Yeah, "Big Miss" is probably too harsh on my part. It honestly wasn't that bad. Ewan McGreggor was pretty good actually. I'll tell you though, I'm especially excited to hear that Johnny Depp is slated to be Willy Wonka. Honestly, any actor Burton could have picked would have ridden on the coat tails of Wilder's performance. But at least Depp will have his own unique take on Wonka.
Ouch. "Big Miss" is probably too harsh. This may be noteworthy - the screenwriter of Big Fish was also the screenwriter for both Charlie's Angels films.
Edward Scissorhands may be my favorite Tim Burton movie, but he may change that with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Oh yeah, can't wait for that one. Johnny Depp is slated to play Willy Wonka. I didn't know what to think about that at first, but after seeing him in Pirates, I'm excited to see him do it. Gene Wilder will probably be the best Wonka ever, though.
You can catch the teaser trailer to M. Night's The Village at Yahoo Movies. Apparently it's supposed to be attached to Return of the King but it didn't play when I saw it. Brock, when you saw it a second time, did it play? It feels too much like Signs. I look forward to it though. Many movies to look forward to!!
Tim Burton's latest, Big Fish, is a visionary delight. However, I feel it's only a bit more than that. The majority of the movie brings to life the tall tales of Ed Bloom. In the background is a story of a son who feels as though he was robbed of time and truths during his childhood. Normally, such an issue would be central and important. It feels, though, that both son and father don't care that much about it. It can almost be summed up like this:
Son: "You told lies and you were hardly ever there."
Father: "They were stories and I was a busy man."
Father is dying. Son finds out stories were exagerrated truths.
Father (dying): "Tell me how I die, in story form."
Son makes up story how father dies. Father dies. Son cries. Everything's good.
I really would like to have seen the issue between father and son explored more deeply, or at least, feel more real. Therein lies the weakpoint of the movie. However, the visionary extrapolations of the stories were fun, and visually exciting.
Believe it or not, I got sick again this week. Counting the cold I had a week or two ago this would be the second cold that I’ve gotten in a matter of two weeks. It’s really gotten me down to be sick so frequently. Moreover, it’s hard to keep recovering from cold after cold. There were a few things to help nurse me through the coughing and congestion though.
For example; The Spike Jonez DVD. I didn’t buy into the hype for this release, but when I saw it at ‘Best Buy’ for 14 dollars I decided I couldn’t pass it up. In that five-minute period between the music video rack and the cash register I decided that 14 dollars for Beastie Boys, Dinosaur Jr. and Weezer music videos seemed good to me.
But there’s plenty more on the disc that I enjoyed in addition to the music videos. The short film ‘How They Got There’ is of special consideration.
So if you walk into ‘Best Buy’ and have about 14 dollars to burn, think about picking it up.
I also saw Return of the King again. Happily, I can say I enjoyed more aspects of the film then I previously let on. Of the many things that come to mind, I really liked the soundtrack this time around. I still think that Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers have weak soundtracks. King’s soundtrack, on the other hand, felt appropriate (and original) for the tone of the movie.
For example, the music’s impact upon the film caused one of the true emotional moments for me: Frodo and Sam gazing up at Mount Doom, tired and worn, as the simplistic flute theme for the Shire plays. It isn’t gaudy or orchestrated. It merely reminds you of how far from home they are.
Those details seem like minor improvements upon my first viewing, but they were little things that made the film more relevant to me then an epic battle sequence.
I think my biggest gripe about the Lord of the Rings films is the belief that these films are restoring a level of cinematic storytelling to movies. While that may be true of 'The Fellowship of the Ring', 'Return of the King' does no such thing. People gripe about the constant battle sequences and special effects in film series like Star Wars and The Matrix, but then gush over Lord of the Rings, when really there's no difference in genre or filmmaking taking place. Peter Jackson seems to be every bit the craftsman that Steven Speilberg is, relying on theatrics such as: drawn out conclusions and formulaic emotional pay-offs.
I'm sure at this point you think I hated the movie, but let me assure you that I didn't. I liked it very much in fact. However, I don't think that Peter Jackson is a godsend meant to deliver us from the greedy studios and their cookie-cutter films. Return of the King was a visually stunning movie with some good action. But it most certainly isn't the cinematic masterpiece that many are already making it out to be.
Really, most of my qualms with it come from the horribly long ending, which could have been cut down quite a bit without any loss of impact. If you've read the book you already know what happens at the end. Jackson altered it a bit and took out one of the major resolutions. And then he cranked up the slow motion. Waaaaay up.
Ultimately I enjoyed most everything about it, save for the half-hour long ending.
So, Gabe tells me that posts seem to be getting stuck. I looked into the control panel and sure enough, he was right. He's got two posts just sitting there unpublished! What's the deal blogger? We've always been kind to you. If this post doesn't go through I'm going to try 'republishing'.
Yeah, we missed Rancid, but it's no big deal. I've seen Tim Armstrong with the Transplants. I know, I know, 'you haven't seen Tim Armstrong unless you've seen him with Rancid'.
Hey, I bought the Appleseed Cast album Mare Vitalis today. Gabe put a song on his mix CD and when I heard it last night I asked, "who's this band?" Proof that it was time I bought their CD so I wouldn't ask stupid questions like that.
That's all for now I think. I should have that 'best of 2003' thing up sometime this weekend or next week even. Trust me, I've been working on it.
Cya,
-Brock
That's what we hope for anyway. I've become a neglectful concert goer lately. Rancid sold out and I didn't get any tickets ahead of time.
Possible exciting news. The New Times, an indy paper of sorts, is listing The Fire Theft as playing here January 14th. However, nothing is confirmed on TFT's website. Let's hope it's true. That would be awesome. Oh, and we'll get tickets ahead of time.
We did make it to the Return of the King, though. Mostly good. Stretched out ending that made it funny. I'm sure Brock will have more on it.
I’ve got a bit of a busy night ahead of me.
For starters, I’ve got to go down to my college and ensure them that I have financial aid for my classes. (Today was the payment date). Then, at 8:00, I’ve got to go to my other school and get my final math grade. For some reason, my math teacher thought it’d be a great idea to have all of his students meet in the classroom and collect their homework days after the class ended. I do want to get all of that back though; it’s not like picking that stuff up throws a monkey wrench into my plans.
Finally, I need to see if there’s a good slot or two for me to place a few more classes for next semester. I should have probably checked that out a week ago, but I was so busy with finals that I kind of neglected it. Oh well, everything’s relevant.
Today I worked on my ‘Best Albums of 2003’ list. I said that I would write that thing up during my winter break, and true to my word, here I am working on it merely 4 days after my last test. It’s going to be good, or at least I think so. There were definitely a number of good and not so good albums that came out in 2003. Hopefully, I can shed light on my favorites and ridicule some of my despised purchases.
And last but not least, I’m nearly done with my mix. It’s got plenty of good songs on it, but I’m having a hard time deciding the last few songs. I think I’m going to definitely use a ‘Sweep the Leg Johnny’ song as the mix’s closer, but the last few songs before that are up in the air.
Here’s looking forward to Rancid tomorrow night, and ‘Return of the King’ as well.
Well, there's a lot of stuff going on. Return of the King comes out tonight. Rancid is tomorrow night. I'm sure there's more.
Is Docto Octo supposed to have an accent? I dont' think he did in the cartoon. Not that I remember anyway. I have to say that the teaser got me excited to see the new Spider-Man. Looks thrilling.
Check it out! The Spider-Man 2 Teaser is online!
One complaint: Where's Doc Ock's accent? Maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't he supposed to have a Russian (or is it German) accent? Looks like they pulled a Rogue and had him drop it.
Small Brown Bike posted dates for their final four shows. Last one is with The Casket Lottery!
Speaking of The Casket Lottery, they hope to put out a 4 song EP of their new stuff by X-mas. Sweetness!
Excuse the bad spelling or grammar mistakes if I make a few in this post...I'm currently waiting at school to meet with my advisor. Yes, this semester isn't even over and already I'm getting ready for the next. It's crazy.
I listened to a couple of those Old Canes demos, and they're pretty good! Not what I expected, but it's interesting at any rate. Hopefully the album is good.
Well, that's all until now. I'll try and drop in later.
-Brock
That is the name of the band with Junior from The Casket Lottery and singer from The Appleseed Cast. Go here> OLD CANES to download some demos!!
