Lots to discuss:
Today, someone asked me if I was going trick-or-treating. Two things: first, I'd rather let Bijou Phillips drive me home from a vodka party in a Miata. Secondly, if you're over the age of 12 and you don't have kids: give it a rest. Teenagers should be experimenting with alcohol, awkwardly flirting with and groping one other, not walking around looking for candy. I'm telling you, kids, get your practice in now so that when college rolls around you'll be a pro at awkwardly flirting with and groping members of the opposite sex...and you'll be able to hold your liquor. Plus, if you're like me, you'll also be a pro at handling female rejection when you try to awkwardly flirt with and grope members of the opposite sex. Consequently, I also became an expert at beating Super Mario Bros. in less than 90 minutes while listening to Houses of the Holy, stoned out of my mind on low-grade marijuana. I do miss living in my fraternity house...
Where was I? Oh yeah! Music and movies you should check out. In the writing field, we call that a transitional sentence...a smooth one at that.
I'll start by saying that I haven't checked out any "new" music this week. My Dad, a terrific guitar player with a knowledge of music that would make Jann Wenner retreat into his shitty Manhattan loft apartment, has put me on to some different stuff. At his urging to "expand my horizons," he suggested that I move away from rock for a little while and check out some Chet Atkins, Charlie Byrd, and Doc Watkins. This stuff is mostly jazz, blues, and bluegrass so I'll spare you rockers with my in-depth analysis. I bring this up because my father's suggestion made me realize the true musical difference between our generations.
My Dad turned 60 in August and has been a music fan his whole life. His collection is immense - he has Willie Nelson's Stardust on vinyl for Christ's sake - and as a guitar player, he's always been fascinated with artists who were good enough to move from genre to genre, like a hero we both share, Eric Clapton. The point I'm getting at is that my generation has largely been exposed to a narrow range of genre's: rock, rap, and r&b. Of course, these all spawned mini-genre's such as grunge rock, alt. rock, southern rap, gangsta rap, etc. But what we often forget is that, throughout the lives of my generation, rock and roll has always been there. Not so for people of my Dad's generation.
People of his generation witnessed the fusion of blues, jazz, and gospel by trailblazing artists like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash; something that didn't happen until the 1950s. The result of this fusion was rock and roll. While his generation has witnessed the long evolution of rock, they also never lost track of rock's true influences. This, in my opinion, qualifies older music fans as having a wider range of musical taste than our own and, perhaps, a better appreciation for a genre that we all love and think of as "our" music.
Then again, you'll get no argument from me that there was simply better music and more talented musicians in the 50s and 60s then they are today.
ANYHOW...
Here are some movies that I've seen/re-watched you may want to check out as well as some that you should try to avoid. Avoid them like you would a razor-wielding Amy Winehouse at a flop house.
Bug - starring Ashley (the cute sister) Judd. Not at all what you think it'd be, but the acting is top notch from the entire cast. Even Harry Connick Jr. sells it as abusive, criminal, Oklahoma trash.
High Tension - avoid this one. Biggest cop-out, bullshit ending in the history of the horror genre
Planet Terror - not the same great experience I had in the theatre, but still funny, over-the-top and worth a watch.
Until next week...I'll pick you up a souvenir from the Mystery Art exhibit.
Comeback Kids Fantasy Football record:
5-2 (long story...but basically Clinton Portis got shut down like a Union Carbide booth at a Calcutta job fair)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Top Guitarists and Why I can Never Watch Porn Again
Job searching takes up the large bulk of my time. And by large bulk, I mean almost all of it. When I'm not searching, sending resumes, or talking on the phone with people about jobs, I either play guitar or read. Since my fingers can only take so many nightly hours, in the past week I've read two books - both autobiographies - and each one set me to thinking.
