling better now?

JP: I feel so much better. I actually think that my life was completely saved. Because had I not had that happen I would have continued on eating nothing but fish -- no red meat, no chicken, no dairy products -- just fish, and then what would have happened? I don't know. Who knows how the mercury would have manifested. But also, you have to take a break. It's OK to say no. I've come to terms with that it terms of having and finding some balance in my life.

NP: Also, I think you get to a point as an actor where you're defined as much my the roles you turn down, as by the ones you choose to take. You are in a position where you can pick and choose now. Are you enjoying that?

JP: Yeah. You have to understand, I come from a family where we've always performed in like a 99-seat house. My father would hang the lights and direct himself, and call the audience himself on the phone and get people in. That's where we come from. So success was always simply, success means being able to have choices as an actor. That fact that I have choices as an actor is a great success. I'm incredibly lucky.

NP: Well, I really hope this movie is going to be a great success because it's so fucking funny, but I feel that the trailer undersells it. How would Don Ready sell this movie?

JP: First of all, right now, I'm lying on my side and I'm having a very un-Don Ready moment...People like you are going to make the difference. Because you have a fan base, people listen to you. Word of mouth has never been so accessible as it is now. People can really get out there and voice their opinions, and you're changing the game so I'm excited about this. Because it's for the people this movie. It's a genuinely entertaining movie. That's it man. People are going to see it and get the word out and I love that.

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard opens in theaters nationwide on August 14.

Comic Con 2009 - GIANT-SIZE! Geeks. Nerdy girls. Costumes. Twilight. Zombies. San Diego. Good times. (video) (video) (video) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) With the one and only Bob. (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image) (image)... more

Comic Con 2009 - GIANT-SIZE!

Geeks.
Nerdy girls.
Costumes.
Twilight.
Zombies.
San Diego.
Good times.
















With the one and only Bob.








































































Twilight doesn't seem gay at all.


Girls reading comics. Hawt.

















For some reason, I keep seeing girls in masks...









Kaiju Monster Battel was amazing! Cage matches with guys in rubber monster costumes wrestling!

In Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi world aliens landed in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, in 1989. While international governments argued about what to do with the unwanted guests, unable to return home in their disabled ship, the gigantic exo-skeletoned, shrimp-like creatures were confined... more

In Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi world aliens landed in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, in 1989. While international governments argued about what to do with the unwanted guests, unable to return home in their disabled ship, the gigantic exo-skeletoned, shrimp-like creatures were confined to a makeshift refugee camp known as District 9. Wanting to maintain the status quo for their human residents, Johannesburg's officials adopted a strict -- and brutally enforced -- policy of segregation. Public transport and road crossings are reserved for the use of humans only, and those who spot aliens outside of their designated zone are encouraged to call a hotline (1-866-666-6001) manned by a private security firm called Multi-National United (you should keep their digits on speed dial -- just in case).

Blomkamp's nightmarish District 9 is a fictionalized reflection of the real horrors of District 6, a Cape Town municipality that was designated for "whites only" by South Africa's apartheid government in 1966. Removal of the non-white population began two years later. A total of 60,000 people were forcibly relocated to the Cape Flats, apartheid's dusty and bleak dumping ground 16 miles away. Similarly, as Blomkamp's faux documentary-style film begins, Multi-National United is charged with the task of clearing District 9 and relocating the area's resident aliens to a new government-mandated camp.

In his debut feature, Blomkamp skillfully portrays the human/alien apartheid society of Johannesburg in a hyper-real way, which sets this film apart from the bulk of sci-fi canon. With District 9, the South African born writer, director and visual effects artist takes the aliens of his beloved fantasy genre out of their usual star wars environment and has them do battle with the mundane pencil-pushers responsible for compliance in a segregated society similar to that of Blomkamp's youth. However, District 9 may never have happened if it wasn't for a more traditional space-based sci-fi project that Blomkamp was slated to helm.

