MJs Sing-Along Blog: Seahawks won the Super Bowl, Woo Hoo!

[Mighty Jack]

I added an index to the first page. Not for all of it, just certain posts. Mostly for myself when I want a quick look at something.

Here's what I have so far.

[/b][/u]

[li] Devo Memories

[/li][li] The 60s: 100 acts, 100 songs (These are songs I like, and wasnt an attempt compile a list of the "greatest hits of the decade")

[/li][li] Avril Lavigne top 13 and the rise of the anti-Britney’s

[/li][li] Red Dwarf Episode Guide and Review

[/li][li] Ranking the IT Crowd episodes

[/li][li] Catholic Novelists

[/li][li] Folk Music: A Love Story

[/li][li] Alice Cooper’s Halloween Esentials
[/li][/ul]

[Mighty Jack]

Comic book fans crack me up

Because of my renewed interest in DC new line, I’ve been boppin around the net, reading reviews and checking out several forums. And I tells ya, some of the arguments about the changes made can get pretty petty and silly. Frequently the arguees go over the same thing, repeating the same lines thread to thread like a mantra. Back and forth they squabble like old married couples.

People, people, chillax – this isn't the end of the world, this isn't earthquakes and famine and dogs and cats living together... you know, the things that should really raise your ire. I’m not saying don’t voice an opinion - hell I thought the rape and murder of Sue Dibney a few years back was repulsive and said so on line. But it didn’t ruin my life; it didn't keep me up all night typing angry missives to DC head Dan DiDio, or engaging in pointless back and forth pissing matches with a nerd somewhere in Oakland, whose mind I’ll never change no matter how loud I type.

Taking drama Queen hysterics to an art form

One big raging hemorrhoid of a debate is the new design for Harley Quinn. Some folks are so upset --- they hate it, "You destroyed her!" they cry! Others dig it and are getting tired of the whining. This reviewer on Youtube got so sick of it all that he went after his fellow reviewers with a vengeance (the first part of the critique is a hoot -"Now this Douchbag..." ;D. I can't help but laugh at how mad he is at those guys)





My take? I absolutely love Harley's original look (as seen in my avatar) but I think this new look is a better fit for the current comic she's starring in. I had reservations at first, but I think it works. The book is called The Suicide Squad and it's about villainous prisoners who are used by a shadowy government agency for covert missions. It's an audacious, violent, adult comic. And I don't think that old clown suit would work as well in this series.

I'm personally digging the thing (and it has received decent reviews of late) – it has some wild action, but also some solid character moments. Plus it's sexy and funny. Harley's pretty hot I think, I love this cheesecake shot of her (the Squad are trying to blend in by dressing in normal clothes... as if Harley could blend in. ha ha)



There are fans who are outraged over that kind of thing. Eh, I’m not going to complain over attractively drawn women in my comics. I grew up with Heavy Metal mag and artists like Manara -- I like sexy women in art, so sue me. (likewise the sex scenes don't offend or disturb me either)

Apart from being a cute psychopath, Harley's also a pretty sharp cookie and not as dumb as some of her teammates think she is, and that makes her interesting to read. On top of that, she is hilarious. The comic makes me split a seem (I liked her exclamation of surprise when one of her Squad members takes out some zombies in a big way... "Holy balls!" she shouts. LMAO - I wonder if that was an irreverent nod to Robin’s old "Holys"?

So anyway, the debates and digs rage on. Some of it's quite amusing and odd: On the one hand, I'm a geek and can sympathize. On the other hand the image of Shatner on SNL shouting, "Get a life!" at annoying Trek fans, keeps popping in my head... "You, have you ever kissed a girl?"

Me thinks we should all relax and kiss a girl

...or a guy if you prefer.

[Mighty Jack]

2010 A Year in Film


_{The Coen Brother's give a gritty spin to the classic Western, "True Grit"}

Remembrances:
It takes at least 2 years to find the time to watch as many good movies you can in order to compile a solid list of favorites, maybe even a little more if you consider the wait for foreign films on DVD. So here I am, a little less than a year after I took my first stab at a top 20 for 2010. Since then I’ve caught a lot of flicks I had not seen 12 months ago and that top 20 looks a little different.

2010 was a rough year in film, box office was down and it generally wasn’t a strong season for great movies. Saying that, there was money to be made. 2010 was the first year in history that two films grossed 1 billion at the box office; Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3. TS3 became the overall highest grossing animated film. In total, 5 of the top 10 worldwide box office hits were animated.

Notably hated: The Last Airbender and Jonah Hex were among the films at the bottom of the heap in critics and fans minds. But I have a few unusual ones I disliked (There were several movies I was told I was supposed to like... that I didn't like). Most notably the highly praised Social Network. I loathed the sucker. Loathed the script, loathed the characters, loathed Jessie Eisenberg’s hair. You name it… I probably loathed it. I also didn't care for Roger Ebert’s foreign film darling, I Am Love which hovers around 2 plot points. #1: Rich people hosting frequent dinner parties. #2: Rich people feeling bad about their terrible lives (and have affairs because life sucks), despite having money and a roof over their heads and food on their tables, and having friends and family who love and respect them. The thing we learn from these 2 films? It’s that I can’t stand whinny people of privilege.