The first one I read - purely for trashy entertainment - was Jenna Jameson's autobiography: How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, A Cautionary Tale. I'll tell you a few things about this book:
No Surprise: Its filthy
No Surprise: Its depressing
No Surprise: Jenna has had led a very difficult and tortured life, battling lots of personal demons
BIG Surprise: Jenna Jameson isn't as dumb as you think she is.
People (myself included) don't approve of her lifestyle at all. However, this book is very interesting in two ways. On one side, you read about the tragedy that is her personal life. At one point I found myself saying: Come on! Give this girl a break! The overall depressing aspect is that the reader knows know in his/her heart - although she tries to end the book on an upbeat note - that she'll never conquer her inner demons, and will never have a normal personal life.
On the other hand, the reader - no matter who you are - has to give some credit to her business sense. In a seedy, sexploitation industry where most girls are dried out, addicted and broke by the time they are 25, Jenna Jameson still pulls in roughly $30 million a year...and she's been retired from film making since 2001. Sure, she learned her business sense while dancing at the Crazy Horse II in Vegas, but give the lady some credit: rather than being dogged out, she turned her name into a brand and is the most recognizable adult actress in history. While I wouldn't suggest it to Oprah's Book Club, I'd say give it a read. Some parts are definitely a little too much and a little too over the top, but the overall picture it paints is a very interesting character study of a girl who is laughing all the way to the bank.
The Second biography I read was the newly released autobiography by Eric Clapton. In my opinion, Clapton is the greatest guitarist of all time. By reading his biography, we're offered an excellent look at how seriously he has always taken music and you get an idea of who he likes and dislikes as an artist. Did you know that for a long time he thought Bob Dylan was a weirdo? Did you know that Bob Dylan is still a weirdo? Did you know that he's a sellout for doing Victoria's Secret commercials? What was I saying? Anyhow, reading as Clapton talks about the 60s and 70s - unmatchable decades of music - I tried to think of who, today, we can count as some of the top guitarists out there. Here is my list and your feedback, as always, is appreciated.
I will caution you that this is NOT an all-time list. So don't freak when you don't see Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, or Jimmy Page.
1. Eric Clapton - still the best after all these years. He has been the centerpiece of some of the most talented bands of all-time. Clapton is a true blues guitarist and he still gets his sound with minimal equipment, foregoing 90 pedals at his feet, bars, etc. His sound comes from the most gifted hands to ever pick up a guitar. He admittedly says that he's lost much of his speed, but at 62, he's still the best. Oh yeah...he can't read music either.
2. Derek Trucks - fronts The Derek Trucks Band and takes the place of dearly departed Duane Allman when the Allman Brothers tour these days. At 28, he's got a sound that no one can touch. He played lead guitar for Clapton during his Crossroads Tour and, like all the best guitarists, is strongly rooted in the blues. And like Duane, he's a master on the slide.
3. John Frusciante - lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their albums clearly suffered during the periods when Frusciante was not with the band, battling a heroin addiction for 5 years. When he returned in 1997, the RHCPs cut Californication, By The Way, and Stadium Arcadium. All terrific and highly successful albums. If Trucks is the new Allman, Frusciante is our generation's Jimmy Page.
4. Luther Dickinson - is the lead guitarist for the North Mississippi All Stars. He's got hands of fire and if you haven't heard a good blues guitar album in a while, pick up the NMAs and check out this blues pickin'. Dickinson, son of Memphis Record Producer Jim Dickinson, can only be compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan. He's a master of the fret board and his impromptu solos provide a sound that fits right in with the Masters of the Delta.
5. Leroy Powell - was until very recently, the lead guitarist for the 357.s He recently left the band to pursue a solo career and currently plays for Gina Gershon's project. (That reminds me, I need to watch Bound again) He's a terrific mix of rock, country (he can play pedal steel), blues and what some might call psychedelic rock. He really defies comparison, because he is a master of several styles. He's a brilliant song writer to boot.
Honorable Mention: Jack White (The White Stripes), Dan Tyminski (Union Station), and John Mayer.
