Who gets a pass?

[Sarah]

A friend and I were talking about how we were looking forward to the new Joss Whedon show Dollhouse that is starting next week. He said he was looking forward to it DESPITE the premise. In other words, he is willing to give it a chance completely on the basis of his opinion of its creator. I agreed.

Who gets a pass like that from you? Whose work do you pre-order, or buy despite reviews, on the basis of your esteem for that person or group?

My list includes
Neil Gaiman (books, comics, films, etc.)
Brian K. Vaughan (comics)
Joss Whedon (movies/tv/comics)
Karen Joy Fowler (books - despite having HATED her last book - I'd still buy her next on the basis of the first five)
Jonathan Carroll (books -despite ambivalence toward his books of the entire last decade)
Springsteen (and I am not liking the new album)
Patty Griffin (music)


I'm sure there are others, but those are the first things that come to mind.

[Dan]

I don't buy as much music as I used to so my list is entirely authors.

current:
Neil Gaiman (just the novels)
Christopher Moore
Joe Lansdale

old (and possibly deceased) but still snapping up whatever I can find:
Roger Zelazny
Philip Jose Farmer
Richard Matheson
P.G. Wodehouse

[Matt]

Authors: William Gibson, J.G. Ballard

Films: the Coens, David Lynch

I'm with Dan about the music, as I can't think of one artist that I love who hasn't put out at least one "WTF?!" album.

[Heidi]

Authors: Kevin Brockmeier, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robin McKinley

Music: Natalie Merchant, Ella Fitzgerald, Van Morrison

Movies: Kate Hepburn, Javier Bardem, Coen Bros, Peter Hedges, Terry Gilliam, Natalie Portman

A fairly similar thread was started a few weeks ago - not exactly the same, but definitely worth bringing into this thread for synthesis since I'm sure some of the discussion will tie over from one thread to the other...

*** addendum: Tom Waits should be added to the music/movie list. ***

[Gus]

I'm looking forward to Dollhouse, but something tells me I'll be disappointed.

Current:
Don DeLillo (his last 2 novels have been utter disappointments)
Chuck Palahniuk


Deceased/Disbanded:
Hunter S. Thompson (his last Gonzo Papers books were garbage, but he redeemed himself with his Gonzo Letters)
The Who (Endless Wire was crap, as were their last 2 full studio albums, but that 6 year period between The Who Sell Out and Quadrophenia rank as one of the most creative outputs any band, The Beatles included)

[Sarah]

Part of the fear for Dollhouse is that Fox will pull the same crap they pulled on Firefly and condemn it to a half season.

To clarify -- Some of the artists I LOVE put out utter dreck on occasion, but I have read/listened to that as well, and will buy the next one despite the craptastic interlude.
Example: I think almost everything on the new Springsteen sounds like a reject from the much better Magic, but that won't stop me from buying the next one.

[RandomAnthony]

This is a fanastic question.

Authors...Cormac McCarthy, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Haruki Murakami.

Music...Tom Waits, Drive-by Truckers, The Hold Steady, Stars of the Lid, Stars, probably a couple others...

Movies...have to think about this one.

[RandomAnthony]

Oh, and Dan, I LOVED Zelazny and Phillip Jose Farmer growing up...the Riverworld series was a big part in my becoming a reader.

[Dan]

Randomanthony wrote: "Oh, and Dan, I LOVED Zelazny and Phillip Jose Farmer growing up...the Riverworld series was a big part in my becoming a reader."

In my mind, fantasy and sf peaked sometime in the late 70's, back when authors could tell a story in 350 pages or less instead of a series of dictionary-sized tomes.

[Sarah]

I just read the biography of Tiptree/Alice Sheldon, and I'm really looking forward to going back and rereading some of those stories. I love 70s scifi and fantasy, when they got past pulp and more overtly into character and societal issues. Not that there's anything wrong with pulp.

[Kirk]

Sarah Pi:

I just discovered this website. It made me think of your comment about the new Springsteen:
http://www.bosscocked.com/

[Sally, la reina]

Oh, MAN what a great question.

I can't think of many, I just got home from school and my mind is all a fritz, but...

Music: Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Sons and Daughters

Books: Augusten Burroughs, Haruki Murakami, Donna Haraway, Paul Miller

Movies: Kate Winslet, Clive Owen, George Clooney, Tom Hanks (usually), Cohen Bros. for sure, Audrey Tatou.

I'm planning to add more as I think of them.

[Kevin]

nobody gets a pass with me. i am more and more judging the merit of someone's current work in relation to my current likes or follies. like i love white stripes but can't take jack white's other group (the raconteurs or something like that). i used to read everything from james patterson but now i think he is way over saturated and writes too many books for any of them to be good. i like chi tea i hate chi tea. although except for the Hard Rain, Morgan Freeman always seems to satisfy

[Félix]

Music: Kathleen Edwards (she's Canadian, eh?)