Yeah, I probably won't be able to work on mine until after this week. It's going to be a little hectic, no time to mix or rate music. Glad you like the idea though. We've talked about what's come out in music so much this past year that it's only fair we make a list of what's the best.
Maybe I'll list a favorite band and song of 2003 as well.
The year's almost over... should I post my personal "best album of 2003"? I must decide what it is...
This is my last week of school, until next semester that is. Finally. I'm ready to be done and move on to the next round.
Hope you enjoyed your Sunday post. Next Sunday I'll be too happy to be done with school to even give this place a second thought.
No, I kid. Chances are I'll post plenty over the break.
I was reading down the blog and I noticed a post of Gabe's that I hadn't read before. It's about Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums list.
How did Rolling Stone compile the list anyway? What media?
I dunno how they compiled the list. I'm sure the staff put it together though.
The 'media' comment was just me being my bitter old self. The media, such as Rolling Stone, has never been very good at determining the best of the best when it comes to works of art (like albums).
Sorry, I didn't notice that post dude. I wasn't ignoring it.
Also, that list of songs in The Ballad of John and Yorke is a mix tape of Radiohead and Beatles songs. I thought you'd notice that by the title and that little quote before the list, but now you know for sure.
So I put together a rough mixtape, and I don't know if I like it. Some of it works, some of it doesn't.
*sigh* So does that make this Mixer's Block?
So Bob finally posted the lowdown on this year’s Mix Madness. Personally, I’m excited. If every one of the Hey Mercedes guys is going to be making mix tapes this time around then I’m going to send in one for sure.
I got past my writers block yesterday by the way… Thankfully I managed to write up nearly all of the sequence I was hoping for. I’ve still got some touch-up work between today and tomorrow, but it won’t be difficult. At least, I hope not.
I’m stuck writing the final installment in Act I for my screenplay. And so far it isn’t going too well. I’ve got some solid stuff down on paper, that’s for sure. But I’m generally having a hard time getting the entire scene figured out. Part of me wants it to be quick and off the cuff, while at the same time structured. (Sort of like the fight scenes in Minority Report) Yet another part of me is simply terrified of writing a horrible action sequence. My script isn’t action heavy, and I don’t want this sudden scene to be cheesy or outlandish. But it kind of needs to be off the hilt. Do you know what I mean?
I’ll figure it out, I’m sure. I just need to get in the right mindset.
I’ve also got two very important math tests coming up and I want to be prepared for them. I’ll do just fine with the math though. All of the homework and study in that class makes reviewing for these tests more of a precautionary act then a necessity.
Keep an eye out on the Wire today for Bob to post the rules for this year’s Mix Madness.
If I can get these last few pages pounded out, then I’ll put together a mix tape.
See ya!
I'm a posting machine today. Too much news.
Hey Mercedes' video is up!!!! Check it HERE!
Obviously low budget. One location. But funny concept and it looks pretty good. At least they finally got a video made, though!
Out of the many lists I've read through over the years, I've realized that they're mostly filler and a way to sell more magazines. How did Rolling Stone compile the list anyway? What media? Sometimes it's reader polls, which can greatly skew a list if you have thousands of teens voting for the latest Blink 182 as the all-time greatest.
It seems like once every 6 months or so Rolling Stone decides to feature a complete list of the best songs, musicians or albums of all time. And this month we’re once again subjected to that treatment. This time around, they’ve completed a list of the 500 greatest albums of all time (because they did the 50 greatest six months ago). Needless to say, I have a few objections with the list.
For starters, it would be nice if they could keep some sort of consistency between their number one albums in each list. Last time they picked Revolver as the greatest record of all time, and now they’ve named Sgt. Pepper as numero uno. Really, all they’re doing is rotating the Beatles albums so that every one gets a stint as number one.
Ah yes, and then we have the beautifully repulsive All That You Can’t Leave Behind at 139, outranking Radiohead’s masterwork OK Computer at 162. Forget the fact that I’m a Radiohead junkie for a moment here and grasp the stupidity of that placement. By all means, a U2 album should be ranked above OK Computer (U2 is one of the bands that influenced Radiohead after all). But if you’re going to put U2 above Radiohead at least put one of their better albums at the top. Consequently, War is in the 221st slot.
Finally, two of the best Dinosaur Jr. albums (and arguably two of the greatest rock albums of all time) Bug and You’re Living All Over Me go unlisted.
Sorry for the rant, but it’s just disappointing to see more of these lists cranked out. They always plug the same stuff, just in a different order. If anything, they should be delving into the underground music scene and digging out the "50 greatest albums Rolling Stone magazine always neglects".
Is that the new name?
Hopefully, I’ll get that Aquabats DVD soon (Probably tomorrow?). There was another DVD that came out this week that I wanted to check out: The Two Towers Extended Edition. And next week, X-Men 2 gets its release. There’s just way too many DVD’s I’m interested in right now.
That side-project sounds awesome. I tell you, those Kansas Kids think of everything.
So The Aquabats released a DVD this week. Sounds pretty cool. I'm waiting for Brock to pick it up!
Modest Mouse sure is playing with our minds. They have, yet, another new splash page but no updated news!!! The tension is killing me.
There's a new side-project band that sounds kick-ass! I don't know how many people are in it, but the two main players are: Junior, the drummer from The Casket Lottery and the lead singer from The Appleseed Cast. I forgot the name of the band. I deleted the email with the news on it. When I find out and I'll let everyone know.
Oh, and there's a new Q&A with Paul Thomas Anderson at Cigarettes & Coffee!
I’m so pissed right now. Microsoft Word has been ‘un-expectantly quitting’ on me all day. It quit at least 4 times when I was working on my screenplay and it just quit after I had finished a big long post for you guys. I don’t want to even attempt to write another post right now…
Looks like ‘later’ turned out to be much later. I’m sorry; it was hectic last week.
Speaking of Modest Mouse however, I really had a good time. Name a Modest Mouse classic and chances are they played it. ‘Paper Thin Walls’, ‘I Came As A Rat’, ‘3rd Planet’, ‘Wild Pack Of Family Dogs’, ‘Trailer Trash’, ‘Out Of Gas’ and even Gabe’s cover song ‘Bankrupt On Selling’ were on the set list. What was truly surprising though was the enormous crowd that greeted the band. That’s easily the first show I saw sold out at Nita’s Hideaway, and it outnumbered the crowd I saw attending Ugly Casanova a year or so ago.
Part of that factors into a comment that Gabe and Alex made that night. “Everyone was dancing at the Flagstaff show!” In other words, the Phoenix crowd can get a bid jaded at times. The lead singer Isaac Brock was quiet and reserved in front of the large audience and some feel that Modest Mouse is better to see in a smaller city like Flagstaff or Tucson.
Ironically, Modest Mouse played the following night in Tucson. But for the moment, I can only go on what I saw here in Phoenix: It was a fantastic set with a great band.
I do want to point out something from my experience at the show however. This is stuff that should probably be kept in mind if you ever see me at a show here in Arizona. Think of it as the first rule in concert etiquette when hanging out with Brock.
Behave for Brock
1. Get away from me rummy.
This was part of the fun at the show. A drunken guy with a buzz-cut approached me and leaned on me for a few moments. Then, staring me straight in the eye he muttered some incoherent gibberish and was on his way. First of all, never do this to me at a show. It bothers me, and your breath smells like urine.
That’s that for now. I’ll see you later.
Modest Mouse was last night, and I want to say something about that in a bit.
On a side note, I'm sad to hear about Face to Face's demise. They were a good band. In fact, I think aside from Radiohead, the most CD's of a particular group that I own would be Face to Face. Gabe told me last night they're probably going to put out a DVD, which will be good.
In a bit…
-Brock
So what's the deal with Modest Mouse.com's splash page? Is that the setlist for tonight, or from their previous show? Or is it just some random image? If it's the set for tonight, yay for "Trailer Trash" being one of the selections.
I'm curious to find out more about Shipwrecked. Sadly, I only got to see Small Brown Bike once, but they were great. Hopefully, Shipwrecked retains some of SBB's sound.
Small Brown Bike has posted a statement on their break up on their web site. There isn't a cut and dry explanation but they felt it was time to move on to other things. What is that?? Oh, well. I guess Mike's in a band called Shipwrecked that's supposed to be pretty good.
Also, Pele has broken up. I only have one CD of theirs. I don't remember how it is. I better pull it out. What's with all the break-ups!?
Face to Face has called it quits. Not a breakup really. They just feel they've run their course. They sure put on a good run. Thank you Face to Face. You provided a great chapter in the story of my ongoing musical epic.