At one point a film version of the first person shooter Halo was set to be Blomkamp's first feature, but the project got shot down while still in development. Microsoft and 20th Century Fox had charged Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson with the task of bringing the computer game to the big screen. Jackson in turn called on Blomkamp, an award winning commercial director who was creating quite a stir in the advertising world thanks to his award-winning visual effects. Though a series of three shorts were released in 2007 (collectively known as Landfall), the film version of Halo ultimately imploded. Jackson and Blomkamp forged a bond thanks to the project however, and when their work on Halo came to an end they turned to a six minute movie Blomkamp had produced back in 2005 as inspiration for their next project. SuicideGirls chatted to Blomkamp on the phone to find out about the harsh realities behind District 9.

Nicole Powers: You were born in South Africa but live in Canada now - when did you make the move?

Neill Blomkamp: In 1997. I was almost 18.

NP: So you grew up with apartheid, and were there to witness its end.

NB: It's end was in '94 - I guess I was 14.

NP: That must have been a very defining thing to have lived through.

NB: I think most of the influences in the film come from more of a subconscious level than a conscious one, I think it's more living through something and absorbing it by osmosis almost. Then, as an adult, by the time I was in Canada, realizing that all these very serious issues that come along with South Africa actually are a pretty big part of how I view the world and how my mind works.

NP: In what part of South Africa did you grow up?

NB: I lived in Joberg [Johannesburg]. I'm from the northern suburbs in Joberg. It's sort off a middle-class, white area.

NP: So your experience of apartheid in many respects would have been how you portray it in the film, in that you would have seen it on TV and in news reports but it wouldn't have been in your face or on your doorstep on a daily basis.

NB: Yeah, yeah, I think that's true. I mean the stuff that's in your face on a daily basis is just interacting with black South Africans - the interaction of two different races I think. But the actual police state, militaristic stuff definitely happened in a separate area to me, so there was a disconnect there that you would see on TV.

NP: The film shows the poor treatment of the aliens but you don't editorialize. You let the events unfold without taking a position, which in turn allows the viewer to. Was that intentional?

NB: Yes, that was completely intentional. Because I think when I started conceiving the film in 2007, I was making the mistake of it being too serious, and being too self-important and kind of ponderous. The tone was wrong. I figured out that that was not a smart thing to do for my first film, and that those topics were sort of too serious to tackle head on - plus I didn't even want to make a film like that. I wanted to make something that could fit into more of a Hollywood framework in terms of people watching the movie. So once I figured that out I thought, OK, what I want to do is put all of these topics and issues that have had an affect on me and continue to have an affect on me, I want to put them into the film but I don't want to beat people over the head with them. I'd rather let them be woven into the fabric of the movie and then the audience can decide what they want.

NP: You talk about the genesis of District 9 being in 2007, but obviously it grew out of your 2005 short Alive In Joberg. Where did the initial inspiration for that come from?

NB: Well, I left Joberg in '97 and I would go back almost every year. Johannesburg became something that I was very interested in, just from a socio-political standpoint. It was one of the many topics that surround the issues of racism and violence and segregation and stuff, it's one of the cities that epitomizes that. I used to go back all the time and I got way more interested in it as time went on. And then, separately from that, I'm just a total science fiction nut. So one day, I realized that I wanted to do a short film that merged those two things. I just wanted to see science fiction in this setting because I found the setting very, very creatively fascinating, and so I just merged the two of them.

NP: Between the short and the feature you met up with Peter Jackson thanks to Halo.

NB: I worked on Halo solidly. I mean I moved down to New Zealand to work on Halo, and I worked on it day in day out for four or five months, and then it collapsed. The studios fought with one another and the film bottomed out, and within a day or two I was working on District 9. Obviously it didn't have a name at that point.

What happened was Pete said, "This is fallen over and we're sorry this has happened, and we like working with you and you know everybody down here," meaning his production team, and the artists and the whole infrastructure. So he was like, "Why don't you just keep all the momentum that you have going and just work with these artists on a new film, and we'd be happy to get that greenlit and I can be on board as a producer."

Then Fran Walsh [Peter Jackson's wife] said, "Why don't you take your short film," which was one of the reasons they hired me for Halo, "Why don't you turn that into a feature." I thought that was an awesome idea and the next day I was working on what would be District 9.

