Welcome to March! It's hard to believe we're three months in to the new year already. The president hasn't pushed the button...yet, and we haven't invaded anything. So, as long as we're just maintaining the status quo of fear and paranoia, what say we move on to cheerier subjects?
As I mentioned last month, my nomadic tendencies are flaring up again and I'm on the move. The hardest part is over, I found a place, now it's on to Phase Two-packing. I take possession in April so my next broadcast will be from my new place. I'll be happy when all of this is over since lately it seems like my days have just become one long to-do list. Thankfully, I have some travel therapy coming up. I feel like I've just stagnated over the winter; I don't like it. California peeps, get ready, because next month I'm invading your state!
On the subject of travel, I did recently have a chance to get out of town for a day. I took a trip to Atchison, Kansas. Okay, it wasn't much of a trip and Atchison's not much of a town but, at Benedictine College they had a David Mamet double feature. The matinee was Speed-the-plow. I had never read this or seen it performed so the material was new to me. That was kind of refreshing considering that it's an early work. I don't know how it's escaped me through the years but now I've seen it. I enjoyed the story and I'm trying not to be too harsh on the actors but when college kids are trying to play mid-forties, you can't help but wonder what they're basing that performance off of. There was also a poorly staged fight scene but that's just me picking nits. I'm sure the rest of the audience bought into it, especially when the blood capsules came out.
The second play was Oleanna. This one I have read and seen the movie but it was a treat to see it on stage. I will admit to a slight bias just because a friend of mine, Mr. Andy Penn, was in the role of the teacher. He was age appropriate for the role, so that wasn't a distraction. That's the only grace I had to give him, the rest of the praise he brought on with his own merits. It was great to see it performed live. Mamet is a lot like Shakespeare in that regard. Reading it only goes so far. I still remember working at a theater when the movie came out and people would have some really heated discussions over which character was in the right. Sometimes it was as entertaining as the film, other times you just wanted to herd them out the door and let them fight it out on the sidewalk.
Surprisingly, the play did not bring this kind of heated debate. I was a little surprised given that I was on a college campus. Later, a thought struck me upon reflection since I also walked out of it with a different feeling than when I read it or saw the film. In the 1990's, when it came out, by the time you reached the end, you were pretty sure the girl was some kind of demented, up and coming feminazi. Here in the new millennium, when everybody screams assault and makes a federal case out of a sideways glance, you could see both sides and his reactions don't feel as justified. You still understand them, but were they as justified as they were twenty years ago? I later found out that the director slightly changed a couple of things to blur the lines of fault but, I still can't help but wonder if society has changed so much that this play has lost it's cultural impact?
I haven't read many plays as of late but, I have been tearing through some good autobiographies and a little sword and sorcery fantasy just to keep the imagination active. Maybe you've read some of these or maybe you're just looking for a recommendation, either way, here's what I've read lately-
White Line Fever by Lemmy Kilmister- Regardless of if you're a Motorhead fan or not (yeah, right, like anybody is not a Motorhead fan), this is a damn fine read. If you have an interest in the music industry and like the behind the scenes stories, this is for you. The book was published in 2002 so if you're looking for the insight from beyond the grave, there might be some magazine articles out there but you won't find it here. What you will find is some insight into the industry, the perils of forming a band and a lot of interesting and funny stories from the road (which he refers to as Motorhead's natural habitat). Definitely worth a read.
The Ring Of Ikribu by David C. Smith & Richard Tierney- This is the first installment in a series of books featuring Red Sonja. She is a mercenary swordswoman in The Hyborian Age (a creation of Robert E. Howard for Conan). Sonja hires on with an exiled monarch to help reclaim his kingdom from an evil wizard who searches the land for a ring of untold power. If you want to know more, you’ll have to read the book. If you’ve read Howard’s stories and enjoyed them then check this out. If your only exposure to the sword and sorcery fantasy genre has come in 400 page chunks with entire chapters dedicated to the history of forests and the lineage of Hobbits, then definitely check this out. Enjoy!
The Autobiography of Mark Twain Volume One by Mark Twain- When I first saw this pop up on the shelves of the local bookstores, I was apprehensive. I figured it was some sort of reprinted compilation that somebody had strung together in order to make a few bucks off of the Twain name. For some reason, I never saw volumes two or three show up until I saw them on the library shelf. Feeling this was no longer a hoax, I decided to pick it up. It's on disc and runs about 20 per volume. I figured if it turned out to be crap I can hit the eject button and be done with the whole mess. It turns out that this really is a work by Mark Twain. He left behind several manuscripts as well as instructions that the book not be published until 100 years after his passing. Well, as time has marched on since 1910, The Mark Twain Society has sifted through a few hundred thousand pages of manuscript and notes to faithfully construct this book into what is the best guestimation of how Twain would have wanted it. There is not a clear running timeline but a wandering monologue as natural thought patterns and conversations tend to go. The audiobook is narrated by Grover Gardner, although, I was a little surprised they didn't get Hal Holbrook. After seeing his stage show about ten years ago, you really feel like he is Twain. I definitely recommend the first volume, more later on the next volumes.
In between books, there are always movies. I feel like I haven't seen as many movies this month but I'm hoping that will change with the weather.
