Thou Shalt Not Commit Adulthood

I was fortunate enough this weekend to witness a band I had finally started giving up thinking I'd be able to see. Despite coming of age as a punk rock kid in Fort Collins, my timing was just slightly off and I never got to see the great heroes of Fort Collins punk rock at home. Of course I'm talking about The Descendents.

Growing up I always imagined seeing them at the Starlight, a tiny venue of many punk shows in my day. Today, the Starlight is closed and I don't go back to Fort Collins very often.

So imagine my surprise when I found that The Descendents were playing a show in Denver, sort of a one-off thing, at The Fillmore, which is pretty much the opposite of The Starlight. I never thought they'd play a place like that.

Let me take a few sentences in the middle here to acknowledge the other band that played that night. Another band I missed seeing whenever they were in town despite being a fan about 10 years ago. Hot Water Music is currently working on their new album at Fort Collins' The Blasting Room so they got to play as well as another one-off show that's not part of a tour. They have a huge discography, and my time as a fan only spans a couple of their albums, so I only knew a few of the songs they played but they were still incredible. I may need to get back in touch with their music.

Now, when the great and powerful Descendents took the stage, the first thing I noticed was Milo's grey hair. For a band that prides itself on immaturity, it was quite striking.

But the music. Oh, the music. Every damn song was played with such a high energy level, such electricity and fervor, I almost forgot I was at a venue advertising a Creed concert in the coming weeks. For The Descendents' set, I know every word, every note and every chord was right, right on.

For the All-o-Gistics they brought a bunch of kids on stage. From my understanding, they are the band members' kids. They have kids? They have their own Descendents?? But the kids read off the All-o-Gistics. These kids are the future and if they live by these simple rules they don't have to worry about running out of energy and passion in their lifetime.

One strange thing happened. One of the biggest moments of excitement for much of the crowd was when they played "Nothing With You" off the strange second-reunion-album, 2004's Cool To Be You. It is probably one of the better songs off that album, but it's really got nothing on their 80s discography. I know a lot of kids probably got into the band with that album, but I certainly got into the band with their other strange reunion album, 1996's Everything Sucks but it didn't take me long to discover the beauty that is the band's 80s discography. So why people would particularly latch on to something from 2004 in 2012 when it's markedly inferior to the old stuff (this can't just be my opinion...right??) is a big mystery to me.

What other observations can I make? It was kind of funny when Milo sang "When I Get Old," and he even laughed a little bit at the beginning of the song, but I don't think he's really become his definition of old. Grey hair and whatever age number he has reached has nothing to do with that.

They played damn near every song on the classic Milo Goes to College and I went crazy screaming along to damn near every song they played. That's what's important. I finally got to see those local Fort Collins punk rock heroes live. It wasn't at a tiny, sweaty, smokey bar, but it was still everything else I would hope for. And soon I will be able to re-live the show (and you can see it too!) because it was being taped for some sort of video release. Can't wait!

One last thing. This whole post was about how they embrace immaturity, and how we love them for it, but there has always been one dark spot in one of their early songs, a song that is otherwise awesome and I still love, but it always makes me uncomfortable. "I'm Not A Loser" is a great anthem for punk rock types against jock types that will empower the outcasts of high schools for generations to come, but it happens to end with a bunch of homophobic slurs. These days, it is apparent which side of this ongoing battle of the outcasts vs the cool kids that homosexuals will tend to reside upon, and in this live rendition, this has been recognized, as the slurs were taken out of the song. Some things are worth growing up over, and I'm happy to see that they have become wise without losing their ability to declare "thou shalt not suppress flatulence." Amen to that.

Melancholia

The other one that got snubbed.

It's a good time for a movie dealing with the apocalypse. How would you deal with it? If it was actually happening?

One person just knows things. She knows we are alone in this universe, and she knows that it will end. But with such an innate understanding, you also see the bigger picture:

"The Earth is evil. We don't need to grieve for it."

