March | 2013 | Dave's Strange World

“Crimson and Clover” – Tommy James and the Shondells

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When I was about 5 years old or so, there was a 4-album set called “The No. 1 Hits of the 60s” that was advertised on TV constantly by a company called “TeleHouse” that retailed for $8.98. I remember the original ads from TV, especially a scene where some long haired guy was hanging from a window ledge while the McCoy’s “Hang on Sloopy” played behind him. Anyway, my Mom bought this box set and as soon as it arrived, I took it upstairs to the record player in my room and checked it out.

One of my favorite songs on the box set was Tommy James and Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover.” I played this over and over again and it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that this was pop psychedelia at its finest. This wasn’t an “authentic” acid freakout ala Iron Butterfly. This was a pop group trying to adopt the psychedelic sound, but they did it very well … and a lot better than Iron Butterfly. The version here is the exquisite long version that was on the box set my Mom purchased, with the extended acid rock guitar solos and sound effects. Joan Jett did a fine cover in 1982, but it doesn’t top the original.

“Matador” (1986) dir. Pedro Alomodovar

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I discovered the films of Pedro Almodovar at just the right time in America, around 1988 or so. Almodovar was just about to release his American breakthrough “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” and my college film class that fall showed his 1984 comic masterpiece “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” to a bewildered, but otherwise appreciative audience. I loved “What Have I Done …?” so when our college film society showed “Matador” later that semester, I made it a point to go.

If there was ever a film to see with an audience, “Matador” was it. I remember the college theater was about 3/4 full (unusual for a foreign-language film showing on a Sunday night). The opening sequence features a montage of some of the most graphically violent scenes in recent movie history while the lead male character (played by someone named Nacho Martinez … one of the greatest actor names in film history) frantically masturbates while watching it. At that point, the audience started nervously laughing. And the laughs continued throughout. As I walked out of the theater, I thought “Matador” was one of the most deliriously obscene and funny films ever made. It was as crude and as nasty as any John Waters underground masterpiece, but unlike Waters, “Matador” looked like it had a decent budget and production values. I thought, “Finally, someone blended art and extreme sleaze in a wonderfully shot, acted, written, and directed package.”

Almodovar has continued to top himself over the years and won Oscars for Best Foreign Film in 1999 for “All About My Mother” and in 2002 for Best Original Screenplay for “Talk to Her.” Almodovar consistently is one of the most bracingly original filmmakers working today. However, “Matador” remains my favorite. Its combination of high art and NC-17 rated sex, violence, and sleaze is still remarkably potent.

The attached trailer is in Spanish with subtitles in a language that’s not English. However, the trailer does give a pretty good idea of what this film is about. Antonio Banderas plays a pivotal supporting role in “Matador.” If you’re not a prude and are looking for a walk on the wild side, check out “Matador” pronto. Not to be confused with the 2005 film “The Matador” starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear.

“All the Madmen” – David Bowie

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From Bowie’s most severely underrated album, 1970’s “The Man Who Sold the World”, “All the Madmen” is Bowie letting his psychedelic freak flag fly high. Lots of cosmically heavy lead guitars on this one … with a very trippy middle section. Take it from me … do not listen to this under headphones in an altered state of mind.

“Quicksand” – David Bowie

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With the exception of “Life on Mars?”, my other favorite ballad from Bowie’s 1971 “Hunky Dory” album is “Quicksand.” “Changes” may be the hit, and as great as this classic song is, “Hunky Dory” contains home run after home run. Why “Quicksand” isn’t a staple on classic rock radio is a major and sad oversight.

“Life on Mars?” – David Bowie

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One of the many highlights from Bowie’s 1971 album “Hunky Dory,” “Life on Mars?” is one of Bowie’s finest ballads and one of the best songs ever recorded about the subject of films and film watching. The video appears to be a rare clip from the Aladdin Sane-era Bowie, with red mullet and blue mascara.

“Hit That” – The Offspring

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The song “Hit That” is a decent tune lamenting the collateral damage from teenagers’ casual sex, which often results in babies and other drama. The video, however, is something more. Instead of computer animation imitating reality, the video is literally reality imitating computer animation. A very, very clever concept for a video … especially with the dog as metaphor for an oversexed adolescent on the rampage. And yes, the fact that this video is approximately 10 years old underscores the fact that I’m on the outside of what’s hip and happening because … I’ve been a parent since 2002 and am now just gradually catching up with what I missed out over the last 11 years or so.

“The Quaalude Scene” from “Modern Romance” (1981) dir. Albert Brooks

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Before Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” there were Albert Brooks’s squirm-inducing comedies. “Modern Romance” is the funniest of Brooks’s comedies and also the most uncomfortable to watch.

In this scene, Brooks’s ultra-neurotic character just broke up his long-time girlfriend and now, regretting his decision to do so, is completely miserable. A work colleague gives him some quaaludes to help him out and he takes all of them. Brooks’s character goes through the entire emotional gamut in under 10 minutes, including several luded-out phone calls. Hysterically funny … and while I’ve never taken ludes, I can’t say I haven’t made some embarrassing phone calls myself in an altered state of mind back in the day.

According to legend, this was one of Stanley Kubrick’s favorite films.

“Warr-ee-yors … Come out to play-eee!” from “The Warriors” (1979) dir. Walter Hill

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Yes, it’s the infamous scene where Crazy Luther … rattling three glass bottles together … challenges the beleaguered, but strong street gang the Warriors to a final battle. Luther, played by David Patrick Kelly, based this infamous taunt/intimidation on a neighborhood crazy Kelly grew up with who was always screwing with Kelly for some reason or another back in the day. My other thought about this scene is how much I still have a crush on Deborah Van Valkenburgh.

As to “The Warriors,” it’s one of the best action films ever made. Try to see if you can hunt down the original theatrical version instead of director Walter Hill’s revised “director’s cut” which frames the action within comic book frames. Seriously, the film is already a comic book, why would you call extra, unneeded attention to this?

Enough already with these delusional Boomer film directors and their “improvements” on films that don’t need it. As the creators, they can do whatever they want, but don’t make the originals … the ones that I remember seeing and loving … impossible to see. Lucky for me, I managed to track down a theatrical cut DVD three years ago at a Hollywood Video that was going out of business and selling off its inventory.

“Ships” – Ian Hunter

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One of the best songs about fathers and sons ever written, especially because it’s about the odd and sad gulfs that are present in a lot of these relationships. I’m not sure why this is. If I could adequately explain this kind of thing, I’d probably be a billionaire self-help guru. In my opinion, this is way better (and much less cheesy) than “The Living Years.”

You may recognize this song, because Barry Manilow covered in 1979 and had a huge hit with it. However, I much prefer Ian Hunter’s original version. From Hunter’s 1979 album “You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic.”

“Ballad of Mott the Hoople” – Mott the Hoople

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Many rock bands and performers (if they’re around long enough) record a “life is hell on the road” song. Some are sublime (Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Lodi,” GWAR’s parody “The Road Behind”). Some are ridiculous (Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” … as if there was any doubt).

However, my favorite is Mott the Hoople’s “Ballad of Mott the Hoople” which contains one of my all-time favorite lyrics about not only the quest for fame, but life itself: “I wish I’d never wanted then what I want now twice as much.” That’s deep. From Mott the Hoople’s 1973 album “Mott.”