Duck Soup- The four Marx Brothers are at it again! I was just looking for a good laugh and happened to run across something timely in these politically turbulent times. It seems the country of Freedonia has fallen on hard times. An heiress can save the country with a loan but, before that happens, she wants somebody new in power because she has lost faith in the leadership. Who is this man, you ask, to lead the country out of this depression and protect its borders? Rufus T. Firefly (played by Groucho)! His adversaries have sent their best spies (Chico and Harpo) to infiltrate Firefly’s palace and keep them aware of his actions. Zeppo plays the captain of the guard who leads the troops into battle against the rival nation that is attempting a coup. If you’re looking for a good laugh, definitely check this out.
Grudge Match- Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone in a movie together supported by Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger and Kevin Hart! A sure fire hit, right? Not really. The acting is good, the script is competent but it just feels like a contractual obligation. Each of these actors have been in better movies, if you've seen all of those then go ahead and watch this one. It's not a complete waste of time.
Hercules In The Haunted World- This was the second movie that Reg Park did in his Hercules series. It came out in 1961 and was made in Italy. Christopher Lee plays an evil wizard who has cast a spell on Hercules' fiancee. In order to save her, Hercules must travel to Hades to retrieve an artifact that will allow him to break the spell. It's good ol' Saturday matinee fun the way sword and sandal films are supposed to be. I've always felt a connection with this particular film since screening one of the five remaining prints. We managed to get it for one showing before it was sent to California where they made the video transfer that you see today.
John Wick- If you wrote this off as just another action film with Keanu “whoa” Reeves, then you’re really missing out. Once you buy into the alternate comic book-esque world of this movie, it’s really a lot of fun. I will freely admit that I wasn’t expecting a lot from this movie the first time I saw it. In fact, I think I was just looking for something to do after work. Man, was I ever surprised. The plotline is solid, the supporting cast is awesome and the fight scenes are incredible! Check this out, especially since we now have…
Lethal Weapon- I can keep this brief because I just talked about this back in January. This does slide in on a technicality though, because it’s the theatrical cut. A local movie theater recently revived it for one showing and I was there! It was in 35mm and the print looked great. I don’t know what it is about this movie that makes me enjoy it so much. Yes, it was ground breaking and became the gold standard for action movies, but that was thirty years ago. The scenes inside the Murtaugh house always feel like an editor trying to salvage a story out of missing footage. But yet, the writing still holds up, the characters are incredible and nobody has come up with a fight scene as cool as the Riggs/Joshua fight at the end. I’m sure I’ll still be watching this movie thirty years from now and still feeling that same excitement. I just chalk it up to the magic of movies.
My Bloody Valentine- What better time to watch a movie about a disgruntled miner wreaking vengeance on a small town than on Valentines Day? This 1981 holiday classic had a directors cut released a few years ago where they put in the footage that got cut on its initial release. The movie now makes more sense. Censorship at the expense of story, who benefits? If you haven't seen it in a while, check it out. The early 1980's was the golden age of the slasher film and this one does not disappoint.
A Night In Casablanca-With the latest manager of a posh hotel in post-war Casablanca murdered, the call goes out to find a replacement. The man for the job-Ronald Kornblow (Groucho). It seems that there are Nazi spies about and a hidden treasure that an Allied army officer is intent to find to clear his name. Another classic from The Marx Brothers that I would recommend.
Red Shoe Diaries-Zalman King came up with a great pilot for his Showtime series. It stars David Duchovny as a successful architect whose life gets shattered when his fiancee commits suicide. As he is gathering up her belongings, he comes across her diary. What he finds inside leaves him with more questions than answers as he tries to come to grips with what he reads. If you've enjoyed King's other films then this will not disappoint. His obsession with Anias Nin and his ever present themes of tragic romance are at an all time high. Unfortunately, it also has one of the top five cringe worthy lines ever uttered in filmdom but, hey, nothing's perfect. Check it out and let me know what you think.
That Man Bolt- Universal Pictures was looking to start a franchise with this movie. It was a Shaft meets Bond kind of thing that never really took off in their eyes. Too bad, because Jefferson Bolt (played by Fred Williamson) could have really taken off as a character. He was the predecessor of Frank Martin (who got four movies and a short lived series) in that he was an international courier who uses his wits as well as his muscle to get the package where it needs to be when it needs to be there. He has the suave sophistication of Bond and the street wise toughness of Shaft (as well as having a better fight choreographer than Mean Johnny Barrows). It’s worth a look, if you get the chance you should check it out.
Used Cars- Written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by John Milius and Steven Spielberg and starring Kurt Russell and Jack Warden. With a pedigree like this it's hard to believe that the movie never caught on bigger than it did. It is a definite cult classic in the vein of D.C. Cab that you either get into and enjoy or you don't. There's very little middle ground. I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too.
Finally, for my fellow tv watchers-
All In The Family Season 5- This was the season where The Jeffersons moved on up and the Stivics moved on out. This also saw the 100th episode where Henry Fonda hosted an hour long retrospect. It's interesting to see Mike grow as a character due to his freedom from under Archie's roof.
All In The Family Season 6- The writing is still solid for the most part. That's a rarity when you get much past season 4 anymore. The Bunkers become grandparents and the writers start to explore the couple moments of Edith and Archie now that they're alone. The directors also come up with some new angles to film the house in. It's amusing to think back on how the raspberry was the pop culture catch phrase right before "may the force be with you."
That's about all I have for this month. Don't forget about The Roller Warriors games coming up March 11th and April 1st. The Dreadnought Dorothys have a lock on things so far, but that can change. If The Knock-Outs win their next four games, they might take home a trophy. Everybody loves an underdog. Tune in next month when I'll be another year older and living in a new place. Until next time.
