Here’s “The Killer” making mincemeat of Led Zeppelin’s classic … with the assistance of Zep’s Jimmy Page. Recorded when Jerry Lee was 71 years old!!!!
“Rock and Roll” – Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Page
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Monthly Archives: January 2013
“Shakin’ All Over” – Wanda Jackson and Jack White
A smokin’ live cover of “Shakin’ All Over” by the then 74-year old Wanda Jackson (aka The First Lady of Rockabilly) and Jack White from “Late Night with David Letterman,” broadcast in January 2011.
“Crossing the Line” (2006) dir. Daniel Gordon and Nicholas Bonner
“Crossing the Line” is a fascinating documentary about James J. Dresnok, a former U.S. soldier who defected to North Korea in 1962. Dresnok grew up on the short end of lot of misfortunes in his youth. His parents divorced when he was 10 years old, briefly lived with his father, and was then placed into foster care. He joined the Army at 17 years of age, got married soon afterwards, and then divorced his first wife after he found out she cheated on him with another man. Facing a court martial for going AWOL while stationed in South Korea, he cast his fate to the wind, elected to cross the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and defected to North Korea. Along with three other US soliders who defected to North Korea, Dresnok’s fortunes took a dramatic turn for the better, becoming an important part of the North Korean propaganda machine. He even became a movie star in North Korea, starring as an American villain in the 20-part North Korean film series “Unsung Heroes.”
In the film, Dresnok is unrepentant in his love for his adopted country. However, it’s worth noting that his success is in direct contrast to the fate of many North Koreans who have suffered under the repressive regimes of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il. While Dresnok expresses no regrets about his decisions, he also has health problems as the result of a lifetime of heavy drinking and smoking. It doesn’t take a Psych 101 student to conclude there may be a lot of internal doubt on Dresnok’s part about his choices.
“Crossing the Line” is a brilliant portrayal of what happens when a man sells his soul during a weak moment and the toll such decisions play on that man throughout his life.
“A Change is Gonna Come” – Sam Cooke (as used in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBVKynuMuBU
A brilliant use of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” from Spike Lee’s stellar 1992 biopic “Malcolm X.” The scene where Cooke’s masterpiece is utilized is a triumph of acting (Denzel Washington), editing (Barry Alexander Brown), cinematography (Ernest Dickerson), and direction (Lee). Considering what Malcolm was up against at this point in his life, the scene really conveys the sense of a man who is tired of running and has accepted that death is inevitable for the path he has chosen. When you also consider this was one of Cooke’s last recordings before his violent death, it’s hard to watch this with a dry eye.
On a side note, Washington seriously got robbed at the 1992 Oscars. To say that he should have been the winner for Best Actor for “Malcolm X” that year is an understatement. While I like Al Pacino (and, yes, even like “Scent of a Woman”), Pacino should have gotten the Oscar for “The Godfather” or “Dog Day Afternoon” or even “Glengarry Glen Ross.” That hammy “Whooo-ah!” nonsense from “Woman” started Pacino down a very, very bad path.
“Gassenhauer” – Carl Orff
The theme music from Terrence Malick’s bone-chilling and mordantly funny 1973 crime thriller “Badlands.” If you’re a fan of the 1993 Tony Scott / Quentin Tarantino collaboration “True Romance,” you may notice that Hans Zimmer’s theme music from that film pretty much copies note for note Orff’s music. Forget “Carmina Burana,” THIS should be Orff’s best-known piece.
“Texas” – Boss Hog
From Boss Hog’s self-titled major-label album from 1995 comes this creepy cello-driven dirge that’s unlike the blues-punk on the rest on the album. The sense of dread that permeates this song is palpable. Why someone hasn’t scored their horror film with this is beyond me.
“Sometimes I Wish I Had a Gun” – Mink Stole
Here’s a real surprise! John Waters superstar Mink Stole lends her pipes to this sultry cover of “Sometimes I Wish I Had a Gun.” All I can say is “Wow!” No offense to her hilarious turns in Waters’ anti-masterpieces, but Stole should have pursued a singing career. From the compilation “A Date with John Waters.”
“Short Cuts” (1993) dir. Robert Altman
My favorite film of 1993 (aside from Tony Scott’s Quentin Tarantino-scripted “True Romance), was Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts.” “Short Cuts” is a devastating 3 hour-plus epic about the damaged lives of multiple souls in the “City of Angels,” circa 1993. The movie complies several short stories by Raymond Carver and intersects the stories, so that the characters of each story interact with each other at various times for various reasons. It shows the randomness of life and how all of our actions (no matter how small) can have an impact on the world around us. Seeing it during a not-so-great point in my life, the film hit me like a brick to the face and I was shaken for days. This is not to say the film lacks humor. The movie is oftentimes hysterically funny, albeit in a very dark way. It also features brilliant performances by a diverse, all-star cast, including Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Penn, Fred Ward, Tom Waits, Anne Archer, Madeline Stowe, Jack Lemmon, Andie McDowell, Lily Tomlin, Lili Taylor, Frances McDormand, Buck Henry, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, and several others.
“Short Cuts” was Altman’s ultra-ambitious follow-up to his 1992 comeback film “The Player.” However, unlike “The Player,” “Short Cuts” didn’t fare too well at the box office. Despite this, “Short Cuts” was on many Top 10 lists and Altman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director. While I enjoy “The Player,” “Short Cuts” is a far better film and its influence has grown tremendously over the years and its format about multiple characters/stories intersecting has resulted in some great films (P.T. Anderson’s “Magnolia”) and not-so-great (Paul Haggis’s “Crash”). An underrated masterpiece and my all-time favorite Robert Altman film.
“Better Things” – The Kinks … and Happy New Year!
2012 was a decent year for me, but a rough year for a lot of folks I know. Having been through bad years before, I know it doesn’t always seem like things will get better, but they always do. Here’s hoping that “better things” will come quickly to everyone in the coming year. Please have a terrific New Year!!!
Dave's Strange World 