So what's this I hear about Tenacious D covering Paranoid Android and Airbag? I'll have to check that out.
Yeah, the Hulk beard thing always made me wonder. Maybe we'll find out in the sequel. (That's what I care about. Not Bruce and Betty getting together, nor Betty coming to terms with the rift between the Hulk and her father. I want to find out about Hulk's beard).
I watched the Hulk for the first time since I saw it in the theater. I was wondering about the ending, when Bruce Banner is in the (presumably South American) village and he’s got the beard. My thought was, when he turns into the Hulk, does the Hulk keep the beard? Moreover, does it become a huge wicked beard?
Rocky came, and he went. At a show I thought he'd be opening, he headlined. Despite this, his set was still short. I would've liked more songs for sure, but he did play one more at the beckoning request of the audience. Soulful and sweet. Songs that would make Chris Carraba wet his pants!
Audio Learning Center has basically finished a new album. Just needs to be mixed and mastered. Can't wait. I really like their shiznit. That's all I have for now. Pretty quiet.
I heard that Whale Rider was Keisha Castle-Hughes' first movie. So in checking IMDB, it confirmed it. Then I noticed she's playing a Regal Leader in Star Wars: Episode III. More reason for Brock to see Whale Rider! And an appropriate role, as she was striving to be a leader in Whale Rider.
Yes, Loses Control has grown considerabley on me. It is more of a "rock" album, but distinguishable with Nanna's singing style and their cool licks and hooks.
Ok, time to talk about Hey Mercedes. Now, as you’re undoubtedly aware, their latest album, Looses Control, has been receiving some harsh criticism directed at the album’s pop-sensible nature. I think the easiest way for me to address this complaint is to simply regurgitate one of Gabe’s thoughts on the matter: “Pop nothin’”.
I was reading some of the reviews over at Amazon the other day when I found one fan comparing HM to Foo Fighters. I mention it because it really clarifies what Hey Mercedes is: an energetic rock band. Their debut EP was a catchy and rock driven, and Everynight Fire Works was an all out, take no prisoners, rock record, from start to finish. Looses Control merely builds upon that formula. In fact, Looses Control, in my opinion, will go down among the fans as boasting some of the band’s better songs (Police Police Me, Quality Revenge At Last).
Ultimately, I think it’s a worthy step for the band, and a perfect companion to Everynight Fire Works.
Hey Gabe, what's up? (I'm feeling much better now, don't worry 'bout me) Cool purchases! You'll have to let me see Whale Rider.
So, today Hulk and Whale Rider came out on DVD. Picked up both. The Hulk DVD got good reviews on the picture and sound. Should be fun to watch.
I saw Whale Rider in the theater and enjoyed it immensely. A rare movie that holds up on story and characters alone. Superb acting by the young lead actress. It's a movie, though, that I thought I wouldn't own. But I realized that it was small indie movie and needs all the support it can get. Support independent movies and music!!!
I'll post my thoughts on Hey Mercedes' new album tomorrow or something...
I finally got it today, and I've been listening to it. I just gotta let it sink in, maybe revisit Everynight Fire Works, do some soul searching (heh heh).
I'm almost over this sickness crap, and it's amazing because I actually managed to drag myself into math class tonight. “Brock takes a licking and keeps on ticking”.
Thanks for the encouragement Gabe. I feel better already, my sore throat is going away and I’ve got most of my energy back. By Friday or Saturday, I should be up and running again.
That’s too bad about Small Brown Bike though. It’s a bit of a downer too, because I was really looking forward to their show. Modest Mouse, Rocky Votolato and Small Brown Bike…it was a promising winter. It still is, but I agree with Gabe: let’s hope they don’t break up.
News today from Small Brown Bike:
Hey all, we are sorry to announce the cancellation of our upcoming tour dates due to personal issues. Our apologies go out to all of the people involved with setting up the tour, Selfmademan, The Vexers, The Oranges Band and those of you who were looking forward to the shows.
I hope the "personal issues" don't involve a possible band breakup.
Unfortunately, now I’m sick. Something seems to be going around down here in Phoenix. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and my voice gone. I could tell I was sick last night, but I didn’t think it would take a toll on me like this. To add insult to injury, a glass of water I was drinking in between sleep (to keep the sore throat away) tipped over on some of my CD’s. One of those CD’s happened to be OK Computer. At this point, I’m expecting my arm to get chopped off or something…
So many things have gone wrong in between yesterday and today, and I can only expect them to progressively spiral downward.
At least the Indiana Jones trilogy came out on DVD today. For those who complain that only one of the Indy movies is a truly great film, I present to you the alternative purchase that came out today. With that in mind The Temple of Doom doesn’t look so bad after all…
Yeah, I had some kind of cold. Feeling just fine now but still a little stuffed up.
It sounds like the Primus show was awesome. Here's a little review of the show from a local news source: REVIEW. Sold out show. Oh well, maybe there will be another chance.
I finally got those Modest Mouse tickets. I’m sure it’ll be a good show, but I don’t think it’ll sell out. Still, never hurts to be safe rather then sorry…
I also picked up Small Brown Bike’s “The River Bed” while I was at Zia’s. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me; “A Lesson to Remember” and “What’s Missing is Dead” are my favorite songs on the album thus far…
Last night Primus played in Phoenix, but we didn’t see them, as Gabe had gotten sick over the weekend. A bad chest cold, I hear. I hope Gabe gets better soon, and that he doesn't feel down about it. I read that Primus might work on a new album next year, so they’re sure to come back around again. Maybe they’ll do another double-set list too.
Today I finally got a chance to clean my room. I've had schoolwork and the all too familiar plea of procrastination halting my progress. Today however, I took care of one of my lengthier messes, namely my CD collection. Usually, when I finish listening to a CD I simply stash it away in a CD jacket or amongst stacks of other CD's. Today everything went back to its rightful place. It was neat though because I found some albums that I forgot about. It's like coming across a large chunk of your past whenever you re-explore some of your forgotten music:
"Hey, I remember that!”
"Oh yeah, I bought this one because they didn't have their other one"
"I remember Matt recommending this one to me."
Tomorrow I’m definitely going to get Marco and myself Modest Mouse tickets. If I wait any longer I can tell Alex is going to faint. I don’t think they’ll sell-out though, and Nita’s is a big place.
Ooo, an Aquabats DVD? Nice. Blackball Records, which is operated by one of the guys from Jawbreaker, not Blake, will be reissuing the infamous Dear You with bonus tracks and a video for "Fireman." Read about it here. While it may be their last and most popular album, old fans scorn it because it was much "poppier" than their earlier works. It's still awesome.
Next month, the new Aquabats DVD, Serious Awesomeness hits the streets. I'm hyped, it looks pretty cool judging by some of the stuff slated to be on the DVD, like:
Man, I can tell you’re loopy today. I’ve got a math test tonight so I’m more “grim detest” then loopy.
Woo woooo!
Oh, and if you’re gonna see movies this weekend, and you can only see one, see Intolerable Cruelty. I saw School of Rock, and it was funny, but I think any film by the Coen brothers (I hope I spelt that right) is a sure bet.
I’m sorry about the title on Wednesday’s post. It seemed funny at the time, but it really isn’t.
Likewise, I’ll keep the DJ’s outta my posts.
Get rich quick? “It’s never gonna be about the money man, that’s not even the point.”
Also, the butt whistle thing was already taken by Saturday Night Live. It was a device that turned flatulence into lively speech, or something like that.
I'm not into the DJs too much but I won't talk about it.
This weekend I would like to see Intolerable Cruelty and/or School of Rock. Hopefully I end up seeing both.
I'm trying to think of "get rich schemes." How about a butt whistle? You insert, and it whistles when you pass gas! You know, like Woo-woo! It'd be comfortable. I promise.
I listened to Looses Control in Gabe’s car tonight, and I liked it at first glance. Of course, I can’t pass judgment until I pick it up and carefully dissect it myself, but it sounds good. Sort of like a whole rock anthem to loosing control…
I think I’m also going to try and look into Grandaddy’s album, Sumday. I didn’t hear too much of their stuff in the past, but I saw them perform on an old Conan (on Comedy Central) the other day and I really liked it. Mellow but catchy… Ah yes, and I also have Kid Koala’s new dealy reserved, and I need to pick it up. I hope that’s good; it seemed unique when I heard samples of it.
Sadly, that’s all I can say for today. You know life has toned down a notch when I’m posting my laundry list of “albums to purchase”.
