Some ultrasound photos of Baby Boy Thomas, like a teaser trailer for life.

These are from the 20-week anatomy scan, the first ultrasound where the baby looks like a baby. I could have watched him all day. Baby Boy Thomas (title yet to be determined) will arrive in December, just in time for Oscar consideration.

My brother-in-law Greg is the Greg in Greg’s List, a new social scene guide for D.C. My sister-in-law Anita also writes for them.

{By the way, Anita and Greg are not brother and sister. They’re married. But there’s no in-law nomenclature to make that distinction. Anita is my wife’s sister. Greg is her husband. But he’s referred to as my brother-in-law. If Nina had a brother, he, too, would be referred to as my brother-in-law. See how that’s confusing?

We need to get somebody working on this right away.}

U2 is one of those bands that release albums just infrequently enough that when a new one does drop, I’m at a different point in my life than before. As a result, I’m able to map out my life more or less from when I first got into them. Given that I’m about to go through several life changes in one fell swoop (our first home, learning how to drive, becoming a father) now seems like a good time to look back.

Rattle and Hum (1988)

My love affair with U2 began when I saw the doc that accompanied this album at the Senator theater in Baltimore. I was a sophomore in high school, but the full impact of the film wouldn’t hit until I was a senior, and attempted to make my own Rattle and Hum movie called Rock Song about all of the rock bands there (including my own). It was to culminate in a battle of the bands which was canceled mid-production. In spite of all my efforts to bring back the show (including handing over a signed petition to the headmaster who proceeded to tell me he hated rock music) it never happened, but I had enough material with rehearsals alone. And thus was born my first movie, a 2.5 hour documentary shot on VHS and edited on two vcrs.

By the way, this was one of the first albums I bought exclusively on tape. I had pretty much abandoned vinyl at that point. I caught up on pre-Rattle and Hum U2 during this time.

Achtung Baby (1991)

Freshman year of college. This brings back memories of wandering JHU at night as a freshman, listening to this album on my walkman. An album that I would grow to appreciate more and more as I grew older, until it became my favorite. Also, the first concert I ever went to – Zoo TV at RFK stadium. Still one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. Kind of a bleak album to be into, but I was pretty mopey in college, so it fits.

My second film, a short vhs doc called Zoo JHU, took its inspiration from an obvious place.

Also, one of the first CD’s I ever owned.

Zooropa (1993)

My Junior year of college and my first year living away from home (I commuted the first two years). A whole new world that I dubbed Junioropa on a mix I made to commemorate the year. The song “Zooropa” kind of fits this disorientation, being a satire of the promise of the then newly formed European Union.

The last time I’d buy a U2 album on tape.

Pop (1997)

This album came out on my 23rd birthday. Covers my early post-college career, which was basically spent working in a record store and trying to make movies. I shot my first one on 16mm that summer, a short entitled The Least Dangerous Game.

All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)

The second phase of my post-college years, which basically involved getting a real job (with, like, benefits and shit) and finishing my first feature film, All Night Thing.

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)

Oh, how the world changes. My first U2 album bought in Philadelphia. Why Philly? Because in those four short years I’d met the love of my life and moved to Philly to be with her.

And how the technology changes. I drank the U2 Koolaid and in my most expensive act of fandom bought the U2 iPod and loaded the Ultimate U2 Collection onto it, which included the digital version of HTDAAB. I still bought the CD, however (the super-fancy tricked out version with DVD included, of course).

In theory, their next album is due this November, which would be right on time for the new house, if not the new baby. Anyone who’s followed U2 knows, however, to add a few months to a year to any scheduled release date, so I think their new one will encompass all the changes my life holds in the near future.

Remember that SXSW panel I was on? It’s back! In podcast form!

The Dark Knight is now snugly entrenched in the all-time top ten US box office at #8, right between Spider-Man (7) and Revenge of the Sith (9).

8/8

Wide

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Judd Apatow-produced stoner action/comedy.

WILL IT SUCK?
It will be interesting to see what David Gordon Green (Snow Angels, All the Real Girls, George Washington) does with much more genre-driven and, given that this is from the writers of Superbad, funny material. Early buzz is good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Tropic Thunder will be a problem the following week, and even Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 will find some unsuspecting boyfriends dragged away, but overall it will be one of the better-performing Apatow features. $85mil.

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
The pants. They keep traveling.

WILL IT SUCK?
They’ve kept the screenwriter and switched out the director, which is fine with me since the direction was the main problem I had with the first one. Everyone else is the same. Just more famous now. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The closest thing to competition (The House Bunny) doesn’t open for two weeks. $47mil.

Limited

HELL RIDE

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Biker war.

WILL IT SUCK?
Quentin Tarantino recruits old school biker flick regular Larry Bishop to write and direct this one, giving him license to make it as sick as he wants. Early buzz is mixed.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If Grindhouse couldn’t cut it in wide release, I don’t see this faring much better in limited. $4mil.

BOTTLE SHOCK

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
True story of how California got on the wine map.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed, with detractors feeling it’s just too normal. Great cast – Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina, Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza Dushku, Bradley Whitford. Rickman won top acting honors at the Seattle Film Fest. Believe it or not, this is one of two movies about this same story this year.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a bit of an issue next week and Elegy could be an issue this week, but this is the most mainstream of those two, and buzz going back to Sundance won’t hurt. $6mil.

ELEGY

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Ben Kingsley falls for a younger woman (Penelope Cruz). Jealousy ensues.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed for this adaptation of the Philip Roth novella The Dying Animal. Written by Nicholas Meyer, who also adapted Roth’s The Human Stain but, more importantly, directed and co-wrote Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Also starring Patricia Clarkson and Peter Sarsgaard.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Penelope Cruz (not to mention Patricia Clarkson) show up again next week in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which has the added cache of Woody Allen. $4mil.

Next Week: We send more CG animals into space.