how hi the fi?

How Hi The Fi is the personal blog of Paul Rehm that might more aptly be named "Ranking Everything." The focal points of the blog are the posts in which I take an artist's career - be it musical, directorial or something else - view, listen to or read their work chronologically and then rank them from best to worst. In between these posts, I share my day-to-day happenings and plans for future lists. The blog is named after an album by jazz musician Buck Clayton that captures the attitude this blog would ideally convey. Be sure to bookmark this page and come back often!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Make That Sixty

All sorts of good stuff going on lately. I interviewed for a new, awesome job (more on that if the news is good). I have been watching a ton of great movies. My college basketball team is unexpectedly the best in the ACC and 2nd best in the country. Their rival is unexpectedly the worst in the ACC. My baseball team just signed an icon from the city I live in (quite possibly the greatest conversation piece ever). Even my personal life has taken an unexpectedly good turn.

It only took a few days but I've seen 10 more movies since the last post. We're up to 60 on the year and another 10 should be coming just as quick (I've had a surprising amount of free time and a lot of people who like doing this crap with me).

60. Happening, The
59. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
58. Eye, The
57. Mamma Mia
56. Jumper
55. Promotion, The
54. Charlie Bartlett
53. Zombie Strippers
52. Drillbit Taylor
51. Definitely, Maybe
50. Incredible Hulk, The
49. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
48. House Bunny, The
47. Baby Mama
46. Semi-Pro
45. The Tale Of Despereaux
44. Hancock
43. Meet Dave
42. Hamlet 2
41. Hellboy 2
40. What Happens In Vegas
39. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
38. Step Brothers
37. Wanted
36. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
35. Love Guru, The
34. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
33. Fools Gold
32. Pineapple Express
31. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The
30. Appaloosa
29. Valkyrie
28. In Bruges
27. Australia
26. Happy-Go-Lucky
25. Felon
24. Kung Fu Panda
23. Horton Hears A Who
22. Tropic Thunder
21. Boy A
20. Deception
19. Revolutionary Road
18. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
17. Vantage Point
16. Get Smart
15. Role Models
14. The Wrestler
13. Bolt
12. Let The Right One In
11. Gran Torino
10. Burn After Reading
9. Iron Man
8. Changeling
7. Seven Pounds
6. Frost/Nixon
5. Man On Wire
4. My Blueberry Nights
3. Dark Knight, The
2. Synecdoche New York
1. WALL-E

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The 50 I've Seen So Far

As promised, I won't post the damned movie list unless there are at least 5 or 10 new movies to add to it. Here we have 10 since the last update. As always, they are bolded. These 10 were among the best of the year as we get into Oscar season.

In fact, 5 of the 10 make the cutoff for must buy (the cutoff is between Get Smart and Vantage Point). Even the worst of the 10 (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) was a really good one.

I'll be seeing Choke, Valkyrie, Frost/Nixon, Seven Pounds, Milk, The Wrestler, Appaloosa, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Duchess, Revolutionary Road, The Tale Of Despereaux and a few others in the next week or two so the top of the list should change significantly if the reviews of these hold up. I have enjoyed the hell out of this project and hope to keep it going for at least 50 more.

50. Happening, The
49. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
48. Eye, The
47. Mamma Mia
46. Jumper
45. Promotion, The
44. Charlie Bartlett
43. Zombie Strippers
42. Drillbit Taylor
41. Definitely, Maybe
40. Incredible Hulk, The
39. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
38. House Bunny, The
37. Baby Mama
36. Semi-Pro
35. Hancock
34. Meet Dave
33. Hellboy 2
32. What Happens In Vegas
31. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
30. Step Brothers
29. Wanted
28. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
27. Love Guru, The
26. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
25. Fools Gold
24. Pineapple Express
23. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The
22. In Bruges

21. Australia
20. Happy-Go-Lucky
19. Felon

18. Kung Fu Panda
17. Horton Hears A Who
16. Tropic Thunder
15. Deception
14. Vantage Point
13. Get Smart
12. Role Models
11. Bolt
10. Let The Right One In

9. Gran Torino
8. Burn After Reading
7. Iron Man
6. Changeling
5. Man On Wire
4. My Blueberry Nights
3. Dark Knight, The
2. Synecdoche New York
1. WALL-E

Monday, January 5, 2009

Finally, The Best Of 2008

That's right, it's the best of 2008. As the coolest person you all know, I feel as though my opinion should be valued more highly than others. And as such we have the best of 2008. These aren't actually opinions though, they are facts. Every statement in this post is as true as the statement "the Red Sox play in Boston" or "Georgia Tech over Georgia was a fluke."

