The Ten Commandments: The Musical

(Warning: this review contains spoilers!)

I saw the new Ten Commandments musical last night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Let’s just say I’m glad my ticket was free.

The show was…an experience. It’s got potential, but it has some big problems as well. The biggest flaw was the dependence on technical effects to propel the story. Some of the effects were clever and effective, while others were disappointing and occasionally humorous when they didn’t work. The story of Moses and the Ten Commandments is supposed to be about human struggle against oppression. The characters and their relationships should make the drama compelling. The pyrotechnics in this production distracted the audience from noticing the glaring gaps in the script. Still, there were plenty of “whoops and hollers” from the mostly tourist audience after each special effect.

Val Kilmer as Moses was passable. He is a fine actor, but he doesn’t have much of a singing voice. He lumbered through the role without much focus. This is not necessarily Mr. Kilmer’s fault. One of the major weaknesses in the script is that Moses has almost nothing to do. For one thing, we never witness his interactions with God. The burning bush is represented but it is almost a background set dressing. We do not hear the voice of God nor witness Moses even acknowledging God’s presence. Moses sings of dedicating his life to a grander cause, but we never saw the reason why Moses was so transformed. Later when he returns from the mountain with the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, it seems almost an afterthought. We never knew that Moses had left the group or why he chose to disappear while the hot, young chorus people were writhing around on stage performing simulated sex in front of the golden calf. Moses arrives as if he is late to the party and nobody will acknowledge him, nor the two tablets he carries, so he throws them to the ground in a fit of jealous anger. The tenderest moment of the performance follows, as a young child picks up the Styrofoam tablets (they seemed very light) and reads/sings the list of Commandments in a lovely boy soprano voice.

The play assumes the audience is already extremely familiar with the details of the Biblical story. Most of the characters are never referred to by name, except Moses and Ramses. Moses and Ramses have several powerful duet scenes, but Val Kilmer’s sleepy baritone was no match for the awesome vocal prowess of Kevin Early as Ramses. Moses is supported in his crusade by Aaron, Miriam, and Joshua (all of whom were excellent singers and dancers) but the audience is never clearly introduced to them, nor is it explained how and why they came to be involved in Moses mission. Someone who wasn’t intimately familiar with the story would have trouble following along.

The music was written by Patrick Leonard, who has had an interesting career writing and producing for many big name stars besides working in his own bands. I happen to enjoy Mr. Leonard’s sound, but I am not sure it is the most appropriate style for musical theater. His compositions tend toward airy melodies and rich textures that wash over the listener. There are few standout melodies. Some of the songs in The Ten Commandments were lovely and effective; other numbers were not so good, and some were downright awful.

The sets and costumes were attractive and well done. The set pieces resembled large sandstone brick walls with hieroglyphs and other Egyptian iconography painted and carved on them. There were several sections of the stage floor that rose up to create large block platforms, and other sections of the floor with trap doors that opened to reveal actors climbing in and out of them.

The most effective element of the set design was the use of video projection screens on either side of the stage and at the rear center backdrop. Images of Egyptian temples with flaming torches, the flowing waters of the river Nile, and the shifting desert sands under the moonlight added a nice cinematic touch. The entire plague sequence was handled with mixed results by the video screens and lighting projections. But again, the script did not allow time for the drama of the plagues to unfold. Moses never announces the plagues, they just start happening, and the whole series of plagues is over in less than five minutes! The plagues also depended on sound effects such as the buzzing of locusts. The biggest disappointment was the parting of the Red Sea, which featured wavy glass panels, representing the water, lowered to the stage and surrounded by lots of fog. It was pretty lame and the actors knew they looked silly.

Overall the sound design was very effective. It was the first time I experienced surround sound in a musical theater production. The rear house speakers often carried sound effects like the swirling desert winds, the plague of buzzing locusts, or the rippling waters of the Nile. This was another cinematic effect that worked well.

As a venue, the Kodak Theater, the new home of the Oscars, is beautiful. I sat in the upper balcony during the first half of the show, but moved down to the orchestra section for the second act (the house was only half full). For Act Two, I sat right behind the sound and lighting booth, which had the largest sound mixing board I have ever seen: three boards in all, complete with several notebook computers and display monitors, including the closed-circuit video image of the conductor displayed on one of the computer screens. Two technicians stood behind the soundboard but they did almost nothing during the show. No doubt every lighting and sound cue is preprogrammed for this production. The band was tucked away somewhere out of the sight, probably under the stage. They appeared on the large video screens for the curtain call. All the lobby areas on each floor of the theater feature grand staircases and huge pictures of past Oscar winners mounted on the walls. It was a lot of fun to walk around admiring the images of many famous stars past and present.

I can’t vouch for the future of The Ten Commandments, the musical. It’s definitely a tall order to pull off, but the writing and technical flaws were almost overcome by a dynamic and talented (not to mention gorgeous) group of young singers and dancers. This could end up being a smaller touring production. I know first hand how much the people of America’s heartland eat up religious-themed performances. I went on the road with Jesus; maybe soon this company will be out on the road with Moses.

'Superman' is dead.

MSNBC - 'Superman' star Christopher Reeve dies at 52

Who won the second presidential debate?

According to CNN's online poll, as of 12:26 AM:

President Bush 20% 71959 votes

John Kerry 77% 270969 votes

Evenly matched 2% 8173 votes

Total: 351101 votes

I'm surprised the margin was so sharply divided. I guess a lot of Kerry supporters must have voted because the general consensus from the TV pundits was that the debate was a tie. The ABC viewer's poll favored Kerry by a slim three point margin, 44% to Bush's 41%.

The Fog

It has been SO foggy here in Los Angeles the past two nights. I woke up last night around 4 AM to let the cat in and I could barely see the houses across the street, the fog was so thick. It's almost as bad again tonight.

It reminds me of my first summer here in California. I lived in Santa Maria, on the Central Coast, and it was often foggy in the evenings because we were close to the shoreline. It's common to have foggy beaches here in SoCal, but it's rare to have the fog travel as far inland as Hollywood. I love it!

Red Line Tours

Here I am, Scott Hollywood, your personal tour guide to the history behind-the-scenes in "glamorous" Hollywood, California -- home of the stars!

Actually, it's funny to be working in a small family business again after many years in the corporate world and in academia. I had forgotten that small-business employees work as long as there's an opportunity to earn income. Even if you don't get paid, you work. The store stays open as long as there are customers coming in. I finished my last tour an hour ago and I've tried to close up twice since then, but potential customers kept coming in to browse through our giftware and Hollywood memorabilia. So, I let them in an encourage them to take their time shopping. It's not like K-Mart, where you kick everybody out at closing time.

OK, my last group of customers just left. They didn't buy anything. It's just as well, though, since I'm not sure how to conduct a retail transaction yet! I better learn soon though since I'll be on my own for most of this weekend. The boss is on his way to Vancouver for a weekend anniversary celebration, and the other boss will be giving tours downtown at our other location.

So Mr. Scott Hollywood, opportunity knocks: you are in charge of holding down the fort!

Fucking Blogger

OK, so if you look below you'll see two posts about the opera I saw on Saturday. I went to blog about it, but I kept getting an error message when posting. I thought my data was lost so I recreated it (as close as I could recall) and tried to post again. Same error message!

"Fucking Blogger!" I thought to myself, and I turned off the computer in disgust, figuring all my efforts had been wasted. Now I see both my posts were indeed posted. Geez Blogger, I guess I take back all those nasty things I said about you. But what the f*&#, man?!

Therefore, dear readers, you can see the before and after and choose which entry you like the best. I'm too indecisive to delete one of them since I like qualities about both of them. Plus I was influenced by Kerouac's holy "first-word-is-best-word" approach to writing so I would cancel the second entry but I'm not exactly sure which one came first!

Oh well. Fucking Blogger.

Mount St. Helens Cam

Follow the link below for a live shot when she blows.

Johnston Ridge Observatory Webcam Loop

Opera is cool

Went to the LA Opera yesterday thanks to my cohort Alia, who had a free ticket she didn't want. Ariadne auf Naxos was the production and it was a wonderful send-up of opera and the courtly snobs who claim to appreciate it.

The music of Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Der Rosenkavalier) always intrigues me for its melodic and modern qualities. This new production was directed by William Friedman, the film director who made The Exorcist and won an Oscar for The French Connection. He did a great job. The stand-out peformer was Laura Claycomb as Zerbinetta. She combined an hilarious sense of physical comedy with a gorgeously controlled soprano voice. She stole the show!

Opera is cool. I hope I can go again soon.