NP: The most noticeable re-tool from Alive In Joberg to District 9 is that in the short you had multiple ships. Why did you choose to make the switch and concentrate on a scenario with just one ship?

NB: Well, part of the process of turning it into this feature length thing, the first step was to very clearly figure out the whole world, this alternate reality that the film would be set inside of. Because I thought once the alternate reality was really nailed, once I knew exactly what it was, then it would be much easier to write a story set within that world. Once I figured out who the aliens were and where they came from, I liked the idea that it was one ship.

NP: And that does make for a nice segue into a sequel. Do you have that planned?

NB: It certainly isn't planned. If audiences like this movie then I would love to make a sequel.

NP: I walked out salivating for the sequel.

NB: Oh really? Cool. I don't know what it is.

NP: You kept the original actors from Alive In Joberg and brought them back for District 9. Was there any pressure for you to bring in Hollywood heavyweight names for the feature version?

NB: No. The whole experience with Peter being the producer has been like a really lucky, lucky thing for me because if I believed in it, he would believe in it. If I said I really didn't want to use any known actors, and he thought it was right for what the concept of the movie was, then he just stood behind me. All of these [things] that you would think I would have been forced to have done he just nullified instantly. Like it was always going to be set in Johannesburg instead of LA, it was always going to have no-name actors in it, it was always going to have thick South African accents, all these things that without his involvement I don't know how they would have happened. So no, there was never that pressure.

NP: Well it was the right decision for the believability given that it's done in a faux documentary style.

NB: Yeah, totally.

NP: What difficulties did working in South Africa present?

NB: In terms of infrastructure, the crew was actually very good. Most of them came up from Cape Town because Cape Town has a very established commercial industry. They shoot a lot of European commercials in Cape Town. So the crew was pretty efficient and hands on and cool.

I'd have to say the most irritating thing about shooting in South Africa was anything that relied on any kind of institution, like the different government departments. All of the stuff that I wanted to include in the movie, like I wanted to use the Army, and they would string us along for six months and then pull out right before we were about to start shooting. I wanted as much police involvement as possible, because all these things make South Africa South Africa. Then the police would string us along and then bail: "You're not allowed to use us, you're not even allowed to use our logo."

That just kept happening, all these massive things that we were trying to get assistance with, get help with, and no one came through - like not one thing. So that was incredibly frustrating. Of course, I know when the movie comes out in South Africa people in South Africa will totally like it, and it'll do well...I think they just haven't had enough films made there to have a political infrastructure that can deal with it.

That annoyed the hell out of me. And then we shot in a really impoverished area of Soweto called Tshiawelo and that experience was both really grueling and also totally amazing at the same time. It was the most abrasive, horrendous environment I've ever been in in my life. We were in there every single day in the worst environment you can imagine. But everyone on the crew realized that those in Tshiawelo have to live there. This is where they live. We just had a month there and we were having trouble.

NP: That's the camp where we see the aliens living.

NB: Yeah.

NP: But that's actually where real humans are living.

NB: Yeah, Exactly. The only life imitating art, or art imitating life thing that happened with the film is that where we filmed District 9, Tshiawelo, which has all the shacks that you see in the movie, the government had made a lot of the residents of Tshiawelo eligible for government subsidized housing. Not everyone, but a whole bunch of people that were living in the shacks were moved out by the government and moved into these small, cheap houses that the government was trying to provide for people. A whole bunch of them I think were not eligible, or their time hadn't come, but they were being moved anyway because the government had some other plan for that area. So we inherited this area. We were allowed to take it over and use it because the government was going to destroy it, and then I think at the end of the film we gave the materials back. All the corrugated iron, the shacks were stripped down and reused in some of the other impoverished areas.

NP: This isn't like any other alien film, which is what is so exciting about it. It's real in both in terms of the story and the style you chose to tell it in. But do you think in a real world situation we'd actually allow aliens not only to live - but to breed - alongside us for 28 years? Don't you think there'd just be some kind of "accident" or manufactured incident to cover their annihilation?