Actors: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, George Clooney

Movies: Coens, Clint Eastwood

[Cosmic Sher]

I can't think of too many, although I have to agree with the afformentioned Neil Gaiman and Tom Waits (I have secret crushes on them both).

To the list I'd add:

Kevin Smith (producer - Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob)
Will Smith (actor)
George Carlin (comedy GOD)
Audrey Hepburn (actress)
Matthew McConaughey (actor & stud muffin)
Morgan Freeman (acting GOD... joke, hee hee)
Drew Barrymoore (actress)
Terry Brooks (author)
Kim Harrison (author)

[RandomAnthony]

I was thinking Kevin Smith, too, Sherrie...

[Heidi]

UGH! I can't believe I left Tom Waits off my list, RA! Okay, going back to edit right now.

[Sally, la reina]

Will Smith for sure, Kevin Kline for me. Also, I'm drawn like a moth to light to see Ashley Judd.

[Félix]

Oh Ashley Judd yes for sure. I remember when she was a regular on STNG.

[[deleted user]]

Isn't she after Palin for hunting wolves or something?

[Félix]

Well, she isn't after me. I know that for damn sure.

[[deleted user]]

Care to elaborate?

[Félix]

No. I think I've said it all.

[Sally, la reina]

The best was the SNL where Palin meets Bush. And Palin's husband was off in the wilderness with his trackin' buddies huntin' down McCain, hiding because he was trying to evade any connection with Bush whatsoever.

[Kevin]

ok, i'll add one: ashley judd could be on Flava Of Love and i would still watch her

[Sandy]

Hmmm
Music (most are oldies, of course)
Ella Fitzgerald, Supertramp, Steely Dan, Bette Midler, Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford

Actors
Kevin Kline, Kevin Spacey, Alan Rickman, Judi Dench, Kate Blanchett, Imelda Staunton, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks

Authors
Val MacDermid, Ruth Rendell, Ian Rankin, John LeCarre, Graham Greene, Dennis Lehane, Terry Pratchet, Jasper Fforde,Neil Gaiman, Chuck P.,

That's all I can think of at the moment

[Sally, la reina]

Will Smith for sure. He doesn't accept crappy roles. He just doesn't. His name attached will make a movie. We've discussed this already, elsewhere, though.

*stuffs sock in mouth*

[Sally, la reina]

*stuffs sock in KD's mouth*

[Sarah]

Ooh. Good call.

[Lori]

Has no one said Meryl Streep?

I've heard one of the reasons Mama Mia was so good is because she was so obviously having a blast while she made it.

Not that I'll go see it. Even for Meryl. Does that mean she doesn't get the pass from me? Because it that's the case, I'll feel obliged to watch it, and I really don't want to!

[Sally, la reina]

She did look like she was having a blast. Who wouldn't? Gawd, that setting was amazing.

[Kevin]

yeah, I don't admit this much around the guys but I seem to be humming songs from Mama Mia quite often

[Lori]

BUSTED!

Richard saw that on a plane, and he came home telling me how great it was. I got such pleasure making fun of him!

[Félix]

ABBA songs are very addictive. I get "Fernando" stuck in my head quite frequently. Like RIGHT NOW!!

[[deleted user]]

I love Mamma Mia. I want to see the show in NY when I'm there, but Alfonso doesn't want to see an ABBA show. So I'm picking another one.

[Lori]

Oh my, can you just imagine Alfonso at a Mammia Mia show??? He'd be so far slumped down in his seat with a hat covering his face!

[Kevin]

uh, i am not exactly the show tune looking type (i don't think) but i somehow wind up half humming and half singing songs from The Phantom, Les Miserable, Mama Mia or The Sound Of Music. hard to look tough when you are chopping wood singing "don't cry for me argentina". seems i ride my motorcycle while wearing old jeans and workboots while singing like the little guy from Will & Grace

[Lori]

I LOVE Les Miserable!

[Félix]

I thought the Phantom music was going to end up making me permanently crazy. Same way Music Man. Arrghh!

[Kevin]

Starts with a T and ends in an E right here in River City?

[Sally, la reina]

Les Miserab makes me miserable.

[Félix]

Moi, aussi, Lady S.

[Kevin]

i sometimes have to listen to White Zombie or NIN to cleanse my pallet after too many show tunes

[[deleted user]]

ew.

[Kevin]

what? a little thunderkiss 65 after the celtic women keeps me balanced

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

palate


:::runs away:::

[Félix]

Hey, he could be talking about a pallet.

[image error]

IMAGEMAN STRIKES AGAIN!

[Sally, la reina]

Kevin might have a dirty pallet. He could have, you know, loaded a bunch of hay into his truck while listening to show tunes. We don't know the whole story.


*snicker*

[Félix]

We may never know the whole story.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

I clean my palette after I paint something, but not with NIN...

[image error]