Opera is cool

Went to the LA Opera yesterday thanks to my cohort Alia, who had a free ticket she didn't want. Ariadne auf Naxos is an hilarious send-up of opera, both serious and comedic. Kind of a Noises Off scenario.

The music of Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Der Rosenkavalier) always catches my attention for its melodic modernity. This new production was directed by filmmaker William Friedkin, who made The Exorcist and won an Oscar for The French Connection. Laura Claycomb as Zerbinetta had the crowd in the palm of her hand. She was definitely the highlight of the performance.

It was a wonderful show!

Which Rocky Horror Picture Show Character Are You?

I'm Brad Majors, which is no surprise since I played Brad on stage in Denver!!

Which Rocky Horror Picture Show character are you? Brad Majors A Hero

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

IncrediblyX: My Disasters with Internet Dating

IncrediblyX strikes again. This guy is funny -- check him out.

IncrediblyX: My Disasters with Internet Dating

Growing Pains

The whole planet is going through growing pains right now. We're experiencing a shift in the axis, so to speak. The calendar has symbolically advanced, cultural development and integration are progressing, dependence on technology increases, and the generations are evolving as the children of the Baby Boomers stand poised and eager to assume control.

Even mother Earth is demonstrating her own growing pains as she enters a period of warming and violent exchange of energy between hemispheres.

Real Time with Bill Maher

If you have HBO or any friends with HBO, check out this guy's show. He absolutely tells it like it is, with no sense of political correctness or mincing words. And amazingly his guests follow suit.

Unfortunately this show is only on HBO, so people have to pay to get this information and perspective. Sadly, the people who really need to hear what Bill Maher is saying are the people who can't afford it.

IncrediblyX

If you guys haven't checked out this guy's blog yet, do it.

"the situation in IRAQ looks hopeless as the US Marines are trying to secure key cities to protect the Iraq elections from terrorism. "

--
Posted by IncrediblyX to Scottydude at 9/24/2004 01:05:35 PM

Brother Ray

The late great Ray Charles was born on this date in 1930. Today would have been his 74th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Ray!

PS: Ray Charles' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is right outside the office of my new Red Line Tours job.

IncrediblyX: Friend in IRAQ

If you want to get an idea of a young marine's perspective on living and serving in Iraq follow the link below to a transcript of a live text chat conversation between a couple of men in uniform. It's heartbreaking.

IncrediblyX: Friend in IRAQ

Cat Stevens diverts plane

Well, he didn't exactly divert the plane himself, but the U.S. Transportation Security Administration ordered the flight he was on board from London to make an unscheduled landing in Bangor, Maine because his Muslim name appeared on a government "watch list." The authorities took him off the plane and planned to deport him back to England. Perhaps they were afraid he might crash his guitar into a building.

Dear God, please stop the insanity and smite all of humanity!! We are truly not worthy of living.

CNN.com - Cat Stevens diverts plane - Sep 22, 2004

I'm Lovin' It

I've wondered for a while if McDonald's doesn't put some chemical in their burgers that makes them addictive. I eat McDonald's about once every six months so it's not like I'm a regular customer, but occasionally I crave a McDonald's burger and fries.

Yesterday I had a McD's "Big N' Tasty" burger for dinner. Today I again ate a "Big N' Tasty burger from McDonald's even though I wasn't particularly hungry. I had already eaten lunch two hours earlier. I only went in for a coke, then thought maybe some fries would be a nice snack, and by the time I waited in line to get to the cashier I ordered a number 6 with cheese value meal!

Now it's about four hours later and I'm starting to get hungry again....and you know what sounds good?

Maybe I should see that movie Super Size Me so I can snap out of it.

1970: Death Of A Legend

And on this date, September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix collapsed and died suddenly at a London party. Although Hendrix was reported to have consumed 9 sleeping pills, the coroner's verdict on the cause of death was inconclusive. Jimi Hendrix was 27 years old.

Start Swimming

Saw an amazing report on BBC News today. Scientists have been drilling sediment cores from beneath the Arctic Ocean. They are researching how long the Arctic sea ice, now melting, has lasted.

Turns out the North Pole once enjoyed a sub-tropical "Mediterranean" climate about 55 million years ago. The water temperature was closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit than the below-freezing temperatures there now.

This time period "was characterized by an extremely warm climate that created a natural greenhouse effect, which caused massive amounts of carbon to be deposited in both sea and air," the article states. This caused a huge die-off of many species of plants and animals. Only the strongest organisms were able to survive.

It seems obvious now that the global warming phenomenon is something that occurs on planet Earth from time to time. There is a warm period, followed by a cooling period. We're beginning another warm cycle now.

Hope you packed your water wings, everyone!

Movie Money

On this date, September 18, in 1975, Steven Spielberg's film Jaws became the first movie to gross over $100 million.

Consider today, almost 30 years later, that most Hollywood movies that don't make $100 million are considered bombs, while many blockbusters clear $100-mil on their opening weekend.

Dashiell Hammett

What the hell kind of name is "Dashiell Hammett"? Those are two names and I've never heard either one of them before. "Hammett" I'll forgive because it's a family name and there are a lot of strange family names out there. But "Dashiell"? Give me a break! What sick bastard would name his kid "Dashiell"? What did they call him around the house, "Dash"? Poor kid must have got his ass kicked every day at school.

Dawn of the Maya

Saw a really cool National Geographic program tonight about the ancient Maya culture. The height of the Maya culture was previously believed to have occurred between 250 and 900 A.D. However, archeologists have recently discovered a much older Mayan civilization in the central Yucatan which dates back a thousand years earlier than any previously known record of Mayan culture.

This earlier Mayan civilization was in a period called the pre-classic, which most scientists regard as a primitive time. But this new discovery has shed light on a thriving metropolitan society with a network of large cities and advanced developments in industry, commerce, the arts, science, language, and architecture. This was a vast and complex society that was already flourishing before the time of Christ, then suffered a collapse and went through a great resurgence, all before the Europeans arrived.

The pre-classic Mayan culture had a well-established cosmology and an early form of hieroglyphic writing style which researchers are still trying to decipher. Archaeologists are also digging in hopes of finding the tombs of an early dynasty of Mayan kings. These kings established significant empires and infrastructure. They built grand cities and temples, with pyramids large enough to rival the great pyramids of Egypt.

Yet somehow this society collapsed and their cities were reclaimed by the jungle. The current theory is that the increasing demand for construction materials led to deforestation of the surrounding jungles. The resulting loss of natural resources led to famine and the empire was lost.

A thousand years later, the Maya society had resurged into a great modern civilization until the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s. To compel the conversion of the "natives" to Christianity, the Spanish colonial friars ordered the destruction of all idols and rituals related to Mayan spirituality. The great Mayan culture was lost again.

Diamond Dog Days Of Summer

Fun party downtown last night with my BowieNet friends. Say what you will, I like downtown LA. Got away with WAY too much liquor, amongst other intoxicants.

Here's a snap of me striking a pose with my pals Benny and Frank (and some breadsticks).



"Shaken, not stirred, baby!"

New Planet Photographed

That's right. We now have what astronomers believe to be the first image of a planet outside our solar system.



"The red object appears to be a planet orbiting the brighter (but still relatively dim) brown dwarf star, seen here as blue-white. Credit: ESO/VLT" [Space.com]

The possible planet is relatively young (or at least it was when the light we now see was first emitted toward Earth; the object is 230 light-years away), and it is five times the size of Jupiter. It also has water in its atmosphere, which negates the possibility that it may instead be a star.

Did you know there are already more than 120 known planets outside our solar system? The trouble is we haven't been able to see them directly until now. Because planets are so dim relative to stars, it is hard for telescopes to spot them.

"The more things change, ..."

Here's a great 50-year-old quote I heard this morning:

"This 'country-right-or-wrong' business is getting a little out of date. Today we’re fighting Communism. OK. If I’d been alive fifty years ago, the brand of conservatism we have today would have been damn near called Communism and we should have been told to go and fight that. History is moving along pretty quickly these days, and the heroes and villains keep changing parts."

-- from Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the first James Bond novel, published in 1953.

Now read the passage again but substitute the word "Communism" with "terrorism" and see what happens. Nothing.

New Template

I suddenly got tired of seeing my words in the same old format -- maybe it was after realizing I've been blogging more than a year -- so I changed the template.

Lesson learned: make a backup copy of your old template before choosing a new template. I didn't do that and now I've lost all the comments left here because my old template didn't offer a comment function. I used Haloscan for that.

Oh well, live and learn. Let me know what you think of the changes.

1000 Lives

How many young lives must be wasted before old men realize they understand nothing?

So Clinton Made It (Up)

He's resting in serious condition in the hospital.

