More Scientology Protests

I had to share this creepy photo of some Scien-zombie's watching the May 10th protests on Hollywood Blvd. Photos by Tom Andrews for LAist.
Also, this sign a protester made had me thinking:

Mister Lonely

Harmony Korines first film since 1999’s Julien Donkey Boy is about a group of celebrity impersonators living on a commune in Scotland. It is his most strait ahead film so far. This one has a more ‘normal’ look to it and there is more linear plot development then Gummo or Donkey Boy. Don’t get me wrong it is still very strange. He sets up situations and scenes with the celebrities that are pretty damn surreal at times. One of my favorite images is of the Pope crying in a bathtub that is placed in a field while Buckwheat stands and washes him. The colors of the Scottish highlands and the costumes are beautiful. The film touches on a lot of ideas: identity, faith, masks, and absurdity. It seems Korine is building a set of motifs that run throughout his films: bathtubs, dirty water, BMX bikes, and dancing.


Diego Luna plays Michael Jackson and his moves are pretty right on. His costumes are pretty hysterical; he wears the little MJ facemask for a lot of the movie. Samantha Morton is looking a little bigger than usual but not afraid to show it and as always, her performance is great. Some other people in it are Werner Herzog, Dennis Lavant, and even David Blaine is in there for a second. There are a lot of scenes with most of the cast where Korine lets them hang out and improvise in character. Potion Lords sent a representative to the Los Angeles premier and had TIM ask Harmony about how he uses improv with his actors. Video below.

Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Wow, Israel is fucked up. Even when my friend Rachel Corrie was purposely run over and killed by one of their bulldozers a few years ago, I didn’t fully understand the conflict over there. Now I'm starting to. In John Pilger’s book, Freedom Next Time, he writes, “Israel is the undisputed world champion violator of international law- an international law founded as a consequence of the crimes of the perpetrators of the Jewish holocaust.” This is ironic because they are some of the worst abusers of human rights since the Nazi’s. The Palestinians were living peacefully until in 1948 the Jews were awarded the right to a homeland. They started Israel and began kicking out all Arabs in the region. They started a campaign of destruction, killing and ethnic cleansing that continues to this day and goes virtually unchecked by the rest of the world. They are trying to oppress and wipe out Palestinian culture. Thousands live in refugee camps that are completely walled in. There are checkpoints everywhere and it often takes hours and hours to try and get through one. They cannot leave, go to school, see the doctor or anything without permission from the Israeli army. Ambulances are often not allowed to pass as the wounded bleed to death within sight of them. There are many cases of pregnant women not being able to pass a checkpoint to reach a hospital and having to give birth in a car and their babies usually die. Within the Occupied Territories there are Jewish ‘settlers,’ living in heavily fortified and guarded communities set up inside the camps. Inside these walls are rich suburban homes and affluent Jews watering their lush green lawns, while just meters away, beyond a wall, drinking water is very scarce and hundreds of children are dieing of starvation.

Israels excuse for this behavior is that they are battling terrorism. This stems from the fact a Palestinian organization, Hamas, attack them with suicide bombers. This is relatively new tactic in the region starting in the 1990’s (suicide bombers never existed in Iraq before the Anglo- American invasion.) Children growing up in the refugee camps have never known anything but war. Most have seen death first hand, often times members of their families. They live in constant fear of being bombed or shot. One of the most disturbing tactics Israel uses in its occupation is the targeting of children. From 2000 to 2004, 618 children were killed, over half shot in the head or neck, indicating sniper shooting. Most killings occur in their homes, school, or workplace. The trauma in these kids runs deep. The only weapon they have is themselves and they are very confused. The idol worship surrounding “Martyrs,” as they call them, is intense. Ten year old kids are becoming suicide bombers because they don’t know what else to do and and frankly, they don’t want to live. As well as starting the entire situation, Israel also provokes them. For example, in 2001, they wanted to attack and re-occupy the regions and try out their new jets and bombs, as well as send in 30,000 troops. But they needed a ‘revenge factor’ to motivate the troops for maximum killing, as well as to have an excuse for their actions within the international community. The problem was Sharif Arafat, leader of the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas had reached a secret deal that the suicide bombings would stop. Well, the Israelis heard about the plan and decided to assassinate the Hamas leader to provoke a response. It worked. Inevitably, 12 days later a new wave of suicide attacks occurred. Shortly thereafter, Israel attacked with unprecedented force.

