Video of the Day: The Futureheads, “Walking Backwards”
A band full of Guy Smileys — that’s what we need!
If Sean Hannity Were a Screenwriter …
Thisis by David Zucker?!? The guy who helped give the world such comedy gems as Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane and the Naked Gun franchise? Really?
This political screed disguised as a comedy makes me rethink my having liked those earlier flicks. Where’s the Legion of Decency when you need ‘em?
– Chase
“American Idol” Contestants Give It Their Best At Kemper Arena
This video, which I shot in Kansas City at the “American Idol” tryouts, captures the mania surrounding these regional auditions, in which people register for two days before the event, then show up in the middle of the night to secure their place in line.
Random 10 for Aug. 20, 2008
1. The Dead Milkmen, “Dean’s Dream”
2. Be Your Own Pet, “Bitches Leave”
3. The Beastie Boys, “5-Piece Chicken Dinner”
4. Dogbowl, “Cyclops Nuclear Submarine Captain”
One of the more obscure avant garde curiosities to emerge from the Nineties was the enigmatically named Dogbowl (real name Steven Tunney). This track, from his 1991 album of the same name, nicely encapsulates his knack for infectious (albeit strange) melodies and lo-fi aesthetics.
5. Wheatus, “Something Good”
6. Juliana Hatfield, “Universal Heart-Beat”
Why did Juliana Hatfield disappear from the alt-public consciousness? Was it that damned Evan Dando’s fault? ”Universal Heart-Beat” was far from her best work, but, like the singer-songwriter herself, it’s kinda irresistible in spite of its by-the-numbers ethos.
7. The Brian Jonestown Massacre, “This Is Why You Love Me”
8. The Specials, “Doesn’t Make It Alright”
9. Led Zeppelin, “Black Mountain Side”
10. Merle Haggard, “Mama Tried”
OK, perhaps the inclusion of a Merle Haggard classic makes me something of a StaticBlog pariah, but so be it. At his beer-swillin’ best, no one could touch Haggard, and this 1968 ode to Mama — told from the perspective of a fella doin’ life without parole — is Haggard at his beer-swillin’ best.
– Chase
Random 10 for Aug. 19, 2008
1. Midnight Oil, “Power and the Passion”
One of the most cerebral and biting political bands of the 1980s (not that there was a great deal of competition for that distinction, natch), Midnight Oil eventually proved its political bona fides in 2004, when lead singer Peter Garrett was elected to Australia’s House of Representatives (he now serves as that country’s Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts). In the music video for “Power and the Passion,” however, Garrett is not so much a politico as a groovy golem.
2. Louis Jordan and His Tympani Five, “What’s the Use of Gettin’ Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again)”
3. The Plimsouls, “Apology”
4. William Shatner, “Common People”
God bless William Shatner. His earlier attempts at crooning (see “Mr. Tambourine Man”) were utter hilarity, but Has Been,his 2004 full-length LP collaboration with Ben Folds, was no novelty. Captain Kirk lends his own indelible spin — or, as Shatner would say: Lends … His own … Indelible … Spin — to Pulp’s “Common People.” The accompanying music video is fan-made, but its Legos animation seems like a good fit.
5. Franz Ferdinand, “Outsiders”
6. The Fuzztones, “She’s My Witch”
7. Elvis Costello, “Moods for Moderns”
8. Rilo Kiley, “It’s a Hit”
I know some StaticBlog readers have expressed befuddlement at the success of Rilo Kiley, but I don’t know how anyone can dispute the worth of a single like 2004′s ”It’s a Hit,” a caustic, word-packed, stripped-down pop confection in which these Los Angelenos nicely skewer everything worth skewering. And I’m not just saying that because Jenny Lewis is … what’s the phrase I’m searching for? … extremely marketable.
9. The Mingus Big Band, “Eat that Chicken”
10. Charles Brown, “New Orleans Blues”
– Chase
Staticblog Afternoon Movie: “In the Heat of the Night”
It starts with Ray Charles and only gets better.
Random 10 for August 18, 2008
1. Belle & Sebastian, “Is It Wicked Not to Care?” Swordplay in kilts and Isobel singing to a stuffed animal — what better way to start the week?
2. Common, “U, Black Maybe.”
3. The Ruby Suns, “It’s Mwangi In Front of Me.”
4. The Ting Tings, “That’s Not My Name.”
5. Goldfrapp, “You Never Know (Live).” A slightly more pro-forma coda that was dropped on the end of “Seventh Tree,” just to keep the club kids happy.
6. Destroyer, “Looters’ Follies.”
7. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson.”
8. Devo, “Jocko Homo.”
9. Ramones, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg.”
10. Club 8, “Missing You.” Searching for this Swedish duo on YouTube unfairly drags up a ton of clips of S Club 8, the unfortunate successor to the equally unfortunate British prefab pop band S Club 7. Alas.
Staticbox: Your Box Office Chart, Aug 15-17, 2008
“Tropic Thunder” pulled in another $26 million over the weekend, bringing its total to about $37 million since Wednesday. Perhaps this is just a “Dark Knight” hangover, but these numbers feel a little low. Don’t know if the boycott is working or people simply don’t trust a comedy that critics like.
1. “Tropic Thunder,” $26 million.
2. “The Dark Knight,” 16.8 million.
3. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” $15.5 million.
4. “Mirrors,” $11.1 million.
5. “Pineapple Express, “10 million.
Video of the Day: Bowerbirds, “In Our Talons”
Last year’s video trend: proscenium theatrical productions. This year: stop-action animation — particularly popular with freak-folk bands. Ray Harryhausen would be proud.
Warner Bros. Bumps ‘Potter,’ Botches EW Fall Movie Preview
As NPR noted this morning, Entertainment Weekly’s Fall Movie Preview issue, currently in subscribers’ hands, has a distinctly “Dewey Beats Truman” air about it now that Warner Bros. announced it has pushed “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to July.
The studio reported that moving the Potter film to next summer made more sense from a event/fiscal tentpole perspective, but as EW itself reported this morning, This could simply be a byproduct of the accounting department wanting to spread out its good fortune for the next fiscal year. “The Dark Knight” has already overperformed by about 100 percent beyond expectations, so they don’t really need another huge hit in 2008. In other words, they don’t want to have to climb a bigger mountain next year in terms of matching this year’s profits.
But I still want to know: why didn’t EW know what was going on elsewhere at the company before it put out this issue. One hand clearly didn’t know what the other was doing.
