Poem Inspired by Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

S   O   U   N   D
      F   U   R   Y
nothingness
Enough said.

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Kenny Rogers: One Of The Greats

Though I'm not really a country music guy, Kenny Rogers is a timeless artist whose music appeals to many different tastes. I've had the opportunity to see Kenny twice, in 1992 at Edmonton's Northlands Coliseum and the next year at Red Deer's Centrium (about an hour and a half bus ride away)

And if those shows were a little more Vegas-inspired than I might have liked after hearing stories of the legendary 1985 Kenny/Dolly/Lee Greenwood tour (which I didn't get to see), the man still knows how to perform, and satisfy a crowd.

Note on Darius Rucker: I kept saying back in Hootie And The Blowfish's mid-90s heyday that Let Her Cry
was a country song in disguise. People laughed. Now I feel vindicated.

In closing, a bit of traveller's wisdom:

Any Humpty's restaurant anywhere, even those normally open 24 hours, will be cleaned at 11:00 Sunday night.

After which it will probably close for the night, as the one in Red Deer did.

So don't arrive at 10:45 to wait for your ride back to the city.

Have a good night!

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November 1, 1990

I hope the Dixie Chicks and their fans had a blast tonight at Rexall Place. But I couldn't help remembering that I was at the then Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton on November 1, 1990, watching the New Kids On The Block perform a sold out (17 000 +) show.

I have two words for you: Sonic. Boom.

And it wasn't that the New Kids themselves made ears bleed, but rather the deafening screams of the 16, 991 preteen girls and young women present (yes, I do think I was one of only ten men in the building that night)

But here's the thing:

1) I dug a couple NKOTB tunes back in the day.
2) It was the closest thing (atmosphere-wise) to Beatlemania I'd ever experienced up to that point. Of course, I've since learned that 400 in a casino can sure sound like 17,000 when the Bay City Rollers or Herman's Hermits are onstage. Am I also Mikey The Retro Guy? Yes. Get over it.

3) I have in storage, unopened and in the wrap, a copy of the NKOTB Christmas album.

A big thank you to Penelope's Mom, my sister Jacquie, for standing in line for a day and a half so I got a ticket. And also to the friend I had with me that night, who made sure I was able to navigate my way through the throngs after the show.

Happy weekend everyone!

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Say What?

Can you imagine Dwayne Johnson singing this in the big screen version of The Fall Guy that he's negotiating to star in? To be honest with you, I just can't see it. But the best that we can hope for is that 45-year-old director McG was a BIG fan when the show aired from 1981-1986, and that Jessica Simpson does NOT land the role of Jody (originally played by Heather Thomas).

Was I a big fan of the show, you ask? The totally honest answer is that from 1981 to 1986 I was consumed with things like school and homework, including our new Apple IIc computer around Christmas 1985. But the cool thing is that I can now enjoy it like new, and now say that I am a big fan.

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Passing The Torch

As Miley gleefully torches her career (now off to Daddy's farm to rehearse for that Cyrus Family Christmas casino tour)...




...the torch meanwhile passes from living legend James Taylor - a man who has stirred and soothed many souls over the course of his four-decade career - to Taylor Swift, named after James and a pretty decent musician herself. What a wonderful way to introduce younger generations to his timeless music!




Have a great day!

MTMG

Clint Goes To Jersey

http://variety.com/2013/film/news/graham-king-clint-eastwood-eye-jersey-boys-1200563806/

Jersey Boys, which I had the extreme good fortune to see here in Edmonton last summer, is the one recent musical I can  think of that not only cries out to be made into a film, but is also a case where a lot of the dramatic non-singing structure has already been laid into the stage production. And having Eastwood in the director's chair is a real asset as well, given his proven ability to shoot quickly, efficiently and under budget. He is probably also itching to use the musical knowledge and techniques he was ready to use on the oft-delayed A Star Is Born remake with Beyoncé.

Eastwood and producer Graham King's decision to have veterans of various incarnations of the Jersey Boys stage show should also bode well for their success. John Lloyd Young's a Tony Award winner as  Broadway's current Frankie Valli, and Michael Lomenda shone as Nick Massi in the touring production I saw. Vincent Piazza should bring all the Boardwalk Empire cred needed to play the layered Tommy DeVito.

I also hope that Eastwood and King will be able to pull off what will amount to the movie cameo of the decade if it happens, concerning a minor but very memorable character in the show. If you've seen it, you're smiling already. If not...sorry, you'll have to wait, which probably doesn't amuse you, but it will be worth it. Just trust me.

In the meantime...

  





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Groovy, baby! But seriously, David O. Russell is one of the most talented directors working today. And if he can invest American Hustle with as much heart as 70's period detail, then I daresay we will have this Oscar season's Boogie Nights.

