Five 5/10/16

Five (things of interest to me and maybe to you)

1) Record Store Day May 16, 2016
I used to look forward to Record Store Day but as each one passes I look forward to the next one less and less. The records on my list it is getting near impossible to find. The top item on my list this year was the Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet box set. I went to 8 stores, only 2 of them had ordered it (and I wasn’t going to stand in line at Amoeba - the line up started 8 hrs before the store opened). I did pick it up at Touch Vinyl (after a search on the internet). The other records on my list I did eventual see (many several weeks later). The RSD people need to change their policy on no-returns of RSD product, the smaller indie stores can afford to get stuck with stock and order less and less each one (and some have stopped participating altogether).

RSD several years ago at the late, great Origami Records. I'm in the photo somewhere.

RSD several years ago at the late, great Origami Records. I'm in the photo somewhere.

2) Prince
damn

3) Karel Zeman Films at Cinefamily
Cinefamily screened four (The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, A Journey To The Beginning Of Time, The Stolen Airship, Invention For Destruction) of Karel Zeman’s incredible inventive feature films (+ the documentary, Karel Zeman: Adventurer In Film). These we are new restorations by the Karel Zeman Museum. I only made it to Invention For Destruction (though I have all the new restorations on DVD). It’s amazing how well these films hold up against today’s CG VFXs films.

4) Directors Guild List - The 80 Best-Directed Films
No Lubitsch, No Sturges, No Renoir, No Lang, No Eisenstein, No Murnau, No Cukor, No Vidor, No Borzage, No Animation - Not much of a list.

5) Cal Arts Producers Show (for Character Animation)
Each year Cal Arts presents a showcase of animation from its Character Animation program to the Industry. It’s almost always a fun night, this year was no exception. There were some good films, see for yourself (not all these films in the showcase): https://vimeo.com/channels/calartscharanimfilms2016/page:1

Playlist

Still Waiting - Prince
If You See Me (Instrumental) - 94 East
10 - Madhouse
Le Grind - Prince
Purple House - Prince

Still more Bernie bumper stickers than Hilary (only one so far). Have seen one Trump sticker. 

Sweet City Saul

Spoiler Alert - Better Call Saul…..

The opening of this weeks episode (March 28th, 2016) of Better Call Saul and its use of The Stampeders “Sweet City Woman” put a big smile on my face. The Stampeders where either the first or second band I saw live (at the London Western Fair, the other group being Thundermug at the Woodstock Arena - don’t remember which was first - third was Lighthouse at Massey Hall).

Sweet City Woman was a hit in 1971, didn’t realize it made all the way down to Albuquerque, New Mexico - or the small southern town where the opening is set (it did make to#8 in the USA charts). The Canadian Radio and Television Commission requirements for Canadian radio to play a percentage of Canadian content (thanks Pierre Juno) paid off in spades, developing Canadian music artists and giving them exposure, exposure that led to international touring and record releases. At one point BTO the biggest touring act in the US south.  That being said I’m often surprised at what Canadian records where released in the US. I was flipping through 45s last week and came across The Kings “Switchin To Glide” - a hit in Southern Ontario but didn’t reach much beyond that, or so I thought; and a couple of weeks ago I came across a US released 45 of FM’s “Phasers On Stun”, FM where very much a Toronto-based band. (If you are standing near me and I’m flipping through records and start to chuckle, that’s why - found another Canadian record).

It’s disappointing something like the CRTC Canadian content regulations didn’t get applied to film (it was applied to TV as well). At times it seemed that Cancon in the cinema would happen - at one point Telefilm & a few production companies seemed to focus on developing Canadian filmmakers (Atom Egoyan, Bruce MacDonald, among others); and Cineplex did make a few screens available to Canadian films -  but thanks to lobbying from Jack Valenti and Motion Picture Association of America it never happened (there was a proposal to add a tax to cinema tickets to fund Canadian production that the MPAA fought).  I’ll get off my soapbox (but this is one of the reasons Canadian hasn’t development a strong indigenous filmmaking community like in the UK or Australia - all that being said there are still some wonderful films being made in Canada by Canadians. One of the films I’m looking forward to seeing is “The Sleeping Giant”, a coming of age film set on Maniitoulin Island. (And given all the Canadian talent in animation it’s disappointing that there have not been many Canadian developed/written/produced/directed feature films - though many are trying - I am looking forward to Anne Marie Flemings “Window Horses”). 