From The New York Times:

"Mr. Clinton will almost certainly be sidelined for the much of the final stages of the presidential election campaign, unable to keep a heavy schedule of travel to stump for the Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts."

Oh too bad, Kerry. I'm sure Mrs. Clinton is very upset about that.

After all, former President Bill Clinton is "a cigar-smoking workaholic whose family history of heart disease and passion for junk food had set him up for a heart attack in the near future...."

The New York Times

Bush vs. Kerry

I'm sad to say that G.W. is almost a shoe-in at this point for the next four years as president. I absolutely despise the guy and everything he stands for, particularly his insertion of conservative Christianity into a government that is supposed to have separation between church and state.

Dubya has his fans (mostly in the central and southern states) and they ardently adore him, but I'm not convinced that most Americans are that in love with him. It's just that there is no viable alternative. In my view, anyone but Bush is the guy to vote for, but John Kerry does not have the charisma, the leadership qualities, or (most importantly) the "likeability" factor that Americans crave in their Presidents.

As usual, the moderate majority, left with no compelling choices (and more concerned with paying the mortgage and raising their kids than with politics), will eschew the polls on election day and let the elite decide (as they typically do).

Bush seems like a buffoon to most of us, but he has an uncanny folksiness about him that middle America just eats up. Barring some catastrophic event or scandalous revelation that alters the playing field, George W. Bush will be the next President of the United States.

HOT!!!

Today is the hottest it's been in Los Angeles for a long, long time. The DJ on KCRW just said it's almost 100 degrees in Santa Monica...and that's by the beach! It's never that hot in Santa Monica; in fact, most people from the city go to Santa Monica to escape the heat.

Right now, according to weather.com the temperature in my area is 98 degrees. I've had my air conditioning on all day. It was hot when I woke up this morning at eight o'clock and it's forecasted to stay hot all night. Ugh.

Garden State

This is a really cool movie. Funny, sad, thoughtful, romantic...it's got everything and it's well done, too. (Not to mention a very good soundtrack)

Go see it!!

Why are you still here? I told you to go see the movie already. OK, maybe you want to know what it's about? Here's a brief synopsis from the writer/director/star himself:

"What Garden State's really about is how short life is. And how we get caught up in so many entanglements and insecurities and worries and obsessions and trivial arguments while life races right by us shaking it's head at how seriously we take ourselves. Keep in mind that the sun's gonna burn out in about a million years and truly nothing will have mattered."

"Elvis has left the building."

from The New Zealand Herald:

Al Dvorin, famous for using the phrase "Elvis has left the building" at the end of the singer's shows, has died.

Dvorin died in a car accident as he and well-known Elvis photographer Ed Bonja drove from Palm Springs to Las Vegas.

He was thrown from the car and died at the scene, Elvis.com said.

Though details of the accident were not clear, it seemed Dvorin was adjusting his seat belt or had dropped something, and that Bonja reached over to assist and lost control of the car, the website added.

Earlier in the day, Mr Dvorin - aged 81 - had appeared at the Trump 29 Casino in Coachella, California, with Elvis impersonator Paul Casey, The Melbourne Herald Sun reported.

His catch-phrase was used by other announcers at Elvis shows, but Dvorin made it his own.

Flipsycab, please blog again!

The world needs your witty comments and observations. OK, maybe not the whole world but at least one or two of us would find it amusing.

Film Composers

We often hear about our favorite movie stars passing away, but only occasionally do we hear about the loss of film composers. The last month has seen the passing of three of the greatest film composers of all time.

Elmer Bernstein died last Wednesday the 18th at age 82. Bernstein composed the scores for over 250 films and television shows. He had so many classic themes that everyone recognizes immediately, The Magnificent Seven being perhaps the most famous.

Bernstein first gained recognition for incorporating jazz elements into his scores for such films as The Man With The Golden Arm and The Sweet Smell Of Success, but he was also known for creating melodic themes for sweeping epics such as The Ten Commandments and The Great Escape. He could also create tender, intimate scores for films such as To Kill A Mocking Bird, The Birdman Of Alcatraz and Hud.

Bernstein also created memorable TV themes such as for the National Geographic Specials and Gunsmoke. After the success of The Magnificent Seven, he was enlisted to compose for many westerns, often starring John Wayne, including The Sons Of Katie Elder, True Grit, and The Shootist.

Late in his career, Bernstein composed themes for a number of now-classic comedies, including Meatballs, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, Trading Places, and Ghostbusters. He also composed the mysterious incidental music for Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

Elmer Bernstein was nominated for Oscar awards 14 times, but won only once, ironically for Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was mostly an adaptation of music from other composers.

(National Public Radio had a nice retrospective.)

David Raksin is not a name most people recognize, but you have surely heard his music before. Raksin began his career in the mid-1930s, the golden age of film music, and he composed for such memorable films as The Bad And The Beautiful, Suddenly, and Pat and Mike. His most famous theme, however, will always be 1944’s Laura.

David Raksin died August 9 of heart failure. He was 92.

Jerry Goldsmith, who passed away July 22 at age 75, was one of my favorite film composers. The prolific Goldsmith composed over 300 scores for film and television and it is hard to underestimate his influence on the industry. There are no words fit to describe the profound impact of Mr. Goldsmith’s work, so I’ll simply offer a summary list highlighting his credits and let you “ooh” and “ah” for yourself.

Television: The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Perry Mason, Raw Hide, Dr. Kildare, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and many more.

Movies: Lonely Are The Brave, Lilies Of The Field, The List Of Adrian Messenger, Seven Days In May, Von Ryan’s Express, A Patch Of Blue, In Harm’s Way, Agony And The Ecstasy, The Sand Pebbles, Seconds, Our Man Flint, Bandolero!, Patton, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Papillon, Chinatown, The Wind And The Lion, Logan’s Run, The Omen, Islands In The Stream, Coma, Capricorn One, The Boys From Brazil, Magic, Alien, Outland, Poltergeist, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Under Fire, The Secret Of Nimh, First Blood (Rambo), Gremlins, Legend, Hoosiers, Innerspace, Rent-A-Cop, Wall Street, Total Recall, Medicine Man, Basic Instinct, Six Degrees Of Separation, Rudy, L.A. Confidential, Air Force One, Mulan, The Mummy, and on and on and on…

He also wrote the “Fanfare for Oscar” for The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (we hear it every Oscars broadcast) and the fanfare Universal Pictures, which we hear when we see the spinning globe before their movies.

My favorite score of Mr. Goldsmith’s, besides Alien and Poltergeist, has to be his most revered classic, Planet Of The Apes. Ask any young musician writing for films today and they will surely tell you that Planet Of The Apes was one of the films that inspired them to become a composer. Goldsmith broke all the rules by creating a 12-tone soundscape with non-traditional percussion (beating on pots and pans!) to evoke an odd, primitive view of an alien world. For freaky, spine-chilling effect, it simply hasn’t been topped.

Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Oscars 17 times, and won only once, for The Omen.

(NPR also had an appreciation for Jerry Goldsmith, and you can hear the Main Title for Planet Of The Apes here.)

Sleepy

Yours truly was in bed by 11:30 last night, Friday night!! I got back from the movies with Heidster (In A Lonely Place, starring Humphrey Bogart) and I had already started dozing during the movie, not an unusual practice of mine.

Got home and didn't even turn on the lights. Just went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and went to bed. After a full eight hours of sleep, I woke up to start teaching my English lessons online.

Then this afternoon I felt sleepy and took a two-hour nap. I was so tired I slept right through my last lesson. Oops!

It's ironic that I often go to bed early on the weekends considering I almost never make it to bed before midnight during the work week. Between cooking dinner, doing laundry, and finishing my homework (teachers always have more homework than students), it's not unusual for me to turn out the lights after one o'clock or later. The six o'clock alarm follows shortly and I'm up-and-at-'em for another round.

Can you trust the media?

One of my favorite things to do if I have the time is to watch the national evening news. I especially love flipping between channels to see each network's interpretation of current events.

Tonight, there was a major story about Sport Utility Vehicle safety and a new report issued by the government. I am not kidding when I tell you that ABC and CBS had exactly opposite viewpoints on the same story.

CBS News reported that new crash statistics indicate that SUV deaths were slightly higher than those of ordinary cars, but that since there are almost five times more cars on the road than SUVs, many more people are killed in cars than in SUVs. Also, significantly, CBS suggested that older SUVs had a much higher rate of fatalities than newer SUVs, which have advanced safety technology.

Two minutes later, I saw the same story covered on ABC. ABC completely contradicted CBS's version of the story. ABC said that SUVs were far more dangerous than cars because they have a higher rollover rate, and that SUV drivers who claim they feel safer in the bigger vehicles have a false sense of security. ABC also explicitly said there was no statistical difference in crash ratings between older and newer SUVs!!