The first one I read - purely for trashy entertainment - was Jenna Jameson's autobiography: How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, A Cautionary Tale. I'll tell you a few things about this book:
No Surprise: Its filthy
No Surprise: Its depressing
No Surprise: Jenna has had led a very difficult and tortured life, battling lots of personal demons
BIG Surprise: Jenna Jameson isn't as dumb as you think she is.
People (myself included) don't approve of her lifestyle at all. However, this book is very interesting in two ways. On one side, you read about the tragedy that is her personal life. At one point I found myself saying: Come on! Give this girl a break! The overall depressing aspect is that the reader knows know in his/her heart - although she tries to end the book on an upbeat note - that she'll never conquer her inner demons, and will never have a normal personal life.
On the other hand, the reader - no matter who you are - has to give some credit to her business sense. In a seedy, sexploitation industry where most girls are dried out, addicted and broke by the time they are 25, Jenna Jameson still pulls in roughly $30 million a year...and she's been retired from film making since 2001. Sure, she learned her business sense while dancing at the Crazy Horse II in Vegas, but give the lady some credit: rather than being dogged out, she turned her name into a brand and is the most recognizable adult actress in history. While I wouldn't suggest it to Oprah's Book Club, I'd say give it a read. Some parts are definitely a little too much and a little too over the top, but the overall picture it paints is a very interesting character study of a girl who is laughing all the way to the bank.
The Second biography I read was the newly released autobiography by Eric Clapton. In my opinion, Clapton is the greatest guitarist of all time. By reading his biography, we're offered an excellent look at how seriously he has always taken music and you get an idea of who he likes and dislikes as an artist. Did you know that for a long time he thought Bob Dylan was a weirdo? Did you know that Bob Dylan is still a weirdo? Did you know that he's a sellout for doing Victoria's Secret commercials? What was I saying? Anyhow, reading as Clapton talks about the 60s and 70s - unmatchable decades of music - I tried to think of who, today, we can count as some of the top guitarists out there. Here is my list and your feedback, as always, is appreciated.
I will caution you that this is NOT an all-time list. So don't freak when you don't see Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, or Jimmy Page.
1. Eric Clapton - still the best after all these years. He has been the centerpiece of some of the most talented bands of all-time. Clapton is a true blues guitarist and he still gets his sound with minimal equipment, foregoing 90 pedals at his feet, bars, etc. His sound comes from the most gifted hands to ever pick up a guitar. He admittedly says that he's lost much of his speed, but at 62, he's still the best. Oh yeah...he can't read music either.
2. Derek Trucks - fronts The Derek Trucks Band and takes the place of dearly departed Duane Allman when the Allman Brothers tour these days. At 28, he's got a sound that no one can touch. He played lead guitar for Clapton during his Crossroads Tour and, like all the best guitarists, is strongly rooted in the blues. And like Duane, he's a master on the slide.
3. John Frusciante - lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their albums clearly suffered during the periods when Frusciante was not with the band, battling a heroin addiction for 5 years. When he returned in 1997, the RHCPs cut Californication, By The Way, and Stadium Arcadium. All terrific and highly successful albums. If Trucks is the new Allman, Frusciante is our generation's Jimmy Page.
4. Luther Dickinson - is the lead guitarist for the North Mississippi All Stars. He's got hands of fire and if you haven't heard a good blues guitar album in a while, pick up the NMAs and check out this blues pickin'. Dickinson, son of Memphis Record Producer Jim Dickinson, can only be compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan. He's a master of the fret board and his impromptu solos provide a sound that fits right in with the Masters of the Delta.
5. Leroy Powell - was until very recently, the lead guitarist for the 357.s He recently left the band to pursue a solo career and currently plays for Gina Gershon's project. (That reminds me, I need to watch Bound again) He's a terrific mix of rock, country (he can play pedal steel), blues and what some might call psychedelic rock. He really defies comparison, because he is a master of several styles. He's a brilliant song writer to boot.
