May 2008
Summer Preview, Many Thanks, and Aloha, Mr. Hand!
Friday, May 30, 2008 | 9:32 AM
Summer is typically a pretty solid time for books, music and movies. Here are some I'm looking forward to, regardless of quality.
Movies:
The Dark Knight: Christopher Nolan's first crack at Batman was so strong, I'm kinda dying to see
how he's going to up the ante. Plus, how could you not want to see the late, great Heath
Ledger's final performance?
Hancock: Maybe the trailer is just superb, but Will Smith really picks his material well. This superhero as anti-hero popcorn flick looks to be more original than 99% of summer flicks, and it also stars the exceedingly talented Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman.
Step Brothers:This foul mouthed Will Ferrell -John C Reilly comedy, again about two overgrown man-children, made me laugh out loud, which is saying something.
Books:
The Monster of Florence by Douglas J. Preston, Mario Spezi
This true crime thriller sounds pretty amazing. Douglas Preston and his family moved to Florence, Italy in 2000 to live the good life and provide a great atmosphere in which he could write. Soon, Preston finds out that a grotesque, notorious murder was actually committed years ago on his new property. He teams up with Spezi, solves the decades old crime, and finds himself suddenly under suspicion for perjury and Spezi accused of the crimes themselves.
Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent by Fred Burton
From the Barnes and Noble overview:
For decades, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, has secretly been on the front lines in the fight to keep Americans safe around the world. From battling Libyan terrorists and their Palestinian surrogates to having facing down hijackers, hostages, and Hezbollah double agents, Burton found himself on the front lines of America's first campaign against Terror.
Music:
Weezer - The Red Album:
Rivers Cuomo returns with a new batch of clever, hummable pop. The first single, Pork and Beans, is typical Weezer, and that's a good thing.
Judas Priest - Nostradamus:
C'mon, a double album from the Priest all about the famous French seer and his prophecies? How metal is that? If first single Visions and the operatic title track are any indication, it's going to be simultaneously brilliant and amusing.
Miley Cyrus - Breakout:
Miley kicks out the serious jams in this breathtaking...oh, never mind.
Patti Smith - The Coral Sea:
Live album, which could be iffy, but almost everything Ms. Smith does is golden in my book.
_
It's pretty amazing how quickly the month has flown by. I feel as if I just started to scratch
the surface and, alas, it's over. I'd like to thank Raquel Bruno, Elektra Gray, Jessie Carter,
Melianthe Kines and Kent Rees for their invaluable assistance while I toiled away on this
glorious labor of love. Have a great summer, everyone!
Door Blockers and Subway Sprinters: An Observation
Thursday, May 29, 2008 | 12:39 PM
I live in Manhattan and take the subway practically everyday. Over the past year or two, as subway ridership has reached record levels, I have noticed a pattern of behavior among a certain group of fellow strap hangers (OK, the strap is long gone, but the cool nickname remains) that is typical of Type A New Yorkers. I'm sure other people have noticed this behavior as well, but I haven't seen it discussed in any detail.
I'm talking, of course, about Door Blocking and Subway Sprinting. Let's begin with the more common affliction, Door Blocking. You are a commuter, and you go to work every morning taking the NRW trains from 49th street to, say, 23rd street, a short but rather common trip. Since you do it every day, you know to get on the last door of the second car in order to be EXACTLY in front of the turnstile exit, and thus get out of the Subway first, before the crush of the other, slower people leaving the train.
The problem is that other Type A commuters have figured out the same thing, so at any given moment (usually between the 34th and 28th street stations, in my case) there begins to be a small group of people hovering around and/or outright blocking the doors in order to obtain Position. I have actually had people wedge into a tight 4-inch space between myself and the door in order to obtain this crucial strategic linchpin.
Jason Statham: Getting Better All the Time
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 2:15 PM
Ten years ago, when I saw Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I was impressed with an unknown actor named Jason Statham. He seemed raw, yet had an undeniable charm and, yes, that indefinable quality, charisma. He displayed it again in his next Guy Ritchie film, Snatch, playing Turkish, the sketchy boxing promoter who gets pulled into the criminal underworld.