Who do you believe?

L.A.P.D.

Had a scary experience as I was heading out yesterday. It was about mid-day so I figured I'd take Melrose east to Highland for a change. I don't usually take Melrose since the traffic can be bad, but since it was early in the day on a Friday I figured I'd give it a shot. Traffic wasn't so bad, but I only got a few blocks before I could see the flashing lights of a black and white approaching from the opposite direction.

Cars were starting to pull to the right side of the road and I followed suit. But as the cop car got closer it did a surprising thing. Instead of flying past me and the other stopped cars, it suddenly pulled right in front of us and blocked traffic. Two officers quickly jumped out of the car, guns drawn, and moved to the sidewalk in front of a closed store front. I could see that the security gate in front of the store was pulled open slightly and the cops leaned against the building's wall peering around into the store. One officer had a shot gun and the other was holding a .45.

Well, you can imagine the sudden terror this created for those of us sitting in our cars as well as some unlucky pedestrians who happened to be passing by just as the cops arrived. Everyone started to scatter and luckily with traffic stopped, those of us parked in front of the store could quickly make a U-turn in the middle of the block before the opposing traffic began to proceed. As I turned off on a side street to continue my journey north, I heard and then saw a police helicopter flying overhead.

I don't know if anything came of that episode. I'm assuming it was the store alarm which alerted the police. One thing I do know: if bullets had started flying, yours truly and about a dozen other people would have been in the direct line of fire.

I love L.A.

Class Blog

This was a good idea. I think the students liked it. I made a blog for my class and made students all members. They first posted on their own about any topic they chose; then I asked them to read some other posts and make comments.

Then we looked at some other blogs on the net and saw the variety of blogs out there.

Finally, I put them in groups and had them find a cool item for sale online and post a link on the blog.

Lots of language interaction and fun as well.

Fucking Blogger!!

I hate it when I spend an hour composing a new blog entry, editing carefully and adding links and pictures so it's just right, then I try to publish the post but Blogger is unavailable at that moment so all my data is lost! Good times.

"Lost Horizon" ~ The Musical!

That's right; there's a musical version of the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon. Most people remember Frank Capra's classic version from 1937. But did you ever see the 1973 musical version featuring music and lyrics by none other than Burt Bacharach and Hal David?! It sounds too ridiculous to be true, doesn't it?

This is an example of how lots of money, a great cast of actors, and an excellent production team, can occasionally misfire. The film isn't terrible; in fact, it's quite entertaining. But it shifts between serious drama and campy musical numbers, and the inconsistency is unsettling.

The story begins in an eastern Asian country in the middle of a civil war. Peter Finch stars as a famous U.N. diplomat trying to mediate between warring factions. He and his journalist brother, played by Michael York, are kidnapped on a hijacked airplane along with an eclectic group of others, including George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman, and song-and-dance man Bobby Van. The plane crash-lands high in the snowy Himalayas and the group is rescued by some nomadic lamas who take the strangers to the mystical land of Shangri-La.

That describes the first 45 minutes of the film and it is quite gripping drama. Then we get to Shangri-La and the silliness begins, starting with Sir John Gielgud dressed in Asian makeup and attire as the town elder "Chang." Oh boy. Gielgud is accompanied by residents Liv Ullman, Olivia Hussey, and (believe it or not) Charles Boyer as the elderly High Lama.

Our visitors are enchanted by the peaceful utopian society of Shangri-La, but they are also torn between their desires to return to the 'real' world. Add a few bright costumes by Jean Louis, extremely fey choreography by Hermes Pan, and juvenile bubble gum pop songs by Bacharach and David and you've got a doomed classic on your hands!

There was certainly no lack of talent involved. The beautiful photography was handled by legend Robert Surtees and the entire show was produced by Ross Hunter. This was a scenario in which an older generation of Hollywood royalty was passing the torch to the younger generation. Somebody dropped the torch.

BUT, the charming Michael York did make a personal appearance last night at the Egyptian Theatre and he kindly sat for a Q & A session.

This film has not been released on video (yet) but if you ever get a chance to see it, don't miss it! You will enjoy the drama, you will laugh at the film and with the film, and you will cringe to hear Peter Finch singing a love duet with Liv Ullman!

In the meantime, some kind soul has posted screen shots of the whole film here so you can get a feeling for the odd look of the film if you like.


Peter Finch and John Gielgud (in his 'tea cozy' hat)

"Fahrenheit 9/11"

See this movie! It's entertaining, it's informative, it's provocative, and it's funny. Michael Moore does it again after his huge success with Bowling For Columbine. I actually think Columbine had more big laughs, although there were plenty of serious moments as well. 9/11 had its humorous moments too, but they were more nervous laughter, or laughter of disbelief, like: "I can't believe these guys are such crooks and they're not even trying to hide it or deny it and nobody's doing anything about it. Ha ha."

Chances are Bush will not be re-elected (hope, hope), but if everyone could see this movie, not only would Bush lose the election, he'd probably lose his freedom, if not his very life. He should be dropped in a deep dark pit with all the rest of his fuck-buddies, and a big pile of cement poured on top of them. Public execution is too good for these villains. These are despicable, ruthless, selfish animals. They don't even deserve to be called 'human beings.'

Pilate to Co-Pilate*


Dennen and Dude

I met Barry Dennen tonight. He attended the screening of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and he did a short Q&A session after the film.

The film looked amazing. It was so great to see it on the big screen. Ted and Carl were gorgeous, as was the scenery of Israel. Not since Lawrence Of Arabia have I seen such sweeping vistas of deserts and canyons. So powerful. And the music and lyrics in that show are just top notch. Nothing matches it as far as I'm concerned.



After the beautiful final shot of the shepherd tending his sheep below the silhouetted cross at sunset, the credits rolled in silence. The house lights came up and Barry Dennen approached the front of the theater to warm applause. He's smaller than I realized and now grey-headed and bald on top. I also didn't know he is American! He sang/spoke with a perfect English accent in the film. He lived in England for a long time and is still well known there, much more than here in the States.

Mr. Dennen told us the story of how he got involved in the show. He was doing Cabaret in London with Judy Dench when he met Murray Head through an agent. Murray and Barry became friends and worked on some projects together. About that time, Murray told Barry that a couple of acquaintances were working on a new rock opera called "Jesus Christ" and would he like to get involved with it? Barry went to the studio to meet Andrew and Tim and they played the half dozen songs they had finished so far. Barry loved the music and gladly joined the project. He had a close connection with the show as it progressed from the concept album to the Broadway stage and then the film. In fact, it was he who insisted director Norman Jewison test Ted and Carl for the leads. They had both assumed the roles on Broadway but Jewison hadn't seen either of them before.


"Judas, must you betray me with a kiss?" -- from the 1973 film (above) and the 1993 reunion tour (below).


Dennen has performed the role of Pilate several times on stage since then, and he's kept a busy career of film and TV work over the years. Most recently he joined the current touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar in the role of Herod, and I can imagine what a delightful interpretation he must give.

A short while ago he wrote a book about his early romance with Barbra Streisand. They met in New York in 1960 when they were both struggling young actors working on a terrible play. Barbra wanted to be a serious actress but when Barry heard her sing he told her she had to be a singer. Barbra wasn't really interested but Barry convinced her to give it a try and he directed her first nightclub appearances. They also became lovers during this period and they lived together for about a year in New York. Barbra became a huge superstar shortly thereafter.


A jolly fellow, Barry Dennen today.

After Mr. Dennen made his comments I stepped up to greet him and introduce myself. I told him I had performed the role of Pilate in the last reunion tour with Ted and Carl. "Did you love it?" he asked cheerfully. By then a small crowd had gathered around us and a woman pointed to me and said, "You were wonderful, Scott! I saw the show several times." That was nice to be recognized.

Barry said that he had loved working with Carl on the most recent JCS tour, but that it was terribly sad to see Carl get sick and have to leave the show. "It was so difficult for everyone in the cast," he said. "We watched him die right in front of us."


Carl Anderson, 27 February 1945 -- 23 February 2004


Barry Dennen has a wonderful website with a lot of great stories and information. Some of the pictures in this blog came from his site.


Ted Neeley and Barry Dennen as 'Pilate and Christ' in the 1973 film. Below, Ted Neeley and yours truly on stage 25 years later.


*Special thanks to Heidster for the title. If only we'd taken a picture!

Bowie is back after heart surgery. 

It's certainly good news for all Bowie fans that the man was spotted shopping in New York's Chinatown today.  Bowie stopped to greet fans and well-wishers and even chatted with a few neighborhood police officers.  He also took a moment to observe some Chinese men playing mah jong in the park.