The most despicable man alive is probably Israel’s leader Ariel Sharon. This man is a monster. His most notorious crime occurred in 1982 with his invasion of Lebanon. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was based in Beirut and he wanted them wiped out. In the first two weeks 14,000 Lebanese and Palestinians were killed and 20,000 injured. According to UNICEF, 10 children were killed for every one Palestinian fighter. Eventually the PLO retreated and was evacuated by an international force. Women and children remained in the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps, assuming they would be safe. Wrong. Sharon deemed them “terrorists.” He allowed a fascist trained group called the Phalangists to encircle the camp and systematically murder every child, women, and elderly person. The Israeli army sat in watchtowers making sure no one escaped. The events were sanitized in Israeli propaganda. One of Israel’s public control methods is to accuse anyone critical of them of being an Anti-Semite and therefore pro Nazi. This, and a well-oiled propaganda machine, has let them get away with atrocity after atrocity. Another one that springs to mind occurred in 2002. For three weeks, the Israeli Army had invaded and occupied Ram Allah in the West bank, the capital of the Palestinian Authority. They said it was to ‘destroy the infrastructure of terror’ (Israel conveniently jumped on the ‘terror’ bandwagon after 9/11). The actual aim was, according to John Pilger, “to destroy the infrastructure of an organized society.” Pilger toured the area ten days after the occupation. Desks and textbooks in schools had been trashed, musical instruments looted, computers destroyed and hard drives stolen. Their cultural center was demolished. The master tapes of one of the best collections of Palestinian cinema were all destroyed. Every piece of equipment in the town’s radio station was wrecked. The soldiers shit everywhere: on artwork, in drawers, on floors, flowerpots and books. The children’s art section had been pissed on and vandalized with the Star of David and phrases like “Sons of bitches- you fuckers- I was born to kill.” Gardens with cypresses and fruit trees were bulldozed. This is a very common practice in the Occupied Territories. As soon as any prosperity occurs, like agriculture, the army comes in and sets them back a few years, motivated by spite. There are horror stories after horror stories, I could go on but it is just to fucked up. They have even started stamping the hands of their prisoners, a sad echo of the way their people were treated 60 years ago. Israel are not the only ones to blame. America supplies them with their jets, helicopters, and bombs while Britain helped put the country together with the Balfour Declaration. The fact that both these countries turn a blind eye to what is happening is a crime against humanity in itself.


Click map for bigger image.


An image from the Sabra and Chatila massacre.

EDIT: June 2nd. I met a man at a BBQ last week who served four years in the Israeli army. Every young man has to over there. We had a long talk and and he confirmed all of the above article. He told me he had committed violent acts at the checkpoints for the first year of his service, then wised up and mellowed out. The word he most often used to describe the settlers, politicians, and the situation in general was "fanatics".

SMILEY FACE

I hadn't been properly stoned in a few months so last night I smoked some bubble hash and watched the movie Smiley Face. What a delightful combination. This is the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. Anna Feris stars as Jane, a pothead who accidentally eats an entire batch of pot cupcakes and trips out hard as she tries to do the most simple tasks. For anyone that's ever been really stoned or dosed, this is a must see. We see the world totally through her eyes as she deals with all kinds of squares and uptight citizens. There is plenty of subtle psychedelic humor for the dedicated psychonauts out there. Gregg Arakis' direction is very creative, he gets inside the hallucinations in Jane's head in a fantastically realistic way, resulting in one of the trippiest movies in a long while. Anna Feris is a genius. Her reactions are hysterical. She mumbles, fumbles, and bumbles her way through the day. The supporting cast is incredible too. Each actors plays their character in a overly quirky and weird way that's hard to describe but makes perfect sense to a high mind. This film redefines the pot movie genre and is one of the best drug movies ever.