NB: It's a really interesting question. I mean it's those kind of questions that are the reason the film exists, because I love thinking about that kind of thing. It depends on the circumstances, and it depends on how much attention is on them, but yeah, I agree, humans may not be very into the idea of some other race breeding at a higher rate than we are. It's interesting stuff. I wish some situation in reality would present itself so I could see the outcome.

NP: 'Cause the sad thing is, as grim as your film is, in many respects it felt to me like that would be the best case scenario for how we'd treat aliens who needed to settle on earth.

NB: Yeah [laughs]. I know. Yeah, it's probably pretty true.

NP: Now that District 9 is coming out, and because of the buzz around it, are you guys hoping that Halo may finally move forward?

NB: I don't know. I certainly never made District 9 to try and get Halo resurrected again. I don't even know what I would do if they offered it to me. I may say no actually. I don't know how Pete feels fully about it as well, whether he would do it or not. It's just a weird feeling when you work on something for that long and put so much effort in, and then have it bottom out over some kind of weird politics. It's hard to get back on that horse.

NP: Do you feel burnt out by it?

NB: No, no. I'm not creatively burnt out on it at all. I love the world of Halo. Creatively I could go back to it in a second. It's more a question of why would I go back to it given how they treated the situation and how they treated me. I'd rather work on something else I think.

NP: Do you have that something else in mind?

NB: Yeah. I have one thing that I'm working at the moment that when I get back to Vancouver I'm going to start writing, which is my own new sci-fi film. I hope that's my next one.

District 9 opens in theaters nationwide on August 14.

If you've ever assumed that Kim Deal is the coolest person alive, you're probably right. Nobody would blame a founding member of two of the most important rock bands of the past 20 years for having a big head, but Kim Deal doesn't have a big head. She does have large blisters, however,... more

If you've ever assumed that Kim Deal is the coolest person alive, you're probably right. Nobody would blame a founding member of two of the most important rock bands of the past 20 years for having a big head, but Kim Deal doesn't have a big head. She does have large blisters, however, from playing two band's-worth of catalog.

Kim Deal lives at home with her mom, in Dayton, Ohio, and she likes it. Ask her about the Pixies' stature as rock legends, and she'll tell you that maybe the kids who work at the Dayton Starbucks have heard of them. Being Kim Deal means being cool enough to make self-deprecating cracks, even though the Pixies and The Breeders are both having a huge year.

The Pixies plan to mark the 20th anniversary of their most celebrated record, Doolittle, with a European tour this October. They'll play the entire album and all the related B-sides every night, something they've never done before. October also marks the release of a Pixies box set, Minotaur, which includes all 5 of the band's studio albums, plus all-new artwork by Vaughan Oliver. Oliver's original images for the Pixies are some of the most recognizable in rock history, and his re-imagining of that iconography is at the center of Minotaur.

Meanwhile, The Breeders, Kim's band with her twin sister, Kelley, will be on tour this summer. They've been busy over the past couple of years with 2008's Mountain Battles and a recently-released EP, Fate to Fatal.

We got to chat with Kim on the phone from her basement in Ohio before a practice with Kelley. She's never going to convince anybody that she's bad at rock n' roll, but it's cool as hell that she even tries.

Jay Hathaway: You've got a lot going on right now.

Kim Deal: Yeah. This is the first year that I'm doing Pixies and Breeders shows in the same year...One weekend I might be doing a Breeders show, the next weekend a Pixies show. Like, that close together. So that's kind of strange for me. The blisters are different, and the song lists. My brain's just not big enough to keep all the songs in my head. One band's songs seem like enough to fill my tiny little brain, but now I've got the two bands' songs.

JH: I read what you've been telling people about developing that blister. Is it ready to burst now?

KD: Oh, it's perfect. Except I was doing some ironing for Kelley, and I think I lost the...no, there it is! I still have it. I have the bass blister still. It's great. It's the weirdest thing. You know when you give somebody the bird? It's on my left hand, on my middle finger, and it's on the fleshy inside right side of it. It's the weirdest place to get a blister. Anybody who plays serious music would probably say, boy, they're very, very bad. It's supposed to be on top of the fingers, but I'm just sawing away with my middle finger, sliding it up and down. I go back and forth for like two and a half minutes, and I can feel the finger getting hot.