Going semi-incognito for his first public appearance after emergency heart surgery last month, Bowie was dressed casually in jeans, t-shirt, and cowboy hat.  He's also sporting a new moustache and mutton chops!  Kind of a Neil Young look going....



Click on Bowie's hat if you'd like to see a few more pics!

Jeopardrink!: The KenJen Edition

Just read a very funny blog by surfergirl, who writes for Slate magazine online.  Seems there's been a competition to create a Jeopardy! drinking game and the winner has been chosen.  It's a takeoff of the "Hi Bob!" game based around the Bob Newhart shows, though Jeopardrink! has a little more structure and player-interaction considering it's based on a well-established TV game show.

And to add even more intrigue to the high-stakes brinksmanship thrilling viewers so far: "There are only four games remaining until the season ender this Friday, when we find out whether KenJen will make the jump to come back as next season's returning champion."

The suspense is killing me....

"Stop the Insanity!"

I've been irritated for months about the whole stupid 'low-carb' diet phenomenon, which is just a bunch of crap.  It's just another marketing trend that has taken off incredibly, and to absurd proportions.  I've been joking for weeks that early next year doctors will reverse themselves (as they always do) and discover the nutritional value of a high-carbohydrate diet.  Then all the restaurants and food companies will advertise the 'high-carb' diet and all will be well with the world.  Whatever.

My friend Stennie turned me on to an hilarious rant on a blog called Tomato Nation.  It's a bit long, but worth the effort.

We Americans must be the laughing stock of the world; and if we're not, we should be!

Wanderlust

All my life I've had an unquenchable desire for knowledge and travel.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe I inherited it from my maternal grandfather who moved his family dozens of times around northern Texas when my Mom was a child.  It was this burning desire that led to my sojourns to Japan in the mid-1990s, and my two-year adventures on tour with Jesus Christ Superstar.

Since coming to LA in 1997, I haven't had quite the same lust for travel as in my youth.  Not sure why; perhaps life in southern California is unsettling enough on its own.  Now, however, I feel the pangs of discovery beating in my heart again.  It's only a dream at this point, but god I'd love to be able to explore more of planet Earth while I'm still here.

As a teacher of English to international students, I've met students from all over the world, including thousands of Taiwan Chinese.  But I've never had more than a passing curiosity in China and Taiwan.  My interests always belonged to Japan.  That has now changed. 

I saw an amazing episode of Globetrekker tonight about Hong Kong and Taiwan.  I sat there awe-struck for the full hour.  I had no idea there was so much beauty and diversity in that part of the world.  When I think of China, I think of Communism, oppression, poverty, and most of all, crowds.  Those things are probably true, but I didn't realize how much great beauty there is, both natural and man-made.  China has evolved tremendously in the past decade or so into a burgeoning global power.  There is a tangible sense of optimism and joy from the modern Chinese people that is quite infectious (much like America must have been about a hundred years ago).  I see it in my students, whose English improves with each new group that arrives, and I saw it on this television program in the attitudes of the Chinese people, their unprecedented emphasis on development and construction, and their connection and respect for the historical past.

As the Chinese economy continues to modernize and expand, so does their culture and their influence in the world.  A wise person once said, "What comes around, goes around."  China once had the greatest empire in the world.  I have no doubt that in the 21st century they are well on their way to reclaiming that title.

Ken Jennings


Alex and Ken: Together Forever? 

Surely you've all heard about this now legendary Jeopardy! champion who has reigned more than 30 consecutive days and has won over a million dollars in prize money. This guy is amazing. How does he know so much? It's really incredible.

At this point he and Alex Trebek are so chummy together, the other contestants tend to sink into the background, like bad window-dressing in someone's home that probably won't be there the next time you visit. He and Alex even have a witty repartee going, as if Ken is the co-host or sidekick of the show. He's Alex Trebek's Paul Schaffer or Ed McMahon.

Alex and Ken have spent so much time together, they finish each other's sentences. On tonight's show Ken chose the first Daily Double clue and said "I'll wager --." 
 
Alex interrupted, "$6,800?"
 
"That's right, the usual," Ken replied with that golden smile of his.  It's like Ken is a regular at Alex Trebek's bar and being a good bartender, Trebek anticipates his customer's desires without them even having to ask.

A few moments later Ken picked the second Daily Double question. The audience applauded appreciatively while the other two contestants turned to each other in resigned conversation. By this time those two could have made plans to spend the weekend together. But Ken surprised Alex by only wagering $5,000.
 
"Why?!" Alex questioned painfully, like a lover whose trust has been betrayed.

"I'm trying to keep a safe margin between my opponents," Ken replied.

"If you say so," Alex chided. "You know, I could easily make the wagers for you as long as you answer the clues correctly," Alex offered with a forgiving smile.

"Yeah, why am I even here at this point?" laughed Ken, head in his hand. 

Ha ha! Oh boy, it's all fun and games (literally) at "Alex and Ken's place." Or should it be "Ken and Alex's"? Hmmm. Alex has been on the show for so long, but Ken is the reason people are tuning in these days. Soon Ken's agents will be asking for equal billing with Alex. And who knows, maybe Ken will take over as Jeopardy! host someday when Alex realizes he can't keep up with the 30-year-old whippersnapper.

How long can Ken Jennings last?  We'll just have to tune in and see...

Follow the link below for a funny audio commentary from comedian Jake Johannsen:
NPR : Ken Jennings, 'Jeopardy!' Legend in the Making

This Land
 
...this is the funniest thing I have ever seen on the 'net.... http://www.jibjab.com/thisland.html

Bloggin' Blues

Sounds like a song title. Haven't had much time or reason to blog lately. Busy with summer mayhem at UCLA, always a hectic time. Nice to be working though. Will help to pay some bills, then I'll be broke again in the fall. Ugh.

Here's a picture of me (second from the left) last Saturday (July 3rd) at the BowieNetters party in Redondo Beach. It was held at the apartment of the lovely Paula (aka Squeakie), the girl in front wearing the Bowie T-shirt. It's a great place situated on the bluff overlooking the beach...gorgeous view!


BowieNetters party in Redondo Beach!! 

I'm using a new program called Hello to post the pictures. I'm not sure if I like it yet -- the software is not the most intuitive -- but it's a start.

No wonder I'm famous!

I had no idea why I was so famous amongst my colleagues on BowieNet, David Bowie's official website. Everyone I meet from the online community seems to have heard of me or know something about me, even though I don't post much on the message boards.

Well, I happened to be browsing through the Bowie News section from a couple of months ago, back when Bowie & his band returned to LA to play the famous Greek Theater in Hollywood. I wrote a review of that show and posted it on the message boards. I didn't notice that the Bowie News moderator chose my review to be featured on the official Bowie News page!

No wonder I'm famous amongst BowieNetters!! Every person who visited the news page (thousands of 'em) saw my review!

If you haven't already read the review and you're just dying to have a crack at it (shyeah, right) you can find it on the BowieNet news page -- you may have to scroll back to April 25th (my review is the third one down). Or simply visit my blog entry here.

People Are Nice Today

Everyone must have had a nice 4th of July weekend because the whole world is smiling today! (at least in LA)

Traffic was relatively light and curteous, strangers greet each other on the street, attractive young women smile at me, the entire staff at my oil change place stopped by to say 'hello' while I waited for my car, and I have been filled with extraordinary positive energy the last few days. I went jogging through the park the other day for the first time in my life, and I loved it! And I can barely sleep with all the creative ideas popping into my head at night. And this after just a few days off work...imagine what I could do with a week's vacation in Mexico!

We had a three-day holiday weekend and I went to social gatherings all three days! Saturday was a delightful BowieNetters barbecue down in Redondo Beach -- a gorgeous ocean view and cool sea air was enjoyed by all. (Not to mention all the smoke and booze.) It's great to meet so many people who are just as obsessed with David Bowie as I am -- sometimes even more so! My heart ached every time "China Girl" was played ("I feel a-tragic/like I'm Marlon Brando"...rest well old man).

Sunday was the traditional July 4th fireworks extravaganza with the Giffords. Little Gabe was in good spirits and getting cuter than ever. Randy and Heather seem very refreshed and a lot thinner after their month in Breckenridge. We went for a bike ride through the neighborhood after dinner, then watched the fireworks in the Valley from the hill above their home.