Soon, I began to see commercials for something called The Transporter, and there, again, was Statham. Not being much of an action film buff, I passed. As I flipped through the cable channels a few years later, the Italian Job remake was on, and I noticed Statham again, this time playing a character called Handsome Rob. I changed the channel, and bingo, more Statham, this time in a small part in Collateral. Two channels later, a commercial for a film called Crank, starring, of course, Statham. Wow, I thought, this guy is working like mad.
Well, two months ago, my wife and I went to see The Bank Job, a pretty entertaining heist film well directed by the crafty vet Roger Donaldson, and I was struck, as I watched Statham portray Terry Leather, with a strong sense of deja vu. Who did he remind me of? The answer seemed so obvious, and yet I couldn't place it. Then, during one of his closeups, as he stood there, perfectly still, his character listening intently yet seemingly perfectly relaxed, it hit me.
Jason Statham is rapidly becoming the British version of Steve McQueen. Maybe he's not fully there yet, but he's well on his way.
I Hope You Had a Happy Memorial Day.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 1:53 PM
Memorial Day weekend, time for barbecues, parties, sales, (which means lots of shopping), and perhaps getting drunk and abusing a loved one.... it happens. And this is to commemorate what?
Many years ago I was driving up a road in the Ventura hills, it was Memorial Day. The sun had just set to reveal a gigantic moon.
23:THE BLOG
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 9:27 AM
Alexander,
Allard,
Barrasso,
Bennett,
Brownback,
Bunning,
Burr,
Cochran,
Corker,
Cornyn,
DeMint,
Ensign,
Enzi,
Graham,
Grassley,
Gregg,
Hatch,
Kyl,
Lugar,
McConnell,
Sessions,
Voinovich.
Do you recognize those 22 names? What do those people have in common? I would venture to guess they all wear American Flag Lapel pins. It would be pretty safe to assume they have "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" yellow ribbon bumper stickers on their SUV's. It would be a safe bet to think they have each used the phrase, "we are living in a post 9/11 world", to justify the illegal wiretaps or suspension of Habeas Corpus or use of torture or maybe even an unjustified, fear-based, pre-emptive war and occupation.
RocknRoll Dysfunction or I was Elvis Ramone
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | 9:19 AM
It seems as though some great myth was created by the film A Hard Day's Night, it being that all RocknRoll bands were just one big happy family. I'm here to tell you that being in a band is like being a part of a dysfunctional family.
I spent a short time in The Ramones and there were problems in that family. The guitar player didn't speak to the singer and the bass guitarist sat in the back of the van getting stoned all the time. Of course The Ramones are our generation's Beatles, they also have a film. It's called "The End of the Century". It kind of bookends the whole myth thing for me. RIP Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee. Spinal Tap in reverse, the band had four drummers, all alive and well.
If you haven't seen the films, "Still Crazy" and "Stardust" I'd highly recommend them for further
insight into this wacky world. Paul Simon in "OneTrick Pony" is pretty good too, and then there's "Cisco Pike" starring Kris Kristofferson and Harry Dean Stanton. Let's not forget "The Rose" with Kris
and Barbara and of course there's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", the ultimate RocknRoll trashy movie.
Classics all!
The Chef Boy Ar Dee Incident
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 | 2:11 PM
In order to make sense of this story, you need to know a few things.
First of all, my wife likes to shop for shoes. Often. Usually she exercises restraint, but every now and then, given the time, money and inclination, she can make Imelda Marcos seem like a rank amateur. So, when I happened to have a little cash lying around - maybe a couple hundred bucks - I would slip it in an envelope and put it in the cutlery drawer, just in case she or I needed a few dollars.
Soon, however, I began to notice that the money was disappearing more quickly than usual, and the number of shoes belonging to my spouse began to increase exponentially. Realizing that drastic action was necessary, I took whatever cash was remaining from my pilfered funds and began to store it in a single white sock in my sock drawer. This seemed to ameliorate what was threatening to become a precarious situation.
On to the second item, which will initially seem to be unrelated, but will eventually become quite crucial to our story. I often stay at my sister's house on Eastern Long Island, sometimes without my wife, who remains in Manhattan studying for her business school finals. One weekend, while I was buying lunch at the local deli, my eyes fixed upon a warmly familiar object: a can of Chef Boy Ar Dee Overstuffed Ravioli. Although some people find canned ravioli repellent, I, on the other hand, experience it as edible nostalgia. Without hesitation, I bought a can.