Without further ado... (Some of the subject ideas were stolen from McCluca, so big ups)

Favorite Female Celebrity: Anne Hathaway
The reason Get Smart is in my 2008 top 10.

Favorite Male Celebrity: Clint Eastwood
Changeling? Gran Torino? Still bad ass? Yes.

Top News Moment: Sarah Palin and my subsequent boner.

Top Sports Moment: Game 5 of the ALCS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wAlL988Z_U&feature=related
Red Sox down by 7 runs in the seventh inning facing elimination win the game
2nd place: UGA Basketball wins SEC Championship in staggering fashion
3rd place: Kansas kicks the piss out of UNC in the Final Four (I will no doubt remember this long after I've forgotten every other sports moment of 2008)

Favorite Athlete: Jon Lester... what a year.
By sport: MLB (besides Lester): Jonathan Papelbon, NBA: Mario West, NFL: Adrian Peterson, NCAA FB: Knowshon Moreno, NCAA BB: Greg Paulus (but whatshisface from Kansas who had the monster game against UNC deserves love as does Sundiata Gaines), NHL: Ilya Kovalchuk, NCAA Baseball: Josh Fields & Dean Weaver...

Five Best Movies (So Far - I've seen 45 of them this year which is about 35 more than most of you, but intend to see 100 more):
1. WALL-E
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. The Dark Knight
4. My Blueberry Nights
5. Changeling

Three Worst Movies:
1. The Happening
2. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
3. The Eye

Best Blog:
"How Hi The Fi?" http://howhithefi.blogspot.com/

Five Best Albums (no order - this is also subject to mass overhaul)
Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
T.I. - Paper Trail
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
TV On The Radio - Dear Science
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords

Favorite Hip Hop Song:
T.I. (Feat Rihanna) - Live Your Life

Best Live Band I Saw This Year:
Of Montreal

Favorite 2008 Book Of The Very Few I've Read So Far:
John Hodgman - More Information Than You Require

Funniest Internet Video:
Andy Samberg & Co: Jizz In My Pants (SNL)
2nd Place: Bo Burnham - I'm Bo Yo

Favorite Things I Got Into In 2008 That Don't Necessarily Have Anything To Do With 2008:
Cormac McCarthy, The Office, Flight Of The Conchords, Book Collecting, The City Of Atlanta, Octane Coffee, The Hawks, The Falcons, The Thrashers, cigars etc, and, oh yeah, this blog.

Hopes For 2009: I hope the blog continues to grow and turns into something more interesting. I hope the Red Sox win the World Series, Duke wins the NCAA Championship, UGA wins the BCS, Jeff Gordon wins the Sprint Cup, Love, New Music from Bob Dylan, Sufjan Stevens, DMB... New book by Cormac McCarthy... The movie "The Road" is the best of the year, a high paying job, losing weight, staying healthy, strengthening friendships, seeing more independent films, broadening my horizons further, having time to read my books, making lots of money, figuring it all out and continuing my 24 1/2 year dominance of everything. Happy new year, bigness.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

A Survey About 2008

Looking back at 2008
Borrowed this from Phillip who borrowed it from Katy...

Where did you begin 2008?
Gainesville, Florida in a repulsive bar around very few people I still speak to.

What was your status by Valentine's Day?
See previous question

Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Nope

Did you have to go to the hospital?
Nope

Did you have any encounters with the police?
My all time greatest police encounter: I had the police called on me for going to get my stuff back from my ex before the police ultimately decided that I had every right to do what I did and she would've been breaking the law if she'd kept me from doing it. I am not very good at capturing the epicity of this in words.

Where did you go on vacation?
I can't remember any true vacations. Just lots of mini ones.

What did you purchase that was over $500?
Uhh... I can't remember

Did you know anybody who got married?
Didn't go to any weddings this year (except in the 1st week of Jan) but my friend Brendan got married the other day.

Did you know anybody who passed away?
Probably.

Did you move anywhere?
From Athens to Lithia Springs in January. From Lithia Springs to Buckhead in July. Hoping to be there for awhile.

