Most underrated films out there
I would like to submit that 3 O'Clock High is one of the most underrated movies of all time.
For those of you who have not seen it, it is damn funny. All it is is a story about a high school kid who has a bad day and has to fight a big jerk after school. Simple and damn funny.
My second most underrated movie is Book of Love. This movie features the line "Are you tired of bullies sticking candles up your a$$." In the history of filmmaking, that line has never been uttered before and will never be uttered again. There are at least 5 scenes in this movie that will make you laugh so hard you will cry. And again, a simple movie that didn't try to be anything but a comedy.
My next blog will be on why Napolean Dynamtie and the Unforgiven are the two most overrated movies ever.
Lionel Richie is a pop god so shut up
Okay, this is going to come across as a bit angry. And it is. But all of you making fun of Lionel Richie should just shut it.
Reasons to like and respect Lionel Richie:
- The Commodores rocked out loud. I challenge anyone to not listen to a Commodores CD and not be dancing within 2 songs. I mean just the video of "Lady" alone elevates Lionel Richie to Mozart status. What is not to like about men wearing knee high socks, tight soccer shorts and big afros.
- Hey, let's see someone else write 200 top 10 hits.
- Dancing on the Ceiling is just plain old fun
- He did a video with a blind woman making pottery. Well sure I wouldn't want to drink anything out of whatever she was making, but it was still a first in music history.
- Say You, Say Me. Say it together. Words to live by.
I could go on and on. All you people mocking Lionel Richie (and that includes you pompous jerks at VH1 and MTV making fun of Lionel. Hey, I got a note for you zipper heads, if you are now a talking head on VH1 you are past your prime and people are actually mocking you. So shut up), you should all just sit back and shhhhhhhh.
The only bad thing about Lionel is that he raised a daughter that was on a show with Paris Hilton. Nicole, stop ruining your father's good name.
Rolling Stones at Fenway
My wife's parents-- both of whom are older than Mick Jagger-- will be going to the Rolling Stones Concert at Fenway next week. Neither is what I could call a Stones fan. I know the topic of 60's rock bands touring themselves beyond retirement age is old, but this is a new (ahem) wrinkle.
I think this has more to do with the Stones becoming a corporate--and corporation friendly-- enterprise (remember the cover of
Fortune a couple of years ago?) than it does about the age of their fans. the concert has become an "event" accessible by the well-connected, and Fenway season-ticket holders, or those who want to scrape up 450 clams (or thousands from scalpers no doubt) to see the Stones before Satan finally shows up to claim his side of the bargain.
The other issue of the Stones is their albums-- has anyone really listened to a Stones studio album since "Undercover" (I use that example as it was a follow-up to the popular "Tattoo You," not because it was one of their better albums)? Who buys these things? Will they do anything worth listening to on the new album? I think I'll stick with my copy of "Beggar's Banquet" and "The London Years" singles collection.
U2 - Beyond pompous or just a bad case of vertigo?
Early full disclosure: The last U2 disc I bought was "Unforgettable Fire" and the last song I liked was
'Until the End of the World' from the Wim Wenders soundtrack. I've never seen them live, but I enjoyed the 'Sgt. Peppers' cover with Sir Paul at Live 8, as well as Live Aid and Red Rocks.
But, I feel this band is beyond pompous and ready for the inevitable Hall of Fame induction (when do the Sex Pistols get to join?!) and retirement (finally) -
Two recent proof points:
A subplot on HBO's "Entourage" of getting nice tickets at the Staples Center (Johnny Drama and Ari are hilarious this season) turned into endless filler of concert footage with Bono actually acknowledging cutie Vince and friends in good seats by bowing down to him (did I really see that?! did he really wish Johnny Drama a Happy Birthday?!).
You know you have jumped the shark when NASA thinks it is being cool by playing your song as wake up tune on the Space Shuttle:
30.07.2005
Spaced Out!or from circulated news reports:
Irish rockers U2 performed a song in space on Thursday - after astronauts on space shuttle Discovery requested the band's hit "Vertigo" as the first song they heard in the morning.
