#hispy

Inside Llewyn Davis tied me all up in knots.

Cutting through the consumer clutter of the winter film season like a duck-call blatting across a marsh, Inside Llewyn Davis is a gift, straight and simple: a movie that is human, tuneful, funny, wacky, nasty and most of all artistically honest. It leaves you on edge as to where it’s going every second that it’s going there. That’s another way of saying it’s suspenseful, but the mystery here, and the tension, is both inward and intimate. The story, of a folk singer who simply won’t wise up and make peace with selling out, stars a new actor whose performance left me wrung-out (and grateful).

O Oscar Isaac, where did you come from?

As you may have heard, or noticed from the trailer, there is also a cat. No, this is not the Coen Brothers selling out to YouTube. The cat plays an integral part in the story, and sometimes not a very nice one. This may be the first time in cinema that a cat provoked a revelation about a main character’s flawed soul and invoked the shape-shifting Dublin of James Joyce in dreary Northeastern America.

Ulysses Marmelade, your agent is on line 4.

Better, actually, than the cat and almost as good as Oscar Isaac is Carey Mulligan as the high fructose folk songstress who, off-stage, is most memorably foul. She’s also a window into the showbiz calculations that Llewyn Davis (Isaacs) tries to pretend he can evade.

All well and good. However, there is one question that I have about ILD only someone in his or her twenties can answer:

O Twentysomething, without having any experience of the early 60s folk and hootenanny (oh, blessedly risible word) scenes, except of course for Brooklyn hipster variants, nor of the pre-electric music moment that looms behind the period and film, what did you think of this movie? For me, every reference was sharp and pointed and simultaneously cringe-worthy and deeply nostalgic. For you, maybe, meh? Or is it capable of being appreciated through the retro-vision that has made look-backs like Anchorman 2 and American Hustle the current hot thing?

Please send your thoughts to [email protected] and we’ll include them in a future post.

Anyway, if an evocation of an elegaic wintry week in hot humid Hawaii is just what you need, this is your film no matter what your demo. It was for us. After the screening we found ourselves in the lobby of the Ward Theatres tossing around theories and did-ya-sees with some friends. It was a simulacrum of a snowy afternoon in the old Cafe Reggio or La Lanterna when we, too, were poor and downtrodden but also secretly convinced that an artistic breakthrough was just around the corner.

What was just around the corner in 1982 was NYU buying up a bunch of blocks of the village and tearing them down to make dorms. Then came real gentrification. At least in the Ward Theatres of today we are under no such illusions. We know Kaka’ako and its 29 towers are just around the corner. We’ve lost the war. Our stakes are lower in Honolulu. But that’s no reason not to see, or to love, Inside Llewyn Davis.

 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF

Yes, it’s a Christmas movie. Take the family. Unless they’re Duck Dynasty fundamentalist Christian.

Or rather, make that a “holiday” movie, with no apologies to Sarah Palin. Because, yes, it’s a Coen Brothers movie. Also, take the family even if they’re fundamentalists. Payback for that turkey table talk about same-sex marriage and Obamacare.

Yes, it’s got some great music—just no Christmas carols.

On the other hand, there’s no “Kumbaya,” either.

Yes, the name is Welsh, but it’s not a common or even existing variant of Llewellyn. Looks like the Coen boys made one up.

Yes, that double “Ll” in Llewyn and Llewellyn is odd-looking, but you pronounce it as if it doesn’t exist. Officially it’s a voiceless alveolal lateral frictive.

Yes, I also think that “voiceless” is a tip-off. Probably stands for something.

Yes, there’s some trouble with the ending. It’s a Coen Brothers movie, after all. Those boys don’t know when to quit.

Yes, that’s Justin Timberlake continuing his amazing run of “I can’t believe it’s Justin Timberlake” film appearances. Startin’ to really like the guy.

Yes, John Goodman is there, and what a relief to see him again, even if the role seems like a continuation of the one in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Yes, you heard right. It is a continuation of the role of the con artist in O Brother, Where Are Thou? As in, like, incarnation. Or maybe transcendental incorporation, like those figures from Greek mythology who kept showing up in James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Wait, wouldn’t that make Oscar Isaac’s Llewyn Davis...

Leopold Bloom?  