Mandelbrot set

In honor of Albert Hofmann and psychedelia, here are some images of the Mandlebrot set, a simple mathematical formula for infinity that gets more and more detailed as you zoom in on it. The first image is far out, and the other two are closer in. Click the photos for full resolution! If you've never tripped before, this is what it can look like.

Albert Hofmann 1906- 2008

The Potion Lord is dead! Long live Albert Hofmann! He championed the responsible use of LSD until his death at 102. His discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide was one of the most important events in the last century. Nothing has instigated insight and evolution and enriched culture and art more than LSD.


"I think that in human evolution it has never been as necessary to have this substance LSD. It is just a tool to turn us into what we are supposed to be."- Albert Hofmann

Time of the Wolf

Michael Haneke's follow up to his masterpiece The Piano Teacher is about a family struggling to survive in an apocalyptic situation where 'the system' has broken down. A family arrives at their vacation home in the country only to find it occupied by strangers. They find a small amount of comfort with a small group of people living in a train station, hoping the train will come take them somewhere. The movie goes on to paint a very realistic portrait of what life would be like if banks and ATMs closed, supplies stopped coming in, and there was no law. It is a grim picture, the evilness of human behavior is on full display here. Animals are slaughtered, women are exploited and raped, and children starve. In contrast to this bleakness, the film is shot beautifully. Haneke uses the dawn and dust hours to great effect. There is an incredible scene in a field in the middle of the night only lit by a lighter. Isabelle Huppert from The Piano Teacher stars again, giving another phenomenal performance as the mother. Time of the Wolf rightfully shows that when people are put in dire circumstances, it will not be "all good." As with any Haneke film, this is not for everyone but if your interested it's on DVD now.

Selected Films of Fassbinder

Rainer Werner Fassbinder wrote and directed 35 feature films, wrote 28 plays, and acted in 36 films, all on a steady diet of men, women, and pills and cocaine. All before his drug induced death at 37 in 1982. He apparently had a very disciplined work ethic as well as a debaucherous lifestyle. He was part of what is called the New German Cinema movement, which is when a group of young filmmakers started making distinctly German films again after World War Two. The movement played a role in Germany coming to cope with Nazism and redefining itself as a stable, sane and culturally viable country. Fassbinder was an outsider by all accounts, pulling together funding for his films from government grants, never working with a studio. His films are often about social misfits and convey a hate for conformity and violence, as well as a yearning for tolerance and understanding. Here are a few of his films, discussed:


The Merchant of Four Seasons. 1972. I went to Amoeba to find this film and it was only 7 dollars! All the other Fassbinder films cost 15 to 30 dollars (109 for his 14 hour masterpiece Berlin Alexanderplatz- I haven't seen it yet). I don’t know why it was so cheap because this is a good one. It is about a fruit peddler rejected by his wife and his bourgeois family. As his business takes off, he gets depressed and decides to drink himself to death. A lot of classic actors from Fassbinder’s crew are here: Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, and Kurt Raab. Fassbinder uses melodrama to tell a simple story of German life to great effect. The cinematography of early Fassbinder staple Dietrich Lohmann is more strait ahead than other films. It is basically static shots with the occasional zoom in and out for dramatic effect. A good place to start if you’re new to his work.


The second of the three films he made in 1972, the other being Bremen Coffee, was The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant. Originally written as a play, this is a story about lesbian servitude, dominance, and love. Almost the entire film takes place inside Petra's, a rich fashion designer, apartment but every shot is framed so beautifully one does not notice. Petra has a servant that she treats like shit. It seems the servant is in love with or obsessed with Petra. One day Petra falls in love with a new girlfriend and the servant is forced to watch them make love. The story progresses from there and has one of my favorite endings to his films. Also, this is the only movie I can recall seeing that has no men in it.


Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? 1971. A strange title for a strange film. The style of this film predates the Dogme 95 movement by 25 years. The takes are long, the camera often wobbly and very active, and the dialogue is very natural. Just people conducting there every day lives. Herr lives a banal existence and the monotony of it gets to him and one day he snaps. This film has another very dramatic ending and I particularly love the way he does the end credits in this one. They hit you pretty forcefully.