Which brings us to the final piece of crucial information: my wife, quite rightly, tries to improve my diet, and will sometimes question my caloric decisions. So, after being unable to find the time to consume the ravioli, I returned home from Long Island with the contraband pasta packed discreetly in my carry on bag. The question, then, was where to hide it from the disapproving eyes of my spouse until I could find a quiet moment in which to devour it. Since my cash supply had showed indications of stability, I chose what I felt was clearly the safest place: namely, the sock drawer.
MAKE LOVE NOT WAR
Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 3:50 PM
EVAN
Why do we find it ok to create movies, television, and video games about killing and the glorification of gratuitous violence? From war movies, to unlikely duos, from police stories on TV, to dramas, mysteries, and horror movies, etc. It seems we are a society obsessed with violence and killing. A question I would love to pose is,"how many of the people who watch this programming will actually kill someone in their lifetime? We portray murder, revenge actual wars, westerns, gangster movies, and the list goes on. Do you think even 1% of the viewers will ever kill someone? Either way, too much violence in our media goes virtually unpunished. Kids watch R rated movies all day with virtual acceptance by parents and all of America. What are we thinking? Good thing that boy is watching that (violent) program, hopefully he will grow up and kill some people just like what he is seeing on the big and little screen. And above all, let's make sure he is not tainted by seeing a breast or a nipple. Give him anything he wants, just make sure he does not get turned on, or even informed. It seems to me that we have kinda gotten it twisted somehow. Ya'think?
Wow, That's Just So Random...
Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 3:36 PM
Sitting here in front of the computer, still reeling from the pulse pounding American Idol finish last night (totally, deeply kidding), I am mildly surprised. For the first time in nearly three weeks, I don't feel a pressing need to write about one specific topic. I'm not in the mood to be introspective, deep, or even vaguely thoughtful. Instead, I would rather talk about a bunch of random stuff, the mental bric-a-brac that tumbles through my head without warning and, more often than not, reason. So, in no particular order:
White Beer: I'm not much of a beer drinker, and I've never liked dark beer (like Guinness, for example - blech), but my friend hipped me to Hoegaarden, the Belgian white beer with hints of coriander and Curacao orange peel, and I'm totally hooked. Another excellent brand is Hitachino White Ale, a Japanese white beer that's expensive but really delicious.
KILL! KILL! KILL! Now, THAT'S funny.
Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 3:24 PM
On a recent radio show hosted by conservative Bill Bennett, Joe Lieberman chuckled with glee at the idea put forth by Bennett that Hillary would bomb Iran. "It does have an appeal to it" he added through his Fudd-like chortle. Mike Huckabee at an NRA meeting "joked" that a noise back stage was Obama hitting the ground after someone pointed a gun at him. When Huckabee was forced to apologize for his dangerously stupid adlib, he inadvertently gave us a further peek into his dark, twisted soul. He said many politicians get caught making jokes that they may have to back track from later, citing John McCain's BOMB BOMB BOMB IRAN ditty.
Here's the kicker, Huckabee then added, "I thought that was funny". How does it happen that an ordained Baptist minister, former Presidential candidate can laugh about bombing another country? (I still can't find the rationale for him even speaking at NRA meeting. I am not sure Jesus would be behind repealing the ASSAULT WEAPONS ban.) So here we have three prominent politicians, all three with aspirations to be Commander in Chief, two of whom wear their religion on their sleeves, publicly laughing at the prospect of countless INNOCENT Iranians being killed. Even if it came to the point where we all agreed that action needed to be taken against a foreign country, shouldn't the gravity of the deaths of thousands of civilians force these men to stifle their laughs?
Happy Memorial Day....hmmm
Trapped in Cell Hell
Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 2:34 PM
I tremble as I begin to write this - not out of excitement, but out of rage - because even though the topic has been discussed to the point of exhaustion, the problem just seems to be getting exponentially worse. No, I am not talking about bedbugs (although they're pretty horrendous) or the Bush administration, but the plague that threatens to destroy us all as a civilization.
I'm talking about cell phones and the way they are used by - or inflicted upon, depending on your point of view - society at large.
Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Most people use cell phones in an extremely self absorbed, what-do-I-care-I'm-never-going-to-see-your-face-ever-again kind of way. It's all about THEM, without the slightest regard for anyone nearby. It's as if they're in a narcissistic bubble in which only their whims, desires and concerns exist. The level of ego displayed by cell phone braggarts (both male and female) continues to grow and astound.
Hear My Blog
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | 3:19 PM
I have been so busy this week. I am currently doing a treasure map tour of los angeles with my band "the shoe". You can look up where we are playing and take a peek at our beautiful treasure map at www.therewasanoldwomanrecords.com . So i just made a song as my "blog" entry. Hope you like it. Next week the promise of words like tinsel.
All We Are Saying is Give Chirp A Chance
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | 1:24 PM
In August of 2006, I received an odd e-mail. It was a short, somewhat rambling message, but the crux of it was that a 23 year old NYU Film Grad named Jonathan Blitstein had written a screenplay entitled Let Them Chirp Awhile and, apparently, was offering me a role in the picture. Inwardly, I groaned, because I had read a cornucopia of screenplays that had been sent to me, either for my opinion or possibly my involvement, and generally they were pretty poor.
As I started to read, however, a smile crept across my face. The script was pretty darn good, and the character of Hart Carlton (the small but juicy role I'd been offered) was so quirky and loathsome, I felt I could do it justice. I e-mailed back the next day that I was in, and we quickly worked out a deal.
Filming proceeded apace in October of '06 ( on 35 mm, which was cool), and I was immediately impressed by Blitstein's self assurance, relaxed manner and calm under pressure. He never cracked, hustled mightily, and even survived burning a hole in his stomach with antibiotics( he was rushed to the hospital, but returned ASAP to continue shooting). Additionally, I was surprised at how open he was to improvisation; often, first time writer-directors treat their own dialogue as if it was straight from the Rosetta Stone. I filmed my part in a quick three days, and went on with my life.
I have come to believe...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | 1:20 PM
i have come to believe that many of us do not read books enough these days. it seems that whenever i look around, it is tabloids, tabloids...
where did it all go wrong? :^)
i wanted to include today a list of books that i have read that offer a wide range of information and might appeal to anyone.
i hope that you enjoy, and i challenge you: the next time you are at a news stand, try picking up a National Geographic instead of an US Weekly. you might just educate and inspire yourself more.
with many blessings..
m
THE PROPHET by Kahlil Gibran
-most people know of this book and if you haven't read it, you should. the writing is unbelievably beautiful and the book itself is truly spiritual. it brought so much joy and peace into my life.. i keep it by my bedside and look into it every now n' again.
Some Things Are Better Left Undead
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 | 3:21 PM
From five to about fifteen years of age - the glory years of childhood and adolescence - I was an avid comic book reader. I thrilled to the exploits of Marvel comics superheroes and Jack Kirby inspired monsters, and breathlessly hurried to the comic book stand at 86th and Broadway with my fistful of change, hoping for the latest issues. In the 60's and 70's, comic book heroes were noble, almost perfect role models for kids, save the occasional self absorption of Spiderman or the suggested alcoholism of Iron Man. There was a cartoonish level of violence, no bad language and the barest hint of the erotic, usually limited to the costumes clinging snugly to the absurdly perfect bodies of the female heroines, like Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four and Wonder Woman.
Well, it's 2008, and some comics (sorry, graphic novels - comics is now too infantile a name) are very, very different. Characters curse, have sex, kill for both moral and immoral purposes, and generally behave like....well, human beings. Does this make for good reading? Or have comics just descended into the gutter, with their innocence lost forever? Well, in one instance, the anything goes, go-for-broke style of today's graphic novels works brilliantly.
What Ever Happened to Customer Service?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 | 9:54 AM
Seriously! Maybe I am just getting old and bitter and less patient, but I really think people are just becoming bigger assholes. If you are at work and it is your job to somehow serve people perhaps you should just start doing that! I mean how are rude, incompetent people keeping their jobs? Now you guys are probably thinking I must be one of those difficult bitches who enjoys sending weak drinks back to the bar and yelling at servers over spotted silverware. Actually, I am quite the opposite. I am far more likely to just suck it up and not say anything, but lately the customer service has been so atrocious that I feel the need to speak up.
