From the Couch Hole: We Just Saw It From a Different Point of View

Previously on FTCH, the instigators said you’re a big girl now so get the hot cocoa with marshmallow. The elf was an eyewitness to fly me to the moon. It was a great Holiday Break around here. My children, including wonderful daughter-in-law, spent most of a week here. It’s been difficult this week to get back into my work and coaching with our annual visit from the Polar Vortex. We had our annual snow, so nothing more on that front until 2026. This week the twisters might be the masters of the air. We are tangled up in blue, but with an infinite jest we speak no evil about James Brown and loaded Oreos. Remember, FTCH, it’s a chocolatey dream come true.

Pop Culture Ephemera

• David Foster Wallace – Infinite Jest (1996) (Published by Little, Brown & Company): “Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different from everyone else.” I have been reluctant to try to summarize my thoughts on this book into a single paragraph. The weight of the book is psychological as well as physical. It’s science fiction, comedy, borderline autobiographical, and political science all at once. The English Major in me sees this as the logical extension of the Post Modern movement that combines multiple styles within the plus thousand pages.
  
  The story (and I’m using “story” in the loosest definition) isn’t told chronologically or with the same narrator. The roughly three timelines, the Enfield Tennis Academy, the Ennet Drug Rehab House, and the Quebecois separatists group all circle each other without coming to any satisfying conclusion. The characters are worthy of Shakespeare, and the familial themes reflect Homeric influences. I can see why someone would have this as their favorite book, and I can see why someone would stop reading after 50 pages. It’s a challenge to finish the book. I’m not congratulating myself to say that. I do feel the reward of finishing a book that opened a window in my mind, even if it didn’t close the window when the story stopped.

Buy Infinite Jest paperback

• Masters of the Air – “Part Seven” (2024) (S.1 E.7) (APPLE+): “There are only American prisoners of war at Stalag Luft 3, Major Simoliet. Only Americans.” Lt. Col. John Bennett. The story moves forward from October 1943 to March 1944. The story is divided now into the continuing story of the 100th Brigade and the prisoners in the Stalag. The writers chose to have the worst day of the 100th, Black Thursday where they lost 15 B-17’s and over 150 men, happen offscreen. We see the result of it on the morale of the men in England. The Stalag portion takes place over the time when The Great Escape happens (as finely detailed in the movie by the same name). The aerial battles are again just amazing. This isn’t a series I would want to binge. I’ve enjoyed watching it every five to six days to let simmer.

Buy Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks

• Bob Dylan – “Tangled Up in Blue” (1975) (from Blood on the Tracks): “The only thing I knew how to do / Was keep on keeping on.” Dylan has such a long and varied career that it’s hard to say that a single song is career defining. This would come the closest for the ’70s. His marriage falling apart, this song is evocative of lots of emotions of finding your way in the world. The lyrics are too complicated to decipher in a paragraph. It’s still a song that merits top volume in the car when played.

• Speak No Evil (2024) (Directed by James Watkins): “Everybody talking but nobody honest. It’s left us impatient and stressy.” – Paddy. It’s probably shocking to hear this, but the American remake of the Dutch horror film isn’t as good as the original. The first two acts are very similar to the original. The only big change being an American couple going to stay with a British couple. James McAvoy as Paddy doesn’t vary too far from the original portrayal. The original functions well as a horror film of manners, as the original couple gets themselves into uncomfortable situations by not wanting to offend their hosts. There was opportunity here to explore that, but our American couple played by Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis (both vets of the incredible Halt and Catch Fire) are too self aware.
  
  The original finished on a bleak, dark note. The couple did not figure out what was actually happening until it was too late to do anything but accept your fate. The remake can’t embrace that level of darkness. Once the secret is discovered, the “good guys” have to fight back against evil. The reliance on the children in Act Three is a big difference. The plot changes require the children to fill in lots of gaps in logic. All the themes are thrown out the window, and what we get is a predictable mess. The original had plenty of original moments, and I’d recommend that you start there.