Each day, the crew on the Discovery is woken up by a different track, and Thursday Pilot James Kelly asked for the popular anthem from U2's album 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'.
Kelly explains, "My son is a huge fan of U2."That's just friggin' adorable - buy your son Bloc Party or at least the White Stripes!
As final proof point (and related to a Topaz client's technology), didn't cool lights show go out around the time of the "Dark Side of the Moon" tour?
U2's City of Blinding LightsHey YouToo - Please go fix the world or just go away!
10 years since Jerry Garcia's long strange trip ended?
I skipped almost all of the 10 years since the passing of Kurt Cobain articles (although HBO's "Six Feet Under" had a great, subtle tribute last week), so I'll probably pass on significance of Jerry Garcia articles too.
Personal anecdotes can be a bit too personal, but this is pretty good:
"Reflections: random memories of Jerry Garcia," by Stewart Oksenhorn in the Aspen Times
Much shorter and even PR related is this one from Shel Holtz
A long, long time to be goneI was never a huge fan (hated the Dead in high school; saw my first show summer after undergrad; saw maybe a half dozen other shows - all very interesting), but here are my memories posted on Shel's site:
I know we’ll never get back the brain cells from 10 years ago (or previous Dead experiences), but a remembrance from a decade ago:
I was at my grad school buddy Thomas Helland’s apartment in Boston and we were just staring at the wall listening to the radio reports of Jerry Garcia. We decided movement was needed so somehow elected to drive to the orignal Samuel Adams brewery nearby. We were too late for a formal tour, but they let us in for short self-guided. Soon, we wound up at the tasting room and saw that company founder Jim Koch is serving beers to a small number of contest winners from a radio station in Milwaukee. After several samples, the Milwaukee DJ hands us the live mic and we wish all our friends at Shotz Brewery (remember Laverne & Shirley?) all the best from Boston’s best brewery.
Somehow, I think Jerry would have approved.
The continuing genius that is Howard Stern - In Demand
Once again, Howard Stern is about to change the way we think about broadcasting and promotion. In the ultimate "check mate" or better yet "screw you" to Congress, FCC, religious fundamentalists/hypocrites, Howard and the gang are taking TV broadcasts/highlights of the show to In Demand/on demand on the major cable providers (sorry Direct TV owners).
Howard Stern Signs Subscription Video Deal with In Demand
New York -- Radio personality Howard Stern, who signed a $500 million deal to move his show off of traditional radio and onto Sirius Satellite Radio, announced on Wednesday an additional agreement with In Demand, to offer his program on TV through a subscription video-on-demand service. The three-year deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, will make In Demand the exclusive TV outlet for Stern's weekday program. Viewers will be able to watch episodes of Stern's show at their leisure by adding a flat subscription fee to their monthly cable TV bill. New York-based In Demand said that Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox -- which jointly own In Demand -- have agreed to offer the subscription video-on-demand service, adding that it is also negotiating with other potential distributors. Here's a
FAQ prepared by In Demand, but other media sources have been a little light on the significance of this.
It will typically wake Congress up to threats of putting the Super Bowl or other events as pay-per-view on-demand viewing.
In the words of
Beetlejuice, "Me?" - What's the effect on me?
As a parent, I welcome the ability to pick when I watch a show and I've been known to pay $20 for live European soccer games. I won't shell out a ton of money for Howard on demand - I've already said I like the content of the radio show better and will soon own several Sirius transmitters - but I do think this is innovative, potentially revolutionary for broadcasters, disasterous for censors and worth a look and a laugh.
Best villain in a movie
Tie between David Lo Pan in Big Trouble Little China and Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner. All other villains are wimpy, crying sissy maries compared to these two. That is my entire post. It is so obvious that really nothing else needs to be said.
