Tuesday's Artists I Love

(Yeah yeah, it's late. So sue me.)

Today, J.C. Macek III, a.k.a. World's Greatest Critic.

Yeah, that's right. I'm profiling a self-proclaimed critic as an artist I love.

J.C. is is an artiste, an example of life as art (anyone who goes as all-out as he does on his Halloween costume each year can't be anything but an artiste.) He is another artistic "Buckaroo Bonzai" to boot. He's a good friend, a great sounding-board, a rascally co-conspirator, and a damn fine writer. He acts, he sings, he plays music, and he's a radio personality.

His witty reviews of film, television, and music reveal a very able audience member who actually enjoys being entertained. In L.A. it's very cool to be cynical towards everything. I'm so sick of having to defend something like "Resident Evil 2" as a good movie (N.B. - not as a brilliant work of cinematic art.) J.C. seems to get the distinction between art and good ol' entertainment, and reads as a movie lover, rather than a "sour grapes" prick who delights in flaying alive earnest-yet-misguided filmmakers. That's not to say he doesn't call a turd a turd. I just appreciate that he is willing to acknowledge the tiniest speck of gold to be found in even the brownest of turds. (He's better at metaphor than me, too.)

J.C. is also damn brilliant. To hear or read him riffing on some aspect of art or culture is a treat. Earlier this year he presented his "Dead Man of the Year Award" which is both hilarious and educational. He presented the award to Willis O'Brien the special effects man behind the original King Kong.

Check him out!