Dang me, dang me, they oughta take a rope and hang me...

 --Shamus

Shamus here. A word to the wise seems in order... Don’t park in the fee lot of the Sidestreet Inn unless you plan to visit your car often—the tow trucks will steal your ride as soon as you’re inside, no matter how much time you pay for. Shamus got lucky and caught the shysters as they hitched up the old Nissan. It’s not often you win one against two grifters with a license to steal your wheels.

I wish I had their names. I’d let ‘em taste the lash in print. Oh, I’d make them pay. I'd put their kids names in the paper, their dead sainted mother's too.

Why? Because scorched-earth personal destruction of personages in the public eye is a Hawaii thing. It’s our cockfight fix. Give us Sen. Donna Kim in the ring with M.R.C. Greenwood and watch those razors shine. We’ll take that over actual insight and investigation anytime.

M.R.C. didn’t do anything wrong, except not get back to Kim fast enough about her lil’ boy’s non-existent application to UH law school. Still she got sliced and diced while Team Patron allowed the Wonder Blunder culprit, now-former athletic director Jim Donovan, to put the squeeze on for a couple hundred very large ones and a new office in which to do nothing.

But then Donovan had roots here. Which is what makes the Chow Ultimatum pop off the pages of the local paper. (That’s Norm Chow, our UH football coach, in case you’ve been following some other minor story, like gay marriage.)

The last public whipping avant-M.R.C. was of Evan Dobelle, the UH Prez who resembled a door-to-door insurance salesman and never met an expense account he couldn’t cook. There were plenty of reasons to say to hell with Dobelle. He had less of an academic pedigree than our outdoor cat, the noble Stripes; he was a nebbish with a weak underbite; in short, he was such a dumb choice you had to wonder if somebody on the Regents or the Legislature forgot to put on her reading glasses and thought the last name was Dudoit or Duvaschelle.

Or maybe they thought it was Dobash, the glutton’s choice of chocolate cake at Zippy’s.

Now it’s Norm’s turn. It’s Chow Time, the pun on everyone’s lips. The UH football coach has been in the batter’s circle for a few weeks. Now he’s up and the Star-Advertiser is throwing heat. No joke—these are beanballs we’ve been reading for the last 48 hours. When a hometown paper takes aim at the local football hero, first Asian-American head coach, etc., it’s news.

It’s even bigger news when it feels as if the writers have intentionally misconstrued his remarks, especially since they were in the room when he made them.

But hey, I wasn’t in the room—the press room after the 49-10 Utah State loss, that is. But it sure sounds like Norm really was joshing around with his ol’ bud on the local Utah paper, saying he was “too old for this game.” Heck, I’ve heard 12-year-olds say it. I’ve said it. (Every year.)

So what’s up with this? Does it matter? Should we care when Kaka’ako sewers are suddenly discovered to be an erupting volcano of merde only after the city has lazily signed off on a plan to put up 29 towers and add 20,000 porcelain thrones above el caldera de caca. That’s a heck of a new stadium for something, come to think of it.

Backstory? Norm Chow never really had a honeymoon upon arriving at UH, never warmed up local hearts the way a local-boy-makes-good was supposed to. The word I heard from some passionate fans on the street—including a clutch of women, the kind who wear UH jerseys to the KCC Farmer’s Market—was surprisingly reserved. “I hear he’s abrasive,” said one to me a couple of years ago. It was like hearing somebody’s Mom admit their bouncing baby boy was a playground biter.

Monday’s column by Dave Reardon on Chow’s public musings was brutal. It was also a watershed moment. The lead columnists have held their fire and played good soldier for much of the season, but they’re not the types to wager their reputations on playing dumb. (Especially after they waited too long on June Jones, but then, going 12-0 in the regular season makes up for a multitude of sins in football.) They got the green light. Maybe they even got a nudge and a wink: Time to take down Chow.

Is it a coincidence that this is happening when Navy is the next opponent? The coach of Navy is a former Radford High and UH player, who also was an assistant at UH. He’s a stellar character and a beloved leader of men, as they say. He’s still a young man, as Tower of Power sang. And he’s Samoan. So how come he’s not head coach of UH?