I’d much rather watch those whiny people be eaten by zombies. Yeah, I'm bizarre but the 4th Resident Evil flick (Afterlife), which I saw in IMAX 3D, was one of those fun crappy movies I sometimes get a charge out of. Best part of the film was the opening sequence, where Alice goes on a one-woman assault inside a building.

Speaking of which. Because of the huge success of Avatar, 3D releases were difficult to avoid in 2010.



Cinematic titan of the year:
Kristen Stewart: While Stewart mumbles and stutters through the hit Twilight Eclipse, she impressed with her spot on portrayal of Joan Jett in The Runaways, and also took a dark dramatic role playing a drugged out stripper in Welcome to the Rileys. All told a good year for the actress in terms of serving both stardom and art.

Also wanted to give a shout out to Chloe Grace Mortez for her part in 2 of my favorite films for the year, Let Me In and Kick-Ass

2010 top moneymakers (worldwide grosses):
#1 Alice in Wonderland, #2 Toy Story 3, #3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2, #4 Inception, #5 Shrek Forever After, #6 Twilight Eclipse, #7 Iron Man 2, #8 Tangled, #9 Despicable Me, #10 How to Train Your Dragon

Other noted releases (for good or bad):
Book of Eli, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, Green Zone, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Clash of the Titans, The Losers, Red, Splice, Karate Kid, Salt, The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim, The Town, 127 Hours, Tron Legacy, Machete, Unstoppable, Buried

Critically praised indie, arty, foreigny fare:
Ghost Writer, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Micmacs, Biutiful, Get Low, Incendies, Outside the Law, Of Gods and Men, The Princess of Montpensier, Greenberg

Events:
The King’s Speech dominated at the Oscars, winning best picture, best director for Tom Hooper and best actor Colin Firth. Best actress was Natalie Portman for Black Swan. Supporting nods went to Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, both from the Fighter.

Among those who passed: Jean Simmons, Zelda Rubenstein, Corey Hiam, Charles B. Pierce, Lynn Redgrave, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Neal, Arthur Penn, Tony Curtis, Leslie Nielson, Blake Edwards

Hollywood relationships: Twilight’s Jamie Campbell Bower and Harry Potter’s Bonnie Wright are rumored to be engaged. Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, who were engaged for 6 years, got married on March 22. While Kate Winslet & Sam Mendes, Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds and director Cameron Crowe & singer Nancy Wilson called it quits.

My Top 20⁺



1. Winter’s Bone
Incredible film - which offers something you don’t see a lot in the movies; strong, complex female characters. Jennifer Lawrence was a revelation (I received the same feeling watching her as I did after discovering Carey Mulligan in An Education last year). She plays a girl from the Ozarks who is searching for her missing drug dealer father, in order to keep from losing the family home. It’s rather understated, kind of Earthy poetic, and while it tells a bleak, hard story, it still provides a sense of hopefulness.

2. In A Better World
Susan Bier has shot into my upper favorites for directors/screenwriters. Though I felt she stumbled in her one directorial effort in the States (the flawed, "Things We Lost in the Fire"), everything else I've seen is completely absorbing and leaves me feeling like I was on an emotional roller coaster.

This well deserved Oscar winner for Best Foreign film is about revenge (and abuse of power). And all the forms it takes. But it's also about empathy and forgiveness. Susan takes no sides, gives no pat answers -- she simply allows the characters do what they will. It's up to them to react or turn the other cheek. Some find Bier’s movies contrived, and they are to a degree, but for a purpose. I find her moral conundrums thought provoking and moving. Her stories stick with me. I can't stop pondering them, and this film was no exception.

3. Hereafter
46% at Tomatoes? Critics are nuts, this was a great motion picture - It was compassionate and moving. It doesn't try and force an idea about spirituality or the hereafter, it just tells the tale of these people trying to find meaning in loss, or understanding in tragedy (or surviving tragedy). As with most Clint Eastwood films, it takes it's time telling the story - but that's okay, because it's an absorbing, well-told story, filled with characters I grew to care about. I loved it, I think this reviewer says it very well... www.filmink.com.au/review/hereafter-film/

4. Inception
A heist film set in a dreamscape. Inception is mesmerizing, labyrinthian -- and a smart wild ride that is marked by solid performances, especially from Leonardo DeCaprio and Marion Cotillard (the films heart and emotional resonance revolves around these two). Critic Richard Roeper -lamenting the Oscar snub- called Nolan's direction, "Astonishingly creative". I agree.

5. True Grit
The Coen Brothers set aside their gimmicky shtick and -much to my delight- actually play this straight (aside from a guy dressed as a bear, there are few of the Coen’s quirky ticks). The original was larger than life with colorful daytime vistas; this one is grittier, wintry cold with many night scenes. The acting is above board, especially from Hailee Steinfield (who outshines Kim Darby in the original). The distinct dialog sparkles -- and while I didn’t care for this versions ending, Grit proves to be a good old-fashioned western classic.



6. Toy Story 3
It doesn’t break any new ground (Pixar’s found a formula and they are sticking to it), but I can overlook that aspect here because I’ve grown fond of these characters. As with others in the series, there’s a warm camaraderie, some hilarious situations and dialog, as well as the usual action packed adventure with lessons learned.

7. Let Me In
Americanization of the brilliant Swedish vampire tale, "Let the Right One In". Rotten Tomatoes said it perfectly when they wrote.... "Similar to the original in all the right ways -- but with enough changes to stand on its own -- Let Me In is the rare Hollywood remake that doesn't add insult to inspiration".