Check out the wire though (click the link on your right -->) because Todd Bell posted a cool interview from another website. It really gives you the mentality of their band and how they work.
I have now listened to Loses Control a few times over. I would not say that it's "poppier" than Everynight Fireworks. Brock is right in that Hey Mercedes started out fairly poppy and the newest album is no poppier than the first. It is a bit different, though. I'm thinking I will like it a lot.
The Fire Theft album has grown considerably on me. I love it!
Gahhh! Looses Control, I’ve lost control. Your crunchy rock goodness has conquered my ears! Actually, I haven’t bought it yet. Chances are, I won’t get a chance to get it until this weekend. Busy? Yes, oh yes. However, I should note that from the songs I heard in concert, and the songs made available for download online, it sounds like a very promising album.
Moreover, fans should keep in mind that Hey Mercedes has always been from the start, a much poppier band then Nanna’s usual fare. But we’ll see. I also have to get tickets to Modest Mouse’s concert here in our fair city. Oh, and now Marco wants some Modest Mouse tickets? Well fine!
Heh heh…no, seriously, ok.
Will Loses Control be a smart, innovative, in-your-face album for Hey Mercedes or just another pop-punk CD? Some of their fans who've heard the album already think it's more on the structured poppy side than ENFW. We'll see.
Go to Second Nature Records and pre-order yourselves a sick-ass skate deck, featuring artwork from The Casket Lottery's album Survival is for Cowards!!
Also coming out tomorrow...
I've never seen Raising Arizona. I think I might have seen bits and pieces of it, but never the whole film. I should get the script for it and then turn it in as my mid-term exam for screenwriting class.
"Dude, your script is about Arizona. Awesome!"
I saw Raising Arizona for the first time in it's entirety yesterday. I've always seen parts here and there. It came on IFC. Great movie.
Loses Control out tomorrow! Hoo-ahhh!
Check out some cool pictures from the Radiohead show at Chula Vista.
Sort of. If you've been waiting for the Lord of the Rings marathon, the official site has the list of participating theaters. These theaters will be playing the first two LOTR movies before the third one comes out. Weeee! Check it out here: List.
Today I picked up Suicide Medicine by Rocky Votolato. I was actually surprised; I didn’t expect Zia’s (the CD store) to have it. Yet there it was, two copies in fact, and at a reasonable price to boot! They also had The River Bed but I only had enough coinage for one…I think it goes without saying that I made a wise choice.
Time flies indeed. Make sure to check out the countdown on the Wire. Bob put up their intro to their shows for download. Use it to introduce Hey Mercedes' new album to your friends when it comes out!
Be careful with those lighters, if you hold them too long you'll burn your finger. -Thom Yorke, San Diego
Yes, the Radiohead show was crazy. I read that Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz were there, but I didn't see either of them. I'm sure they loved Yorke's commentary on Hollywood.
heh heh...
So, one week left till Looses Control is released to the masses. That's amazing! It seems just like yesterday when Gabe and I were standing there with our faces pressed into the record store window, waiting for them to open so we could get Everynight Fire Works. Time flies...
Yes, the lame poster is back! I've actually been quite busy at work. Busy at work = no time to post. I very rarely post from home. I should try to do that more often.
Well, The Fire Theft's new album came out Tuesday. I like it! I wasn't sure at first. I think there's a negative side to hearing all the songs live first.
I must say that the screenwriting class has been a blast. I'm sure glad I signed up. When Brock and I are done with our scripts, perhaps we'll post links to them. In case someone wants to buy the rights. Yes?
Yo, how’s it going? Yeah, yeah, I know. Long time no blog. Well, I’ve got the amazing excuses of being both busy and topic-challenged. Nothing new under the sun I suppose. I had to study quite a bit last week for this big math test I had Friday night. Thankfully, I was well prepared for it though. Likewise, I’ve been busy with our screenwriting class. In comparison to the math class however, the screenwriting stuff is just icing on the cake.
I did get the chance to rent 12 Monkeys over the weekend though. I haven’t seen that movie, and I thought I’d better check it out before I set out on writing my own science fiction film. I’ve only watched half of it so far, but I like it very much. Brad Pitt is great in it. In fact, I think this is my favorite performance of his. That’s not to say that Bruce Willis does a bad job either. With a good director and a solid story, he usually holds his own pretty well, and this is a good film for him, I think.
Finally, I’ll be counting down the days until next weekend. Come Friday I’ll be heading for San Diego (yet again) to see Radiohead and hopefully, some cool weather. I’m sure they won’t be playing anything rare *coughBig Ideascough* but I’m still excited. I’ve wanted to see these guys for a looooong time…
Delayed until 2004? NooooooooOoOoOoOoOooOOoo0ooO0…
Oh well, at least it’ll give them plenty of time to perfect the album. That’s a great title too.
Check it out guitar advocates; Fender is reissuing Kurt Cobain’s custom Jag-Stang. Start saving them pennies…
I’m glad you enjoyed the weekend post! A rarity, to be sure.
Well, that is the title of Modest Mouse's upcoming album that was originally slated for a September release. Ironically, the bad news is that it has been pused to sometime in 2004. Booo! But, they'll be in town here in November. Yeahhh!
Matchstick Men was pretty good. Maybe it did lukewarm at the box office but the reviews were pretty fresh. Also noteworthy was Sam Rockwell. I only heard he was a good actor, now I know he is. Cage's phrase "pygmies" was hilarious!
Way to go on the weekend post, Brock!
So, I saw Matchstick Men yesterday. Now, from what I’ve gathered so far, this is a film that is generally receiving a lukewarm reception. Perhaps I’m wrong in that statement, but at any rate, I just wanted to share with you the fact that I thought it was pretty nicely done. I really liked the way Nicholas Cage portrayed his character, and I especially liked how Ridley Scott visualized the individual’s neurotic behavior. Quite frankly, I thought it was a Nicholas Cage role and a Ridley Scott interpretation…his style of directing and Cage’s style of acting mingled well.
Go and see it, if only because the first 20 minutes of the film are a fantastic testament to their abilities.
I know, I know. It’s a weekend post! We haven’t had one of those in a while now, have we?
The year was, probably, 1984. As a young kid I would often thumb through the parent’s record collection. One album cover struck me in particular. It was a shot of man in front of a microphone, beads of sweat running down his face, thick, rockabilly hair, wearing black. He looked weathered; tough. At an earlier age I learned how to work the record player on my own. So I put it on. Not exactly music for kids, but for some reason it became a personal favorite. There was something about that baritone voice, energy of the live show, which happened to be in front of a prison audience. It became the most heavily rotated album of my parent’s records. It was Johnny Cash: Live at Folsom Prison.
Johnny Cash was the anthem of the beaten down, blue-collared work force. His songs were brutally honest and edgy. I later bought the infamous Live at Folsom Prison when it was remastered for CD, with songs that didn’t make the final cut. If you’re unfamiliar with Johnny Cash, I highly recommend that album as a starter. Over the past few years Cash has gained recognition among the younger, mainstream artists and fans. He was even nominated for some MTV VMAs this year. He’ll be sorely missed.
Johnny Cash, the Man in Black: 1932 – 2003.
Yeah, I’ve had a little difficulty in finding Small Brown Bike CD’s. For some reason, Zia’s and other record store chains have a debilitating lack of Small Brown Bike. I went hunting Friday for their previous EP, Nail Yourself to the Ground, only to be met with a frigid void. I’d imagine I’d have to order The River Bed online.
I’m interested to hear how it sounds though, especially since I think the songs on Nail Yourself are great.
P.S. Gabe, I liked The Fire Theft e-card that you sent me. Hopefully, Zia’s will stock up on that release.
Lame posters we've been lately. Yes, The River Bed did come out yesterday. It seems as though I picked up Zia's only copy. Sorry, Brock! I can't believe they only had one copy! First impression: not so great. What!? Well, it seems like they're going through some experimental change. It's quite different than their previous material. I mean, there's good songs on there, most notably Safe In Sound. I probably just need a few listens to get used to their new direction. It just doesn't have that hardcore intensity that they're most noted for.
Before this trip I was posting at least once a day (except weekends). I've been lame this week. Still recovering from a good vacation, I guess.
Small Brown Bike's album comes out this Tuesday!!! Rock! They posted the first and second place winners of the t-shirt design contest on their website. They're OK. I wish I could've gotten mine done and sent in on time.
Modest Mouse should have an album out his month also, but so far, no date.