Instead we have a coach who says he’s too old for the game, that he could take it as a young man but not now, not anymore. A coach who isn’t asking his boys to win one for the Gipper, but for the Griper. And we have a newspaper suddenly baying for his blood.

Chow down? Ain’t gonna happen. But it’s getting ugly.

PS This week’s prediction is Go Navy. They pushed Notre Dame to the limit last week, gaining nearly 400 yards, most of it on the ground. Even if the WaneBow passing game is on fire, it’s hard to score when the other team won’t give up the ball. With a depleted defense the odds grow longer. It won’t matter whether the team leadership gets their mojo back. Navy has leadership and discipline and a system that suits its recruiting limitations. You wonder if coach Ken Niumatalolo was offered the job at UH and if so, ever had a chance with our Las Vegas-loving Regents and Leg. They were probably scared of a straight arrow; next Saturday the Rainbow Warriors will know that feeling and take the arrow in the neck. The reality of an 0-8 record makes 0-9 a formality.

Kauai’s “Boss Seed” Carvalho Vetoes GMO Pesticide Bill

WE SPIED... Kauai mayor Bernard Carvalho proving that he is, indeed, the first Genetically Modified Human on earth with the vetoing of the pesticide-labeling Bill 2491... Sources say the rogue gene inserted into Carvalho’s genome sequence is probably a tapeworm, which would account for the copious amounts of Monsanto slush money he can consume without exploding... Also, if “Boss Seed” thinks doing this on Halloween means he’ll be getting further “treats” for his “trick” he may be in for a rude surprise come election time...

WE SPIED... Shamus the fearless football prognosticator, downing his cups at the Sidestreet Inn, announcing to all and sundry that if UH could go on a two-week road trip then he damn well could, too... When pointed out that a two week road trip on Oahu would require circling the island at least 56 times at current rates of travel and mph, he backtracked and offered this week’s analysis in short choppy snarls:  Shamus here. The Death Crawl... Flatlining... Losing the game in the opening kickoff...  None of it is fair. This team had an offense! 340 yards per game from Sean “The Snake” Schroeder shoulda meant a victory or two by now... But Norm Chow goes into a winnable Colorado State game and puts in not one but two sub QBs on single-snap trick plays and each g—d—n time it results in an interception... This isn’t coaching, it’s choking. Well, I’m mad as hell and I don’t know if I can take it anymore. Sure, I waffled and suggested UH could take Colorado State 36-30—but cavilled in the last line and said they wouldn’t. That was chicken---t of me. And I hated being right. CS didn’t score in the second half and still beat us 35-28. So let’s get it over with now. I have every opponent against U—but that doesn’t mean I don’t bleed lilikoi and Koloa rum. Which reminds me: Waitress, another please! Or so the inebriated expert expounded. We’ll spare you the rest and summarize. He says the team knows it has a monkey on its back. They should’ve beaten Colorado State by 10 points, even spotting them 2 TDs in the first quarter. The good news is that when you go this low, the worst is in your rear view mirror. The bad news for UH is that Norm Chow is driving the bus. In reverse... Utah State 33, UH 26... Let’s call it a night, shall we?

Using funds appropriated by the State Legislature and HART for site-appropriate art in rail stations, PRP has created its submission, "Masters of Concrete," which is said to be on the fast track for approval. While building a stadium for viewing big wave events in Waimea Valley has not been approved yet, the state is entering into negotiations with a major sports television network. Likewise, the Waikiki Casino pictured is for placeholding purposes, given that the Leahi Crater site is also available for a glass-domed "Gamble-arium" with spectacular star-gazing a major draw. All in all, a rosy future is predicted for those millionaires, missionaries and military brass lucky "to live Hawaii."

Welcome to the new state of Aloha. Please watch the video on the cabin screen and enjoy planning what Oahu has to offer. Not for nothing are we known as "The Concrete Paradise!"

Ignored again:  Windward community plea, 2013

Today, Oct 23, 2013 will go down in Hawaiian history as the day the North Shore died: the Turtle Bay expansion has been approved despite an Environmental Impact Statement that is over 20 years old. Two new hotel towers will rise in place of green space, beach and 'iwi burial sites. The 750 new units will be most likely condominiums, since the existing Turtle Bay is nowhere near 80 percent occupancy. The traffic to the North Shore isn't the worst thing--this decision opens the door to Envision Laie and its 875 units, the expansion of the Polynesian Culture Center and also of BYU-Hawaii. Nor is that all. There are plans for the 100 percent Mormon-owned development to add another 2,000 homes in tracts, with a four-lane highway in the works.   