JH: Which song is that?

KD: "I Bleed." But "Debaser" and "U-Mass" have the same sort of thing. I could actually play the part on a different string, but it just doesn't sound as cool. It sounds way better on the E, the bottom string.

JH: I'm really impressed that you're actually bleeding so you can play "I Bleed."

KD: Yeah, isn't that nice?

JH: Which bass are you going to play for the Doolittle shows? Are you going to use the bass from the record?

KD: Yeah, I am. I still have that. You know, I started with borrowing Kelley's bass guitar, because I didn't play bass. I played guitar. But hell, bass, that's four fuckin' strings. How fuckin' hard can it be, right? So I started playing bass with the Pixies, but I borrowed Kelley's bass. And Joe actually used my Les Paul Goldtop. I had to get that back from him. He got mad. Now Kelley plays it, and whenever I say something like, "My Les Paul," she just looks at me and I go, "Yeah dude. My Les Paul." Just because you play my guitar for a period of time doesn't mean it becomes your guitar.

JH: How sold were you on doing another Pixies tour? Did they have to convince you?

KD: I really enjoy doing them. The last [shows] we did were February 2007 in Australia. I think just out of the blue they started up again. The cycle sort of ends, we kind of played everywhere. We get a call saying, "Do you wanna play in Japan?" -- ha, no, I'm doing Spinal Tap, but people don't know that movie -- we get a call saying, "Hey, there's a festival called The Isle of Wight, and they're looking for somebody to play. It would be blah, blah, blah, blah, Pixies, Neil Fucking Young." Right?

JH: Whoa.

KD: I know! So, it's like, "Oh my god! Yeah, cool." I even stood on the side of the stage. I was allowed to stay on stage to watch the show. He has really long endings. That was my first time I've ever seen him play -- no, that's not true! I've seen him play at Madison Square fucking Garden, with his band... Neil Young and the...

JH: Crazy Horse?

KD: Yeah, Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

JH: So, did you talk to him?

KD: No, and I didn't try, either. He doesn't want to fucking talk to me. He doesn't want to talk to anybody, I'm sure.

JH: I guess when you're Neil Young, you don't have to talk to anybody if you don't feel like it.

KD: Exactly. Even a non-famous person who's old doesn't have to fuckin' talk to anybody. My dad doesn't have to fuckin' talk to anybody. He's not even famous. Neil Young's got that, and he's famous. You know what's really cool is that he probably is really nice. Kelley saw Bill Monroe before he died, the godfather of bluegrass, you know? She said he was really cool. It was in Canton, Ohio, and he comes out of his bus and hits the sidewalk. Everybody's there, getting ready to go into the show, and he just comes off the bus and gets on the pavement, stands up, looks around and goes, "Hello, folks." "Hello, Bill," they say to him. He just seems really cool.

JH: Have you ever done anything like that?

KD: I'm pretty talkative. I talk to pretty much everybody. I don't know, because he's so famous! He was like a legend. So that one gets me. At the time, Kelley actually saw Roy Orbison, too, like two days before he died. She saw two shows in one week, and one of them was Bill Monroe, and one was Roy Orbison.

JH: What do you make of all the praise for Doolittle as one of the best or most influential albums ever?

KD: We live in Ohio, and not a lot of people here know who the Pixies are. Maybe if I lived in LA or Silver Lake or something like that, maybe I'd be listening to it on the radio or something. But they don't play that here. The people don't know that. Some of the kids at Starbucks have heard of the Pixies. Some of them.

JH: Well, them and everybody at every college anywhere in the world...

KD: Yeah. We're not a big college town, here. It's pretty easy to feign modesty in a town where nobody fucking knows who you are anyway. It's pretty easy.

JH: Yeah, and then you leave for Europe and play all these huge shows...

KD: I know! It's weird, right? Actually, in 2005, we were all trying to get shows in our hometowns. Charles got Portland. Joe, of course, got Northampton, which is near Long Meadow. We did Boston. We did Los Angeles. It was like, "Kim, let's get a show in Dayton!" And I go, "Ok! Alright, I know the place. It can be Hara Arena. I think maybe we can play there, that would be so awesome." The Pixies had never played Dayton. The closest we came was Columbus and maybe Cincinnati. We put the tickets on sale. Like 500 tickets sold. We had to cancel.