While it offers less of the poetic melancholy of the original, it ramps up the horror elements - and in any language it remains a story that messes with your moral compass.

8. Kick-Ass
Chloe Grace Mortez (Let Me In) steals the show as the foul-mouthed assassin, Hit Girl – the young actress certainly left her mark in 2010 didn’t she? Kick-Ass is exciting, brutal with a touch of humanity and humor. The movie lives up to its name and IMHO, it surpasses the comic by leaps and bounds. K-A is a blast that both teases and pays homage to the genre.

9. Easy A
In an era where comedy subsists on bathroom humor and Seth Rogan style stonerism, this was refreshingly smart. Easy is rather ‘John Hughes meets the Scarlet Letter’. And while the premise is outlandish (In this day and age, who would really care) the talented Emma Stone sells it. Stone has a delightful screen presence. She is supported by a top-notch cast, which includes (among others) Stanley Tucci.



10. Skeletons
This odd (but with heart) low budget British comedy is about a couple of guys who extract the skeletons from people closets. It has been described as “Ghostbusters rewritten by Samuel Becket”. But it’s not an FX extravaganza, the gizmo's the guys use are low tech… and there’s something wonderful about that. Above all it’s about the characters trying to come to terms with deep buried personal issues. “Skeletons” is a quirky charmer.

Some of the funniest scenes were actually cut from the film, so if you rent it, watch the deleted scenes.

11. Rabbit Hole
Difficult subject but a superb movie - The script was sharp and the performers did it justice. It avoided many of the clichés I expected them to drift into. Kidman and Elkhart worked real well together ---- At the risk of giving too much information - my little sister died young and I saw my mother and father go through a lot of this kind of thing. And to me, it felt like an honest portrayal on the subject. Diane Wiest has a scene with Kidman where they talk about whether the pain ever goes away, which was a poignant moment that struck a tearful chord of truth.

12. Blue Valentine
This emotionally devastating movie details the trajectory of a relationship, from meeting to break down. Michelle Williams was amazing; her raw exasperation with an unbearable situation was palpable. Ryan Gossling was also strong -- but his character was so immature and smothering that he drove me ape sh***! Let the poor woman breath and carry on a mature conversation without you hammering on her. (That I had such a reaction is a sign that the film was effective)

13. Megamind
The more I watch it, the more I love it. Director Tom McGrath delivers a frequently funny, but surprisingly well-told story of a villain who is thrust into the role of hero. The question of destiny vs. choice, the yin/yang of the hero/villain relationship and a great cast of actors who bring depth to their characters, makes Megamind more than the usual Hollywood eye candy. Oh and I loved this in 3D. When the villain Titan breaks off part of a building - there was such a visible sense of mass. The details, right down to the small falling particles, added to the feeling of awe I felt while watching the scene unfold. Just great animation across the board.

14. How To Train Your Dragon
This was a lot of fun in 3-D as the animation was stellar and offered great depth of field. The stories a charmer – imaginative and heartfelt - it tells the tale of a misfit Viking boy who befriends his villages enemy… a dragon.

15. Mysteries of Lisbon
Strange, difficult, absorbing, soapy, unreal -- interesting use of long shots, which often obscures the identity of who we are seeing – it’s so difficult to describe this 4 and half hour epic that I’ll just post the Music Box summary... "Raul Ruiz's masterful adaptation of the eponymous nineteenth-century Portuguese novel (by Camilo Castelo Branco) evokes the complex intertwined narratives of Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. The core story centers on Joao, the bastard child of an ill-fated romance between two members of the aristocracy who are forbidden to marry, and his quest to discover the truth of his parentage. But this is just the start of an engrossing tale that follows a multitude of characters whose fates conjoin, separate and then rejoin again over three decades in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy."

Critic Walter Addiego wrote... "A sprawling 19th century novel filtered through the mind of a trickster filmmaker, the late Raúl Ruiz, who both delights in and subverts his wildly complex and melodramatic source material."

16. Black Swan
Tale of a repressed ballerina starts off as a melodrama before kicking into psychological nightmare mode. Swan is lurid, absurdly over the top and heavy handed with its symbolism. Director Aronofsky creates a palpable sense of disassociation through the main character. I felt off balance and uncomfortable and by the end I wasn’t sure what was real. The film features brilliant performances, including an Oscar winning one from Natalie Portman - who is full of twitchy nervousness, always looking on the verge of tears -- devastatingly convincing playing a woman coming apart at the seems. And that final scene and closing line is one of films greatest.



17. Cyrus
Surprisingly good. I near skipped this as the previews made it look like some dumb comedy along the lines of Step Brothers. The trailers gave the wrong idea as Cyrus was actually a bit more serious (with some laughs) and actually told a decent story. It’s a well-acted tale about a son (Jonah Hill) trying to keep his mother (Marisa Tomei) from having a stable relationship with a guy she’s met (John C. Reilly). Directed by mumblecore stalwarts Jay and Mark Duplass.

18. Welcome to the Rileys
Man and wife become involved with a troubled young woman who works as a stripper and has a drug habit. Rileys skirts much of the obvious clichés and offers up an honest look at these people. Top notch acting by James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and yes, even Kristen Stewart. The Twilight series brings out the worse in her, but put her in a decent role and she shines

19. Troll Hunter
Released in Norway in October 2010, it hit the States early 2011 in a limited run (so it could be listed in either year). This is one of the rare ‘found footage’ flicks I’ve liked, because it’s steeped in interesting folklore and has scares as well as a great sense of humor. Plus I actually found myself caring about these characters (another rarity in movies of this ilk) and was riveted by curiosity as to where it all would lead.