But for the rest of us, it's all just a mass of confusion. Clinging to anyone that will give you answers, we don't know any better. We just want life to continue because we believe it is important. Especially if we are in fact alone. What is this universe without life, anyhow? Sure, it's beautiful but without life beauty does not matter. No one to perceive it as such. So we want to believe that the threat to all life on earth "looks friendly."

I don't know if this movie even should have been up for any Oscars. Maybe best picture, but the individual elements (acting, cinematography, writing, etc) were basically utilitarian. All just pieces of the bigger picture. Nothing individually stood out, yet the film itself has left a lasting impression on me. And I'm glad I caught it in the theater, particularly due to the final shot. I can't imagine it having nearly as great an effect watching on a TV with my version of surround sound.

So if it's still in theaters near you, definitely check it out. The first act is very uncomfortable, I should warn you, but it's part of what creates this lasting effect. I felt this movie for days after leaving the theater.

Oscars 2012 - Initial Thoughts on the Nominations

I will follow up once I've seen more and again after the ceremony. Follow along at home and comment and make your own predictions! Here's where they're posted.

Best Picture:

TREE OF LIFE TREE OF LIFE TREE OF LIFE. Unquestionably the best film of the year. I loved Hugo and I still have to see the others, but hands down, man!

Lead Actor:

I really need to see more films, I haven't seen any of these! But based on snippets and such, it appears that George Clooney was great in The Descendants...But really? No Michael Fassbender?

Lead Actress:

No Elizabeth Olsen? No Carey Mulligan? They will both get their due someday if they keep up the good work. I think Meryl Streep just has a permanent spot on the nominee list. I will be pullin' for Glenn Close, although I need to see more of these.

Supporting Actor:

I have no comment at this time, although I'm a little disappointed in the absence of Paul Giamatti & Philip Seymour Hoffman...but those two guys do get their share of credit so it's not a huge deal. Would have liked to see John C Reilly for Cedar Rapids, even though it seemed like such a joke role he did a great job fusing comedy with drama in this performance and what he still hasn't won an Oscar? Just because he mostly does comedy doesn't mean he's not one of the best actors working today...Or Carnage or We Need To Talk About Kevin (but I haven't seen those ones).

Supporting Actor:

Or maybe this is where Carey Mulligan should have been. Still not there though. Let's see. The Help just needs to shuuuut up. Melissa McCarthy was very funny in Bridesmaids but is that enough for an Oscar?

Animated Feature:

Seen none of these. What do you think Pixar is thinking now? They lost their perma-spot!

Cinematography:

TREEEEEE OF LIFFFFE. Disappointed to see no Roger Deakins this year. When will he be properly recognized? But it looks like the only movie he would have been possibly nominated for this year was In Time, so it makes sense that he wasn't on the list. Next year though. If nothing else, he's doing a Bond movie so it will probably look awesome...

Art Direction:

Hugo!

Costume:

Whatever...

Directing:

Great field of talent here but obviously I'm going to pull for Malick.

Not much else to say about the other categories. Except "only two songs?"

Oh wait, Writing is there at the bottom:

Adapted Screenplay:

Need to see more of these before I can say anything. Betting on The Descendants though, were I a betting man.

Original Screenplay:

I'm sick of saying nothing about The Artist, I really need to go see that one. Bridesmaids would be a good one to win though.

Neglected:

obviously I need to see more movies in general, but come on!

-The Skin I Live In

-Le Havre

-13 Assassins

-John C Reilly

-The King of Devil's Island

-Martha Marcy May Marlene

-Melancholia

-Shame

Fugitive Days

What a great, inspiring book.

I mean it.

I don't think I'll make it through all of the books in one year but the point is that I'll just keep reading them as long as it takes. Next up was Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist by one Bill Ayers. The whole reason I had so much interest in this book in the first place was the smear campaign in the 2008 election when ol' Sarah Palin would talk about Obama palling around with terrorists. I' was glad Obama got through that whole load of bullshit and managed to win the election, but I was concerned about Ayers' fate. I figured at least i could be part of any increase in book sales resulting in the publicity of the situation.