To bring it back to Better Call Saul, a number of Canadian’s have directed episodes of BCS (and Breaking Bad) including Queen’s grad Michelle MacLaren (who also produced Breaking Bad). Though the writer and director this weeks episode are American and British.

Bon, ci bon, bon, bon, ci bon, bon
Bon, ci bon, bon, bon, bon, bon
Bon, ci bon, bon, bon, ci bon, bon
Bon, ci bon, bon, bon, bon, bon

Five (to catch up)

Five (things of interest to me and maybe to you)

1) The Squirrelly Awards for Film, 2015
Film - Mad Max: Fury Road
Director - George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Screenplay - Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
Cinematography - Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
Editing - Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound - Star Wars: The Force Awakens
VFX - Mad Max: Fury Road
Score - Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Song - none
Actor - Jacob Tremblay, Room
Actress - Daisy Ridley, Star Wars, The Force Awakens
Supporting Actor - Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Supporting Actress - Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight (and Anomalisa)
Ensemble Cast - Spotlight
Animated Feature - Shaun The Sheep, Mark Burton & Richard Starzak
Animated Short - If I Was God, Cordell Barker
Documentary Feature - Don't Think I've Forgotten-Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll, John Pirozzi
Documentary & Live Action Shorts - didn’t see many (theatrical) in 2015

(Yes, no Revenant)

2) We Stand On Guard, Brian K. Vaughan & Steve Skroce, 2015
Set in 2124, the USA is at war with Canada.  Over six issues Vaughan and Skroce tell the story of war between the USA and Canada. The Canadian Resistance - the Two Four - have been driven to the far North finding themselves battling Giant American Robots. The art is fantastic, my one quibble is with the story - with only six issues the story seems truncated. 

3) Hail, Caesar!, Joel & Ethan Coen, 2016
Maybe saying that Hail, Caesar! is just a fun piece of entertainment doesn’t do the film justice but it is 106 minutes of fun (Coen fun) - I came out of the screening with a big grin. All Hail the Coen Brothers!

4) John Sayles at Cinefamily, February 1016
Cinefamily launched their two month tribute to 80’s American Independent Cinema with a three day salute to filmmaker John Sayles. Each screening included a discussion with John Sayles (often with Sayles collaborators - Ernest Dickerson, David Strathairn). Unlike many filmmaker discussions these were detailed, informative and interesting (it helps that Sayles likes to talk) - some of the best film discussions I’ve heard.

 

5) Christians Catch Hell, Various Artists, 2015
Along with Numero Group’s “Ork Records: New York-New York”, “Christians Catch Hell” are my two favourite music reissues from 2015. 

In the later part of the 1970’s, record label Gospel Roots, a subsidiary of TK Records (home to KC and the Sunshine Band), licensed masters from regional churches, artists and labels - 50 releases over a three year period (it was cheaper to license existing material then record from scratch). The label was run by Henry Stone and Timmy Thomas (Thomas, who had a hit record with Why Can’t We Live Together, is another of my favourite artists). 

Many of the songs easily fit into an easy listening Soul of the 70’s playlist. 

For the past few years I’ve been picking up Gospel 45s, LPs and compilations when ever I find them. A number of folks/labels have issued some great collections (Mississippi Records, Dust To Digital, Tompkins Square, Mike McGonigal), Christians Catch Hell is up there with the very best. 

If you want to go deeper down the Gospel Music rabbit hole start with Dust to Digital’s Goodbye Babylon.