Flight of the Knife
Monday, May 19, 2008 | 1:06 PM
If there is going to be a more obvious explosion of musical creativity in 2008, I'd like to hear it. But I'm willing to bet that the second album from Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears will be the sonic supernova that will stay on my Ipod for the next several weeks, if not months.
Combining elements of ELO, Squeeze, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Elton John and XTC into a power pop-prog confection that is irresistible and stands up to repeated listenings, Scary and his shockingly solid, terrifically tight band - keyboardist Mike Acreman, drummer Brian Bauer, guitarist Graham Norwood and bassist David Ostrem - rip through a dozen new songs with abandon. The album kicks off with the title track (Part One, of course) displaying multi-layered Jeff Lynne vocals, and then settles into a Chris Squire-esque funky groove with a solid chorus. Venus Ambassador is the Dukes of Stratosphear crossed with the Move, and Imitation of the Sky is a endlessly hummable pop classic (complete with a ripping guitar solo) that is so good it's, well, kinda scary.
The album chugs along, taking us through the multiple time changes and fractured song structures (do I detect Fiery Furnaces ADD here?), but never loses its focus. Some critics have complained that the multiplicity of influences shows that Scary is merely a master imitator and not a true artist. Yeah, sure. And T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland is just a collection of other poets' work strung together. The question is not Scary's influences- all of which I personally love - but what he does with them. On Flight of the Knife, all of the great pop music of the last 40-some-odd years is used like clay, molded into new, inventive creations that are wondrous to behold. Sure, The Purple Rocket has a Robert Fripp Crimson-era section (and a chorus that sounds like the Archies), but what's wrong with that? Critics seem to think it's simple to imitate the Beatles, but if it is, how come we don't get a new Abbey Road every month? I'll tell you why (and so will Scary and, probably, Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood): because it's unbelievably hard to do it well.
The last four songs are just as good as the other eight, and with Mama Waits, the Gentle Giant-ish Son of Stab, the piano driven ballad Heaven on a Bird and the final title track reprise, the album comes to a satisfying close. If you're looking for a record that will leave you shaking your head in wonder - a rarity these days, I can tell you - click on over to ITunes, and go flying.
Austin
Monday, May 19, 2008 | 1:02 PM
I'm down here in Austin doing a benefit for a writer named Steven Moser. Steven has prostate cancer
and like many other Americans, no health insurance. Aren't we suppose to be the so called greatest country
in the world? Didn't I mention something awhile back about this age of paradox we're living in? How can we
"the greatest" not have health coverage for everyone? Maybe this will change soon, let's hope so.
For those of you who have never visited this great city I have to tell you that it's probably the only place on earth where a musical event for an openly gay male features no disco music. It's that kind of place.By the way, I like disco music.
Those who participated in the benefit we're an eclectic group including Kathy Valentine of The Go
Go's,singer songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard,Sarah Hickman,Ray Benson from Grammy winning band, Asleep at the Wheel and Chip Taylor. Chip is the writer of the rock classic "Wild Thing" made famous by The Troogs and Jimi Hendrix among others.
I often think of the film The Last Picture Show when I'm here. Director Peter Bongdanovich did a great
job adapting the Larry McMurtry novel to the screen. Cybil Shepard was absolutely gorgeous as a Texas high school cheerleader.It's one of my favorite films.
Yes, Austin is quite a place, there's only one problem. It's in Texas.
Martha Davis in LA
Monday, May 19, 2008 | 8:46 AM
It's hot as hell today. After a long drawn out period of clouds and even rain, LA is back to doing what it does best, being hot as hell. I'm just here visiting. I now reside in Oregon and I love it, but LA is where the biz is. So I'm taking meetings, makin' the scene, promoting the release of three new albums and wondering how on earth one goes about getting an iPod commercial. It's the new world; the artist is now responsible for his or her career. In the 'old' days you signed a deal and that was the last you dealt with any kind of messy 'business'. But you know, I like this new business model, I like the challenge, the control, the lack of waste(we burn em as we sell em) and I love the word of mouth, the grass roots of it, it's funny, in some ways the digital world seems to be more actual...