JH: Do you ever run into Bob Pollard in Dayton?

KD: Never! I don't know even know if he still lives here. Does he? I can't imagine him moving.

JH: Yeah. I think he's just more comfortable there.

KD: I think he enjoys living here. I do too. I like to leave. I gotta tell you, I really enjoy leaving. It's nice. I live with my parents, though. My mom has Alzheimer's, so I'm caregiver with my father. Me and my dad, we stay at the house and hang out with my mother. She's nuts.

JH: And that's why you moved back?

KD: Yeah. I sometimes say it like, "Oh, I live with my parents," and I'm rolling my eyes. But I really like it. If I didn't, I'd live alone. [laughs] They don't know I really like it. It's so stupid. But I actually do leave a lot, so that's nice. Then I fly home, and I fly into the Dayton International Airport. It's so empty! Other people are flying home to LAX. Oh my god, I mean, hours of traffic. And it's so fucking hot there, I can't even imagine. And I can't live in New York City. I'm too immature for it. It just chews me up and spits me out. All I do is go to the basement and do as many drugs as I can find.

JH: New York is really good for a week, when you have a reason to be there, but I can't imagine going grocery shopping in New York City. I mean, I know that people have to do that, but...

KD: I know. But people make it work. I mean, there are 12-year olds who go to school there, and pick up milk for their mothers. They have the skills to do it, to not make it a bigger deal than it is. It's just getting groceries in Manhattan. But it's so beyond me. I'm like, "Oh, shiny objects, loud noises, I'm lost! Where do I live? Where's my key? Where the fuck am I?"

JH: If you grew up there, it'd be different.

KD: It's true. And you know what? They would come out here and make one turn and be lost in a cornfield.

JH: Is it weird to play Pixies songs again when you've evolved as a musician for twenty years since those records came out?

KD: It is weird. But it's not as weird as you think it is. You know what's weird? Imagine one show, you have a set list, and you've got these songs, and you guys are playing them, right? Maybe you have an album out. Maybe you don't. Anyway, a year passes, and you're still in the same band -- hopefully! If you guys can stand each other -- and you've got a new batch of songs. When you go and play the songs, people want to hear a song from a year ago. They really want you to play it, because they know that song, and it means something to them. But you're totally over that song. That's not where your head is at right now anyway. You like the new songs better anyway. It doesn't get any weirder than that moment right there. One year has passed or ten years have passed, it's just the same.

JH: That makes sense.

KD: Yeah. It's still weird to play a song that isn't the newest song that you wrote. It doesn't matter if it's a year ago, or five years ago, or fifteen years ago. It's not the newest thing you wrote, so it's weird. But I am just fucking so Middle America that if a fucking band comes on fucking stage -- I'll tell you this right now -- if I like your stuff, and you don't play the songs that I fucking like, then tell me that before you fucking sell me one of your tickets. You better tell me in big fucking print: "I"m not going to play a fucking thing you know!" Tell me that and I won't buy a ticket. We've got a nice agreement. It's cool, you can play whatever crazy new stuff you want, but if you come into town, I'm assuming that you're going to be playing something that I know. Hopefully, stuff that I like. 'Cause I'm Middle America. That's what I like.

I saw a Van Morrison concert once. He didn't play one single thing I knew. Now I realize that he's so eccentric and such a consummate performer that the whole idea that he might play "T.B. Sheets" or something that somebody might know is completely beneath him. Dude, I didn't know this. I thought I was just buying a fucking stupid ticket to Van Morrison. I had no idea I wasn't. I was buying a ticket to what this man felt like playing that night. Then, at the same time, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles, Aretha Fucking Franklin, right? Those are the people I would listen to and pay, and they don't have to play a single thing I know. I would just pay to be in the room that they're in. They don't even have to fucking play anything. But no, these are the people who actually play everything you fucking know. They play it all. And they're happy to do it; That's what they're being paid to do.