Ali: Fear Eats The Soul. 1974. This is (I think) one of his more popular films. It is a about a relationship between a young black Moroccan man, played by El Hedi Ben Salem, and a 60 year old German woman. Prejudices, race relations, and unbiased love are the main themes. The Moroccan man (pictured) was Fassbinder's real life lover in this period. He hung himself in a jail six years after this film. Fassbinder's next lover, an illiterate named Armin Meier, also committed suicide. The film has a slightly surreal quality to it and the colors are incredible.


Pioneers In Ingolstadt is another film from 1971. This is some of his more challenging work best reserved for devoted fans. It was the first movie I saw of his and have to admit I did not get through it. It is about some sailors that come to a town to build a bridge. They get drunk, fight, and fuck. One of them starts a destructive relationship with a woman, again played by Hanna Schygulla. I’ll have to take another look at this one and get back to you.


The Marriage of Maria Braun. 1979. This is one of his masterpieces, part of his “BRD trilogy” he made toward the end of his career about women rebuilding post war Germany. The film starts with an image of Hitler then we see a wedding happening in a war zone. The film freezes and the beautifully done credits appear. Maria has married a solider and the next day he is sent off to war. When she hears he is dead she takes solace in the arms of other men. Lots of other men. Hanna Schygulla delivers one of her finest performances here, she is in nearly every scene (and nearly every movie listed here). After a tragic and mysterious ending we see images of other German leaders, more respectable and revered. The film is loaded with symbolism about the state of Germany at the time and its future. A must see.

Untooning

These are trippy. A gentleman that works for a company called Pixeloo creates these realistic renderings of cartoon classics. Check out Jessica Rabbit:



Homer looks like a creepy spun out hippy scraped off the Dead lot:


And Mario:


You can see larger images on his website linked above. They look even crazier up close.

Harmony Korine Retrospective

For the Los Angeles readers: Cinefamily is screening all of Harmony Korine's feature films as well as some rare documentaries and experimental works. It happens at 7 pm each Saturday this month at the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax. First up is Kids, the film Larry Clark commissioned Korine to write for him. Korine didn't direct this one but it is a classic and it started his career. Playing with Kids is a super rare screening of his experimental short The Diary of Anne Frank Part Two. The next week is a chance to see a 35mm print of my favorite movie: Gummo, a "phantasmagoric vision of tornado-torn rural Ohio that centers loosely on the glue-huffing exploits of Solomon and Tummler, two scrawny teenage sociopaths set adrift in a wasteland of poverty and excess." That quote is from the write up that Cinefamily did on their site. Their descriptions of the films show a deep appreciative understanding of the work. The highlight of the month is the first showing in LA of his first film in a decade, Mister Lonely. The film is about a commune of celebrity impersonators. Following the film there will be an hour long documentary about the making of the film and a Q&A with Korine himself. The final night is Julien Donkey-Boy, sure to look amazing in projected 35mm. Donkey-Boy contains one of the best acting performances I've ever seen: Ewen Bremner as a schizophrenic dealing with the weirdos in his family. Most people don't like this film but I think it is a masterpiece and I guarantee you will never see anything like it again. Also playing that night is Korine's documentary on his friend David Blaine's endurance stunt where he sat in a glass box above the River Thames in London for 44 days. It is a insightful portrait of Blaine and what he's all about. Regardless of what you think of Blaine's antics, you will see him differently after watching this. If anyone wants to go to any of these, let me know and we'll go.


David Blaine and Werner Herzog on the Mister Lonely set in Panama.

Adriano Celentano

Check this out. Prisencolinensinainciusol by Adriano Celentano is an Italian club tune that predates balearic and italo disco. It was somewhat of a cult classic on the dancefloor in the 70's. The language he sings in is nonsense-totally made up. The tune is currently being re-edited and re-released by Greg Wilson.