Rules For Meeting Your Favorite Pornstar (or any celebrity for that matter)
Monday, May 19, 2008 | 8:36 AM
Most girls in the adult entertainment business will tell you they love meeting fans. I am no exception. I sign at every convention possible, attend as many parties as I can, and still actively feature dance at least once a month. It is not only our chance to thank the people that keep us in business, but it is also grassroots marketing at its best. Ninety-nine percent of my fans are absolutely wonderful and I truly enjoy spending time with them. Unfortunately, there are always one or two that in some way are seriously out of line. I know it comes with the territory, but why do these idiots have to ruin it for everyone else? I can't figure out if they are truly assholes or just plain socially inept. In the ten years that I have been involved in the adult business I have encountered more than my fair share of these guys. Through the years, I have developed my own list of proper fan etiquette. Some of the following apply to strip clubs, some apply to conventions or bookstore signings, and some apply to the rare chance you spot your favorite pornstar in the supermarket. Please read and obey....
Ten Songs I'm Embarrassed I Like
Friday, May 16, 2008 | 3:52 PM
Great songs are easy to enjoy - they're either the product of 'accepted', hip bands (like Radiohead) or universally praised for their excellence (like U2 ,the Beatles or Kanye West). Loving a cool song is, pretty much, simplicity in itself.
Then there are the other songs, the ones that you sheepishly, grudgingly admit you like. The reasons for their utter wackness are legion - they're too cheesy, poppy, sappy, annoying, feminine (or masculine, depending on your gender), or simply overplayed beyond belief. Whatever the reason may be, you don't care, you still dig them...a lot. But, in all likelihood, you would NEVER, EVER admit that you like them for fear of derision and, most likely, total banishment from the Cool Community.
I knew that confessing my songs was going to be excruciating, so I met with a therapist, hoping she could guide me through this difficult, tender and, yes, painful process. The following is a transcript of the session, exactly as it happened.
REMOTELESS IN WAIMANALO
Friday, May 16, 2008 | 9:56 AM
Ok, I admit it, I have a problem. I'm a junkie. My addiction is not to any by-product of the poppy seed now flourishing in Afghanistan. No, I am not addicted to the poppy that is funding the Taliban and other terrorist groups that have sprung back to life after we shifted our military focus from finding Bin Laden to finding non-existent WMDs in Iraq. No, my addiction is to political news. Since waking up on 9/11/2001 to the image of the second plane cutting through the WTC, I now turn on the television EVERY MORNING while my eyes are still closed, my fingers finding the "ON" button without looking. My first thought being "I wonder if anything happened while I slept and dreamt".
Politics: Smart Folk...Ah Don't Trust 'Em!
Thursday, May 15, 2008 | 4:45 PM
Often times I hear my students complain about the current President, saying things like 'He's so dumb!' or 'How could we elect a C student as a President?' (Bush's average was a 77 during his stay at Yale). But a quick look at US History (my major at college) will tell you that, given a choice between an obvious intellectual and a simpler, less educated person, America almost always avoids the smarter person. Let's take a look at the last 60 years of Presidential elections:
1948: This contest was between Thomas Dewey, a graduate of University of Michigan and Columbia Law School and Harry Truman, who was a haberdasher who didn't attend college. Winner: Truman.
It's kind of a bummer that the Los Angeles comedy scene is oftentimes overshadowed...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | 11:53 AM
It's kind of a bummer that the Los Angeles comedy scene is oftentimes overshadowed by those in New York and Chicago, because there is some really funny shit going down over here. For this first blog, I'm interviewing comedian/actor extraordinaire Derek Waters whose Drunk History youtube videos are sweeping our great nation. As they should be. He basically gets a friend very drunk and then asks him to talk about a historical event. There are dramatic reenactments featuring Jack Black, Michael Cera and other people you've heard of and most likely enjoy. He also has a midnight show, LOL, the last Saturday of every month at the UCB theatre in Hollywood where he shows Drunk History and other comedy shorts that will make you slap your knee.
This interview is in the form of an ichat conversation. There's something kind of weird about phones, yknow?
