http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfH263OAG0A
AKA “California Uber Alles Part Deux” … Only this time focusing on Ronald Reagan, instead of Jerry Brown. This is some really cool studio footage of the Dead Kennedys performing this classic from “In God We Trust, Inc.” 30+ years on, it’s easy to forget what an authentically provocative and dangerous band the Dead Kennedys were back in the day. But this brings it all back in spades.
One of my favorite Tom Waits songs. The imagery evoked in this song is vivid and amazing. From Waits’s 1985 classic album “Rain Dogs.”
FYI, Tori Amos recorded a very nice cover in 2001 for her “Strange Little Girls” album, which I posted about here:
I was browsing the Warner Archive channel on my Roku box and watched a Redd Foxx film from 1976 called “Norman, Is That You?” Foxx plays a distraught cuckold who goes to visit his son, unaware that his son is gay and is living with another man. Foxx’s character eventually figures it out and as you can guess … considering the character is played by Foxx … is initially not supportive. Though, eventually, in his dumb, clumsy, old-school way, he comes to understand his son and accept him.
It’s not a particularly great film, horrendously politically incorrect (his son’s boyfriend is the absolute worst screaming queen stereotype) but the movie is actually quite funny a lot of the time, mainly due to Foxx, who is an absolute comic genius. Despite the film’s political incorrectness, it’s also remarkably progressive, especially given the fact that it was made in 1976. You can check it out the link above or watch it on the Warner Archive app on Roku.
Best scene: Foxx goes to a bookstore to find books about homosexuality. Some wiseass puts a copy of Woodward and Bernstein’s “All the President’s Men” in the section about homosexuality, which prompts Foxx’s anguished conclusion: “All the President’s Men? I should have known!”
It’s Little League season and what better time than to reexamine “The Bad News Bears.” I could be wrong, but I believe “Bears” is the first film of the genre where a group of young misfits and their flawed coach are thrown together on a sports team, and against all odds, achieve success and self-esteem. However, given the rather slipshod and crappy nature of most of the films in this genre since the release of “Bears” in 1976, it’s easy to discount what a remarkable … and frequently dark … film it truly is.
At the time “Bears” came out, it was controversial because the kids in the film casually use profanity. However, nowadays, the profanities seem positively “nuclear,” especially given the racial slurs uttered by the short and misanthropic Tanner Boyle, who at one point is noted for taking on the entire 7th grade in a fight. If you want a clear indication of how times have changed, just watch the trailer located above. Keep in mind, this is merely the TRAILER … for a PG-rated film! … and the racial slurs are just right out there like cheese on a burger. The words in the trailer alone would result in lawsuits these days. Back then, it was used as a “selling point.” The times have indeed changed. As a result, if you’re particularly sensitive about such things or are watching this work, do not watch this link.
Now that we’ve all acknowledged the elephant turd in the room, let’s move on and really examine what makes this film remarkable. First of all, “Bears” contains one of Walter Matthau’s greatest performances, playing the alcoholic, misanthropic former minor-league player Morris Buttermaker. Buttermaker is hired to coach the Bears, a team created as the result of a lawsuit because badly-skilled players were excluded from playing in a particular league. Matthau’s character may have a mild redemptive arc towards the end of the film, but he’s a crafty enough actor not to let it seem that obvious. In other words, you don’t get the sense Buttermaker becomes THAT much of a better person at the end, meaning he’ll probably continue to drink heavily and be a major SOB.
Sadly, you don’t get the sense Buttermaker will be the father figure to Tatum O’Neal’s character Amanda Whurlizer that she desperately needs. Amanda is the daughter of one of Matthau’s former girlfriends and when they were together, Buttermaker trained her to be an amazing pitcher. Buttermaker puts her on the team as a “ringer” to help the Bears start achieving wins. Amanda has a tough, wise-ass exterior, but it’s obvious that it’s just a mask for a girl who wants a father. During one heartbreaking scene (located at the clip below), Buttermaker spurns Amanda’s attempts to get closer to him. In a Hollywood film of today, you expect him to come around at the end of the film. But alas… it’s never clear what role Buttermaker will pay in her life at the end.