Bush's War

PBS just aired Frontline's 5 hour documentary Bush's War. It is a blow by blow account of entire war effort from Sept 11 2001 to present day. It is mostly made up of interviews with the people that were there making the decisions or assisting the people making the decisions. However, there are no interviews with Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowietz, Tenet, or Cheney, only archive news footage. The story holds together surprisingly well and is interesting and easy to understand. From what I gathered it went down like this: Bush and Cheney were elected. Then Cheney brought on his old neo-con warhawk buddy Rumsfeld. They became an insular faction of the government, for the most part excluding Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice from anything they could. It is Rice's duty as Presidential Advisor to make sure the presidents decisions are informed by many points of view. However, she was ignored by Rumsfeld and Cheney always had the last word with Bush at meetings. No vice president had ever wielded power like Cheney.

As soon as 9/11 happened, the idea of attacking Iraq was presented. From the beginning Powell did not want to include Iraq in retaliation plans. He rightfully wanted to concentrate on Al-Qaeda. He is portrayed as a good guy in the doc. Cheney then quickly pushed to make a law that gave the president complete power to do whatever he wanted during war time. He did this secretly and had the memo drafted and signed without anyone knowing. So now basically he and Rumsfeld had the power. Bush didn't do shit, he just made the final decisions he was told to make. They began manufacturing evidence of WMDs. They claimed Iraq had "aluminium tubes" to make WMDs. They then had the NY times write about the situation and quote them saying the WMDs were there. Then, when questioned about WMDs on TV, the neo-cons said "of course they're there, there is an article saying so in the Times today." Of course, they don't mention the only source saying there were WMDs in the article was their quote. This kind of perpetual circular logic was a tool for them to manipulate media, and is a is a good example of how they went about creating propaganda and public support for their cause.

Eventually they went into Iraq. They killed a lot of people and declared victory. Then they sent in L. Paul Bremner to manage day to day affairs like setting up a new government and getting our troops out. This is where a major rift happened between the suits and the soldiers. He royally fucked up when he dissolved the Iraqi military. This meant 50,000 people, whom the army was planning on using to do grunt work, were out of a job and had a reason to be angry. This is where the insurgency really started. The first major roadside attacks were 48 hours later. He also banned the ruling Ba'ath party, which included professors and politicians, and people that knew how to run a government. They were also the voice of Iraq's largest denomination of Islam, the Sunnis, who were now essentially silenced- and pissed off about it. So Bremner went in a made all these heavy decisions without consulting anyone but Rumsfeld. The Military that were in Iraq were furious. All the leaders, included the respected Tommy Franks, quit. They threw their hands up in disgust, flew home, and retired. So Rumsfeld brought up an inexperienced general to lead the 150,000 troops and things only got worse. Total chaos ensued. Estimates for dead Iraqi's are approaching ONE MILLION, while here in America all one hears about is the 4000 dead US soldiers. The doc makes for pretty riveting drama, full of lies, deceit, and the breaking down of the American system of government.

Funny Games

Go check out Funny Games. Austrian director Micheal Haneke (Benny's Video, Cache) remade his 1997 German film in English and set the story in America. Almost everything is the same- every shot, the incredible costumes, the dialogue, and sets. Michael Pitt, Tim Roth, Brady Corbett, and especially Naomi Watts give amazing performances with materiel that must of been tough to shoot. I won't go into what the film is about here because, if possible, I recommend seeing this without knowing ANYTHING about it. It will hit you harder that way. I say this because Tim left a copy of the 1997 version at my house last year. Without hearing or reading about it, I threw it on. The way the story unexpectedly unfolds is pretty mind blowing. After coming out of the theater last night Warren said it was an instant classic but one of the most uncomfortable films he had ever sat through. Indeed, the super long takes and tension are pretty unsettling. But it is beautiful none the less.

The Diana Ross Videos: Part 4: Love Hangover

Love Hangover. One of the funkiest riffs in music history. The tune was written by Pamela Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod and originally recorded by Sylvester. It was also recorded and released at the same time as the Ross version by The Fifth Dimension. Apparently Ross and her producer got drunk before recording the song in order to loosen her up. This was Diana's first foray into disco, releasing the song in 1976. It went strait to number one on every chart. This version is from the TV show Midnight Special. Once again Diana brings audience members on stage, this time making fun of the guy after she makes him sing. Diana's personality really shines through in this clip. Amazing stuff.