20. Barney’s Version
Paul Giammatti gives one of the most impressive performances of his career (and that’s saying a lot). The story is messy and as complex as life itself. It takes a man who is unsympathetic on the surface, and spins a tale that delves deeper and shows a little more of the truth. People have their good and bad qualities and sometimes they make unforgivable mistakes that haunt them to the end. Both bitingly funny and heart wrenching sad, I was captivated by this character study from start to finish. Also stars Dustin Hoffman, who is better than he has been in years.

Honorable Mentions

Youth in Revolt
My favorite Michael Cera movie of the year wasn't that Scott Pilgrim thing, but this witty romantic-teen comedy. Michael plays a guy who embraces his dark side as he pursues the girl of his dreams. I laughed hard and enjoyed the story. While there's some crude humor, it balances it out with some sharp dialog (Cera's hiking line).

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest
The 3rd and final (?) installment in the series doesn't offer a lot of action or interaction between the leads. And it has split critics right down the middle on the Tomatometer. But I like mysteries and police procedurals, I like courtroom dramas -- watching someone unravel the truth and embarrass the smug bastards who try to suppress it. While not as good as the 1st, it's far better than the 2nd and overall I found it a gripping tale.


Also... Another Year, A Cat in Paris, Fair Game, Flipped, The Secret World of Arriety, The Illusionist, Defendor, The American, The Runaways, The Kings Speech, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, The Eclipse

Other good flicks I enjoyed included... The Other Guys, Shutter Island, Senna and the Square

On my wish list: Lovers of Hate

Favorite Posters



#1. Brilliantly captures the fracturing relationship. Powerful, it’s the poster of the year IMHO.
#2. This one has a cool, old school, Saul Bass look to it.
#3. I like the movement of Clooney's character and the blocked orange in the background.




#1 & 2 - Scary movies often make for some striking imagery. I like the innocence of the snow angel, marred by a splash of blood.
#3 is a teaser poster and it looks like an old worn singles sleave. The image comes from the Runaways hit "Cherry Bomb".




#1. One of several great posters for the film. This one cracks me up (and it shows up in the actual movie).
#2. The floating head (or body) is seen frequently in posters, but this one has a nice sense of isolation and danger. I like the composition of the piece.
#3. Slick looking poses, the use of foreshortening and bright splashy color. It really catches my eye.

Oh, and I liked this one too...

[Mighty Jack]

• I was driving home late this weekend with the radio on when what greats my ears but a familiar voice – “Hu, wa? We finally got “Nights with Alice Cooper!” Woo-hooo! It’s about damn time. He played the Music Machine’s “Talk, Talk” (a song he covered) and told a story I’d never heard before. Guess the band had gone to every company in the land trying to get a deal. They auditioned for a small company where the Music Machine signed. The head guy there told the others in the band, that they were great, but that the lead singer was a zero. They’d go nowhere with him. He told them if they ditched Alice they could backup Sean Boniwell as the new Music Machine.
  
  Alice said he considered bowing out, see what happened and re-unite later. But they decided to stick together. Of course the Machine went nowhere and a few months later the band signed with Frank Zappa and the rest is history. It makes me wonder, what would have happened had they done it. Would they have reunited, would we have ever known the group, would Cooper have emerged solo?
  
  
• Received my MST3K set. I had troubled with my last MST Amazon order (they shipped via a new, crap company who lost my order, said they delivered it, had no signature and then gave me the run around). This time out Amazon went BACK to UPS (thank God) and UPS had me signed for it. Damn skippy, now that's what a professional company does.
  
  Listened to a few of the extras. Thought the piece on Rondo Hatton was interesting. And something in that extra that caught my ears was mention of old Inner Sanctum movies. Hu? I never knew they made movies. I loved the old radio series, as well as similar scary/mysterious shows such as the Whistler, Suspense and of course, the Shadow.
  
  I used to listen to them every Sunday night when I was a young man. And when my family would go on weekend trips/vacation. We’d have them playing on the drive home. I know the movies are low budget, and are likely bad, but I want to check some of them out. One title that came recommended was Weird Woman (based on the novel, "Conjurer Wife" by Fritz Leiber). Lon Chaney jr. starred in all 6 Inner Sanctum movies.
  
  *sigh* makes me nostalgic. Makes me miss my dad and being young, and those trips, listening to those old shows.
  

[Mighty Jack]

Anyone remember Malibu comics from the mid 90s? The highlight of the young company was a series titled Prime, drawn by the great Norm Breyfogle. There was also this mystical heroine named Mantra, which was about 1500 year old man stuck in the body of a woman. Weird, right. It had wizards and a magic sword, and it was sexy, but since it was about an adult, that was okay.

Then Marvel stepped in and bought the company, and dismantled it. Sales fell hard and soon Malibu was nothing but a faint memory.

The strangest thing Marvel did was sex up Mantra.. which again, I'm okay with sex and nudity and whatnot. But they ditched the magic angle (no more man in woman thing) and switch the character to a high school babysitter named Lauren Sherwood. In fact the comic was pretty much soft core porn. And while I'm no prude, I was a bit bothered and amused by the hyper sexualized representation.