JH: When was the last good Van Morrison album? Does anybody care about his latest album?

KD: People do, I guess. I think because he's supposed to be such a high-quality performer that his musings on music nowadays are considered very relevant, even if it's not a ditty that you can snap your fingers to and that you like. I think maybe we're the idiots for thinking that he should be a monkey and play "Brown-Eyed Girl" for us so we can enjoy ourselves that evening.

JH: So many trends have come and gone since you started making music, and it happens even faster now. You've managed to transcend a lot of the temporary bullshit in music over the past couple of decades. How do you accomplish that?

KD: By never being particularly popular in the first place, probably. One song got particularly popular. I know a lot of people know us from Fight Club. The only thing that got remotely popular was a song called "Cannonball," and that was a Breeders song. That was like Top 20, just that song. A lot of people don't even know it nowadays, that sort of thing. So that's how to remain...

I'm so bad at being in rock music. There's people that are so much better at it, that are just born for it. I looked at Madonna when she was doing a shoutout to Michael Jackson, and she was using that speak-from-the-diaphragm voice from the stage. The same rock talking voice that Celine Dion might use. I can't even do the accent. I can't do the rock voice. I don't get it.

I'm really bad at doing rock music, actually. I was watching Lollapalooza, before the version in Chicago, the cool version. It happened to be in Chicago, but it was one of the summer runs, not at Grant Park, it was at some shed. Anyway, I'd just watched Queens of the Stone Age. Nick was still with them, and they were really good. I was waiting for Chris Cornell's band, Audioslave. Chris Cornell had stepped on two amplifiers, with his legs in a V position. He had his shirt off, and his back was to the crowd. Before the curtains opened, he had a mic in his hand, and he had both his hands up above his head. So when the curtain opened, all you would see is his beautiful back. He's a gorgeous man, cool voice. I like the heavy metal voice, you know. I just thought, "God, I'm so bad at what I do!"

JH: Just at the spectacle of it? Because you write some great songs.

KD: Well, I think it's form over function.

JH: Maybe it's form follows function.

KD: I would hope, but it doesn't seem like it. It seems like people see a bike painted red, and they think it's a faster bike! [laughs] I never got it at all...It's like when there's a big band around and everybody loves them, but you know they suck.

JH: Well, maybe they're trying to make good music. Maybe not...

KD: I think they're trying to be successful.

JH: But being successful now means you make something that people like for a weekend. Everything changes so quickly. You don't have to write a song that people like for 20 years, that's still on the radio.

KD: [laughs] It is different. It's really different.

JH: What do you think about the future of the album? Do you think people will continue to make them?

KD: I don't know...Like you said, that kind of celebrity doesn't exist anymore. Maybe there won't be an album. There'll be a different type of success. Whatever drives people to do it. Isn't it getting laid? Whether you're a guy or a girl or gay or not, you still want to get laid. Whatever helps that, I guess. Which is always a good thing, probably.

Back in the day, there would be people who would quit their jobs for bands. It wasn't a lifestyle, it was actually what you did, and that was it. It does seem strange that somebody might do all of that to be pummeled for the next six months on the internet. I'm not talking about celebrity worship, 'cause that's creepy, but reading the shittiest things on a bathroom wall about oneself for like, the next six months. After having tried to do something musically, that doesn't seem like much fun. And there's no money in it, either, so your life hasn't changed at all. You just get a bunch of grief all the time. Also, how can people actually go and play in front of people? I guess they don't. We are.

JH: Yeah. What was the last really good show you saw?

KD: Hmmm. I liked the Neil Young show. That was probably the last show I saw. Although I don't like "Rockin' in the Free World." I really don't like that song. It really annoys me. Other than that, I liked the show.

JH: That's the kind of song people do at karaoke, 'cause everybody knows the chorus, at least.

KD: Yeah, yeah. Exactly. A lot of people now are just using loop pedals, I guess. Which is better than a laptop. At least it's actually present, everything there is actually happening at that moment. It's not just somebody hitting spacebar. I don't understand, if there's nobody to buy any records, how is a band from North Carolina even going to go to Illinois to play? There's no way they'll rent a van and pay for gas, and get days off from their jobs. But free doesn't seem like the right idea. Something should happen. Maybe it's the end of the band as we know it. Maybe it'll just be people taking previous songs and making mashups for the weekend.