Honorable Mention: Jack White (The White Stripes), Dan Tyminski (Union Station), and John Mayer.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Weekend of the Living Dead
Q: What happens when a hoard of feral-looking yet surprisingly well-dressed vampires crash a town that stays totally dark for thirty days?
A: The same thing that happens when the most prolific passing attack the NFL has ever seen faces a Dolphins secondary that, in all honesty, couldn't start for the LSU Tigers: carnage.
Such is life in Barrow, Alaska (and Miami, FL) where asthmatic local sheriff, Josh Harnett tries to outwit a band of ancient vampires - who speak a subtitled ancient vampire language which I suspect to be either Gaelic, Ancient Vampire, or a regional Mexican dialect - so that he and a small group of survivors can stay alive until the sun comes up again...in 30 days. This isn't your typical vampire movie...its unique in several ways: first of all, the protagonists stand no chance of fighting back and figure this out very early on at the cost of roughly 100 lives and an entire team of sled dogs. This in and of itself makes the theme survival, rather than a typical war on the undead. Furthermore, these vampires don't exactly look like Brad Pitt in Interview With The Vampire. In fact, they look a lot more like Seal with a blood-stained lapel.
I STRONGLY urge you to check this one out...the setting, Barrow, Alaska (an actual Alaskan town that actually does experience a month or so of total darkness) was enough to creep me out from the get-go. The eerie silence of survivors trying to remain quiet so as not to attract unwanted blood-draining is frequently broken by the shrieking howls of a most unsavory group of undead freaks. Not a 4-star effort, but ABSOLUTELY worth seeing. Also, check out Ben Foster (Alpha Dog, 3:10 To Yuma) continue to creep us out and forever solidify himself as a character actor.
Otherwise, there isn't a lot going on this week. The job search continues, the Canes gutted one out against FSU on Saturday - thanks to a brilliant fake FG and a brilliant, ballsy fourth quarter altogether - and won a very physical ball game to raise their record to 5-3. Hey, we knew it was gonna be a 3-4 loss season...give Randy time.
There is other good stuff on the horizon - hopefully a high-paying job is among them - this week. Shooter Jennings has a third album coming out. Those who know me know that I think this is the best rock act around these days, and I urge you to check out this 3rd effort, hitting stores this week. Enjoy the brilliance of Leroy's guitar, because he recently left the band, taking a lot of the magic with him. Dwight has a Buck Owen's tribute album coming out, and rock continues its slow death with nothing else at all dropping this week. Looks like The White Stripes' Icky Thump will have to stay in the changer another week or so.
Take care, check out the movie and God bless. As for me, I'm just waiting for a zombie attack so I can kick some ass.
Parting Shots:
Another Reason for So. Fla sports fans to stay away from revolvers and Scotch:
http://www.miamiherald.com/591/story/271186.html
Fantasy Football Record for The Comeback Kids: 5-1.
A: The same thing that happens when the most prolific passing attack the NFL has ever seen faces a Dolphins secondary that, in all honesty, couldn't start for the LSU Tigers: carnage.
Such is life in Barrow, Alaska (and Miami, FL) where asthmatic local sheriff, Josh Harnett tries to outwit a band of ancient vampires - who speak a subtitled ancient vampire language which I suspect to be either Gaelic, Ancient Vampire, or a regional Mexican dialect - so that he and a small group of survivors can stay alive until the sun comes up again...in 30 days. This isn't your typical vampire movie...its unique in several ways: first of all, the protagonists stand no chance of fighting back and figure this out very early on at the cost of roughly 100 lives and an entire team of sled dogs. This in and of itself makes the theme survival, rather than a typical war on the undead. Furthermore, these vampires don't exactly look like Brad Pitt in Interview With The Vampire. In fact, they look a lot more like Seal with a blood-stained lapel.