And we know that David O's got heart to give, because he let us see it (likely somewhat begrudgingly) in Silver Linings Playbook last year.

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VHS Memories

http://theclinteastwoodarchive.blogspot.ca/2013/04/dead-technology-or-how-we-came-to-love.html

Yes, everyone that knows me well knows I'm a big Clint fan. But this article, from the blog of the UK's biggest Clint fan, caught my eye for a few other reasons as well. Mostly it got me thinking about my 12th birthday party in 1983. My parents told me I could rent 3 movies plus the machine. So off we went to Box Office Video in Mill Creek, where I happily picked my 3:

On Golden Pond (my dad having vetoed Best Little Whorehouse In Texas)
1001 Rabbit Tales (a Looney Tunes compilation film)
Buck Rogers in the 23rd Century (a short-lived Battlestar Galactica knockoff starring Gil "Who?" Gerard.

Yes, Dolly's boobs were off limits, but occaisionally foul-mouthed Henry Fonda was OK. Which was fine, because On Golden Pond gave me an understanding of the elderly that I still have today.

One more thing about Dolly though. A few nights ago I saw the 'making-of' featurette on the Best Little Whorehouse DVD, which was promo material and interviews from the film's release in 1982. Aside from learning that Burt Reynolds took two months of singing lessons (guess the teacher wasn't available for Stallone in Rhinestone a couple years later. But I digress) the thing that struck me was Parton's assertion that she had reservations about playing Miss Mona because "we have to protect the public with what we do." Would Lindsay Lohan say that these days? Or even Sandra Bullock? I assume Dolly also meant that there was more desire to produce quality entertainment.

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Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive

One of the coolest songs ever. Period. If Jon Bon ever decides to get off the road permanently, Wanted Dead or Alive practically cries out to be a movie. Happy Sunday!

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Mad Men - Zou Bisou Bisou (720p)

One of the  best moments from one of the best shows on TV. Happy Monday!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-vN4H4KBpA


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RIP Bonnie Franklin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8xgDgTBmtI

Bonnie Franklin, who played hardworking single mom Ann Romano on One Day At a Time from 1975 to 1984, died Friday at the age of 69. From what I remember of the show from watching it in syndication in the early 80s, Ann, although busy and sometimes overwhelmed by the pace and realities of everyday life, always had time to lend a smile, an ear, or perhaps some firm but loving guidance to her feisty daughters Barbara and Julie, played respectively by Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips. The show resonated with my sister and me, because we had a mother who did (and continues to do) the same thing. This one's for you, Mom.

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Yay Or Nay: Star Wars Edition

With the recent sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, there is much to celebrate. Namely:

1) Director JJ Abrams did a great job already shepherding a beloved franchise into reboot mode with Star Trek in 2009, and seems poised to do it again in May with Star Trek: Into Darkness.

2) Abrams knows how to keep a secret, a minor miracle in this Internet age. We still don't know what role Benedict Cumberbach will be playing. Will it be Khan? Will it not be Khan? I don't want to know until I sit down in the theater on opening night. And that's the way it should be. Hopefully Abrams will be able to keep up the veil of secrecy up until 2015.

3) Abrams has proven himself able to get actors in his films to express emotions, something that George Lucas was never quite able to accomplish, so focused was he on creating his (albeit) groundbreaking technical wizadry. And JJ is likely to make a filming decision, shoot it, and stand by it, improving on Lucas's inveterate tinkering. Jeez, are the original editions of the original 1977-83 trilogy even available anymore? I highly doubt it.

Now for the dark side (cue Darth Vader):

 At its best, Disney is a Magic Kingdom. At its worst it is a sausagelike marketing machine that spits out many permutations of prized properties. Imagine with me, if you will:

  1) The direct-to-DisneyDVD and BluRay exploits of Boba Fett and Yoda.
  2) Ditto for A Jar Jar Family Christmas, with accompanying ice show coming to an arena near you.
  3) While they're at it, how about a DisneyDVD/BluRay Special Anniversary Edition of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, complete with optional Wookie subtitles.

And last but not least...

 4) Hello, My Little Friend, a musical revue starring C3-P0 and R2D2, now playing in the Orlando and Anaheim theme parks

May the Force be with the Mouse!

MTMG

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - by The Jacksons

Twenty-nine years after I was jealous that The Jacksons played Vancouver and not Edmonton on their Victory tour, they played our annual Chamber of Commerce Ball last night at the Shaw Conference Centre. The poster is not to be blamed for misidentifying the song, due to reported sound problems in a building that lives up to its name. I was not there, as moving in business circles is way above my pay grade. But I hold out hope for a return visit to one of Edmonton's better-suited venues, like the Jubilee Auditorium or the Winspear. Hey, here's a thought: What better way to open Edmonton's new arena in 2016? Just throwing that out there.

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Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire

Test 1

Just a test

MTMG