So you thought that was exciting? Well, check out Our Incredible Kaka'ako, the keystone of Concrete Paradise. Locals are ecstatic at the prospect of over 29 condo towers going up, and show their loyalty by wearing colored t-shirts with the Logo: "More Maid Jobs, Bra!" Many are retrofitting their mini-vans so that, in additional to providing living space for the keikis, they can cruise the Kaka'ako streets selling designer tacos to residents stranded by flooding.

Please fasten your seatbelts as descents tend to be a little rocky.The city and state bankruptcy and subsequent surge of the unhoused means the pilot often has to dodge homeless encampments using the runways for temporary shelter...

Part I: Kirk Caldwell envisions urban density curbing urban sprawl. (Photo: Jesse Broder Van Dyke)

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is having a busy summer. He's signed the ‘Ewa Development Plan giving the final green light to housing development on Ho‘opili farmland. He's signed bills banning smoking from all city parks, beaches and TheBus stops.  He's been expanding road repaving, overseeing the replacement of moribund sewer pipes (and removal of the “black noodle” in the Ala Wai Canal), and proposing tax increases to shore up a city budget hit by pay raises for police officers and other public servants.  The mayor appointed new Honolulu Zoo director, Dr. Jeffrey Mahon, and has been tracking Honolulu’s rail project, which has been on hiatus since last August, when the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ordered that  construction cease pending completion of archaeological studies.

As the anniversary of his first half-year in office approached, Mayor Caldwell and his press secretary, Jesse Broder Van Dyke, sat down with this reporter in Honolulu Hale for a Q&A to appear in Honolulu Weekly. But since that pub suddenly closed, HI Spy brings you part one of this exclusive, two-part interview with the city’s chief exec. 

—Maria Kanai

Okay, so according to the U.S. Department of Justice: 

Juvenile violence peaks in the after-school hours on school days and in the evenings on non-school days. 

63% of violent crimes committed by juveniles occur on school days. Nearly one-fifth (19%) of juvenile violent crimes occur in the hours between 3pm and 7pm on school days. 

Debra Hartley, co-chair of marketing and public relations for the Honolulu Professionals Foundation (HPF), says, "By the time kids hit high school, they've lost their passion for learning because they aren't being stimulated, and in my opinion, that's why there's a higher dropout rate than there should be."

That's where R.E.A.C.H. (Resources for Enrichment, Athletics, Culture and Health) comes in. Started by Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui, the initiative provides after-school programs for students between grade 6 to 8. Based on a pilot program held in Waianae, Hartley says that "by showing kids that adults really do care, there was a proven increase in kids' grades, attendance, overall attitudes."

How can we help? Tomorrow night (Sunday, 6/30), HPF is throwing a fundraiser for R.E.A.C.H. at Pagoda Restaurant. This group of Nice, Young Professionals Who Do Good Things throws events for admirable causes and nonprofits (did you see our previous post about earmarked organizations?) such as the Boys and Girls Club, Kupu, Sunshine Kids and more.Tomorrow's fundraiser caught this spy's little eye because with a $75 ticket purchase, you get: 

22 stations of FOOD, dished out from The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong, Pint and Jigger, Honolulu Burger Company, J.J. Dolans, Lil' Soul and many, many more.

Nine live BANDS, including Anuhea, Weldon Kekauoha, ManoaDNA, Micah G, Kama Kakaio, Jon Yamasato, Funkshun and RKSB.

Five free ALCOHOLIC beverages (And unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. Shirley Temples galore!)

A SILENT AUCTION with Interisland flights, art, jewelry, spa tickets, sports memorabilia. 

That's a pretty awesome line-up. And it's for a great cause! I think the kids may be all right after all. 

WHAT: R.E.A.C.H. Out WHERE: Pagoda Hotel, 1525 Rycroft Street WHEN: Sunday, June 30 TIME: 4:30 - 9 p.m. PRICE: $75 online purchase, $90 at the door