The Fire Theft has a flash version of their site now. Album on the 23rd!
So, they played "Follow Me Around" in Seattle last Sunday. So far, that's...
Creep, Bulletproof, Big Ideas, The Bends, Nice Dream and Subterranean Homesick Alien.
Still no Bishop's Robes (although I've read that they've been teasing it like crazy) and still no Big Boots. They haven't been playing Optimistic or The Tourist lately either.
Oh me oh my...
Hey what's the deal with Zwan's rumored new bass player? Some guy from a band called Urge Overkill, (I guess that means Corgan threw in the towel on girl base players). While I'm at it, what's the deal with Rolling Stone's new 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time? It's cool that they put Johnny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien on the list, but it's unforgivable that J. Mascis isn't even on the list. And then it just becomes an industry of... cool.
A Gabe post...sweet. I'd love to hear about your trip...well, I've heard about it, but if you decide to put it in blog form then I'd read about it.
Five out of ten chapters in math homework are done, and I’m gonna try and move in on three more this afternoon. Not bad! I hadn’t even finished one set of homework questions before I quit the class last semester. Maybe things are coming together, or maybe I just want to get it over with.
Hey Mercedes was good, as usual, but as you might know, the band was sick. You could tell they weren’t feeling well either. I think Damon (their drummer) was the only chipper one that night. “What else is up” you say? Well, assuming I get through this hellish math before Friday, I plan to try and find a hotel for San Diego in September. Yeah, I gotta get my junk together regarding that whole thing…
Goodbye, ta ta.
If you’re lucky, they’ll let you sell your soul for an average GPA. Yessir, tonight is my math class, and guess what? It’s the same instructor that I had last time. Goodness gracious, if that means anything then I guess it means that he’ll lecture from 5 to 7:30 (ten minutes before release) and then dump an initiation test on us. Oh well. Hey Mercedes is tonight, and I can’t miss that. Thankfully, this guy is pretty flexible. If we need to skedaddle he’ll usually let a student leave a test unfinished and then come back and work on it next week. What a champ.
So I hope they play “It’s Been a Blast” tonight, and of course, “Quality Revenge At Last”. It should be fun.
Come hell or high water I was going to finish that damned trip diary. And now that it’s done, I can get back to posting the usual junk…err...magic. Anyway, speaking of trips, Gabe is on one right now in Colorado. I think he was going to see Radiohead at the Red Rocks too. I’m excited to hear how his trip went.
Last night I went to my first screenwriting class. I liked it very much, although I’m starting to realize how grim my chances are of succeeding as a director/screenwriter. Hopefully, I’ll make some good movies and write some good scripts. I had the plan to use one of my original ideas for a movie as my project in this screenwriting class, but the instructor informed the students that we’d all be tearing into one another’s work and that if we had a project that was equated to “our baby” then we should probably leave it out. So, I decided to write a new story for this class…I pretty much just made something up while I was in class.
The other neat thing about this class is that we’ll bring in pages from our scripts and then assign classmates to read parts of our script. He wants us to get a feel for how our stuff will sound coming out of another person, to see if our dialogue mechanics work. I’m looking forward to that.
Ok, I’m outta here. See you later.
I was much slower to rise the next morning. For that matter, so was everyone else. By the time we had all gotten ready for another day in the city we came to the conclusion that there wasn’t much else to do. In a short amount of time we had been to places we hadn’t been before, seen sights that we hadn’t seen before. (I had seen Alcatraz, the wine country, Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Japanese Tea Gardens, Lucas Valley and more) So, to round out our 4th day at San Francisco, we rode the cable cars.
That’s something I wish we had in Phoenix, even though it’d be pointless to have. In fact, to this day, San Francisco is the sole city in the world to use the cable car system (and it’s a very crowded ride). I remember sitting there at the cable car station and watching them fill up each car to the brim with people. They would cram, cram and then cram some more. And when they ran out of space? They just started putting people on the outside of the car, letting them hold on by the brass rail. When we finally got in a car we rode into the city and stopped at a little coffee shop and it was at that little café that I saw one of the oddest things on my trip.
At a table behind ours was a couple sitting and eating cake and drinking coffee. There was nothing out of the ordinary with those two; they simply didn’t finish all of their food. However, after they had left the café an elderly woman came in and sat down at their table. And ate. By all appearances, she didn’t seem to be homeless. She had nice clothing on and she looked groomed. She probably just thought to herself, “well here’s some perfectly good food, so I’ll simply take care of it”. Weird…
After browsing through some stores and walking around the city for a while we rode the cable cars, again, this time on the way to dinner. The second time around was much better since I got to hang out on the railing. We coasted up and down hills and I almost bumped into a few parked cars and street cones with my toe. Our driver was also an interesting fellow. At one stop there was a beautiful girl waiting for the car. When the driver stopped he told his attendant that he could only take on a single. Visibly pleased, the girl said she was single, at which the driver jumped away from his post and exclaimed “twenty-five to thirty?” All the way downhill he kept chuckling to himself unbelievably; “I’ve waited years to use that joke, and finally I got the opportunity!”
The last two days were pretty much just the indigestion of my trip. Don’t get me wrong, they were still nice and I was still mesmerized by the city. By now however, everything was wearing a little thin and I was starting to realize that I had been away from home for an uncharacteristically long period of time. (By the time I finally got back I was just 4 days shy of being gone two weeks)
Instead of doing anything ambitious I took time to meet up with a friend of mine who lived in the Bay Area. He was doing well and we spent a good amount of time just hanging around in my hotel lobby chatting. After that we went on our Chinatown tour. That wasn’t too great to be honest. I mean, I guess it was ok from a certain point of view; it’s just that I saw a plethora of garbage and useless kick-knacks. Most of the crap the vendors were selling were glass capsules with condoms in them, ingeniously labeled “break glass in case of an emergency”. Oh, and to answer your subliminal question, no, I didn’t buy any.
I guess I was expecting to see some oriental items, not birth control and fortune cookies with pornographic fortunes. Maybe I simply didn’t look in the right shops. Heck, I’m a tourist, I’m American, therefore I probably gravitated to all of the businesses that most Americans in Chinatown do. I saw some great swords that were imported from China though, and some teapots.
We spent the next two days getting back to Phoenix. Along the way we stopped off in San Diego and visited Coronado Island, my home away from home. San Francisco was amazing to be sure, but I’ll always enjoy San Diego. Maybe one day if I’m ever ludicrously rich (which is highly unlikely) I’ll move there. For the moment though, I was content to get back on the road and return to Phoenix, Home Sweet Home (awwww, sugar coated ending!)
It was daylight receding and I was sitting there in a darkened, wooden room by a window that glanced out at the street. The place I was sitting in was none other then the Buena Vista café, a quaint little joint positioned along the crevices of the city. Nothing was particularly outrageous about this place. No props or attitude garnered it its claim to fame. By all rights it was the kind of café that could be found in any big city. The only thing that made this our destination for dinner was one thing; the Buena Vista was the birthplace of the Irish coffee. With a little caffeine, a frothy covering, and a healthy dose of whiskey, it was well reputed and notorious within San Francisco’s social circles. Of course, I being the under-age minor I am only took a slight taste of the concoction, but I earnestly believed through that sip that the Irish coffee earned every bit of notoriety it had contracted. Thankfully, the Buena Vista also had good food.
While I’m telling you about this place I should also mention that this was after we saw the Japanese Tea Gardens. While visiting the soothing calm of tranquil gardens, everyone decided to get something alcoholic, so I followed along in high hopes of actually eating somewhere within the city. And we did. The Buena Vista was stationed along a road just before the piers. It was there at the table that everyone decided they wanted to do something else alcoholic for the next day in the city: They wanted to visit the wineries. Napa Valley, Beringer, and even the Francis Ford Coppola Vineyard were on their list of wineries to stop off at. Considering that I had already indulged my wishes to see Alcatraz, I decided to tag along and see if I could get on one of the vineyard tours. After the choice had been made (and we had finished dinner) we left the Buena Vista Café and strolled around the city to get a glance at life after the sun had set. We didn’t go anywhere particularly interesting, or lively, but we did come across a small gallery that was currently showcasing some artwork by Marc Chagall. Marc Chagall had painted a series of dark paintings during a stay in Russia, and those pieces were about to be put on display. As a result everyone was in the grips of his works. The paintings we glanced at in this gallery were not those understated pieces, but rather some of his more recognized works. Colorful and bright, the reds, oranges and blues of these paintings seemed to wash and run into one another. Misty clouds of liquid sunshine composed the visages of famous musical icons like The Beatles and renowned landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge. Chagall’s overstatement of the bluntly obvious though had turned McCartney’s rosy smile into a sneering grimace more characteristic of the Joker. These pieces were totally unlike the works currently being popularized in the paper. It was in those paintings from Russia that dark figures and harshly beautiful women haunted Chagall’s mind.