Playlist

After The Rain, Pastor T.L. Barrett
Baby It’s You, The Shirelles
Com’e Il Cafe, Ennio Morricone
Hail Caesar, AC/DC
O Canada, William Shatner

Still haven't seen any Hillary bumper stickers, just Bernie (and no Trump either). Have seen one Hillary lawn sign (seen in one of Hollywood canyons).

Five 11/18/15

Five (things of interest to me and maybe to you)

1) Macintosh Apples - Until recently I thought MacIntosh Apples were grown only in Southern Ontario. Last year I came across a fruit vendor at the Fairfax and 3rd (Hollywood) Farmer’s Market who carried them, grown locally. If anything is a trigger to my childhood it’s MacIntosh Apples - they loom large. My mother’s apple pies I can still taste (and came close to replicating last Christmas). As a Cub we sold apples door to door each fall, our baskets brightly colored with green and yellow crape paper. One bite and all this comes rushing back.
(Yes, I should have put two and two together - Apple Inc + MacIntosh Computer + from California)

"Nearly two hundred years, and still the King of Apples." This very short 16mm film, less than 1 minute long, was produced around 1971 by the Department of Public Relations of the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph and the Information Branch of Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

2) All Things Must Pass, Colin Hanks, 2015 - I visited the Tower Records on Sunset many times, didn’t buy much there (I did find a bunch of Bob Marley Live concert CDs - quasi-bootlegs - from Japan about a year before they closed). Tower Video, both in West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, where more of an interest (great selections of used video tapes). Better CD prices could be found at the indie shops. I was surprised when they opened in Toronto - with both Sam The Record Man and A & A at the top of there game (or just past). I remember Tower-TO having a large stack of cassettes of Nirvana’s Bleach that never seemed to shrink. Last Tower I visited was Tower-Dublin, still open, bought the Nuggets Reissue and Africa Screams LPs.

The documentary does a fine job of exploring the rise and fall of the Tower Empire. Lots of interviews with staff as well as founder Russell Solomon. It’s easy to explain Tower’s demise on the growth of the MP3 but they didn’t have any plan except to expand - no rainy day fund. 

(Side Note: One of the staff mentions treating customers a la “High Fidelity”. The best “High Fidelity-type” clerks I’ve come across was at an indie store in Boston - that was fun a visit)

All Things must Pass Trailer - 2015 Tower Records Documentary by Colin Hanks Subscribe for more: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NewTrailersBuzz

3) Fargo Season 2, FX, 2105 - Season One was great but in it’s own way Season Two might be better. I love the loopy-ness of it (especially the first couple of episodes). The writing is fun. The camerawork and editing stellar. But the real star is the color of the light - it’s this fantastic shade of yellow courtesy of Calgary’s winter sun - even though it’s the middle of winter the light is warm.

Brilliant use of Jeff Wayne's The Eve of The War (from Wayne's War Of The Worlds) in Episode 2

Coming soon: new series starring Patrick Wilson, Kirsten Dunst and Ted Danson. #Fargo

4) Ork Records: New York, New York, Numero Group, 2015 - Reissue/Box Set of the year. This is a great listen - top to bottom. One of the ‘“first punk” labels founded by Terry Ork (details here https://numerogroup.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/who-the-fuck-is-terry-ork/). Ork only released a couple dozen tracks (Television, Alex Chilton, Feelies among those) - all worth repeated listens. 

http://www.numerogroup.com/products/ork-records-new-york-new-york

5) Trumbo, Jay Roach, 2015 -  good story, good acting, good TV movie

Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/dHs73 Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt Trumbo Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren Biopic HD The successful career of Hollywood screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, comes to an end when he is blacklisted in the 1940s for being a Communist.