What sporting events did you attend?
A ton. 2-3 Hawks games, at least 10 Braves games, 1 UGA football game, 1 Thrashers game, 2 NASCAR races, 11-12 high school football games, several other random high school games, and probably some I'm forgetting.

What concerts/shows did you go to?
Of Montreal in Athens recently. I'm sure I saw others but it wouldve been much earlier in the year.

Where do you live now?
Atlanta, GA

What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2008?
Oooh... uhh... I'll go with "Enjoy a new Jason Mraz song"

What has/have been your favorite moment(s)?
Game 5 of the ALCS. There is no greater feeling.

What's something you learned about yourself?
I learned a lot about love. Stuff like what really matters in a relationship...

Any new additions to your family?
I'm sure my brother has impregnated a few mexicans that we don't know about.

What was your best month?
June. But I can't say why or else I'll get sued.

What music will you remember 2008 by?
Hip-Hop in general. T.I., Lil Wayne, Chris Breezy... Living in Atlanta has really broadened my Hip Hoprizons. I expanded my Indie tastes too but to a much lesser degree. I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.

Made new friends?
Actually I've made a ton of new friends. I still don't know how this happened. Most of the people linked to the right for fellow blogs were people I wasn't that close with this time last year. I'm pretty glad about that.

Favorite Night[s] out?
The Of Montreal concert... the night with Tyler and his work friends... and best of all, the night at the Venezias til 4am.

Any regrets?
Always.

What do you want to change in 2009?
I dunno, I did most of my changing in late 2008. I guess I'd like to lose weight and improve my faith but I've been working on those things for years now.

Overall, how would you rate this year?
Pretty crappy. No sports titles outside of the Georgia Basketball SEC championship... Spent a lot of time in relationships that are no longer going... Never overly thrilled with my work situation... I dunno. The year certainly had some high spots, too, but generally it won't be missed.

Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
Friends houses, movie theatres, sporting events, work...

Change your hairstyle?
I keep it short now. That's probably not something I was doing this time last year.

Get a new job?
Yeah.

Do you have a New Year's resolution?
Sort of. Already mentioned it earlier.

Did anything embarrassing happen?
Hmm... probably... nothing comes to mind off hand.

Buy anything new from eBay?
Not as much as last year. Money hasn't been free flowing.

What was/were your favorite purchase[s]?
This laptop is certainly up there. My GPS, my crappy but excellent service phone, all of my books, DVDs and records, my DVD rack (i know, lame), the lunch boxes, everything pertaining to the Red Sox, work clothes, the Wii... I'm forgetting some.

Get married or divorced?
Haha!

Be honest - did you watch American Idol?
I hate everyone who watches this show including members of my family.

Did you get sick this year?
Of course. I'm still fighting off the damn cough from it, too. I'm on prescription meds though so it's almost over.

Start a new hobby?
Book reading/collecting! Also: lunch boxes (even though I only have 6), and then just expanding upon other hobbies... I also slowed/stopped some hobbies (I rarely buy new Red Sox hats)...

Are you happy to see 2008 go?
Absolutely. Anything I liked about 2008 could easily be repeated in 2009 whereas the crappy stuff is stuck in 08.

Drank Starbucks in 2008?
Yes. I love the Starbucks vibe: the music, the mugs, the people... but all of their beverages are awful. Which is why I am addicted to Octane which has all of the better parts of this minus commercialism.

What are you wishing for in 2009?
Red Sox World Series, Duke championship, UGA championship (2010?), love, money, health, the continuation of my favorite hobbies, a new job, Hanley Ramirez in a Red Sox jersey, Mark Teixeira's death... a fantasy football championship, the movie "The Road" to be brilliant, a new brilliant Sufjan Stevens album, Bob Dylan doesn't die... I don't die either.


I'll be back tomorrow with actual Best-Ofs for 2008.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

What A Year For A New Year

Happy 2009. I'll have my best of 2008 lists up later today or tomorrow. In the meantime it's lyrics to the song I'll be playing all day. Also coming later: Christmas, various life developments, various sports things...