Monday was an intimate dinner party with a few friends from the BowieNet party who live in Burbank. Great people and newfound pals. Delicious home-cooked Italian food as well! They inspired a new nickname for me: "Scott Hollywood" since I live in Hollywood (or pretty close at least). There's two Scotts in the BowieNet group but the other guy lives in Orange County. I've used my regular name on BowieNet since I joined back in 1998, although I've considered changing it to a more creative username several times. My close friends always call me "Scottydude" and I've used that on several websites (including my own). I also tried "thinwhitedude" once on BowieNet but it didn't stick for some reason. Everyone already knows me as "scottspalding" or more recently "Scott S." But I love "Scott Hollywood" -- it's totally cheesy but it would be a great gossip rag pen name!!

I think it's going to be a good summer.

Gojira!

I have been to dozens of movies at the Egyptian Theater, but I have never seen a crowd as large or enthusiastic as they were last night for King Kong vs. Godzilla! It was incredible. The line to get in to the theater was HUGE -- actually two lines of people stretching from the entrance all the way to the sidewalk of Hollywood Blvd. And all types of people: kids, parents, grandparents, comic book geeks of all ages, cinephiles, goths, young Hollywood hotties, glamorous older couples...you name it.

I really was suprised at the turnout for some cheesy monster movie. Had no idea there was such a fan base. I'm not really a Godzilla fan. I was just expecting to go and have a nostalgic laugh with a few strangers, but this was more like the atmosphere for a Star Wars movie (back when they were good) or an Indiana Jones flick, something like that. People laughed, cheered, and applauded through the whole film.

They also had a couple of the original Toho company special effects guys from Japan who built all the models and sets for the original Godzilla films. There was a short Q & A before the film with a moderator and the gentlemen spoke through a translator, describing some of their experiences and stories of making the films.

It's too bad the American dubbed versions are the ones being screened for most of the Godzilla festival, a 50th birthday celebration which runs until Tuesday. All of the Japanese sections were pretty good. The American sections were hysterically bad. Horrible filmmaking, but funny to laugh at.

I wish I could see them all!

Cost of Living vs. Population Growth (A Rant)

I hope the housing prices come down someday in California but I doubt there will be a significant decrease in prices without a major event (earthquake, terrorism) which motivates people to leave the market.

There was an extensive article about the housing market in the LA Times a few months ago. Unlike the 1980s when the CA bubble market did reach a breaking point and burst, builders and developers today have been very careful not to overbuild and saturate the market with too many houses, thereby decreasing value.

That is not to say development hasn't continued. In fact, it's progressing at a higher rate than ever. However, the demand is so strong that builders usually don't have to start building until they have a buyer lined up. There are lines of buyers waiting to buy houses that haven't even been built yet!

The population of California is currently around 36 million people. That number is expected to almost double in the next 30 years. It increased by 4.2 million during the 1990s alone. That's a 12% increase! Surprisingly (or not) almost 100% of the population increase is due to immigration, particularly Latinos. Not only do they come to California, legally and otherwise, but they tend to have more children than other racial groups (an average of 3 children for every Latino mother). One in four Californians was born outside the United States.

In the United States, 50% of all children age 5 or under are Latino. And they just keep coming!! At more than 292 million people, the United States is the third-most populous country in the world, behind China and India. We will soon surpass 300 million and reach 400 million by the middle of this century. The United States is the only developed country (along with 7 other third-world countries) that will account for half of the planet's population growth between now and 2050, mostly due to the US's lax immigration policies.

I never thought I'd say this, but maybe Tom Tancredo is right! Maybe we should shut down the borders?!

In the meantime, start practicing your Spanish.

Hollywood Funerals

If you're ever in Los Angeles and want to see some free entertainment from famous stars, look no further than a celebrity funeral.

A few months ago, I attended the funeral of Carl Anderson, who was not exactly a superstar (pun intended), but who attracted a number of famous celebrities and musicians including Stevie Wonder and Nancy Wilson among many others.

Today I happened to turn on the TV and the local NBC affiliate was broadcasting live coverage of Ray Charles' funeral here in Los Angeles. Mr. Charles passed away last week to little fanfare amongst the remembrances of President Reagan.

I missed the beginning of the Ray Charles funeral, but the hour I saw included appearances and performances by luminaries such as Willie Nelson (who sang a mournful version of "Georgia On My Mind"), Clint Eastwood, Glen Campbell (he sang a gospel song - I can't remember the name), Cicely Tyson, LA mayor James Hahn, LA Chief of Police William Bratton (ex-Chief of NY and Boston), the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder (he's making a new career out of funeral gigs it seems), B.B. King (A boyhood friend of Ray Charles, B.B. was very emotional and weeped all through his speech and song tribute.), Wynton Marsalis (tears streaming down his face as he strolled through the audience playing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "When The Saints Go Marching In" on his trumpet), Little Richard, and Johnny Mathis (who just completed a duet recording with Ray Charles of "Over The Rainbow", which was played to end the service).

After all the music, the remembrances, the laughter, and the tears, the casket was opened for viewing as the limousines lined up for the cortege to the cemetary. Although the camera was far back, there was little Ray nestled snuggly in his coffin with his glasses on. I think he was smiling too.

Two funny stories recounted in the service:

Willie Nelson recalled that he and Ray loved to play chess together whenever they were touring on the same bill. Ray was apparently a master at chess (go figure!) and Willie said he could never win against Ray. Finally Ray told Willie he would give him a break and play with the lights on for a change.

B.B. King said Ray also was an avid poker player and they used to play cards all the time. Again, Ray was such an excellent player the B.B. could never beat him. Eventually B.B. realized Ray had fixed the cards with some Braille code which helped him win!

So if you're hoping for some star-sightings or some heartfelt performances from world-class celebrities, just check out the obituary page of the LA Times. It's the best ticket in town!!

Memories of Reagan

These are my most vivid memories of President Ronald Reagan:

"Are you better off now than four years ago?"

Split-screen TV image of Iran hostages being released as Reagan took the oath of office.

Reaganomics.

"Honey, I forgot to duck!"

The cowboy riding horses on the ranch.

Recession. Deficits. National Debt.

"Well...." Johnny Carson's hilarious impersonation on countless episodes of The Tonight Show.

Jelly beans.

"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."

Calling Nancy "Mommy"

Removal of several polyps.

"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to touch the face of God."

Nancy Reagan's astrologer.

Just Say No.

"I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

"I have no recollection..." (of approving arms shipments to Iran.)

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

"My fellow Americans, I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease...I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

The Great Communicator.

Comb

I bought a new comb today. Yes, my life is very exciting. The reason I mention it is because the comb cost me $2.25. That's right, two dollars and twenty-five cents for what can only be described as a 10-cent piece of plastic. You would think for that kind of money the comb would tell me the time and temperature or something, but no, it's just your basic Ace brand pocket comb from the local drugstore.

I decided to make my two bucks worth the effort, so instead of choosing the basic black model, I went for the classic mock tortoise color. Gives a retro feeling to the combing experience, and I gotta tell you, having just used the comb for the first time, this is some quality craftsmanship in my hand. I wish I could take a picture for you; if only I hadn't dropped and broken the digital camera Randy gave me.

Aha! After reviewing the plastic pouch in which the comb was contained, I now know why this comb costs $2.25 instead the 10 cents it's worth. The label on the back of the packaging not only describes the product contained inside, it also identifies its purpose: "Pocket Comb. Removes foreign material from hair."

If only I'd bought this comb before I married my ex-wife!

TROY

I don’t usually go for big Hollywood epics, and for the first half hour of this film all I could see were the typical war film formulas and clichés: sweeping vistas of sandy beaches and large boats on the water, melodramatic commanders rallying their troops to combat, and thousands of computer-generated soldiers marching and fighting on the battlefield. But after a while, I really got into this film, and the reason is Troy is more than a typical Hollywood blockbuster. There’s some real meaning to this film. Partly (perhaps mostly) it’s due to Homer’s The Iliad, on which 30-year-old David Benioff (25th Hour) based his screenplay; it’s a great story full of memorable dialogue. Another reason the film hooked me was that there is some deep philosophy here, not the typical glorification of violence, honor and vengeance so common in war movies and historical epics. Scenes illustrating the madness and futility of war are more prevalent than those supporting it.

Even the lead character, Achilles (played by heartthrob Brad Pitt), the greatest warrior the Hellenic world ever knew, has his doubts about the value of combat, particularly the immorality of fighting for the wrong reasons. Achilles despises his greedy king Agamemnon and grudgingly joins the king’s campaign against the Trojans merely for his own personal glory. “My name will be remembered,” Achilles prophetically boasts, “and my story will be told for thousands of years.”