It was an understatement of his work, and seeing his work was an understatement of my trip.
The following day we drove out to the Wine Country to see if it was at all possible to go on a Wine Tasting Tour of the vineyards. My family felt that it was completely plausible for these wineries to hand out free bottles of wine to anyone who happened to stumble upon their grounds. Moreover, they had planned to find this one particular vineyard whose name escapes me now. At any rate, we set off to find the wineries and to go on a tour. Hours and hours of driving produced no sign of that particular vineyard; yet, it did provide a fine tour of the countryside. Sure, I was in throes of boredom sitting there in that car looking for a vineyard that was starting to seem non-existent. But the countryside was beautiful. It was green and lush, and the plains of the valley rose and descended in hills and expanses. Now that I’m sitting here typing up this description of the countryside, I’ve come to wish that I had brought a camera of my own to take pictures of the land. Finally, after a time, they decided to stop at the Beringer winery and take their tour.
When we got out at the Beringer Vineyard I couldn’t help but be reminded of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I suppose the best word to describe the winery is “whimsical”. It had such a surreal personality. It was like the winery was slightly stationed in the real world and slightly in the bizarre. Some of the more fantastic elements included winding cobblestone paths that led into twisting stairs and large looming wooden doors that opened up into barrel-laden rooms. I kept looking around to see if I could find any surly Oompa Loompas stumbling around. Sadly, I only found half-hearted employees. Also disappointing was missing the final tour of the day. We had spent so long driving around looking for this unknown vineyard that we missed the other vineyard’s tours. Still, my dad decided to get some wine while he was there, and we found a good Mexican restaurant on the way back. So…it wasn’t an utter loss.
Check out three songs from Hey Mercedes' upcoming album Loses Control here!
Brock, Pitchfork Media has a review of the B-side, Wicked Child. They say the newest B-sides have been pretty blah. Which I agree with. They're not up to par with their older B-sides. I have only listed to Gagging Order, though, and the B-sides for There, There.
Just a quick message to say hullo…
So today I’m searching for the new b-sides included in the new Radiohead single, “Go to Sleep”. The single doesn’t hit the American shelves until September 9th I believe, but the MP3’s are online right now…somewhere.
Here’s what I want: Fog (again), I am a Wicked Child, I am a Citizen Insane, Gagging Order (also known as ‘Move Along’, an old Kid A track).
If you’ve got a clue as to where they are, clue me in. Likewise, if I find em first, I’ll let you know.
That was my little something that I planned on posting. I guess I just let it slip my mind yesterday when I got wrapped up in watching the Back to the Future DVDs. I think I only have two more posts or so on that trip diary, so that’s all well and good.
Yesterday was pretty interesting. Like I said, I got involved with the Back to the Future movies sometime around 1:00 and I ended up spending the rest of my free time reading that screenwriting book. It’s a good book, and I’m about halfway through it now. I had a couple of ideas and thoughts for movies that I want to eventually make. Reading that book has helped me to sort many of those ideas out and make them “presentable”.
After that, I went over to Marco’s place and watched a movie called The Tao of Steve. Although I wouldn’t say it was a resounding masterpiece, it was viewable. Then, preceding that viewing, we went in search of gas. If you turn on CNN you can hear about our great tragedies, such as a loss of gas. Marco and I managed to find gas however at a small QT station right by his apartment and my house. As soon as we found it we called up his co-workers and got them to drive over and refuel their cars as well.
That’d be great if Year of the Rabbit didn’t have any gas and they got stuck here in Phoenix. “Hey dudes, sorry you’re stuck. But hey! At least you can play songs for us until the gas lines get fixed!”
The following day we decided that it was time to go on a hunt for the Golden Gate Bridge. When we first arrived in the city of San Francisco the entire vicinity was engulfed in fog and mist, which made it very hard to locate the Golden Gate (despite the fact that it was one of the most notable pieces of American architecture). It was funny though at first because when we first drove into San Francisco we came across the bay bridge and followed it into Oakland. Most of my family immediately assumed that it was the Golden Gate Bridge that we had crossed. “Oh, that has to be it” my brothers exclaimed. “I mean, how many bridges are there in San Francisco? That was a bridge, and it was in San Francisco. Therefore, we just crossed the Golden Gate Bridge!” I on the other hand insisted that it wasn’t the Golden Gate Bridge on accounts that it wasn’t bright red and because it had many more supportive beams. If you’ve ever visited San Francisco or if you live in it, then you know what I’m talking about. The Bay Bridge is steely and gray, and it has multiple beams jutting out from its surface. The Golden Gate Bridge however, is red and occupied by two massive beams on the far ends of the bridge’s encompass. Still, despite my reasoning, I was shot down by just about everyone else in the car. “Maybe they took the red paint off and colored it gray so that terrorists couldn’t find it” someone offered. “Those terrorists will smash into any national monument they can, and I’m sure they’d want to destroy the Golden Gate if they got the chance to.” Quietly, I deferred on the matter and let it rest. Besides, the second we were bombarded with a street vender selling t-shirts and post-cards, they’d get an idea of what the Golden Gate looked like. Sure enough, before visiting Alcatraz I collected numerous post cards with pictures of the Golden Gate on them, promptly displaying them before one and all in my party as irrefutable evidence that we had, in fact, crossed the Bay Bridge, not the Golden Gate.
That’s why our second day in the city of San Francisco ended up becoming nothing more then a glorified search party fumbling through the fog in order to find an unmistakable landmark. Eventually, we found it. After following the guidance of a map (which is a wondrous device when put to use) we found the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m glad we found it too, because it was truly an experience for everyone in the car to behold. Alcatraz had been my own personal destination. The Golden Gate Bridge on the other hand was something we all wanted to see, and it was a brilliant sight indeed. The city was still under the fog’s siege, making the bridge look very mysterious and confounding. In fact, it reminded me of that part in the Incredible Hulk where the military chases Bruce Banner to San Francisco. The Hulk, trying to escape their jets and helicopters, clings on to the beam of the bridge, lurking above the fog. I actually managed to pull a fast one on my younger brother Parker by saying, “Look! There’s the Hulk” and pointing wildly into the air.
After we drove through the bridge we were led into Marion County (which is pretty much owned by writer and director George Lucas) where we had lunch. At lunch we decided to go and visit the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco as well as its renowned Japanese Tea Garden. Hence, we left the green and lush Marion County and stumbled into the equally green and lush Japanese Tea Gardens. I’m glad I got to see that too, because a lot of the foliage and plant life were natives to Japan. They even had ponds set up around the garden with stepping-stones for you to cross on. At one point we came to a bridge that curved so sharply, we had to climb across it as opposed to walking.
After seeing the gardens we enjoyed some nice hot green tea in the peaceful atmosphere. Ultimately, it ended up being the most peaceful day of the entire trip…bridges and all.
No, not that kind of gas. Brock and I live in Phoenix, and if hadn't heard already, we're having a gas shortage crisis. In fact, I may not be able to go to the YOTR show tonight because I need to conserve the gas I have. What a bummer!! Maybe their tour bus won't be able to get gas and they'll be stuck here playing shows until the matter's resolved!
Brock, where's that little somethin', somethin' you were going to post, huh?
Well, Brock and I are losers. We failed to post Saturday or Sunday. We have failed!!
This Friday I leave for Denver, Colorado. I will be quite busy there with a trip to a Broncos game (Monday night on TV), the Radiohead concert, and a Rockies game. I'll do my best to post from there, giving you the highlights.
I hope everyone is still coherent after that last post. Sorry for the length and all, but that’s how I felt it should be. I was going to cut that Alcatraz bit up into a two-part post, one given before and after lunch, but I decided to just post the entire thing. I’m sure you gathered by reading it (or just glancing over it) that I really wanted to go to Alcatraz, and thankfully, I did. Only a few more posts about California left over, and I guarantee they’re much shorter then the last. Hopefully, I should be done by Sunday or Monday.
Great shirt design Gabe! Alex should get in on this…
When the steel door clanged shut behind me, the cold reality of where I was hit me. I was on the Rock.
