Mo' Music: Trippy Blast From The Past

 

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One of my all-time favs-Vanilla Fudge's cover of the The Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On" which in my book, is arguably one of the best Supremes covers. Intense and tasty. While this  video from 1968 does not have the best sound or picture quality, the whole scene is a hoot. From the hopelessly square MC's lead-in to the dancers with the super-teased, lacquered hair and groovy boots to the cringe-worthy rocking-out writhing of the musicians. Check out the bass player-what the hell is he wearing? A cross between the 1930's evil Emperor Ming the Merciless and Dave Bowie's "man dress" from "The Man Who Saved The World". Far out man!

Mo' Movies Review: Django Unchained

This cross between Blazing Saddles, Spaghetti Westerns and Shaft, Django Unchained is set in Texas in 1858. Slave Django (Jamie Foxx) has been recently sold and is walking in chains under guard with other slaves to their new plantation. He is freed (as the result of extreme violence, surprised?) by a smart-talking German immigrant bounty hunter Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) who needs him to ID some bad guys he is tracking. Turns out Django has natural talent with a gun so the two partner up to make money and to search for Django’s wife. The trail ends at a notorious plantation, Candyland, owned by Calvin Candie(Leo DiCaprio). They arrive under the ruse of buying a fighter as their neophyte entry into the Mandingo circuit(essentially cockfighting only with big black men who try to beat each other to death) while actually trying to buy Django’s wife. The sale does not go down as planned…

With Quent’s trademark penchant for referencing past films, seeing this movie would benefit from watching Django-a 1966 spaghetti western said to be the most violent movie made up to that date. Django Unchained would make more sense. Otherwise, it is simply a bloody cartoon (rivaling The Simpson’s Itchy and Scratchy and outdoing most Sam Peckinpah's movies). Evidently, Quent wants you to believe that everyone is using huge caliber bullets because all wounds blow out like Kennedy’s head. (Major quibble: Don Johnson uses a multi-shot rifle, most likely a Henry, which didn't go into production until 1860! C’mon Quent) White folk (except Dr Schultz) are universally brutal and cruel. I guess Quent is also making social commentary on how bad slavery actually was and he does have a point: this was not merely an administrative function-human beings were systematically and institutionally brutalized in ways exceeding most imaginations.

But in the end, it’s a rather unsatisfying film-with a few bits and pieces of Tarantino’s brilliance coming through. There are very funny parts although they seem to be channeling Blazing Saddles-the scene where townsfolk are gobsmacked to see “a nigger on a horse” (illegal for a slave) is quite similar to Cleavon Little's first ride into Rock Ridge in the earlier Brooks film. Also noteworthy was a long scene of Regulators (Ku Klux Klan precursors) bitching about their homemade hoods (the holes weren’t cut very well to fit). The dialogue of Dr Schultz as the well-spoken and educated ferriner is quite good and is a subtle send up of frontier Americans in the view of Europeans-still held today in some quarters. Don Johnson(with hilarious Col. Sanders goatee) and DiCaprio chew up the curtains as despicable, bigoted and cruel plantation owners. The film ends with Django riding off as cool as Shaft, a black angel ready to wreak a terrible vengeance on the evil white man. One almost wonders if in time he will start quoting Ezekiel 25:17.

I really cannot recommend this film unless one has to see everything Tarantino has made. It’s a rather dull plot and aside from Dr Schultz, the dialogue is sadly lackluster. And, it’s incredibly bloody. It says a lot about the audience that this is the highest grossing Tarantino film yet which is astonishing considering the popularity of Pulp Fiction. I haven’t looked at the numbers but I suspect the gross was pushed by the overseas markets, incidentally, where violent videos reign supreme. 

Happy Anniversary Sweetzi

 

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Two Guys Talkin'

J-Hey

B-Oufff, these jumps are getting harder

J-Feeling your age today?

B-Today?

J-LOL yeah, I hear ya, man.(scratching an ear) I spent 2 days throwing mulch.

B-Ohhhh, a little to the left, ooooooooooooo

J-Feel better?

B-Mmmm yeah. Congrats BTW on the one year.

J-Thanks, man. That was a nice thing to post for us.

B-Our pleasure. We’re happy for you. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile. You and Mom both like music and none of us can draw anything worth a damn for a card.

J- Good selections. I’m quite surprised. Molls? Who knew she’d go for a classic.

B-We were surprised too. Evidently, Molls lives up to her reputation as a voluptuary. She IS the only one who has had romance. She said she used to listen outside windows and watch people.

J-I knew she was a voyeur-not necessarily lascivious…

B-Oh yeah man, lascivious. Mom has no idea.

J-Reaalllyyy? Molls? That naughty girl. Who told?

B-Oh, she talks to me sometimes. I think I remind her of her son. Other times, I get my ears boxed. Tomi has verified.

J-What a minute, The Crazy Calico talks to you?

B-Yeah, sometimes she calms her ass down long enough to talk.

J-So, what is up with her hitting you all the time?

B-Well, I didn’t say she WASN’T crazy. She displaces big time.

J-Gawd. So, How did she come up with her tune?

B-You remember-Moonrise Kingdom. She heard French being sung and she was just smitten. She really misses Paris and all things French. Besides, Francoise Hardy is so retro and that had an appeal to Miss Fashion. She fantasizes a lot.

J-But neither of you have had romance.

B-Nope, just Molls. And pair bonding, romance and marriage and all those human things are frankly a bit beyond us. Not part of what we do. But, we know it’s about good things for you so we can acknowledge that much.

J-Hmm, it’s kinda what makes the world go ‘round for humans-more than simply perpetuating the species.

B-Yeah, we get that. All the volumes of material devoted to it-art, music, books, film-sheesh, a bit of an obsession if you ask me. And all that porn. Good grief.

J-We have big imaginations, lol. Thanks for your selection-you’ve been listening in to what I have have been playing.

B-Oh, I like the Civil Wars-good stuff although I do share your fondness of Gillian Welch.

J-So, do you remember the reception-you're the only one who made an appearance. Our socialite.

B-Sure-quite a day. Lots of changes-sheesh and a crush of people. The girls just hung out downstairs. You know Tomi-Miss “I'm So Afraid”. Molls stayed down with her for moral support.

J-It was a grand day. Weather was perfect-stuff pretty much went off without a hitch. We had some great friends helping out.

B-You and Mom happy?

J-Yep.

B-You don’t fight like others in the neighborhood.

J-Well, that’s good to hear! Naw, we’re good. We have it good. We have work, a nice place to live and you Los Tres Amigos. (scratching an ear)

B-We’re happy too. How about some pate?

J-Sure. C’mon. Ouff.

Happy Anniversary From Your Three Cats!

Congrats Mom and Dad on your first wedding anniversary! We didn't know what to get you-we looked it up and traditionally, the gift for the first is paper. Well, lacking coins or a credit card and not really sure just what you would do with it-I thought (and the girls agreed) that we would each select some romantic songs. I hope you like them. Love, Bindiwan, Molls and Tomi

From Tomi-Francoise Hardy's "Le Temps de L'amour"

From Molls-Diana Krall's "Peel Me a Grape"

From Bindiwan-The Civil War's "20 Years"