DW: hold on..i'm gonna grab a smoke and take my shit on the patio
LC: don't shit on your patio. and nice headshot icon by the way...boy am i intrigued by YOU
DW: don't tell me what to do..it's my shit lizzy
that's my 23rd headshot..retouched 8 times
Dave Stewart Talks About Direct Connectivity Between Creators and Consumers
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | 10:32 AM
Warning: Surround Sound Needed
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | 10:29 AM
After talking about movies on Monday and music yesterday, I thought I would chat briefly about the next logical step : movies with music. No, not concert films (with the exception of a few - The Last Waltz and Stop Making Sense come to mind - most are pretty ordinary), but films that have excellent music inextricably woven throughout the story. Here are three lesser known films that fit the bill:
Rockers
Sure, The Harder They Come is a midnight staple all over the country, but the less heralded Rockers stands up better over time. Sporting one of the greatest reggae soundtracks in film (anchored by Peter Tosh's brilliant Stepping Razor), this 1978 cult classic started out as a documentary but morphed into a fictional film once the director Ted Bafaloukos realized he had struck gold casting the lead, drummer Leroy " Horsemouth" Wallace, whose strange yet undeniable ragamuffin charisma permeates the proceedings. The plot centers around a stolen motorcycle (with a nod to Vittorio De Sica's classic The Bicycle Thief), but the real stars are the Jamaican scenery, the extensive cast of real life reggae stars (Burning Spear and the late Jacob Miller make cameos), and the pulsating, phenomenal music.
Humor
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | 9:33 AM
Every person I know has a different opinion about what is wrong with our country or the biggest problem with our society. I admit there is a lot of shit wrong with the world, but I am not going to go on about gas prices, or global warming, or nuclear weapons. We all know the seriousness of these things.
Jonesy's Jukebox
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 3:03 PM
Today I had the incredible opportunity to be a guest on "Jonesy's Jukebox", one of the most awesome Indy radio shows in LA. Steven Jones, the remarkable man, the incredible Disk Jockey and of course former Sex Pistol, waxed soulfully on the many topics of the day....
I just want to share "some words"...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 2:24 PM
I just want to share "some words"
When life seems to overwhelm us, conflict and confuse - remember how great we all really are as individuals and how much potential we truly have:
Play This, Dammit!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 12:32 PM
It's pretty obvious why classic rock radio is so dreary and moribund when it simply doesn't need to be: its
play list is about 50 to 100 songs long. Seriously. Now, I love Boston as much as the next 40 something geeky white guy, but if I hear More Than a Feeling one more freakin' time, I'm gonna turn purple, soil myself, and explode into a thousand pieces.
Speaking of purple, how come all you ever hear from Prince is Kiss and When Doves Cry? The guy has 4.2 billion songs, and those two are practically the only ones they play. It's time for classic rock radio to stop
micro-managing and focus grouping itself into oblivion. Damn, son, be a little adventurous for a change!
Here's a list of great songs from amazing artists that you literally never hear on terrestrial radio (satellite
is much, much better) but should:
Sequins
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 12:03 PM
Okay...some of you may think this is a frivolous post, but I feel I have to say something. I have noticed an alarming (and nauseating) trend lately in every nightclub, restaurant, and bar I have been to...
It is NOT cool for a straight man to wear sequins and/or rhinestones! Leave the sparkly to the ladies. Seriously, the hot new fad of t-shirts with faux jewels on them is NOT cool. No man should ever look like a disco ball and while yes, it does get the attention of the females...it is not the kind you want.
"Blog" is the Ugliest Word I Have Ever Heard!!!!
Monday, May 12, 2008 | 2:49 PM
I love words. I love learning new words and outdated words and mixing and mashing old words til new words emerge. We have so many in the English language our possibilities are endless. That's why when I come across a word that's really horrible, that feels like someone just burped and wrote down the syllables, I feel somehow cheated. And for me Blog is just that kind of word.
THE NEW JAZZ
Monday, May 12, 2008 | 12:30 PM
It's said that the only really true American art form is jazz music. It began in the U.S.A. with the assimilation of various musical idioms that came before such as African tribal and European classical. I'm here to add another to that list of one: Rock n Roll. That's right, that horrible racket we've all been listening to for the
last 60 years. It's true, just like it's originators, rock n roll is old and established, it's legit.
Elvis, Little Richard, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen etc.They all are
great artists.