-Darwin E. Coon, Alcatraz inmate # 1422
For many years of my life, I had always had the plan to visit Alcatraz. Some people pondered in wonderment over the Eiffel Tower, while others took up a solitary interest in collecting miniature lighthouses. I, on the other hand, always took an interest in Alcatraz. For some reason, the little island in the San Francisco bay held more fascination for me then any other destination. True, Lighthouses and the Eiffel tower are grand, beautiful things. Alcatraz on the other hand was by all accounts a dank, cold and dark prison. Like I said, I was entrapped by it. Naturally then, I knew I had to visit it the second I set foot in San Francisco. Little did I know that it would prove easier said then done.
When we finally arrived in the actual city of San Francisco, I couldn’t help but be astonished by the city’s enormity. Buildings upon buildings, people flowing around people, San Francisco was by all means a gobbet of civilization packed within its own grimace. Yet, instead of opting to walk around the city and see the sights, we headed straight for the touristy Pier 39.
Allegedly, Pier 39 had some good restaurants, and more importantly, they had a ticket booth where you could purchase tickets to see Alcatraz. Accompanied by a quickly dissolving line, this Alcatraz ticket booth was selling tickets to the small island in a matter of seconds. By the time I stepped up to the booth, an employee informed me that trips to the island had been sold out clear into the next week and that in a few moments it’d be sold out into the week following that. The only possible tickets left cost sixty dollars a piece and included a tour of the entire bay area, with Alcatraz being merely a highlight of the tour. I was crushed. But in that moment of despair, I fully understood the irony of the situation. Years ago the island’s prisoners did everything in their power to escape Alcatraz. Now, in our day and age, there was a two-week wait and a sixty-dollar fee to get on the island.
After that muddled disappointment I sullenly had lunch at a seafood restaurant on the pier. Mockingly, my table was positioned to look out into the bay and directly at Alcatraz Island. Sitting down, eating my lunch and looking at that island was in many ways a dashing of my own personal hopes. The food as ok, but I wasn’t impressed. The shrimp pizza that I ordered tasted rather bland, the strawberry punch too sweet, and the wooden chair seemed to dig into my back. Of course, I probably wouldn’t have brooded upon those minor discomforts in a normal situation. In fact, there was nothing truly wrong with the food or the accommodations. I was just unsatisfied with the whole ordeal. It didn’t help to be sitting there watching the Island’s lighthouse blink through the fog, a subtle reminder that somewhere out in the bay my ideal destination existed, and I couldn’t visit it.
There was one more ace up my sleeve to play though, and while it was a long shot, I had to try it. When I was walking along the pier glancing in the shop windows my family pointed out a little travel company to me. Nestled in the upper recesses of the pier, this travel company was really just a little booth similar to the one that had left me in my dejected state. Unlike that booth however, this dainty little den had no one standing in front of it. When I finally strode up to the counter and asked about tickets to Alcatraz I was greeted by a woman with a thickly slurred Ukrainian accent.
“You want to go to Rock, no? I get you there. Is 45 dollars. You go to Chinatown too.”
As it turned out, that little booth (manned by a Ukrainian family) was really just a ticket holding company that set aside passes for foolish tourists like myself. Usually, someone buys tickets to Alcatraz and either neglects to show up or a last minute emergency gets in the way. Likewise, this little company had anticipated the fact that some tourists wouldn’t be able to purchase tickets to Alcatraz through the main distribution company. Regarding that they had systematically purchased a number of tickets and were selling them for a slightly higher price.
Although it wasn’t exactly cheep, the little travel agency managed to get us tickets for that very day. Included in the deal was also a tour of Chinatown that we could go on whenever we wanted. We decided to hold off on Chinatown until later on in the trip, but we had to be at Alcatraz in less then an hour.
We made our way down to the pier as soon as we got the tickets, but as we came closer we noticed that at one of the numerous gift shops stationed around the dock there was a man signing books. As I came closer to that gift shop I noticed that the man selling and signing books was in all truth a former inmate of Alcatraz, Darwin E. Coon. Darwin’s book, entitled “Alcatraz, the True End of the Line” followed his exploits in crime and his stay in the notorious prison. Even more enticing, his book delved into some of the shadier characters that were kept at that prison, like the infamous Birdman, Robert Stroud. I figured that I needed something to read while I was there in San Francisco, and what better subject then a book on Alcatraz? So I purchased a copy and had him sign it…
“To Brock”
After standing there and talking with him for a little while he started to divulged some interesting facts about Alcatraz history, including how he was in one of the final groups of prisoners to be ushered off the island upon its closing. I thought it was fascinating that he had been in one of the final groups of prisoners to be taken off Alcatraz, but to him he relished the fact that he had been the island’s cook. “They always asked me to make spaghetti,” he reflected, “So I made spaghetti”. After hearing some of his experiences and getting him to sign my book I boarded the agency’s tour boat along with two of my brothers, Chase and Parker and our younger aunt Charyssa, and left for Alcatraz.
Once I was on the boat I headed up to the railing at the top to get a good glance of the ocean. It was a foggy day in San Francisco, and most of the bay was engulfed in a white haze. In a matter of minutes the dock we had previously been at had disappeared and nothing but the sea remained before our view. After a time we began to see the outlines of land in the distance. Little by little this land came into view and suspended above it was the consistent blinking of the lighthouse’s beacon. As the boat came closer, the land, enshrouded by the fog, revealed itself to be that tiny prison island I had wanted to visit ever since learning about it: Alcatraz.
As we approached the island I noticed some graffiti sprayed along the entrance to the barracks around the U.S. Penitentiary seal that read, “Indians welcome, Indian Land”. (Just to point out as a side point of interest, Native Americans occupied Alcatraz for 19 months starting on November 20th, 1969. It’s widely regarded as a cornerstone of the Native American efforts to regain their land.) Once we docked we quickly began our ascent up the hill towards the island’s peak. Walking along I noticed that there were ramps of stairs and walkways that cut into the island’s hill and led up towards the top of the island. Upon a closer inspection of these stairs (and some timely information later on) I found out that most of these structures were unsafe. Sure enough, tiny cracks and fissures marked the concrete, and gathered dust and rocks denoted that very few people had (currently) walked along those paths.
Eventually we reached the island’s magnum opus, the cell-house. The cell-house was an interesting aspect to the island’s architecture, especially because it was one of the buildings that remained standing (most of the other buildings, such as the warden’s quarters were gutted out by a voracious fire on the island long ago). Nothing more then a square shaped box, the cell-house stood atop the hill as a subtle reminder to the island’s visitors of what Alcatraz once was. Naturally, it was the center of the tour. When we came into the building tour guides handed out tape players and then directed us to the innards of the cell-house and the starting point of the island’s tour, a red line painted on the floor. Once we crossed the line, we started our tape players and began to listen to the history (and horrors) behind Alcatraz.
In retrospect, I don’t think I would have enjoyed myself as much if I hadn’t had that tape to listen to. I’d still be engaged, but hearing prisoners and correctional officers utter details about the island as I walked about the cell-house was indeed a treat. As we stalked around the gloomy prison the tape directed us to cells and historic positions along the way. The first of these things pointed out to us was the main hallway of the cell-house that the prisoners coined “Broadway”. Some inmates on the tape spoke of Broadway in a fond tone, while others seemed rattled by their past experiences on it. Most all of the prisoners though shared hushed stories about the gun galleries that faced either end of the two main cell blocks, Block B and C. These caged structures lying against the wall overlooked all of the prisoners and had been armed with numerous forms of weaponry during Alcatraz’ occupation. From here correctional officers could look out upon the cell-house and see any and everything a prisoner attempted to do. One point of interest during the tour was hearing the tape divulge the gory details of a violent escape attempt involving the gun galleries. Using metal sickles, one prisoner bent the bars the bars of the gallery and shimmied his way through, managing to get a hold of some guns in the process. After releasing some of his fellow inmates, the rioters then proceeded to lock up correctional officers in one of the cells. When the cell got full of officers, the prisoner would simply stroll over to it and open up on the officers with a machine gun. Along the floors of the cell house and on some of the walls were scorch marks that had been left over from that particularly nasty riot. When things got out of hand and the prisoners had reign of the cell-house, the island’s warden (Warden Johnson) called in army generals Frank Merill and Joe Stillwell to regain control of the situation. With equally violent tact, the two generals landed eighty-four marines on the island that then proceeded to bombard the cell-house with bazookas and grenades. This effort to “subdue” the prisoners resulted in the aftertaste of the cell-house’s scorch marks.