After reading this book, I now wish Obama had actually been influenced by Ayers' ideology, that they were actually close and his policies would reflect that. Maybe then we wouldn't be undergoing all this expansion/reinforcement of Bush's Patriot Act and wars. At least the wars are kind of winding down now...

In this book, Ayers repeatedly talks about his motivations, how it felt like even they didn't do enough. Is there anything that could have been done to stop the war? The Weather Underground is considered extremist but even they couldn't do enough. Although hearts-and-minds are theoretically the way to get things changed in this country as it is something resembling a democracy. And then when a president goes to war AGAINST the will of the people, what does that mean for democracy? Well, he managed to win hearts and minds enough to get a second term despite doing something that despicable.

I'm getting off track. What track are we even talking about?

Motivations. Obligations in an unjust world. Are we not obligated to do EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLY DO when we see injustice? Is Occupy Wall Street winning hearts and minds? Are they shaping policy? To "get this country back" it seems like some big things have to be done. First, a constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not people so elections are no longer run by corporations. Then maybe the real will of the people can come through. Maybe. At least then there is a chance. Which is kind of why I think Colbert is one of the most important figures in the political scene right now. He's doing everything he can with his stature to spread word and expose how ridiculous that Citizens United ruling has made our political system. Am I back on track? Is this just one long rant?

I keep just avoiding the topic I know I have to hit. I'm not doing anything really. I comment every once in awhile about stuff, I vote, I donate to HRC and other causes, but I don't really take action. I don't win hearts and minds to the cause. How are we supposed to affect change when a significant portion of the population repeatedly votes against its own best interest and seem to be in the pocket of corporate America? It seems so obvious but people are not easily swayed to the truth. Occupy is our chance. But people seem to prefer to turn a blind eye or focus on the idiots within the OWS movement rather than the now clear message it is sending.

This is the least focused entry I've ever posted, isn't it? Am I supposed to be talking about the book? Read the book. Try to figure out how it applies to today. Read Bill Ayers' blog. And do something. And get me to do something as well. Whatever can be done.

Two-Lane Blacktop

In addition to my stack of books to read, I have a "stack" of DVDs/Blu-Ray discs that I have not yet watched despite having enough interest to purchase them. Sure, some of them were purchased for $1 at library sales or Blockbusters going out of business, but still worth my attention. I am going to try watch at least one per week, I have 35 or so. I will write something or other about these as well. This is a series I will call Latecomer.

Latecomer: Two-Lane Blacktop.

I watched this last night. As I write this, the Criterion bonus features are playing in the background. Director Monte Hellman is having a conversation with Kris Kristofferson. They were talking about his song "Me & Bobby McGee" and its relation to the movie. Mostly the line "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." This is a line that has always stuck with me since the first time I heard that song. Giving up everything is the only way to truly be free. So this movie.

Non-actors James Taylor and Dennis Wilson starred in this film. And they were great. Warren Oats was great as well. Ummm.

I like movies where they don't give the main characters names. The Man With No Name trilogy. Last Year At Marienbad. While these characters are developed, full human beings with All Things Human Beings Possess, a high level of mystery is maintained. Where does this guy come from? It's not important. The writer knows, but he ain't talkin. There could be something dark, but it's up to the audience's imagination. What brought him here? Well he's here. This is what he does. He has reasons, and we know he has reasons but we don't necessarily know. He's livin' and that's life.

That's what we do.

Ides of March

Man, this is getting exhausting. Saw Ides of March today. I don't have a whole lot to say about it. It was fairly entertaining and kind of a pessimistic (but wholly accurate) view of politics in general. Great cast. I would have loved to see a nice confrontational scene between the rivals played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti (due to them being perhaps the greatest actors working today) but what can you do.

I guess that's all. Great actors but nothing that really stretched any of them.

Pudd'nhead Wilson

First book done!

At a lean 139 pages, this was my way of getting a head start on things, of knocking out one all quick-like.

What to say about a book that's over 100 years old?