Amused because it was so blatant. Lauren would bend over and BANG! Money shot - up close and looking like it was traced from an issue of Penthouse.

In one issue the writer had his name removed from the credits because, as rumor had it, Marvel was changing the final art behind their backs, to add semi-nude and other titillating panels to spice things up.

The stories weren't no longer very good, and the art was exploitive -- and instead of scores of horny teen boys grabbing the title (as Marvel hoped), a mass exodus of readers occurred and the series was cancelled after 7 issues.

Ahh Mantra, we hardly knew ya,.

My favorite cover from the series was this one (favorite meaning I shook my head and chuckled at the audacity of it all). Our young heron is there with legs wide open (a state she frequently found herself in)... hmmm, I wonder if there was some reason she has Mann's "triple chocolate" sitting betwixt her neither regions?




Adult comics I'm fine with, but Marvel taking a mainstream comic, with a high school age protagonist... eh, I admit, even a perv like me was squeamish about it.

[Mighty Jack]

I titled my last collection of homemade demos Last Rites. Not because I'm feeling morbid, but because I'm winding down. I don't have much left in the creative bank at present; I've barely touched my guitar in the past few months. So when it came time to give the CD a proper name – "Last Rites" sprung from my muses' lips and found gentle purchase atop my brain.

The craving to blather on the blog is a constant, but frequently I’m undone by the lack of a bright idea. I wish I was a comedic juggernaut like Captain Hygiene, I'd love to do something similar to the "Christopher Nolan at age 8' thing he did many years ago. Unfortunately that kind of inspired hilarity eludes me.

Fumbling for a topic I thought, "Why not share those final 6 recorded songs with the world?"

Great idea! Presumptuous... but great. And while you all are not quite the world, you'll have to do for now. So wake the kids, phone the neighbors and gather 'round to hear my Last Rites.

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 1: Diane Elliott (Revised) – Written: 8/29/2001

This is an older recording revisited. I added backing vocals, a shaker, and some bass. The year, 2001: I had finished up with my EP Not a Viable Commercial Product and while happy with it, I was drained. There was a lot of pain and suicidal thoughts and unhappiness in that record. It's like I needed to purge myself, and did so by vomiting my darkness onto a CD.

Once that was out of my system I needed to get away from it. Write something lighter in tone. So I came up with this tune about my grade school crush. The song is pretty much a true account – The first day I laid eyes on her I swallowed my heart. Damn she was a pretty, quiet little thing. The guys knew it and took to teasing me about it. Being half retarded and not slick enough to simply slip her one of those "I like you, do you like me. Check one" missives. Nothing came of it.

So I admired Diane from afar. Once I peddled my bicycle to her house, the sun got in my eyes and BAM! I suddenly found myself spinning through the air with the greatest of ease. I landed, blooded, but unbroken in the back of a pickup truck. Neighbors emerged from their homes and rushed over, "Are you okay?" "Do you need a hospital?" "No, no, I’m alright", I insisted. I was humiliated and hoping Diane wasn’t looking out her window to see what the hubbub was about. I just wanted to slink away in my shame. Damn it, why I couldn't I be the cool guy, just once?

Back to 2001: I did a quick recording in the same studio I did my EP. Engineer said he liked the Ringo line, said it was a great lyric. I tried to write with the wide-eyed innocence I had back then. Rather straightforward and naive. Those fluttering butterflies did feel like being sick to my stomach.

If I could go back in time I’d tell myself, "Play her a song, tell her she’s cool and let the chips fall where they may." Yeah, you know if I could have a super power, I would like to be a time traveling mentor to myself. I'd give advice based on years of experience, things like... "Hey dumb ass, don't do that!"

Click title to listen -

Diane Elliott
Diane Elliott sat at the front of class, I sat in the back
I caught her eye, she looked away and that’s the night I became an insomniac

Told my friends I had an epiphany, that was a big mistake
Once the ball got rolling, it rolled right over me and left me with a stomach ache

All this relentless teasin', shut out all sounds of reason
Why won’t you all close your mouths?

Cause I'm not in love with Diane Elliott, na, na, na, na
Diane Elliott, na, na, na, na – I'm not in love, I'm not in love, I'm not in love.

Put on my Beatles shirt after school, rode my bike down to her block
Eyes on her house I didn’t see the pickup, now I'm a laughing stock

Bleeding all over Ringo Starr, I got out my old guitar
Thought I’d pen a few good lies

But I'm not in love with Diane Elliott, na, na, na, na
Diane Elliott, na, na, na, na – I'm not in love, not in love, not in looooove

She might be the most beautiful girl in the world –but that doesn't mean a thing to me!
She might have the face of an angel, but I wouldn't notice, as you can plainly see
I’m not in love!

Repeat chorus

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 2: Tom Stewart Killed Me – Written: 10/3/2010

In 2010 I had an MST3K Halloween marathon (that I posted on site). I was watching Tormented and upon hearing the "Tom Stewart Killed Me" chant, I thought it might be a challenging kick to see if I could incorporate that into a song.

I’ve never done a Halloween number before and it was a fun one -- to write and play. I played the bass and lead guitar to mirror one another, I’m not much of a lead guitarist, but I enjoyed this one.