Brad Pitt is a brilliant movie star, if not a great actor, and he does a decent job in the role of the reluctant soldier, Achilles. Pitt has some of the pithiest lines in the film and it is in these moments that his acting truly shines. The more stereotypical action-film-plot-progression speeches reveal Pitt’s limitations, or perhaps his own lack of inspiration. Pitt is no match in his one scene with legendary screen heavyweight Peter O’Toole who, despite his usual mawkish sputtering, delivers a fine (Oscar-worthy?) performance as Priam, Troy’s noble king. O’Toole’s best scene is the one with Pitt and it’s easy to see the difference in ability between the two. O’Toole, once a young blonde god himself, has enough chops to make even the most insipid banter sound inspirational and his emotional plea for mercy in this scene blows Pitt out of the water: “I have endured what no one on earth has endured. I have kissed the hands of the man who killed my son…you're still my enemy tonight, but even enemies can show respect.”

What Pitt lacks in the acting category, he makes up for with his action scenes and his physical prowess. Pitt trained hard for this role to beef up physically and he delivers excellent fight sequences. Pitt’s Achilles also slays just as many hearts as he does enemies. Bedroom scenes abound, and we get to see just about every part of Pitt’s alluring body, enough to make Jennifer Aniston blush! Though the 40-year-old Pitt has not lost any of his beauty, he has lost some of his youth. His bronzed skin is beginning to reveal a few lines and wrinkles, and as we all know, every golden tan eventually resembles a leather suitcase.

A fine performance in the film is that of Australian Eric Bana, who did nothing for me last year as the Hulk, but who delivers a strong, emotional and thoughtful Hector, the heir to the Trojan throne. Hector is a worthy soldier willing to defend his homeland to the death if necessary, though he hates war and tries to persuade his father Priam against it: “I've killed men and I've heard them dying and I've watched them dying and there's nothing glorious about it.” Hector adores his worried wife and infant son and he ensures their safe escape from the city should tragedy fall.

Unimpressive was Lord Of The Rings veteran Orlando Bloom as Hector’s younger brother Paris, who leads his family and country into ruinous conflict by arrogantly seducing the Spartan queen Helen and secreting her back to Troy to be his bride. The cowardly prince finds honor by the end of the film, but Bloom spends most of the movie expressing his own good looks rather than any believable emotions. German newcomer Diane Kruger is lovely, but forgettable at the remorseful Helen.

Wolfgang Peterson’s (The Perfect Storm, Das Boot) direction is top-notch, and though the film runs two-and-a-half hours, it didn’t seem like it. There’s possibly one too many overhead shots sweeping across the field of battle, but I never got bored or tired of the drama. It’s a great story told well. There are many morals to be learned, not the least of which is the folly of relying on gods to fight wars. The older generation of characters reveres the gods and depends on them for guidance, but the younger characters (those doing the actual fighting) complain that every decision made to appease a god seems to end in disaster. Hector cautions that “sometimes the gods bless you in the morning and curse you in the afternoon” while Achilles asserts to his lover Briseis that “the Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment may be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.”

Many (foolish) reasons for fighting wars are examined in the script: love, land, greed, and oh yes, ego, the desire of a few wealthy men for power, a lust so tempting that the king would gladly sacrifice his entire army just to soothe his bruised family pride. Sound familiar? The bloodthirsty king Agamemnon may proclaim, “Peace is for women and the weak,” but Thetis, the mother of Achilles (played in a cameo by Julie Christie), warns her son, “Your glory walks hand-in-hand with your doom.”

Perhaps it is the excellent British actor Sean Bean (another Lord of The Rings alum) as Odysseus, the character who continues the history in Homer’s sequel The Odyssey, who sums up the ridiculousness of war best when he explains to Achilles, “War is young men dying and old men talking.”

In typical Hollywood fashion, Troy has something for everyone: action for the men, romance for the women, and plenty of eye candy for everyone. It also has a rich level of commentary for the thinkers in the crowd and that makes this Troy worth the effort.

Great Weather

The weather has been just perfect this week: cloudy, cool mornings; breezy, sunny afternoons; cool, foggy evenings. Can't get much better, especially after the steamy summer preview we had last month. Hope this cool trend lasts.

Henry Rollins

Quick star sighting today. Stopped by Trader Joe's(my favorite market) to pick up a few things this Saturday evening. Good time to go -- not nearly as crowded as usual. Surprised to pass rocker/poet Henry Rollins in the milk aisle. He's looking good, almost completely grey on top, and his trademark tattoos were hidden under long sleeves. He's got one of the thickest necks I've ever seen. Maybe he drinks a lot of milk?

I'm sick!!

Yes, again. I've been sick with a cold at least three or four times in the past year! That's unheard of for me. I used to catch a cold once a year or two when I was a kid, but as an adult I've been very healthy, only visiting the doctor a handful of times.

I don't know why I'm getting sick more often now. Maybe I'm more susceptible to infections now than I used to be when I was younger, or maybe the bugs are getting more powerful?! It pisses me off, because I'm a total germophobe these days. I wash my hands constantly, hoping to avoid exposure to viruses and bacteria. Crap.

Simon Says

Guess who was driving in the car next to me in Beverly Hills this afternoon? It was none other than Simon Cowell, the surly judge we love to hate on TV’s “American Idol.” He was driving a very expensive looking midnight blue Bentley, probably on his way to CBS Television City studios where “Idol” is taped (though it’s broadcast on Fox).

In true LA fashion, Simon had a cell phone pressed to his ear with his right hand and was lighting a cigarette with his left. I’m sure he had a whipped-double-decaf-soy-frappuccino-mocha-latte in the cup holder next to him.

We cruised along side-by-side for several blocks, and I half considered rolling down my window to sing at him – I don’t get enough abuse in my life – but I couldn't think of a song to sing and I was distracted by the unusually horrible traffic. Suddenly I realized the police had blocked off the street ahead of us at Cedars Sinai hospital and traffic was being diverted to side streets at a crawling pace. Perhaps it was another bomb scare, I thought, but later I saw on the news there was a gunman running loose at the Beverly Center shopping mall across the street from the hospital and the police were in the process of apprehending him. Joy.

My Friday afternoon commute, which usually takes 30 minutes or less, took more than an hour and fifteen minutes. Now I know the song I should've sang for Simon: “I love LA!”

Bomb Scare

Greetings from sunny Los Angeles, where I have just returned to my classroom after being evacuated from the building for about an hour today. Apparently there was a suspicious package left near the gas station across the street from my school, so the cops blocked off the street and evacuated the whole area.

We had to hustle all the students out of the building and down the street two blocks so the bomb squad could do their work. Naturally, many students were frightened by this experience. Luckily, the neighborhood Farmer's Market is held on Thursdays so I sent my class to the market and we strolled around sampling fresh fruit. :)

By the time I returned to our building, the chaos was over and things were getting back to normal, though the traffic was snarled even worse than usual. A few students said they saw the police carrying the suspicious "package," which turned out to be a backpack with some porno videos in it.

Bomb scares and political demonstrations are not unheard of in Westwood Village because we have a major Federal Building just a block down Wilshire Blvd, but this was the first time we had to evacuate our building.

Another exciting day in America.

TRON

Saw one of my favorite films, TRON, last night with my main movie maven, Heidster. God, it's a fun flick. Quite nostalgic to see it again, but also fresh to see it on the big screen in glorious 70mm at Disney's El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. It was Heidster's first time to see the film and she really enjoyed it so it was fun to share that. (Or maybe it was the Skooby dogs that won her over? hmmm...)

The film is quite mythological and Homeric thematically, if a bit corny and dated by today's standards; however, a lot of the philosophy behind it still stands up. It foresees the all-powerful technology mega-corporation ("Encom") using its mighty weight to crush the little guy, and the human spirit as well, all in the name of the holy dollar. Thematically and visually, Tron is much like German expressionist films such as Fritz Lang's epic Metropolis, especially considering that all of Tron's real-life scenes inside the computer world were shot in black and white and colorized. Some of the acting is also quite melodramatic and with the heavy makeup it does remind one of silent films.

The whole concept of a parallel universe within cyberspace (there's a word you don't hear often anymore) still captures my imagination, as does the pseudo-religious views of the "program" characters who serve their unseen "users." As one program asks another 'You believe in the users?' (the invisible world beyond our senses). He answers, `Yeah, sure. If I don't have a user, then who wrote me?' The Master Control Program wants to subvert user control and assert its own dominance over all data.

Considering the period the film was made, the Reagan '80s, one could read an "evil-godless-Communism-vs-free-Christian-Democracy" subtext. But the film has plenty of humor and Disney feel-good charm giving a knowing wink to the audience just like Mickey saying "Hello, boys and girls!" so that no one takes the oppression too seriously. "It's fun for the whole family!"

