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Indie Ear is written by Brandon Kim. Drop him a line at indieear (at) ifc dot com

The refrain

"V" and the genuis 80's theme song that was

By Brandon Kim on 11/05/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I remember well the epic original alien invasion series "V," clad in pajamas, armed with a plastic lazer gun and a bucket of popcorn before people only made popcorn in a suspicious device called the microwave - I would stay up whenever it aired sporting a Fruit Roll-up lizard tongue. It was the best thing ever, with the nice guy 80's hero from "The Beastmaster" (Marc Singer obvs) an angry typecast sensation, Michael Ironside, and hot aliens chicks who peeled their faces off to reveal their true reptilian nature. It also had one of the best theme songs for the... MORE »

Patrick Swayze's greatest hits

By Brandon Kim on 09/23/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I probably saw Patrick Swayze on "M*A*S*H" or one of his other early 80's TV appearances, I used to be glued to the cathode ray nipple, but it was definitely "The Outsiders" where I first noticed him. I didn't know then that he would appear in a war movie during the height of Cold War paranoia that would shape my world view for the entirety of the 1980's. Man, all I wanted to do was kill commies. And who could have imagined that such a tough guy would write and sing such gay songs? How beautiful and unpredictable life is!... MORE »

A Passion for Giving, DMC, healthcare?

By Brandon Kim on 09/16/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I got to poking around the internets about Run-DMC after mentioning them yesterday and found that Darryl McDaniels, the DMC in Run-DMC, is in an upcoming documentary film called "A Passion for Giving." Normally, this would bore the shit out of me, but times are different and I think this film's message is an important one at the crossroads we find ourselves at as a Nation. I haven't seen a screener, and I don't expect any mind blowing filmmaking here but there is the promise of a decent soundtrack and cinematographer Robert Leacock's credits include Al Pacino's "Looking for Richard"... MORE »

Conquest of Paradise

By Brandon Kim on 07/06/2009
Filed under: The refrain

The cabin of the outdated 757 grew dark as we passed through storm clouds on our descent into Jamaican airspace. Everything on the decrepit air ship began to creak and moan. The cathode ray tube screens from the 80's anchored to the ceiling shook with either Howie Mandel or colored static, it didn't make much difference. My stomach dropped into my balls, then tried to leave my body through my throat. I tried to focus on a point on the ceiling that wasn't in motion and noticed it was so antique it actually had a patina. A woman up in... MORE »

Best films to jam to before heading to the Caribbean (Pt. 2)

By Brandon Kim on 07/02/2009
Filed under: The refrain

Wes Craven's "The Serpent and the Rainbow" is easily one of the most freaked out films of the 80's. If that's too bold a statement, let's say it's definitely one of the most freaked out 80's films set in the Caribbean. I'm pretty sure I was permanently scarred by it's voodoo... anytime I see someone who looks like Bill Pullman I feel like I can't breathe. But as horrifying as it's depiction of Haiti was/is, laying on a resort's white sandy beach there today is actually more disturbing. You can see some of the most impoverished people in the world... MORE »

Best films to jam to before heading to the Caribbean (Pt. 1)

By Brandon Kim on 07/01/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I'm not the most well traveled person but I have been all around the Caribbean, several times even. Jamaica more times than I can recall accurately, Grand Cayman, Cozumel (I think that counts), even Haiti. Cruised around Fidel's Cuba trying to spy on Guantanamo Bay with some binoculars my 5 year old nephew picked out. I still don't know if I was trying to spy on the Cubans or Americans who have shacked up in their bay because the whole thing is confused, it plays with my steel sense of nationalism. How is it that we have a facility in... MORE »

Michael Jackson

By Brandon Kim on 06/26/2009
Filed under: The refrain

Michael Jackson has stunned me all my life. I couldn't even tie my shoes when Off the Wall came out in '79 (my favorite MJ record) but I know I heard it. I know it made it into my consciousness because when I was older and played it seemingly for the first time, I found that I knew every song. The melodies were old dancing friends, the lyrics, arcane chants waiting to be remembered. Everything Michael did in the 80's and into the 90's was a huge event. The records were obviously colossal, the video premieres that accompanied them defined... MORE »

R.E.M. indie old timers

By Brandon Kim on 06/23/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I'm not sure what college rock is anymore and I really don't want to know what Clear Channel's idea of it is anyway. But back when it was coined in the mid-80's, college rock was a good time. It was about discovery, not rehashing. The term made sense because it's what college radio stations played (and consequently, it was new, fairly underground, and played heavily by cool older brothers). It described something about the music in time and place, it was specific while being inclusive, unlike the Heinrich Himmler style label, alternative rock which followed. How subjective of you! I... MORE »

Hollywood's Greatest Year: 1939

By Brandon Kim on 06/19/2009
Filed under: Reel to Reel, The refrain

The Academy's celebratory event for "Hollywood's Greatest Year" caught my attention 'cause I couldn't believe they were more jaded about Hollywood than I am. 1939 was the shit huh? What do these imperious folk think about the past 70 years of Hollywood pictures? I'd probably pick 1982 if I had to grab a year outta the air, I mean just look at it: "Bladerunner" "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" "Poltergeist" "Star Trek: The Wrath Of Kahn" "An Officer and a Gentleman" "First Blood" "Gandhi" "Conan The Barbarian" ...even "Tootsie" What a tough year. But anyway the Academy says its 1939, and when... MORE »

Refrain: Michael Mann

By Brandon Kim on 05/22/2009
Filed under: The refrain

I opened this week talking about Michael Mann and his prowess creating incredible, drawn out sequences with music. He's made some of the most memorable moments in film with original compositions. But even more often his penchant for crafting scenes around pop song are the: the shit. I wrote on Monday Pick an episode, any episode of Miami Vice ... Well here's one. Long before this song by The Who was totally played out, my Mann put this too dope intro together. I'm certain it's not the best pop sequence in the series (and it's of the comical variety as... MORE »

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