I STRONGLY urge you to check this one out...the setting, Barrow, Alaska (an actual Alaskan town that actually does experience a month or so of total darkness) was enough to creep me out from the get-go. The eerie silence of survivors trying to remain quiet so as not to attract unwanted blood-draining is frequently broken by the shrieking howls of a most unsavory group of undead freaks. Not a 4-star effort, but ABSOLUTELY worth seeing. Also, check out Ben Foster (Alpha Dog, 3:10 To Yuma) continue to creep us out and forever solidify himself as a character actor.
Otherwise, there isn't a lot going on this week. The job search continues, the Canes gutted one out against FSU on Saturday - thanks to a brilliant fake FG and a brilliant, ballsy fourth quarter altogether - and won a very physical ball game to raise their record to 5-3. Hey, we knew it was gonna be a 3-4 loss season...give Randy time.
There is other good stuff on the horizon - hopefully a high-paying job is among them - this week. Shooter Jennings has a third album coming out. Those who know me know that I think this is the best rock act around these days, and I urge you to check out this 3rd effort, hitting stores this week. Enjoy the brilliance of Leroy's guitar, because he recently left the band, taking a lot of the magic with him. Dwight has a Buck Owen's tribute album coming out, and rock continues its slow death with nothing else at all dropping this week. Looks like The White Stripes' Icky Thump will have to stay in the changer another week or so.
Take care, check out the movie and God bless. As for me, I'm just waiting for a zombie attack so I can kick some ass.
Parting Shots:
Another Reason for So. Fla sports fans to stay away from revolvers and Scotch:
http://www.miamiherald.com/591/story/271186.html
Fantasy Football Record for The Comeback Kids: 5-1.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to my first blog. Yeah...I said blog.
I needed a spot to share with you my writing and damned if this aint the perfect medium. In my limited spare time, I enjoy writing and playing guitar (two things which I've done for many years) and why not jump on the bandwagon and be a blogger? I plan to keep it lite. Don't expect my thoughts poured out across cyberspace. This isn't a magnum opus (I said opus), or the start of some sort of bildungsroman (look it up). I plan to talk about books, music and movies I like, sports teams I hate (love), etc. Enjoy! Or don't...its free.
Because I love movies - and because I take all genres seriously - I thought it'd be appropriate for my first entry to be a top 5 list of horror movies, suitable for Halloween viewing. I'm going for movies I find scary, because to me, scary equals entertaining. Unless we're talking an 0-6, soon to be 0-7 Miami Dolphins record. There is no entertainment in that sort of horror. Well...maybe some.
5 Movies to make your Halloween a tad bit Spookier...Yeah, I said "spooky."
5. The Descent
I love this movie. There haven't been too many recent horror movies that actually scare you. This movie has frightening, make you jump moments to be sure, but - like all good horror films in my opinion - the subject matter makes you uncomfortable. Its very uncomfortable to watch the characters battle the confined environment of a deep, unmapped cave system. The cinematography is brilliant and certain shots are bound to make you squirm and turn even the worlds biggest hard ass (me...just kidding) into a claustrophobe.
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)
Its hard to shock American audiences nowadays, regardless of how over-the-top the violence is. This movie is campy, and it has cheesy (by today's standards) special effects, but come on! Its a classic! And who doesn't fear running afoul of maniacal, cannibalistic, chainsaw-brandishing freaks while on a road trip? If you don't, you should, goddammit.
3. Silent Hill
I know, I know. Its a movie based on a video game. HOWEVER, if you haven't checked this one out, you need to. Like The Descent, it has its definite make-you-jump moments. But the real gem here is the brilliant sets. The town, reminiscent of Centralia, PA (look it up) is gorgeously eerie. The story gets a little bit convoluted, but the path to the truth will literally make your skin crawl. Watch this movie and you'll fear air sirens for the rest of your days. If you don't already.
2. 28 Days Later
What can I say? I love the zombie genre. However, what makes a special zombie film, are zombie films with political messages. See: Dawn of the Dead (the original) and Romero's Land of the Dead. This one is a giant, scary, political metaphor. The movie is brilliant and contains probably the creepiest scene in zombie-movie history: Cillian Murphy walking the abandoned streets of London, passing by "Missing Person" posters with no one left to read them.
