May flowers
Pop Culture Ephemera
- Dicks: The Musical (2023) (Directed by Larry Charles): “I’ll always be on top.” – Trevor and Craig. I’m guessing that the creators and stars of this film, Aaron Jackson (Trevor) and Joshua Sharp (Craig) watched The Parent Trap (1961, 1998) and thought to themselves “This should have have more profanity, offensive situations, and definitely more musical numbers.” This film will either be loved or hated by most viewers. Your “easily offended” switch better be set to “off” because they skewer everyone and everything. The plot is simple. Two Roomba-parts salesmen (laughing at the continued insistence that it’s the parts and not the Roomba) meet and discover they are long-lost identical twins and they try to reunite their parents. Jackson and Sharp come from the Upright Citizens Brigade pedigree and that improvisational humor shows in the production. The brilliance is the casting of Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally as their parents. They add musical respectability to the other young actors, and they attack their roles with enthusiasm. I mostly enjoyed it. It will push your patience. If you like a joke, don’t worry, they will repeat it three more times. If you don’t like a joke, don’t worry, they will repeat it six more times.
- Shogun – “The Eightfold Fence” (2024) (S.1 E.4) (FX): “Do you know ‘The Eightfold Fence’? From the time we are small, it is something we are taught to build within ourselves. An… impenetrable wall, behind which we can retreat whenever we need.” – Mariko. The Eightfold Path is the Buddhist path to serenity. The main goal of this episode is to find that safe space between Mariko and Blackthorne to build their love affair. Up to this point, they don’t feel compatible in that way. This goes a long way towards them using the Eightfold Path to come together. They listen without appearing to listen to each other. Blackthorne is removed to the country to teach Toranaga’s troops Western battle tactics. There are loud and silent moments that are well balanced. The addition of Fuji as Blackthorne’s consort adds delicious levels of intrigue considering that Toranaga had ordered the death of her infant. The shocking ending prepares us for a violent conflict in Episode Five. This just keeps getting better.
- Oasis – “Half the World Away” (1998) (from The Masterplan): “I’ve been lost, I’ve been found / But I don’t feel down.” I likely first encountered this song on the last episode of Spaced (1999-2001). I knew the Oasis hits and didn’t form a strong opinion on the group one way or another. I was probably put off by the Beatles comparisons. They have a pleasant sound and work better on simple songs like this one. The song about being in love with someone far away and feeling trapped in the city/life that you have is a relatively universal feeling. It’s my favorite Oasis song, and I love that old time, late ’60s vibe to it.
- Our Town (1940) (Directed by Sam Wood): “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every, every minute?” – Emily. A few films can be truly be referred to a “timeless”. In the literal sense of the word, this film and the Thornton Wilder play that it adapts is just that. The story starts in 1940, goes back to 1901 to start the narrative and even as it progresses towards 1940, continues to look forwards and backwards in time. It’s about the things in life that don’t change from generation to generation, namely love and the passage of time. The story takes place in the early 1900s but we are told that the town dates back to the 1670s and the names are still the same as today. Movies such as A Christmas Carol (Various) and It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) have looked backwards and forwards in time within their conceit. In those stories, the importance is the impact the one person has on the world around them. This story is about living in the moment to appreciate the patterns of life. The performances are a little wooden and the presentation feels like a filmed play. All of that probably due to the adaptation being done by author Wilder. The message is still a testament to the “timeless” elements of the story. Most of us read this in 9th or 10th grade, but the nostalgia elements are wasted on youth.
- Night Swim (2024) (Directed by Bryce McGuire): “Hello. Good pool to you this evening. How are you pooling this pool?” – Ray. When the premise of your film is that a retired baseball player and his family move into a house with a haunted pool, you are going to have to bring the victims to the pool since you have a difficult time bringing the pool to the victims. Since the pool doesn’t hide very well, the film relies on jump scares and fake jump scares (thank you, fake music cues). The efforts in the first third of the film to create the “everyday” suburban neighborhood house with a simple pool makes it feel like the start of a film based upon a Stephen King book. The symbolic value of a pool is great. This relaxing and healing (literally here) pool looks beautiful, but there’s evil just below the surface. In action, it’s much better when the pool is magical mixed with the pool from Poltergeist (1982). Any goodwill that I had went away with much too much explaining about the evil pool in the last 15 minutes. This is a decent production from a director that probably has a decent future in the genre.
Best of the Rest
- AURORA does a cover of “Half the World Away” for the John Lewis Christmas Advert from 2015. Holy Toledo, is it a perfect choice. The advert emphasizes the distance between the friends from the lyrics. It’s just brilliant. Look how we connect through our eyes.
- Oasis’ “Half the World Away” contains some significant elements of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David tune “This Guy’s in Love with You.” So much so that I wonder why I don’t see a writing credit for them. This Herb Alpert version is the best by a male artist and the definitive version in my head when I see the title on a page.
- Ads for vodka typically go all out. This takes that to another level with director Taika Waititi and rapper Future. The secret handshake in order to get the Belvedere 10 is amazing. I want some vodka now.
Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback
- On the Sunday Morning Tuneage of 11/2/2008, Trick or Treats in Texas were still weird for me when it was 80 degrees. I was about to take the children to go see High School Musical 3 (2008) to prove my “good Dad” status. Christian and I were just finishing Casino Royale (2006) which finished our two-year project to watch the Bond films together. My #88 Favorite Film of All-Time was All the President’s Men (1976). Excellent acting from Redford and Hoffman, but I don’t think this film still makes my Top 100. The 2008 Presidential Election was coming up on Tuesday, and it’s hard to remember that we still didn’t know who was going to win. My list of the week was holiday oriented but another one worth revisiting.
- BEST HALLOWEEN-THEMED SONGS OF ALL-TIME (2008)
- 10. Charlie Daniels Band – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979): I put it here because of the whole devil thing.
- 9. The Specials – “Ghost Town” (1981)
- 8. Geto Boys – “My Mind Is Playing Tricks on Me” (1991)
- 7. Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi Is Dead” (1982)
- 6. Warren Zevon – “Werewolves of London” (1978)
- 5. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – “A Nightmare on My Street” (1988): Humor always works with the holiday.
- 4. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – “I Put a Spell on You” (1957): But it’s more like being dropped into a Jim Jarmusch film.
- 3. Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982): The Vincent Price voiceover and the creepy video makes this a “can’t miss” for the Halloween season.
- 2. Blue Oyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (1976)
- 1. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – “Monster Mash” (1962): This is not only the best Halloween song, but it’s the best novelty song of all-time.
- BEST HALLOWEEN-THEMED SONGS OF ALL-TIME (2024)
- 10. The Specials – “Ghost Town” (1981): Technically not about ghosts, but it’s about unemployment and economic hardship. That can be scary too.
- 9. Alice Cooper – “I Love the Dead” (1973): “I love the dead before they’re cold.”
- 8. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – “I Put a Spell Oo You” (1957): Jay would appear on stage with tusks in his nose and with a skull that smoked a cigarette.
- 7. Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982): That coffin opening that starts the song lets you know you are in the right holiday playlist.
- 6. The Who – “Boris the Spider” (1966): A great bassline. It feels like it’s out of a Poe story and partially the soundtrack to an old horror film.
- 5. Rockwell – “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984): Paranoia is a good place to start with a holiday-themed song. My money is it on the IRS watching him.
- 4. Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer” (1977): I’m going on title alone because never could decipher the lyrics.
- 3. Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi Is Dead” (1982): “The bats have left the bell tower.” Peter Murphy’s vocals are impeccable.
- 2. Rihanna – “Disturbia” (2008): You want a Halloween party song to have a beat you can dance to? This one is an ear worm that you will be tapping out for a few days afterwards.
- 1. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – “Monster Mash” (1962): Still the undisputed champion. Novelty songs work best when they have great music and when they only get played a few times a year. No doubt that it’s a graveyard smash.
- The general rule was not to use scores from scary movies (that should be a totally other list) like Halloween (1978) or The Exorcist (1973). I left off most novelty songs (I know I put one at #1, but that’s a special case) like “The Purple People Eater” (1958). It was hard for me to cut Oingo Boingo, David Bowie, and anything with Frankenstein in the title. I’ll stick by either list and now I want it to be October.
- BEST HALLOWEEN-THEMED SONGS OF ALL-TIME (2008)
1974 in Review
- May – The Incredible Hulk #175 (Marvel): Written by Roy Thomas. Bruce Banner is sent to Attilan and when he becomes the Hulk, the Inhumans think twice about battling him.
- May 4 – The 100th running of the Kentucky Derby was won by Cannonade ridden by Angel Cordero Jr.
- May 18-24 – This Bob Peak cover of The Six-Million Dollar Man is the one cover I remember the most from my childhood.
What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?
Sprite Chill
There is typically only one new Sprite release a year (maybe two if Spiced Cranberry is still in the warehouse). It’s interesting that Sprite Chill would be a cherry-lime release when the Cherry Sprite still exists at stores that carry the product in depth. Thankfully the “chill” in the title doesn’t come from mint, which was my fear. The cherry lime has to compete with Sonic’s Cherry Limeade, which is just Cherry Lime and Sprite anyways. This doesn’t live up to that high bar. It is more Sprite and less anything else. I wonder if I can catch more flavor from the Zero Sugar version.
Doritos: Baja Fiery Mango
There is not a shortage of Baja flavors from Mountain Dew, so if this takes off, we know what to expect for the next decade. Fruity spicy combinations have been around for quite awhile in the Lays family of salty snacks. That isn’t as much a problem here as the fake mango flavor that Lays just hasn’t perfected. The heat is masked well by the fake mango, but it’s also slightly annoying to the taste. I wouldn’t write off the Baja line with just this release, but they need a better flavor profile.
Rice Krispies Treats: Chocolatey Peanut Butter
This line of snacks is proof that you’ll never go broke making something that would take you 20-30 minutes to make yourself at 25% the price. This new version of Chocolatey Peanut Butter treats has been something we’ve made here for years. Mixing in some peanut butter is popular already. Adding that bottom layer of chocolate is just the type of kiss to the product that makes this somewhere between a dessert and a snack. If you don’t have the time to make them yourself, take a box of these with you.
“I’m still scratchin’ around in the same old hole
My body feels young but my mind is very old
So what do you say?
You can’t give me the dreams that are mine anyway
You’re half the world away” – Noel Gallagher
Stay Hard
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