Playlist

1) Little Johnny Jewel - Television
2) Tower Records Commercial 1968
3) Dalton Trumbo HUAC Testimony 1947
4) Fargo, North Dakota, Carter Burwell
5) Johnny Appleseed, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Bernie is still ahead on Bumper Stickers

Five 10/22/15

Five (things of interest to me and maybe to you)
Stealing a page from Greil Marcus’s Real Life Top Ten
10/22/15

1) Cold Brew Coffee - I don’t consider myself a coffee snob even though I have many coffee making devices (two French Presses, a stovetop expresso maker, a half dozen drippers, a Chemex, an Aeropress, several kinds of grinders, assorted scales, and at least two Vacuum/Siphon pots). Until recently I felt that the best way to brew coffee was with a Vacuum/Siphon pot (also the most work). For the past few months have been making Cold Brew - it’s simple to make, just coffee and water in a mason jar, over night in the fridge, strain through a coffee filter (might take a bit of trial and error to get the right coffee to water ratio). Great full flavour, no bitterness. On par with Vacuum pot. Even Starbucks can make a good Cold Brew (how come after 12PM they only brew Pike Place, a truly awful coffee and often burnt). Still searching for the perfect Coffee Cup.

2) Roxy: The Movie, Frank Zappa - I’m a big Zappa fan. That being said I’ve listen to so much of Frank’s music that a few years ago I took a break, an exended break. (my albums/cds are in Toronto, with most of my coffee paraphernalia, and I’m in LA). Recently I saw the four decades in the making Roxy: The Movie at the Egyptian (LA’s best place to see a movie). It’s a straight forward edit of 3 nights of shows from December 1973 - no animation, no skits - just presented as a one concert. Boy, does this band swing - George Duke, keyboards; Ruth Underwood,  xylophone, marimba, Percussion; Tom Flower, bass;  Bruce Flower, trombone; Ralph Humphries, drums; Chester Thompson, drums; Napoleon Murphy Brook, saxophone, vocals; and Frank Zappa, guitar, vocals. The musicians knew this music inside and out, they were tight, able to change direction on a dime (or on the wave of Zappa’s pinky finger). There’s Joy in the playing and Joy in the listening (and watching).The instrumental version of Cheapnis is one of the best pieces of music I’ve heard from one of Frank’s groups.

Written, directed, and conducted by Frank Zappa, as well as produced by him, Gail Zappa, Ahmet Zappa, and Jeff Stein, Roxy: The Movie stars Zappa, The Mothers, and their mesmerizing musicianship.

3) The Mask, Julian Hoffman, 1961 - Billed as the first Canadian horror movie (before Cronenberg), The Mask (aka Eyes of Hell), is a lot of fun (and not to be confused with Canadian Jim Carrey’s The Mask). Shot partially in anaglyph 3D (red blue/green glasses), a voice commands the viewer to “put on your mask on now” for(quoting the trailer) “the weirdest nightmare world that man has every dreamed or the screen has ever dared show”. These sequences were supervised by Slavko Vorkapich, pioneer of the montage (David Copperfield, Mr Smith Goes To Washington). This is one film you want to see with audience, thought the Blu Ray comes out next month with a bunch of cool extras (shorts by Vorkapich and a new 3D horror short, One Night In Hell with music by Queen's Brian May).

4) Sacri Cuori - Don’t much about this Italian group, Sacri Cuori (Sacred Hearts). I first heard them on KCRW - a little 60’s psych, a little Italian soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, a little blues, a little world - a stew of sounds. I have their recent album, Delone, need to find the rest. Reminds me of Calexico. http://www.sacricuori.com

5) Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Elvis Costello, 2015 - Read this pretty much in one go. It jumps around a bit (which seems to be the norm for rock bios these days) but his writing on his influences and likes is pretty great, so’s his writing on his own songs. http://www.elviscostello.com

Playlist

1) Java Jive, The Ink Spots
2) Delone, Sacri Cuori
3) The Blue Mask, Lou Reed
4) Cheapnis, Frank Zappa
6) Radio Radio, Elvis Costello

Side note: I drive a scooter around LA. Having to play close attention to the car in front of me, I've noticed that there are more Barney stickers then Hilary stickers on car bumpers