1. The Exorcist (remastered version)
Still, for my money, (which aint too much these days) it doesn't get any scarier. Again, you have two very (til this day!) taboo subjects: the defilement of Christianity and brutality towards a child. The subject matter is very uncomfortable and the scares and creeps are limitless in this classic. I suggest the remastered version for the simple fact that there are a few add-ons that "horror-it-up" a little bit more. Ex. You can see the famous "spider-walk" scene and a few head shots of that nasty demon that won't let poor Linda Blair enjoy obscurity in peace.
I hope you'll take me up on at least one or two of these suggestions...and moreover, I hope you read entry #2.
I needed a spot to share with you my writing and damned if this aint the perfect medium. In my limited spare time, I enjoy writing and playing guitar (two things which I've done for many years) and why not jump on the bandwagon and be a blogger? I plan to keep it lite. Don't expect my thoughts poured out across cyberspace. This isn't a magnum opus (I said opus), or the start of some sort of bildungsroman (look it up). I plan to talk about books, music and movies I like, sports teams I hate (love), etc. Enjoy! Or don't...its free.
Because I love movies - and because I take all genres seriously - I thought it'd be appropriate for my first entry to be a top 5 list of horror movies, suitable for Halloween viewing. I'm going for movies I find scary, because to me, scary equals entertaining. Unless we're talking an 0-6, soon to be 0-7 Miami Dolphins record. There is no entertainment in that sort of horror. Well...maybe some.
5 Movies to make your Halloween a tad bit Spookier...Yeah, I said "spooky."
5. The Descent
I love this movie. There haven't been too many recent horror movies that actually scare you. This movie has frightening, make you jump moments to be sure, but - like all good horror films in my opinion - the subject matter makes you uncomfortable. Its very uncomfortable to watch the characters battle the confined environment of a deep, unmapped cave system. The cinematography is brilliant and certain shots are bound to make you squirm and turn even the worlds biggest hard ass (me...just kidding) into a claustrophobe.
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)
Its hard to shock American audiences nowadays, regardless of how over-the-top the violence is. This movie is campy, and it has cheesy (by today's standards) special effects, but come on! Its a classic! And who doesn't fear running afoul of maniacal, cannibalistic, chainsaw-brandishing freaks while on a road trip? If you don't, you should, goddammit.
3. Silent Hill
I know, I know. Its a movie based on a video game. HOWEVER, if you haven't checked this one out, you need to. Like The Descent, it has its definite make-you-jump moments. But the real gem here is the brilliant sets. The town, reminiscent of Centralia, PA (look it up) is gorgeously eerie. The story gets a little bit convoluted, but the path to the truth will literally make your skin crawl. Watch this movie and you'll fear air sirens for the rest of your days. If you don't already.
2. 28 Days Later
What can I say? I love the zombie genre. However, what makes a special zombie film, are zombie films with political messages. See: Dawn of the Dead (the original) and Romero's Land of the Dead. This one is a giant, scary, political metaphor. The movie is brilliant and contains probably the creepiest scene in zombie-movie history: Cillian Murphy walking the abandoned streets of London, passing by "Missing Person" posters with no one left to read them.
1. The Exorcist (remastered version)
Still, for my money, (which aint too much these days) it doesn't get any scarier. Again, you have two very (til this day!) taboo subjects: the defilement of Christianity and brutality towards a child. The subject matter is very uncomfortable and the scares and creeps are limitless in this classic. I suggest the remastered version for the simple fact that there are a few add-ons that "horror-it-up" a little bit more. Ex. You can see the famous "spider-walk" scene and a few head shots of that nasty demon that won't let poor Linda Blair enjoy obscurity in peace.
I hope you'll take me up on at least one or two of these suggestions...and moreover, I hope you read entry #2.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)