The song was intended for a female vocalist, I’d planned to find some lady to sing it and then remove my vocal track – but that never came to be so I re-recorded it with stronger vox, it was a patchwork job, but they sound better than they did in 2010.

I also realized that I originally failed to mention the lighthouse, which was a pretty big oversight, so I added the introductory whisper. Listening to it today, I should have probably attempted to blend in the chant from the actual movie too.

Click title to listen...

Tom Stewart Killed Me
Someone's in the light house?

Tom Stewart said he loved me, Tom Stewart lied
Tom Stewart left me hanging then he took himself a bride
As I, drew in my last breath, and was swallowed by the sea
That fool Tom Stewart thought he'd seen the last of me

Tom Stewart killed me, Tom Stewart killed me (2x)
This aint the end, this aint the end
Boy, your only gonna be with me

I'll haunt you to the alter, I'll torment you in your dreams
I'll steal you from your pretty bride and take comfort in her screams
And I'm, clothed in seaweed and I’ve got a killer's smile
Take that to the grave, baby, I’ll being joining you in a while

Tom Stewart killed me, Tom Stewart killed me (2x)
This aint the end, this aint the end
I’m wearing your wedding band; soon we’ll be hand in hand

Tom Stewart killed me, Tom Stewart killed me…
I begged for my life, gonna be your wife, through eternity,
You’ll never see the last of me... T-T-T-Tommy

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 3: Everything is... – Written: 2/17/2011

On songwriting forums etc, you’ll often find us complaining about our limited thematic scope. We can write about love easy enough, it's branching out that can be difficult. Now, I've written on a variety of subjects, though for some reason I've mostly shared the relationship songs. This one's different, it drew Inspiration from Internet discussion boards.

This song took its first gulp of air after I'd read a mean and judgmental proclamation directed at another member (to paraphrase broadly, "Your selfish and other people have it worse!") Where do these presumptions come from? For all the forum attacker knew, the forum attackee was sitting behind her computer with a puffy purple shiner, a birthday gift from the Husband delivered earlier that day. "How do you know the depth of this person’s pain", I wondered, "When did you receive a Masters degree in gauging suffering?"

From there, the infant tune took its first awkward steps after I took stock of myself. For everything I know, I know very little. For every place I've been, I still haven’t seen everything. I look at the whole of my life and see my experiences and how they shaped me. Yet despite living all of these years, I can sometimes still be so full of sh***

Mummy actually has a small part in this song – many years ago I was whining about something or other, and he asked my purpose in this, and wondered if false sympathy really helped (or words to that effect). I wasn't looking for sympathy, I often just jibber jabber just to get it off my chest, with no ulterior motives at hand (see tomorrows song). But his words intrigued me - and intriguing words and ideas I file away for future use. I guess that means Mums gets a royalty (what’s one percent from zero profits?).

This was another quick demo, just me plugged in and plucking away and singing in one take. Adding backing vox, lead guitar etc, later. I'm madly in love with the "radio 1" filter and use on my voice to excess, I like f-ing with my voice (it sounds like I might have run it through the distortion pedal at the bridge as well). I put this in a lower tuning, but I don't what that tuning is - I just lowered it to about in the middle arrow on the flat side of the tuner.

Click title to listen – I posted the original lyrics, you’ll notice when I recorded it I didn't follow them verbatim

Everything is...
And everything is everything is everything I know
It's all right, it's all wrong, it's all for show
Mrs. soft soap, scolding softly, "Other people got it worse than you"
It doesn't change that pain is pain, you feel it whether you're in the gutter or well to do

I tried to tell you, I tried to say it but I didn't want to sound unkind
I couldn't follow, I couldn't be there, I couldn't go in blind
And everywhere is everywhere is everywhere I go
It's all right, it's all right, but it's not all right

You have been wagering – That everyone is all the same
You dole out pills for the masses, then take a bow to our raised glasses

And everything is everything is everything I know
It’s all right, it’s all wrong, it’s all for show
I trace a line back; I see it all back, to infancy
A jagged path through recrimination and false sympathy

And everything is everything is everything I know
It’s all right, it’s all right, but it’s not all right

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 4: Your Forever Man – Written: 2/19/2011

I’m going to muster up my willpower and keep this succinct and as Soap Opera free as I can.

The song is about aspergers (or as it’s known in the vernacular, "Jibber-Jabber-itus"), or it could be about that and my other collection of defects which sabotage my relationships. I always wanted a life long relationship. A devoted wife who -to steal from the Association- cherished me as much I did her… wasn't in the cards. Sometimes it was because of her screwiness, at other’s it was because of mine. This tune is about mine. (the struggle with empathy, the arrested development… the comic books!)

Forever Man (not to be confused with that Clapton song) was written and recorded on the quick, and I do mean quick. While I like the western flavored melody and the chords. The song still needs work, for example: I repeat too many of the same words, guitar sounds out of tune.

I like the idea of everything -whether it is pain or happiness…. It’s all just a small moment of time. Nothing lasts forever (which is a thought that comforts me whenever I have the misfortune of sitting in the dentists chair)

And without further jibber jabber, click title to listen.