Hangover of the Year

Yeah, we all get real fucked up now and then. Maybe even black out and wake up in a weird place. But goddamn- look at this kid! This is my choice out of the Hangover of the Year Finalists, with the kid shitting himself a close second. I like this picture because his friends were nice enough to bring him a pillow to try and rest his head on- but not pull him out of the bathroom. Classic. A lot of the sites hosting the pictures have omitted the one below. I think it is hysterical. I love the look on the girls face in the corner. Must of been a hell of a party.

Fuck TMZ

"Everybody who works in tabloid media are people who are filled with self-hatred and shame, and the way they manage those feelings is they destroy the lives of other people.” -Alec Baldwin

The Diana Ross Videos: Part 3: I'm Coming Out

Our Diana Ross video retrospective continues with a montage from her two free concerts in Central Park, NYC in 1983. She performs in the pouring rain for 800,000 people each day!! The video starts with day one and a little clip of her singing Ain't No Mountain High Enough soaking wet. We then see her start singing the opening number of day two IN HER TRAILER. Diana really knows how to enter and exit a stage. At the 1996 Super Bowl performance she left singing in a helicopter. Anyway, here she sprints to the stage singing her classic hit I'm Coming Out. You can feel the excitement in the air. The tune is another Rogers/Edwards Chic production that became a gay anthem upon its release in 1980. They said they wrote it after seeing drag queens dressed as Diana in an Los Angeles disco. The last tune isn't particularly noteworthy but she sure does belt it out.

Scientology Protests

Protests and picketing outside Scientology centers have started in Los Angeles. Hundreds of people gathered February 10th outside the Hollywood boulevard location and at Scientology centers around the world. The 10th is an annual global day of protest honoring the death of Lisa McPherson, who died in hands of the church after being denied medical care because of their belief that psychiatry kills. Many followers have died after being treated with vitamins and audits instead of medicine. The protests are organized by an online group called 'Anonymous' who vow to ruin the church. They already managed to temporarily bring down their website earlier this year. They post intense manifestos on youtube. Of course, protesters are masked, because as you can see in the photo below CoS is filming everything. And they will come after you. Also, if you're not familiar with Operation Clambake it is the number one source for truths about Scientology. Once you get to reading this stuff, it becomes clear CoS is not a "church" but an organized crime syndicate, robbing and exploiting the poor and vulnerable all over the world. They are an anti-intellectual, coercive, evil, maliciously self-serving mind control group. Thanks to Sara Woo who told me about this website where I found out about the protests and got the pictures from. The next one is this Saturday, March 15th.




And the enemy: the empty headed Tom Cruise receives the "medal of valor" from his best friend and church leader David Miscavige.

The Works of John Fante

Some of the best writing I have read is that of John Fante. He was born and raised dirt poor in Colorado in the 1910s and 20s. He moved to Los Angeles at 18 and lived there until his death. There, he started out living on the streets of Wilmington struggling to write and survive. He eventually moved to Angels Flight in downtown LA where he lived and worked for years. Eventually he found some success with a few novels, then started writing screenplays for Hollywood. By all accounts he wrote whatever the studios wanted. He returned to his passion, novels and short stories in his later years, his final work was dictated to his wife because he had lost his sight and legs to diabetes. Since my brother first gave me his masterpiece Ask The Dust a few months ago I have been working my way through his books. That story is a good place to start and a good introduction to the Arturo Bandini saga. The saga is four books about Bandini written over a period of 40 years. Arturo Bandini is an intimate style of writing and a character he uses to describe his life experiences. Probably the funniest, coolest, most honest writing ever. When in a drunken rage Charles Bukowski used to scream "I am Arturo Bandini!" Bukowski claimed Fante was "his God" and it was he who convinced Black Sparrow press to re-publish all of Fantes, at the time, very hard to find books. I just read this book, the first in the Bandini saga:


This is about his upbringing in Colorado. The insight and emotional depth here are staggering. An absolutely beautiful work. Published in 1938 it was his first book and was critically acclaimed. It didn't sell to well due to the fact the publishing company had its advertising funds tied up in a legal matter concerning the publishing of a little book by an upcoming political figure called Mein Kampf. Fante had a bit more recognition with Ask The Dust.