JH: What's the plan for The Breeders? You had an album out last year, you have an EP out now. What are you working on next?

KD: We haven't played in the States since last summer, so we thought we'd play a few weeks this summer. So we're renting a van and going to the bars and playing. I'm getting more of the EPs made, too. We're not going to hand screen them, because then it doesn't seem like it would be a limited edition anymore. They're going to look nice, though.

JH: How was All Tomorrow's Parties?

KD: The new one's going to be really good. We were there in April, and we saw a lot of really good bands. Shellac was really good there, which was weird. Deerhunter was really good, I really like them.

JH: Yeah, I like Deerhunter. They make actual legitimate albums. It's not just a singles collection or something.

KD: Yeah. You know what's weird, too, is that a lot of the celebrity thing that's happening now. For me, the main thing was music, and if anybody did anything else, it was just kind of stupid. Some people would dance, like Janet Jackson or something, but whatever. I never even paid attention. Whatever. Mainly it was just music. But Kid Rock now has a beer out, and Jessica Simpson has the shoes, and people have perfume out. So, I think that's what a lot of people are doing now...I think that's what people are doing to line their coffers, because music is free. They use records to promote the perfume. Download a free song with one bottle of "Curiosity." [laughs]

JH: Did you ever want the Pixies to be the biggest band in the world?

KD: Fuck no! 'Cause you can see what you have to do to do it. First of all, you have to write lyrics that have some sort of suggestion, not completely, but some sort of suggestion about a universal theme. Hopefully, something about flying and love. "Your Flying Love," is perfect. Something like that. Then you have to say things like, "Ok, everybody, lift your hands up in the sky!" in that weird rock voice that I can't even get. Hell no. I just assume that if you're doing something that 30,000 people want to see, it's probably something that I don't. [laughs] I don't know what's wrong with me!

JH: Do you think Frank Black ever wanted the Pixies to be the biggest band in the world?

KD: You know, maybe. I'd like to think so. It'd be nice if I was able to hang out with somebody with some ambition, for fuck's sake. It'd be great if he thought that. I actually don't know. Maybe Joe [Santiago] thought that, maybe David [Lovering]. Drummers think that, don't they?

JH: How much does your chemistry as a band depends on your chemistry as people?

KD: It depends. With the Pixies, we don't have to actually work out a part on a song, like "Do we do that twice, or three times? Is this song sounding good?" or whatever. We don't have to do that. We just have to know how the song goes. That doesn't require a whole lot of cooperation or a moment of vulnerability or anything. When you're writing a song, it's way different than just rehearsing a set. Your brain's half off in rehearsal. You're wondering if this is the right pick for the song or whether you have to turn the treble down. When you're writing a song, you get those music headaches. "Oh my god, I can only go four hours. Oh my god, I don't know anymore, this sounds like shit!" It's two totally different heads, I think.

JH: Ok, this is kind of a weird question, but did you really do your hair with mayo before a Breeders show?

KD: Oh, mayo, let me see...Butter, a piece of ham, anything that was greasy. Yeah. I used beer. Beer's not the best, though, 'cause it doesn't have a lot of grease in it. I don't do it all the time. It was when my hair was a certain length, and I'd just washed it. It would just be all over the place, so I'd grease it down so it would stay in place. Also, I hate the sound of brand new guitar strings, so I'll dump whole ashtrays on my hands, and spit in it, and hopefully I'll have grease on my face -- I'm serious when I say this -- and I mix it all together to make this disgusting sticky stuff, and I go up and down the fretboard, trying to dirty up my strings. I just can't stand the sound of new strings.

JH: I know you have this famous quote, where you said, "We were overweight and ugly when we started, and we're overweight and ugly now." Are you fucking kidding me? You're a sex symbol! Do you know this?

KD: Right! Yeah, right, I'm beautiful. Well, that's good to know. Thank you for saying it.