The introduction by Langston Hughes gave me the impression that it would be nearly humorless, a very serious story about a very serious subject. And yes, the subject was very serious (slavery, nature vs nurture, MURDER!) but it was still Mark Twain. It was still a breezy, entertaining read that had me giggling fairly frequently.

The main thing though was the arbitrariness that race was presented in. The whole "if you're 1/32nd black then you are a slave" thing. How that 1/32nd made any sort of difference. My first thought was that I felt bad for the real Thomas A Becket, the one switched in his infancy to be a slave when he should have rightfully been free. Now obviously there is no way we should justifiably feel any worse for him than we do for the other slaves, because there is no difference between being made a slave before you know what's what and being made a slave from birth. And Twain tends to avoid writing much about this injustice here. He is just an innocent bystander but with how big of a douche the fake Thomas A Becket is, we just wonder what the real Tom would have done in the situation. But what about all slaves, had they been given a fair shot at life?

And here we are in 2012 and I am doing little more than stating the obvious. We know that slavery is wrong and has left a huge scar on our country's legacy. What can be pulled from this book that can teach us real lessons today?

Mostly it's the people of the town. How much they are like the people of today, easily swayed, not very bright, mob mentality. People who will call someone a "Pudd'nhead" for making an ironic comment that they don't understand. They are fascinated by the foreigners from Italy, and then want their blood based on some fairly weak circumstantial evidence. These are our juries; these are our voters. Easily swayed, easily swayed back. This is how our country had slavery and how now the tea party has taken over the media and the republican party. This is how George W Bush got elected to a second term before we were smart enough to try something different but then 2 years later brought more of the same fools into congress to react to that. This is us.

Finally, I'd like to remark on probably my favorite parts of the book. At the beginning of each chapter are excerpts from Wilson's calendar. These bite-sized snippets of Twain's wit (and in some cases, extreme pessimism) are some of the best takeaways in the book. Here is one of extreme pessimism that I found particularly...particular:

"All say, 'how hard it is to have to die' -- a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live."

Shame

Tonight I decided to go see Steve McQueen's new film Shame. I think I will make this quick as I need to get back to reading...

Fearless direction. Love the how willing the camera is to linger on awkward situations, unblinking, lots of long takes of close up shots.

The acting was wonderful. Duh. I'd be behind Fassbender and/or Mulligan this year at the Oscars.

Speaking of Carey Mulligan, here she is singing some more. She did a fine job on that Belle & Sebastian song ("Write About Love") and an even better job here. Well, the context was different. Watch out, Zooey Deschanel, Carey Mulligan's got chops! There was one line in the song where I thought it was exposing the character as an inferior singer, I thought "oh she missed a note there" but then she just brought it home in a minor key. Nice.

It was weird that his character was named Brandon and people said his name a lot in this movie. Particularly in Sissy's phone messages.

Lots of sex/nudity but for me the most uncomfortable moments in the film didn't involve these aspects. It was the lingering.

Highly recommended if you think you can handle it.

high ambition

Hello out there!

If you can read this, it means you can read!

This year I have decided to try and tackle my piles of books (somewhere around 35) that i have not yet read. See, I'm great at buying books at things like Borders going out of business and library sales and such. But not so great at reading them, because I have been focusing all of my cultural energy on music consumption. So this year I am trying to make it a bit more even. And try to read all those books and see more movies. Also about movies, I got an awesome present which was a gift certificate for the Denver Film Society, more importantly to go toward a year long membership which will get me discounted tickets and some free screenings and stuff. So I have to make it worth the money by seeing a lot there. Plus it's that season when lots of great movies are out.

Why am I telling you this? Why are you wasting your reading abilities on this? I guess as a heads up for what I hope to do. Every movie I watch, book I read, and (new) album I listen to, I will try to write something about it here. See if I actually do it! Sometimes it will be my usual essay length thing talking about its merits, sometimes it will just be a couple sentences to recommend or non-recommend something. Who knows what it will be?

FYI I am about 2/3 of the way through my first book of the year, Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain. I will tell you about it soon. Stay tuned!