After showing us this gritty bit of history the tape guided us towards Alcatraz’ mess hall and kitchen. Gray and barren, the mess hall was known to be the most dangerous place on the island, as many prisoners would expel their frustrations during this period at the cost of guards or other inmates. With this in mind we were instructed to look up and take note of several canisters that lined the roof of the room. These canisters had been filled with tear gas just in case a deadly riot broke out in the mess hall. Although several riots took place in the mess hall, those canisters had never been triggered. Several of the tape’s commentators, both prisoners and guards alike expressed their belief that if they released the tear gas, any correctional officer inside the mess hall at the time wouldn’t make it out alive. Instead, they simply approached any riot with a quick blast from a shotgun and a stout order that the prisoners march back to “Broadway” immediately.
The kitchen was a particularly interesting piece of the island’s history though, because most prisoners reminisced that despite being a dank and cold place, Alcatraz always had fantastic food. One of those riots though was instigated by the island’s food, an item that for a time continued to show up on the prisoner’s plate day in and day out.
“We all told one another that if that damned spaghetti showed up one more time we would riot. So we went into the mess hall the next day and we looked down, and it was the damned spaghetti.”
Other highlights of the tour included showing us where some of Alcatraz’ most notorious prisoners’ cells were. Machine Gun Kelly was one of those diminutive figures, a character noted for being extremely dangerous. Although the tour did point out a location that was believed to be Al Capone’s cell, no one knows for sure where the famous gangster was kept. I guess it didn’t really matter though since he spent most of his time on the island in a hospital isolation cell. The tape did happen to point out the cells of the three men to ever escape Alcatraz, John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Lee Morris. The back walls of their cells was unlike the other prisoner’s cells in that each one had a hole burrowed through the reinforced concrete that led out of the island. The cells, still dressed up with paintings and blankets, also had the dummy heads of each prisoner lying snugly against a pillow. Those dummy heads were constructed by hair collected at the prison’s barbershop and actually looked quite realistic. With flushed cheeks and pink skin, I could see how they were mistaken as the visages of the escapees. Once the prisoners had escaped through the narrow tunnels they used simple raincoats to float across the bay and to land. To this day those three prisoners remain unaccounted for. Most historians and correctional officers believe that they simply drowned in San Francisco’s bay… Of course, most of the prisoners boasted with great pride that they were pretty sure that the Anglins and their companion had made it to shore and freedom.
There were so many different aspects to that tour that I now recall fondly. All I can say is that Alcatraz was well worth the money spent and that it lived up to my personal fascination. It was when we left the island on the final tour boat that I realized another great irony. Years ago prisoners were over joyous to leave that darkened hellhole, but in this day and age, I was rather saddened.
Small Brown Bike is having a t-shirt design contest. Do it! I don't have Photoshop at work so I'll have to do it from home. I did up a little preview, though. Simple, but powerful. Or maybe just cheesey.
I think the book Elements of Style is inappropriately titled. It should be Elements of Structure or Rules. It's mostly a boring reference book to make sure you're following the rules of English sentence structure. When you want to make sure you have the right conjugate adverb with the correct subjugate noun, etc. Sure, it's handy...when you're writing a thesis! Actually, it probably won't have to do much with the screenwriting process, but other writing you may have to do. For example, a letter to a lawyer or a studio executive.
It better not apply to the screenplay or it'll contradict with one of the other books we got -- The Screenwriter's Workbook by Syd Field, which I'm 3/4 of the way through (good book). A movie script is mostly dialogue. In Syd Field's book he says "people don't talk in clear and elegant prose. People talk in fragments, run-on sentences...dialogue is not elegant prose or iambic pentameter." I can't wait for the class!
There's a fantastic Radiohead interview over at WBCN.com that's worth checking out. Listen to it here.
Today I went over to my new Community College and picked up the three books needed for a screenwriting class I’m going to be taking with Gabe. I’m hoping that the class is good, but the books look to be well worth the money I spent. I’m especially happy that one of those books is the legendary Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. I doubt that this screenwriting class is going to focus upon the mechanics and rules of English diction. Hence, this book is going to be a valuable asset.
Speaking of writing, I’ve been working on my next post in my trip journal all day today. It’s going to be the longest post in the journal thus far, and it delves straight into my stay at San Francisco. I decided to cut out most of the stuff that happened between Santa Barbara and San Francisco due to the fact that none of it was really interesting. It was basically just a long drive up the coast and through the mountains. I did see some pretty scenery though, but words and paragraphs can’t express that. So if you think I skipped something, you’re absolutely right, I did. It wasn’t anything noteworthy though; I promise to keep the interesting tidbits of my trip intact.
I had my first batch of pictures developed from my new camera. Some were good, some not so good. Fortunately most of the ones that didn't come out so good were from "experimental" shots. Already I'm learning.
The track list for The Fire Theft's upcoming album is listed on their web site, right in the News section. Check it out! Also, on Hey Mercedes' Loses Control countdown section, yesterday they revealed the album cover, which is the rest of that picture on the top of that page. I do believe that's Damon?
That would be me.
My humblest apologies Gabe, I seem to have neglected my San Francisco journal.
You see (dear readers) I’m currently entangled in a few things. For one, I start my new math class in two weeks, and so I’ve been brushing up on my math skills in order to compensate with this class. I know that math isn’t really a big deal (unless you plan on becoming a mathematician), but I absolutely have to pass this class in order to open up my film production classes. It’s like playing a crappy mini-boss in a video game just so you can go on to the better stages…
I’m going to try to have my next installments up soon. Hopefully, I might even have the next part up sometime tonight (It probably won’t be till later though).
I agree that we’re going to have to post straight through the week (Our goal, yes!). However, we did well last week; on some days we had more then one post up on the blog for each one of us.
So I saw Seabiscuit, and I actually liked it. I mean, I’ve seen better films this year, but it wasn’t as sappy and sentimental as I thought it would be.
I’ve also been listening to that Year of the Rabbit CD, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the perfect companion to Failure’s “Fantastic Planet” and On’s “Shifting Skin”. I know a couple of people (Gabe and Alex included) who haven’t been fond of this new venture, but I think it pays off well. When listening to it I noticed that it's simply a blend of Ken Andrew’s two styles, the electronic pop of On and the space rock of Failure.
Of course, maybe I was just in the mood for it or something, but I think it’s pretty good.
Nah, I don’t mind you removing the tables one bit. In fact, it actually looks better. Thanks a ton.
Ironically, I also went to Best Buy today. I didn’t pick up the 7 Television Commercials DVD though…but I did purchase the Year of the Rabbit CD. Gabe played it for me on the way to see The Casket Lottery in L.A., but I had decided that I would need to hear it again before I passed any solid judgment on it. Right now as I type away at this post I’m listening to it for the second time, just trying to absorb it. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Good point about Futurama and King of the Hill. King of the Hill has been very funny recently, and it’s steadily gotten that way over the years. I did see the first season out on DVD but I don’t remember that one well enough to warrant an immediate purchase.
One day I’ll have to watch Casablanca, I’ve never seen it either. It’s a classic of course, and some circles refer to it as the best movie of all time. Required viewing for us…
Mmm…steel cut oats. I really liked the steel cut oats they had in Santa Barbara. I thought about driving over to get some more, but I’ll have to try yours instead.
I just got back from Best Buy. I purchased the Casablanca and Radiohead: 7 Television Commercials DVDs. Sweet. Can't wait to see them.
Since Monday, we've posted every day! Hooray for us!
Things I forgot to mention: Onelinedrawing. Good show. It was sweltering hot but Jonah knows how to put on a good show. This time around he had a backing band. He still played solo a song or three but it was cool to hear a full band. The Hulk. I saw it again and it was just as good. The scene with him and the tanks was awesome. I have to say it's one of the better CGI scenes around.
Brock, your Santa Barbara experience sounds interesting. Mmm, steel cut Irish oats. I have a can of some -- McCann's, imported from Ireland. I'll have to make you a bowl sometime!
I hope you don't mind, Brock, but I removed your tables. Looks good.
Word on The Simpsons and Futurama. I think King of the Hill, 2nd Season comes out soon too. It's probably the least humorous of the three, but there are still some super dang funny episodes. I'm not sure which season, though, it became better. Man, how many times have they cancelled Futurama? Seems like a few and they kept bringing it back. They should've put it in place where all the other shows were failing, the slot Oliver Bean was in.