I love Jeff Bridges' performance as Flynn, the video game junkie/hacker/user-"god" who who descends in the guise of a "mortal" (program) into the world of his creation (the computer). Heidster and I joked that in every one of his movies he has a shouting "Come on, man!" moment, except in Tron he screams "Because, man!" when explaining his motivations for hacking into Encom's memory systems to retrieve a document confirming his authorship of the company's most important video games, the cornerstones to the company's success.

The movie was revolutionary in its time for using computer animation in some of its sequences, though most of the film is traditional "cartoon" animation. It was controversial as well. Some Disney animators refused to work on the film because they felt computers would replace them, and the Academy bypassed a Best Visual Effects nomination for Tron because they felt the creators had "cheated" by using computers. (Seven years later, Abyss, The (1989) would win for its computer visual effects.)

One of my favorite aspects of the film is Wendy Carlos' excellent electronic score. It had the perfect combination of traditional film scoring techniques enfused with a futuristic musical vocabulary, much like Carlos' early work on the A Clockwork Orange score and her earlier triumph with Switched on Bach. I'll never forget that final theme from Tron as the real world scenes in time-lapse photography blend with the inner world of computers, then fade to black as the credits roll...

If you haven't seen Tron for a while, take a look. You won't be disappointed.

-End of Line-

Updated Blog Features

Most of you can't see this unless you are also a Blogger user, but Blogger has changed their user interface. It's quite different than the earlier version, but it seems easy enough to use.

Anyway, the extra feature you WILL notice is the addition of the Comments feature to all my postings. Now you can leave feedback on any of my posts! So I expect all one of you who read this blog to comment often. :)

Still Hot

It's too fucking hot! I can't stand it anymore and it's only the beginning of May!! My little air conditioner is pretty much useless unless you're sitting right in front of it with the cold air blowing directly on your skin. My next home must have eastern exposure. I leave the A/C on all day and yet when I get home at 5:30 the place is just boiling. Not sure if anything can be done to help it -- the aircon unit is just too small. Maybe if I put a fan in the center of the room to help circulate the air? It would be so nice to get a new, bigger air conditioner...but that's expensive, and I'd have to install it. The first one was a bitch to install. Ugh. I'm moving to Canada....

Happy Anniversary

Today is my fourth anniversary of teaching online with Englishtown. I'm so bored. Topic today is weather, which is innocuous enough but my heart's not in it. It's always the same, same lessons, same topics, same students asking the same questions.

I actually fell asleep today between lessons. It was late in the afternoon and I was a little drowsy. I decided to take a five-minute power nap, which I often do, and ended up sleeping through my next lesson! Oh well, no big wup.

Can't Stand The Heat

It's a lot better today, thank God. Yesterday LA had record-breaking 102 degree weather downtown! It's almost never that hot in the basin and certainly not this early in the season. Anyway, it's better now: about 20 degrees better.

I noticed the change last night as I was out doing my laundry. I was sitting in my sweltering car at about 8:45pm with all the windows open and suddenly a cool breeze kicked up and it was the most refreshing feeling. The sea breeze had returned.

Still slept with all the windows open, but at least there's no need to turn on my pitiful little air conditioner today. Poor little guy just can't keep up, and I do not have a large apartment. The A/C is great is you're sitting within five feet, directly in front of the unit, but other than that....fuhgetaboudit!

Struggling For Reality: David Bowie At The Greek

Something went amiss early in the show that affected things to come, but that didn’t stop Thursday night’s concert with David Bowie at The Greek Theater in Hollywood from being an extraordinary performance by a gifted group of artists. Halfway through the introductory film of animation and time-lapse photography of New York City, the video suddenly cut out and went black. The stage was quiet for a few moments until the lights came up and Mr. Bowie himself approached the front of the stage to greet the audience with an apology for the technical glitch. He called the band on stage and they kicked off the show with “Rebel Rebel.” For someone who has seen the show before, it was somewhat anticlimactic not to have the dramatic reveal of Bowie out of the shadows of the “Rebel” intro, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of this sold-out crowd.

It was a beautiful night in the Hollywood Hills under the stars, and speaking of stars, plenty were in attendance, including Brian Setzer, who was spotted in the crowd with a lovely lady on his arm. It’s been years since his Stray Cats days, but Mr. Setzer looked fit and spiffy in a sharp suit and his trademark bouffant hairdo. “Joey Soprano” was rumored to be in the crowd but that was unconfirmed.

The show got under way and in typical form, Mr. Bowie challenged his audience early on with newer material less familiar to more mature audience members. Poor Mike Garson had to jump right into one of his featured numbers (“The Battle For Britain”) soon after the show’s shaky start. Unfortunately, Garson’s timing against the backing tracks was off during his solo, but what could have been a train wreck ended up as little more than a few seconds of confusing dead air.

All the band members had their moments of imperfection, but they demonstrated what true professionals they are even under the awkward circumstances of The Greek’s recent renovation. As this was the first gig to grace the refurbished venue, the “spooky ghost” was definitely in the house, and that’s not a crack against the awesome Gerry Leonard! There were a few technical and musical glitches, though these were minor and only noticeable to experienced fans. Things really started to gel twenty minutes into the show once the band found their groove. The group pulled together and delivered blistering performances of “Hallo Spaceboy” and “Under Pressure” (featuring Gail Ann Dorsey’s outstanding vocalizations) among other highlights. The performances were not without questionable choices (this band doesn’t make “mistakes”), but their near-telepathic abilities for communication after years of playing together saved the day.

Bowie was in excellent voice this evening. He also looked great, as usual, even remarking at one moment that he felt like he was 50 again! It was a treat to see not a perfect show, but in fact a very real show including many of the challenges professional performers have to deal with on stage. Bowie was conscious of Griffith Park’s 11:00pm curfew (“this curfew shit” he called it once) and he kept asking his crew if he had time to play a few more numbers, though their slow responses irritated him at times. “Come on guys, get it together! Nobody’s telling me anything, so I’ll just keep going,” he said.

Bowie was also highly aware of his audience throughout the show. At one point, after a batch of newer material, he came down front and said, “I know what you’re wondering, ‘When is Bowie going to play something I know?’” He didn’t disappoint. The band launched into a blissful rendition of “All The Young Dudes” that kept the crowd on their feet dancing and singing the whole time. It wasn’t surprising, however, nor particularly disappointing that many audience members preferred to sit and listen during the quieter numbers. One of the great qualities of a Bowie concert is that there are plenty of crowd-pleasing Rock anthems juxtaposed gently alongside serious pieces that deserve more attentive listening. Perhaps only hardcore fans may have recognized “The Motel” or “The Loneliest Guy” but these songs were no less appreciated by casual listeners.

There was plenty of frivolity as well. Bowie started singing the Chinese version of “China Girl” but quickly stopped and restarted the band, explaining that he couldn’t remember any of his Mandarin. He also cracked jokes throughout the evening, including a quip that “The Loneliest Guy” wasn’t about a failed suicide attempt but was actually about his mother’s first divorce! There was also a touching story introducing one of the early songs (was it “The Man Who Sold The World”?), which expressed the sense of alienation Bowie felt as a teenager.

The stage video and lighting were striking as usual, though more subdued than in previous A Reality Tour performances. Gone were the overhead video screens displayed so prominently in other venues, and although the side screens at the Greek were too dim at times, they helped the mood during more ambient numbers by providing shots of Bowie in a dramatic silhouette. The new sound system at the Greek offered astonishing clarity for an outdoor venue. We didn’t miss a single word or note.

Opening act The Polyphonic Spree returned to the stage in colorful robes for the first encore number, “Slip Away”, though their participation was unnecessary and somewhat distracting. Bowie himself mentioned during his praise of the group that he didn’t “know if we [would] do it again” but that they were a fantastic support on the tour.

Missing from the set list was “Reality,” which seems a natural crowd pleaser, and all of the Low material, which had been such a highlight of the previous LA shows. Included were more recent numbers such as “Looking For Water” from Reality and Heathen’s “Sunday” and “Heathen (The Rays)” book-ended together, as well as a few classic treats for old timers, like “Quicksand” and “The Supermen,” an unnecessary addition, but quite nostalgic all the same. It was nice to hear some alternative choices from Hunky Dory but I missed “Life On Mars?” and “Changes” has yet to be performed at any of the Los Angeles shows.

No matter, Bowie & his company know how to please an audience and they did so admirably tonight with a great mix of songs new and old, well known and obscure. The crowd was mature and well behaved (most of them), and certainly appreciative.

Bowie was more than a gentleman throughout the evening. He exudes a charm and grace these days that is beyond resistance. One has the sense that no matter what happens, Mr. Bowie will keep his audience safe and warm. I wish I could see every show on this tour.