Your Forever Man
It’s the outer limit; it’s the living end
I take it all for granted, with words that condescend
Oh and I could show you something, but it’s best if I hold my tongue
'Cause I tend to ramble incoherently, until I’ve come unstrung

I was born under a shadow, with a mark upon my brow
I wanted to tell you, baby, but I just didn’t know how
And I’ve tried to do my best, Oh I don’t mean to complain
God knows I did my damndest, and broke under the strain

But it’s just a moment in time, it won’t go on forever
I’ll take comfort in what I can --- Oh baby, I’ll never be, your forever man

If I could let it show, If I could find the key
I’d break out from this prison -- and truly be free
I tried to do my best, No I don’t mean to complain
God knows I did my damndest, and broke under the strain

But it’s just a moment in time, it won’t go on forever
I’ll take comfort in what I can --- oh but baby, I’ll never be,
Never be, your forever man
No I’ll never be your forever man ---- Your forever man

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 4: Approach With Caution – Written: 2/20/2011

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, time to get back at it.

I guess this is my "Nowhere Man". My car was busted and I was stuck home. Bored to tears and eating a Pop Tart while laying on my bed. Staring at my albums and the paintings on the walls... I thought, "I could turn this into a song" and so I did.

I hate the lines about food, even though they were true (that’s what I do when I bored – eat, even if I’m not hungry, watch TV even if there’s nothing on). I thought about calling a gal, someone I shoudn't be calling - and when I came to that part of the song, trying to find a rhyme for "Sin" the light blulb come on over my head... "How about let the right one in?" I was dellighted and pat myself on the back - because at the time I was mad about the movie (Let the Right One In) and was reading the book. Everything in the song is true, except for beer... I was actually drinking root beer.

The song reminds me of Lou Reed, the chord structure is very much like Reed.

The melody all sounds the same, verse and chorus, so I attempted to break things up by adding more percussion in the chorus, and changing the rhyme scheme. But I don’t think the rhyme scheme works on the verse.

I was whispering the vocals because it was early in the morning and I didn't want complaints from the neighbors. I intended to re-do them, but I liked it, so they stayed that way.

The bass was a hell of a lot of fun to play.

Click title to be bored, er, listen...

Approach With Caution
Sitting here with my melting clocks - Sitting here with my album art
There’s a lizard handed Boy Scout on a mountain top
I take another bite from my cherry Pop Tart

And I’m bored as sin; I’d like to let the right one in
But the right ones seem to take a wrong turn
I might be getting older, but I never learn
Approach with caution ‘cause you might get burned

I’ve been standing here for a half an hour, Staring inside my refrigerator
Hope, something different will suddenly stand out
And I’ll kick this pop stand and sing, "See ya later"

I’d love to get in my car and feel the wind in my face
Drive to the ocean, escape this dying place
But my car needs more repairs than I have money
So I turn on a sit-com, but I don’t find it funny
I cook my eggs but the eggs are runny

And I can pretend for hours, pretend I’m anywhere else but here
Reality’s impossible to defy – Sit in your underwear, crack open another beer

Lead guitar:

Here we go, here we go, here we go, here we go, here we go, here we go, here we go… again

Repeat, "I’m bored as sin…"

[Mighty Jack]

Ophelia's Kiss – Last Rites
Track 6: Collette (Everytime I say your name) Written: June 2011

And so it ends...

Before writing this tune, I wrestled for over a month on a song title April’s Fool. AF was thoughtfully constructed lyrically. As I toiled away, thoughts of "Masterpiece" danced in my head… but when push came to shoove, I wasn’t able to get it to work, no matter how many re-writes and tweekes I did. It was a nice idea that didn’t cut it in practical application.

So my guitar stood silent for 2 months,

and that’s when I saw the movie Bandslam.

In it a pretty boy who broke a pretty girls heart, tries to win her back by playing her a song he wrote. And the first thought that shot through my brain was, “Every a-hole’s got a guitar these days”. When I was a teen it wasn’t as wide spread. A guitarist was a rare and special entity. But now-a-days every a-hole has a guitar, and some a-holes use it as a weapon.

Lyrical note: Teeth are passive aggressive. They look pretty and white and innocuous behind a smile, but can turn scary when they are in use, and they gnash and tear and chew. I’ve used that idea in songs a few times.[/i]

The track circles around the theme of love and guilt. It’s about the difference between guys who only want a girl when their pretty and the guys who stay even when they turn ugly. And it’s about accepting blame when you are blameless (because –even if it’s not logical- you’re suppoed to protect the one’s you love. Even from their own self distructive tendancies.)

I actually played guitar for another verse/chorus… but could never write lyrics that were worth a damn or added anything new to the main idea. Sometimes a song says what it has to and that’s it. I had 2 verses and a chorus and it didn’t need anything else. So I did a fade and cut off the second half music. The number is slight, but meaningful (to me at least). And if it’s the last song I write, it’s one I’m proud to go out on.

Click title to listen

Collette (every time I say your name)
And every asshole with a guitar
Will tell you what you want to hear
They’ll bare their white teeth
And sink them into your flesh
Feast on your insecurities
Until you relent, to their need

But I, I don’t know how to lie
And when I tell you that I’d go to hell and back for you
It’s not hyperbole; you know it’s true
Cause my hands are stained red
From all the times I kept the blood from spilling
Through the holes in your arms

Oh Collette, every time I say you name
Ah it’s like, I accept all the blame

a-accept all the blame

Oh Collette, every time I say you name
Ah it’s like, I accept, all the blame

[Mighty Jack]

Avatar-palooza: part 2
Another collection of avatars I used in the year 2011, plus another oldie I found. To see last year's -- Avatar-palooza pt 1

I used this after my former hometown, Tennessee, drafted my current hometown hero, QB Jake Locker - used the tagline... "When hometowns collide: Welcome to the Titans Mr. Locker"




My Favorite Magneto!