Also remarkable is the performance by Vic Morrow as the coach of the Bears’ chief rivals, the Yankees. Morrow positively nails the hyper-competitive type of person who lives vicariously through the achievements of their children, in this case, Morrow’s son, the pitcher. There’s a particularly disturbing scene where Morrow orders his son to walk a Bears player, because the player is the one hitter his son cannot overcome. His son wants to actually try and intentionally throws a beanball, which almost strikes the Bears player in the head. Morrow slaps his son and Morrow’s son retaliates by pitching an intentionally easy ball, catching it, and holding onto it while the Bears player scores a home run, even while his teammates tackle him to retrieve the ball. After the run is scored, Morrow’s son gets up, silently drops the ball at his father’s feet, and walks off the field. An immensely dark and powerful scene in a film that’s otherwise billed as a “comedy.”
“Bears” is not only THE best film of that disreputable “kids and sports” genre, but one of the best sports films ever made, period … even with the casual and unfortunate racial slurs mentioned earlier.
On a personal note, this was the first PG-rated film I ever saw. My mom took my brother and me to see it the weekend it came out and after the first 5 minutes, I swear I saw my mom bury her head in her hands. The beginning of many such moments …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYfJOPF3ajQ
F–k yeah! From Norway, here’s a sublimely perfect mix of power pop melodies / harmonies and layers and layers of thick, crunchy guitars. I just heard these guys today and I’m giving them a major thumbs up. If you love Matthew Sweet, but thought he could have used more guitars and louder drums, this is right up your alley. From their album “Whatever Rhymes With Baby.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-GHOmLphc
One of my favorite tracks from the famous “Beserkley Chartbusters” compilation album from the mid-1970s is this very cool, rockin’ cover of Jonathan King’s “Tall Order for a Short Guy.”
The band Earth Quake had been around since the mid-1960s, recorded two albums for A&M Records, and then later joined the fledgling independent label Beserkley in the early 1970s, where they achieved greater success. While Beserkley is better known as the home of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, the label was formed by Earth Quake’s manager Matthew King Kaufman, when Kaufman received compensation when Earth Quake’s music was used against their knowledge or permission in Sam Peckinpah’s “The Getaway.”)
One of the earliest and best examples of what later became known as power pop in the late 1970s.
Yet again, I’m catching up on a great song long after its shelf date. Hipsters may see this as sad. I, on the other hand, am always ecstatic to find an awesome song, no matter the age. This time, it’s only 5 years years old … and it’s from an old favorite. I heard this amazing, lo-fi, rockin’ song from the Pretenders the other night on Sirius Underground Garage and it sounds tailor-made for that station. This is “Boots of Chinese Plastic,” released in 2008, from their album “Break Up the Concrete.” Chrissie Hynde was 57 when this came out. The lady can still kick ass!
Boston. F–king horrible.
I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, “Well, I’ve had it with humanity.”
But I was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here’s what I DO know. If it’s one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we’re lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they’re pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”
I may be a sicko, but there’s nothing funnier than what a previous generation thought was sexy … especially when said “sexy time entertainment” is not particularly intelligent or sophisticated. Unless of course you’re turned on by Aqua-Net drenched, silicon-packed “ladies” reading off cue cards ve-ry de-li-ber-ate-ly, while really bad sub-Kenny G saxophone music plays in the background.
Disclaimer: Please do not call any of these numbers. I have no idea if any of these numbers are still valid as some of them are over 20 years old. I sincerely hope they’re not. I’m sure all of these numbers were legitimate at some point, but many of these types of numbers were run by con men ready to add all kinds of “processing fees” to your bill and you were lucky if the “ladies” you spoke to were actual females. While there’s no nudity or bad language in these ads, you’re an idiot if you think this is safe for work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvlA2cstaas
Talk about f–kin’ solid! Here’s a gem I recently heard on Sirius Underground Garage by a band that’s been kicking around since the late 1980s. Originally from L.A., the Hangmen sound like Johnny Thunders fronting Social Distortion. Speaking of which, Mike Ness of Social D. produced one of the Hangmen’s EPs in 2007. From the album “East of Western.”
Dave's Strange World 