• Twisters (2024) (Directed by Lee Isaac Chung): “You don’t face your fears, you ride ’em.” – Tyler. This film feels like exactly what a summer blockbuster is in today’s world. They seem to have fed Twister (1996) into the AI machine and this popped out. The film follows a similar arc to the original. The cast is attractive. Daisy Edgar-Jones doesn’t have the intensity of Helen Hunt, and Glen Powell isn’t as funny as Bill Paxton, but the supporting cast here is also full of folks you have seen on other shows and movies. The effects are top notch, and I bet it packed a punch in IMAX. The problem is that in an effort to appeal to everyone, it doesn’t have the heart and passion of the original. In this day of constant cellphone availability, no one is at a rodeo and surprised by a tornado bearing down on them just seconds away. The rom-com is so much of an afterthought that they forget about it for long stretches. Then it’s wedged in at the end to check off the “date night film” box. I will say that Glen Powell was my favorite part of Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and he’s got breakout star written all over his face here.

Best of the Rest

• There were two covers of “Tangled Up in Blue” from roughly the same period. Charlie Daniels put his hillbilly rock touch to it in 2018. This cover from Joan Osborne from 2017 had that country tinge with more of the original melody intact. Joan’s voice makes this work. It’s so smooth. I would have loved to hear Willie Nelson put his country style to it in the ’80s, but I’m not disappointed with this cover.

• I love ice cream. I’m not one of those that turn their back on any of the classic flavors. I love a good vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan, and even tutti fruitti. I was interested in a recent ranking of the Best Chocolate Ice Creams. Chefs ranked the best chocolate ice creams available at the average grocery store. I would generally lean to the basic Breyer’s Chocolate. The winner here was Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream. I can’t argue with that as one of the better choices, especially the one with almonds. I appreciate the suggestion to put crushed pretzels on top of it.

• Entertainment Weekly (3/28/97): “Best Commercials of All-Time” #39 – Chanel No. 5 “Marilyn” (1994). Associating themselves with Marilyn Monroe has always been the best thing that Chanel No. 5 has done. What does Marilyn Monroe say she wears to bed? Just Chanel No. 5. This ad from 1994 where the moviegoer turns into Marilyn when she dabs on the perfume, was at a time when Marilyn was going through a revival. Perfume ads aren’t common any longer. This was one of the more memorable campaigns.

Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback

• On the Sunday Morning Tuneage from 7/5/2009, it was Independence Day weekend, and I went to the Little Elm fireworks as usual despite a weekend of brutal 100+ temps. I enjoyed Ice Age 3 (2009) with the kids the day before. My #2 Favorite Film of All-Time was Blade Runner (1982). I was a huge fan of all thing Blade Runner through this era. Is it still a #2 type of film? Probably a Top 50. I will say that if you told me it was at the theaters tonight, I’d drop what I was doing and immediately head out to see (at double speed if it’s the superior Director’s Cut). Big Brother (CBS) was starting Season 11. I was skeptical of Warehouse 13 (SCIFI) as a X-Files (Fox) wannabe. The list of the week probably needs a little updating.
  • BEST JAMES BROWN SONGS OF ALL-TIME (2009)
    • 10.  “Living In America” (1985):  Maybe it doesn’t belong here – but it brought him back to my attention in 1985 with this tune for Rocky IV
    • 9.  “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965)
    • 8.  “Cold Sweat” (1967)
    • 7.  “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” (1973): Same theme as #3.  The album version is the best – it funks on for almost 14 minutes.
    • 6.  “Get Up Offa That Thing” (1976)
    • 5.  “Soul Power” (1971):  Some of Bootsy’s best moments on bass are here.
    • 4.  “Sex Machine” (1970): When he says “Get Up!!!” I usually feel compelled to.  One of my favorite bass lines ever.
    • 3. “The Payback” (1973):  The horns rule here.  And if you’ve seen Black Caesar, you know this song is about perfect.
    • 2.  “The Funky Drummer” (1970):  Maybe the most important moment in funk/hip hop history – the “funky drummer” breakdown.  Make sure to get a full nine minutes of it on In The Jungle Groove.
    • 1.  “Talking Loud and Sayin’ Nothing” (1972):  This song has it all – bass, drums, and horns, all in a funky groove.  Plus great lyrics about the Civil Rights movement without being so preachy.  And James stops it all down to have fun in the middle.  The most listened JB song on my iTunes also.
  • BEST JAMES BROWN SONGS OF ALL-TIME (2025)
    • 10. “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (1965): James’ first Top Ten hit is still pretty darn funky.
    • 9. “Cold Sweat” (1967): Over seven minutes of funk that lays the groundwork for many of the early Hip Hop artists.
    • 8. “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968): James was never Bob Dylan. In fact, he’s obviously more associated with more Southern Conservatives through his career. This response to MLK’s death was as pro-Black Power Movement as he would ever get. And it’s funky.
    • 7. “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965): Of all of his songs, is this the most iconic? It’s the one that most people know. It’s also infectious as a sing-a-long.
    • 6. “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” (1970): It’s easy to dismiss this song because you have heard it everywhere as a placeholder for “generic funk music” when creators can’t think of something else. This is the first time you really notice Bootsy Collins on bass and Catfish Collins on lead guitar. Their presence takes his band to a whole new funky level.
    • 5. “Give It Up or Turnit a Loose” (1969): This song isn’t distinctly different from “Sex Machine” so they get ranked together. I might like the horns better here to make the difference over the previous song.
    • 4. “Talking Loud and Saying Nothing” (1972): The top four here will represent what are easily my most listened to funk songs over the past 35 years. This song has lyrics I could rave about, but it’s Bootsy Collins’ bass that drives this song. Everyone else is trying to match his energy, and it turns into the tightest song that he ever recorded.
    • 3. “Get Up Offa That Thing (Release The Pressure)” (1976): He shouts “I’m back” and you know he means it. There’s a feeling that by 1976, Brown was of an older generation. Disco was threatening to take over the dance floor. Here comes James with a funky bass and horny horns to tell you to get up.
    • 2. “The Payback” (1973): He might not be as connected to Soul Cinema as Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield, but this song for Black Caesar / Hell Up in Harlem (1973) was a bright spot in a decade where he was losing his cache.
    • 1. “The Funky Drummer” (1970): This nine-minute funk workout is as good as it gets in the world of funk. The Clyde Stubblefield drum break where the horns cut out is about the most sampled moment in hip hop. The eight-bar solo is so awesome that James recognizes it immediately and says, “The name of this tune is the Funky Drummer” when Clyde finishes.
  • I was aware of James Brown in my youth. Anything beyond “Living in America” and “Doctor Detroit” was a mystery to me. It was thanks to hip hop that I discovered James Brown, George Clinton, and the whole array of funk artists. By 1990, I was finding something new every trip to Tower Records. My collection is still dominated by more James Brown than any other funk artist. I’m leaving off lots of good tunes, but these ten would make a pretty awesome playlist.

1975 in Review

• January – The Avengers #131 (Marvel): “I love Wanda . . . but of late I find Mantis’ presence . . . distracting.” – The Vision. Cover by Gil Kane. Art by Sal Buscema. Written by Steve Englehart. I didn’t read this era of Mantis being an Avenger. They are battling against Kang as they would for half of the ’70s.
• January 1 – Alabama (#1) loses to Notre Dame (#9) in the Orange Bowl. USC (#5) beat Ohio State (#3) by going for a two-point conversion in the Rose Bowl. Michigan (#4) wasn’t invited to a bowl as only one Big Ten team could go to a bowl. Oklahoma is #1 in the UPI poll but ineligible for ranking or bowl games in the AP poll. USC would end up as #1 in the AP poll a few days later.
• January 11 – TV Guide. This cover of David Janssen from Harry O is well timed. Over the past couple months, this has become one of my favorite television detective shows of all-time. This picture is taken from the first 14 episodes that take place in San Diego before he moves to Los Angeles. The stories are well-structured, hard-boiled detective plots with plenty of exterior shots of 1974 San Diego. Track this down.

What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?

“Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As I was walking away
I heard her say over my shoulder
‘We’ll meet again someday
On the avenue.'” – Bob Dylan

Stay hard.

Shawn