From the film "Iron Giant".... "I am not a gun"




"Team Seline" - from the film Underworld




For Halloween: Phillip Seymour Hoffman Berry



"I’ll turn your poop pink"


and I went out with the classic Harley Quinn



"Hey Puddin"


Old school? This was one I used when the Wolverine movie was released. It came with the tagline, "I'm the best at what I do, and what I do isn’t very nice"




I also found this. I used it as a signature pic

[Mighty Jack]

101 movies I love (from 1923 to 1999)

First things first: I’m not calling this a list of the greatest motion pictures of all time. These are movie I love, and some of my great loves may not be considered “great” in the strictest historical or critical sense.

There's a great freedom in that. To not feel obligated to fill it with anything other than what makes me happy. Besides that, I haven’t seen every great film. I still haven’t tracked down the Wages of Fear or the Leopard or Tokyo Story or The Exterminating Angel -- so a “greatest hits” is still not possible.

I’m limiting Hitchcock and Kurosawa to 3 titles because I've devoted entire threads to these geniuses already - and, like the Beatles and Dylan in a music-list, they wouldn't leave room for much else. Also, since I just covered the last decade extensively (seen here), I’m keeping the recent films out of the list.

Why 1923? Because that's the oldest movie on my list. Oh and this isn't in a strict order. I'm kind of winging it (and there will many goodies left out in the cold)


101. Tea and Sympathy (1956)
I act as my own editor when I watch this one, and cut out the bookend pieces that were mandated by the studio; which come off false and shoe horned in there to appease the moral majority at the time. The play ends with the memorable line... "Years from now when you talk about this, and you will, be kind." and that's where I stop the movie as well. Doing that keeps it from ruining itself.

The film, directed by Vicente Minnelli, is a portrait of a sensitive young man who is bullied by his peers because he doesn't get involved with 'manly' pursuits, such as sports - and would rather listen to classical music or sew. Playwright Anderson wrote in a letter to Minnelli that, "I have always seen the play basically as a love story...Of course the meanings of the play are various, the chief one being that we must understand and respect differences in people. Along with this is the whole concept of what manliness is. I attack the often-fostered notion that a man is only a man if he can carry Vivien Leigh up a winding staircase. I stump for essential manliness which is something internal, and consists of gentleness, consideration, other qualities of that sort, and not just of brute strength."

Deborah Kerr is compassionate as the schoolmasters wife, who tries to help the boy (John Kerr). Though not controversial by today's standards, and often melodramatic - it remains a touching and brave motion picture.



100. Galaxy Quest (1999)
This spot on -but not mean spirited- satire of the Star Trek phenomenon is flat out, tears in the eyes hysterical. It features a great cast (with many future stars to be seen) - even Tim Allen (who I can't stand) is a joy in the arrogant Captain Kirk type role.



99. Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
A British valet (Charles Laughton) must adapt to the Wild West when he is won in a poker game. It amazes me that this "fish out of water" tale hasn't gained universal acclaim as one of the all time greats. A deft comedic turn from Laughton, with direction by the Leo McCarey (Duck Soup, Going my Way)

You can watch the entire movie at Youtube...




98. Talk of the Town (1942)
Another unheralded comedy. This one has a quick wit, but it also delves into serious philosophic and political topics and is a bit of a thriller. It boasts a great trio of actors, Cary Grant, Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur. And was directed by George Stevens.

It too can be seen in its entirety at Youtube...




97. Ace in the Hole (1951)
From IMDB... a frustrated former big-city journalist (Kirk Douglas) now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to re-jump start his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus. From TV Guide... A searing example of writer-director Billy Wilder at his most brilliantly misanthropic. An uncompromising portrait of human nature at its worst, the film was so far ahead of its time in its depiction of a media circus and the public's appetite for tragedy that it was a commercial disaster when first released, but now stands as one of the great American films of the 1950s. Not a pleasant film experience, but boy is it a powerful one




96. Godzilla (1954) and Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
What's my favorite Zilla flick? It's a tie, between the more somber feature debut, and the colorful wide-screen adventure from the 60s. Godzilla '54 is one of the all time classic atomic-age monster movies. Both cool, with a message about environmental responsibility. Mothra on the other hand is fun, with good characters and humor (but not the kiddie, campy kind that came later). The film features a superb, smartly staged battle between creatures.





95. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's scathing look at the Hollywood star system, is rife with memorable performances, and timeless quotable lines... many of them spoken by actress Gloria Swanson, whose dry wit and deadpan delivery, as fading film star Norma Desmond, is the stuff of legend. How she lost the Oscar to Judy Holiday (an over-praised performer if there's ever been one) is beyond me.

[Torgo]

You get cool points for Godzilla appearing on the list. Kudos, MJ. But I know they'll be taken away as soon as we get to Hulk (and we all know it's going to come up, so don't kid us).

This actually reminded me I picked up the Destroy All Monsters Blu-Ray a few days ago, featuring a great new commentary from Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski who did the commentaries for Gojira and GvM, as well as Godzilla Raids Again, the original Mothra, and Battle in Outer Space.

I should bump the old 'Zilla thread and see who else has picked it up.