Anyways, here's Dan Wilson - What A Year For A New Year:

What a year for a new year
We need it like we needed life I guess
Last one left us lying in a mess
What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

What a day for new day
And our star shines like a miracle
And our world is almost beautiful again
What a day for a new day
New day

What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

Soon we’ll be lying in our beds
And new dreams will fill our heads
And the old ones will be ended
Hope we’ll forget about this place
Let it go without a trace
Wipe the teardrops from our faces
Oh! What a year for a new year!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Favorite Office Monologue Ever

"What is my perfect crime? I break into Tiffany’s at midnight. Do I go for the vault? No. I go for the chandelier; it’s priceless. As I’m taking it down, a woman catches me. She tells me to stop. It’s her father’s business. She’s Tiffany. I say no. We make love all night. In the morning the cops come and I escape in one of their uniforms. I tell her to meet me in Mexico but I go to Canada. I don’t trust her. Besides, I love the cold. Thirty years later I get a postcard. I have a son. And he’s the Chief of Police. This is where the story gets interesting: I tell Tiffany to meet me in Paris by the Trocadero. She’s been waiting for me all these years. She’s never taken another lover. I don’t care. I don’t show up. I go to Berlin. That’s where I stashed the chandelier."

Six More

Sorry, nothing too exciting to mention. Just been helping my parents move and watching crappy movies. We're up to 40 now. I might update the list with every 5 or 10 I see as to keep this from getting too out of control.

40. Happening, The
39. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
38. Eye, The
37. Mamma Mia
36. Jumper
35. Promotion, The
34. Charlie Bartlett
33. Zombie Strippers
32. Drillbit Taylor
31. Definitely, Maybe
30. Incredible Hulk, The
29. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
28. House Bunny, The
27. Baby Mama
26. Semi-Pro
25. Hancock
24. Meet Dave
23. Hellboy 2
22. What Happens In Vegas
21. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
20. Step Brothers
19. Wanted
18. Love Guru, The
17. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
16. Fools Gold
15. Pineapple Express
14. Australia
13. Kung Fu Panda
12. Horton Hears A Who
11. Tropic Thunder
10. Deception
9. Vantage Point
8. Role Models
7. Get Smart
6. Burn After Reading
5. Iron Man
4. Changeling
3. My Blueberry Nights
2. Dark Knight, The
1. WALL-E

Friday, December 5, 2008

Finally, A Crappier Movie Than Indy Jones

34. Happening, The
33. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
32. Mamma Mia
31. Charlie Bartlett
30. Drillbit Taylor
29. Definitely, Maybe
28. Incredible Hulk, The
27. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
26. Baby Mama
25. Semi-Pro
24. Hancock
23. Meet Dave
22. Hellboy 2
21. What Happens In Vegas
20. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
19. Step Brothers
18. Wanted
17. Love Guru, The
16. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
15. Fools Gold
14. Pineapple Express
13. Australia
12. Kung Fu Panda
11. Horton Hears A Who
10. Tropic Thunder
9. Vantage Point
8. Role Models
7. Get Smart
6. Burn After Reading
5. Iron Man
4. Changeling
3. My Blueberry Nights
2. Dark Knight, The
1. WALL-E

The Happening is astronomically bad. It's so bad you watch it to laugh at how bad it is. It is undoubtedly the basis for the Mark Wahlberg "Say hi to your mother for me" sketch on SNL. It's bad from the opening scene all the way through. I can't say it has NO redeeming qualities (it is definitely well shot and the budget clearly isn't small) but wow it's rough.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Some Funny Stuff

Since I generally only post narcissistic (sp?) jibber jabber (and why not? I rule) I figured I should probably share some stuff you might theoretically enjoy:

YouTube goodness:
Mario Kart Love Song
Dark Knight PSA (stolen from Ryan)
Glorious Baby Shower
Numa Numa Returns "Live Your Life" To The Internet
Stavenhagen's Food Pawn Shop
Pepperbee's Satisfaction Guaranteed
Dark Knight Spoilers (some of these are old, granted)

Other goodness:
Most Baffling Book Titles
Chattanooga Prostitution Ring
225 Demotivational Posters

Last but not least,
Triumph The Insult Comic Dog never, ever disappoints me.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Four More...

26. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
25. Charlie Bartlett
24. Drillbit Taylor
23. Definitely, Maybe
22. Incredible Hulk, The
21. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
20. Baby Mama
19. Semi-Pro
18. Hancock
17. Hellboy 2
16. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
15. Step Brothers
14. Love Guru, The
13. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
12. Pineapple Express
11. Kung Fu Panda
10. Horton Hears A Who
9. Tropic Thunder
8. Role Models
7. Get Smart
6. Burn After Reading
5. Iron Man
4. Changeling
3. My Blueberry Nights
2. Dark Knight, The
1. WALL-E