One of my favorite books ever, I wrote about it earlier this year.


In the Brotherhood of the Grape Fante uses a different name: the Molini family. In this he is grown up, living in Redondo Beach, and goes to visit his family who live outside Stockton. It is mostly about his derelict Italian father and his friends who drink wine, gamble, and fuck women all day. They are some crazy old men by any ones standards. The unhealthy but too-proud father is a stone mason and convinces his reluctant son to build a smokehouse with him up in the mountains. This is an incredible story with extraordinary insight as he describes his family with painful honesty. The way the family treats each other is brutal to read but you know that's how families work. Another book that takes place in his later years is West of Rome:


This contains two novellas: My Dog Stupid and The Orgy. The Orgy takes place around the time of Wait Until Spring. At his mothers assistance young Molini goes to help his father and a friend at a silver mine that they go to each weekend. He finds them not working but holed up in a dirty shack, hammered on red wine, and fucking some lady that drives a beat up Cadillac. The young Molini freaks out and sprays his mothers Holy Water all over them as he breaks down in confused tears. My Dog Stupid takes place in Malibu in the 60's as he raises his hippie kids and looks for work as a screenwriter. Again, he just writes about what is going on around him with his family and it is nothing short of amazing prose.


Dream from Bunker Hill. This is the one he wrote in 1982 by dictating it to his wife. It picks up where Ask the Dust leaves off. He gets a job making big money writing screenplays and he tries moving out of Bunker Hill. Everything seems perfect until the studio won't give him an assignment, they just have him 'on hold'. Bandini, of course, won't stand for this and things unravel from there. This is a shorter book divided into small chapters that make for quick easy reading. Highly recommended.


There is one more book I have yet to read in the Bandini saga: The Road to Los Angeles. There are the short story collections Dago Red, The Wine of Youth, and The Big Hunger. Also Selected Letters and 1933 Was a Bad Year. Judging by the titles of those books, they are going to be good.

The Diana Ross Videos: Part Two: The Boss

Diana and her massive band are absolutely on fire in this rendition of The Boss from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, 1979. The song is the title track of her album from that year and was written and produced by Ashford & Simpson. This video has some great crowd shots, another guest from the audience, and a rad roller skater.

Refusing Oscar

It is Oscar time! Two actors in the 80 year history of the event have refused the award. The first was George C Scott in 1971 for his portrayal of General Patton in PATTON. I guess it was pretty shocking at the time. He called the ceremony a "two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons." He didn't show up to the event, later saying he was a home watching a hockey game.
Two years later Marlon Brando also refused his Oscar for The Godfather but with a more dramatic approach. He stayed home and sent Sacheen Littlefeather, the president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee. She walked past Roger Moore and declined the statue. She said Brando had asked her to represent him and he could not accept the award because of the treatment of Native Americans in film and television. She was very polite and "begged at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will, in the future, in our hearts and our understanding meet with love and generosity". Brando wrote a long speech that she read to the press after the show. You can read it here. Later that idiot Clint Eastwood got up and said maybe he should present the best picture award "on behalf of all the cowboys shot in John Ford westerns over the years." That is quite a comparison considering the genocidal atrocities against Native Americans the white man has committed.
Anyway, no one has refused an Oscar since, and probably won't. I take my hat off to Scott and Brando.

The Diana Ross Videos: Part 1: Upside Down

Diana Ross. One of the greatest careers of all time. A voice that has touched millions over the last 40 years. I keep buying her records and so far each one is excellent and unique. Her creative output is staggering. From her early Motown days with the Supremes, to amazing disco tracks with Chic, 80's stuff with Arthur Baker, the music is pure heart and soul. This is the first in a series of live performance videos I've found on Youtube. I had'nt realized what an amazing performer she was until I did some research. The joy in this video is so magical I almost cried the first time I saw it. Especially towards the end when a guest from the audience comes on stage with her.

Snaps

Here are some pictures I took with my phone this month.


Tony Watson and Juan Nunez killing it downtown at the Redwood Bar.


A father daughter balencing act on the boardwalk in Venice.


A snapshot of Tim's video art.


Gunner Fox and friend.


A kid being trained.