Three For A Rainy Day
Monday, May 12, 2008 | 12:13 PM
Like most people, I enjoy renting the latest films and checking out what I missed (or, usually, didn't) at the local Cineplex. But occasionally, I like to be challenged and entertained at the same time. Sure, it's fun to turn your brain off and watch the latest Jet Li film or formula romantic comedy, but sometimes I like to think, even if it's just for a couple of hours. These three films will definitely leave you pondering this giant thing we call Life. Sadly, you may have to do a little work in order to find them, but, hey, you're up to the task.
The Devils (1971)
You've got to see this film to believe it. Banned in England upon its release, it tells the story of a 17th century deformed nun (Vanessa Redgrave, superb as usual) who becomes sexually obsessed with the local priest (Oliver Reed) with disastrous consequences for everyone involved. I dare not tell you any more of the plot for fear of ruining it for you, but, suffice it to say, the climax is both shocking and memorable. Profane, troubling and, at times, deeply disturbing, the film asks (and answers) a number of questions about repression, religion and its control over the masses,and personal responsibility. The performances are tremendous, the cinematography and production design striking, and Ken Russell's direction is typically, er, exuberant. Remember...you've been warned.
It's All You Need
Friday, May 9, 2008 | 3:35 PM
Two weeks ago, my lovely wife Ling and I spent some time in Las Vegas. We were there for the usual reasons - sun, fun, perhaps a little gambling - but our super objective (to use a popular acting term) was to see the Cirque de Soleil/ Beatles extravaganza, Love. She and I had both heard positive things and managed to score pretty solid seats (probably because it was a Sunday night, and Vegas, mercifully, was emptying out), so I would describe the level of anticipation as pretty damn high.
We were not disappointed.
Although I'm sure we influence each other a bit, both of us agreed, at the conclusion of Love, that it was one of the greatest shows - of any kind - that we had ever seen. I, personally, can't think of another entertainment experience that I have enjoyed as much as I did this. It was that good.
I'm sure there are personal reasons why this was - my fierce love of 90% of the Fab Four's catalog and my near total unfamiliarity with the Cirque among them - but I believe that the key factor was simply the overall, breathtaking excellence.
P.S.S.S.
Friday, May 9, 2008 | 1:54 PM
I have trouble sleeping at night. I have no trouble falling asleep during the day. There is a constant pain between my shoulder blades. At times, the pain feels the need to travel north to my neck only to return to its home, nestled between the blades with more conviction than before. My nerves are shot. I snap viciously at loved ones with little (but believe me, some) provocation. I wander around, lost, not knowing where I should go or what I should be doing. My appetite changes from not being able to find satisfaction in anything I eat (including Chocolate Haagen Daz) to having no appetite at all. Here's the deal, I am suffering from a brand new illness. It is unique and rare indeed. There is no known cure. I really don't think it is contagious. Actually, I am quite sure it is not contagious. Perhaps only 100 people worldwide could possibly be infected with this specific malady (although I suspect a milder form may exist out there as well.) But mine is the real deal, the initial strain, if you will. I am suffering from P.S.S.S. ---Post Sopranos Stress Syndrome.
Now, I know some of you are saying you are "depressed" that the groundbreaking HBO series is over. Oh poor you! What will you do on those 13 Sunday nights every year or two? Big Fuckin deal! Let me tell you something: that is NOT Post Sopranos Stress Syndrome. I have it. You don't. You can't. I can and I do.
Rockstar Pornstar!
Friday, May 9, 2008 | 12:55 PM
Independent Media ! the final frontier.
As I watched the music career of my band Biohazard stay strong amongst the fans worldwide in the 90's while our bottom line spiraled down into the murky depths of finacial oblivion, I was plagued by an unceasing sense of impending doom, as if I were the captain of a sinking ship. It made no sense to me since our shows were packed and the tours were awesome, but then I reviewed the books. The income that we made from record sales had diminished to nothing. America had taken it's focus from album rock, and simplified it's sites on pay-ola radio and one hit wonders. The monopolization of the music business by the evil corporate machine that was playing games with my art and treating music as a product rather than a life force had taken the fun out of it for me completeley. I never chose music as a business, it chose me as my religion, my higher power and purpose. It almost felt incestuously wrong to make money from it., but as we grew up and had children and mortgages, it felt great to make a decent living doing what I loved. That is the American dream, yes?
Unfortunately the mindless masses of America have the attention span of what is currently being forcefed to them only. It was not long before long that a band that