mtdanielson

mtd site: Best Films Forever

2011-11-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a new site from an old idea, and that is a place to list all my favorite movies. These aren't just favorite movies, but essentials for life. In order for me to like a movie, it needs to give me something, something more than 2 hours of the basest stimuli, but something that speaks to my soul and leaves an impression. Sure, not every movie on the site, like many comedies, are gonna change your life, per say, but the good ones still give you something. Caddy Shack gives you more than say Corky Romano. I'm not sure why, but it just does. With other movies, the gift is more plain. Movies like Enemy Mine, Schindler's List, No Country For Old Men, simply change you. They give you something real. And that's what makes them a Best Film Forever.

Best Films Forever

Elegy for Christina...

2011-05-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

For Christina...

I hope you don't think this song is too cheesy.
And that goes two-fold for my sentimentality.
But Christina, had we been given the chance to get to know each other better,
You would have found out your cousin Michael is quite sentimental, if not, just plain mental.

The fact is, Christina, besides time and/or utter suppression,
There aren't too many things on this earth that ease my pain.
However, one thing would be music.
This Art Garfunkel song, in particular, helps me from time to time.

Christina, our time together was so intermittent.
Don’t you think?
We saw each other every several years or so,
And when you got older, with even less fanfare.
You were always in constant motion, and me with my constant wanderings, wasn’t much better,
And only now, sadly, we come to a rest.

And I feel cheated.
Because, Christina, I fully intended to get to know you better…Someday,
Back when time was infinite.
And we spent it like there was no tomorrow.
When we should have been more frugal.
In light of this blackest of black Fridays,
It seems even more glaring,
Time above all else, except for love, is most precious!

Christina? Were we cheated or were we outplayed?
We play a chess game with God, only we can’t see His pieces.
We never know when or where to go.
So we just go.
In the mean time, He’s laughing His head off, cuz to Him, it looks like we’re playing like damned fools!
Because we are, it turns out.
For instance, had I seen the pieces, do you think I would have played the game like I did, having passed up our time together?
Never!
Have no doubt. I love God. And so do you, I know.
But He can play a mean game of chess.
And yet, having said that, I’m not about to forfeit.

Christina, do you remember the day I brought you to the Baptist Church on Norton Road?
This was when you were little and you lived with your Grandma and Grandpa.
I remember you were like one of my mother’s dolls, in your white dress Aunt Linda dressed you in so meticulously.
I remember you didn’t much care for Sunday school.
And the sermon didn’t sit quite right with you.
Neither did your darling little dress.
In fact, the only part you seemed to like was riding in my car.
That is, as long as you were given free rein to press every button and turn every knob you could get your hands on.
Yeah, you were quite a handful.
For one of the few times in my life, I was in a position of authority. Kinda.
A position I quickly and gladly relinquished when I brought you back to your grandparents’ capable arms and went on my merry bachelor way.

From now on, Christina,
Whether you think this song is cheesy or not,
Whenever I hear it,
I will have no choice but to think of you.
I mean, is that so horrible?
To be remembered?
The matter was never in doubt.
You will always be remembered.

I will always remember your bright eyes,
Ever searching for the happiness,
In life, eluded you,
But now, I pray, you have finally found,
Abound.

From shock,
To disbelief,
To sadness,
To more sadness,
To reluctant acceptance,
Arriving finally at love, always,
Michael

mtd best films forever: Best Coen Brothers Movie

2011-05-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

With all the hundreds of movies I love, and the many directors who have caught my eye, like for instance Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorcese, and more recently Guillermo Del Toro, no other director's work, as a whole, have I cherished than the Coen Brothers.

Every director has hits and misses, and the Coen Brothers aren't without their occasional misses. And none hit as well and as often as the Coen Brothers. However, even their misses have something to offer, mainly because the Coen Brothers, more than any other director(s), are highly unique. They provide a completely fresh take on their subject matter, whether its dark like Blood Simple or lighthearted like O Brother Where Art Thou, there will always be something surprising and innovative in every film.

For more of this article about the Coen Brothers, please click on this link. It’ll bring you to the rest of this article, with an opportunity to vote on your favorite Coen Brother’s movie and see my Top 10 List of favorite films.

mtd movies: Enemy Mine

2011-02-24T03:50:00.000-08:00

Enemy Mine should be required viewing for all children; for that matter, every human.

In the mid 80’s, when I was a wee lad, growing up in Salem, New Hampshire, I was always going over my best friend Ken’s apartment. Ken’s family was quite different from mine. For instance, Ken’s Mom kept their house spotless. Such a thing as isn’t usually a concern. However, in my case, it was a little unsettling, and made me somewhat apprehensive, for fear I might somehow upset the delicate balance of the place. That might say more about me than them. The other thing that comes to mind was his Dad’s interest in electronics, as far as the family entertainment system goes, complete with all the devices 80’s technology had to offer: TV, stereo, record player, loads of LP records, VCR, speakers for surround sound, and an extensive library of movies he taped off their many pay channels. Like the cleanliness, such a vast display of electronics was equally foreign to me. There must have been hundreds of these tapes, each one neatly labeled with 2, but usually 3 movies. I was only 10. I wasn’t the cultural sponge you see before you now. I had only a limited knowledge of movies. From TV and the occasional trip to the movie theater, as long as the movie didn’t have ghosts or anything supernatural for that matter, which were all obvious signs of the occult, according to my parents. All I knew for sure was there were tons; from familiar titles like Red Dawn to ones not so familiar like The Big Red One.

Every once a while, Ken’s family had movie night. I mean, why wouldn’t you, given all that equipment. During movie nights, Ken’s family did all they could to capture the essence of a real movie theater; the darkness, the surround sound, and the popcorn. With all that said - and man, would I love that same set-up today - I didn’t really care for these nights. Of course, I wouldn’t vocalize my discontent. Was it their fault I was crazy and would have preferred to spend my time at Ken’s doing important stuff like playing GI Joes or inventing the world’s next great board game? However, on one night in particular, all this changed, when movie night was to feature this movie called Enemy Mine.

To a 10 year-old, especially in the 80’s, back before our eyes were trained to spot inferior special effects, the power of Enemy Mine was undeniable. It hit me like a brick. To the degree, that I can honestly say no other lesson in my life, save for life itself, was able to reach into me and affect me more than Enemy Mine. A thousand hours in church, which is what my parents subjected me to growing up, never could have grabbed me up inside, and taught me to love my neighbor like two hours spent watching Enemy Mine. And that’s when you know a movie means something.

As I watch Enemy Mine today, I’m happy to report, I’m still very much taken in by this film. It is just as powerful. I ask myself to look past the outdated special effects to see what’s really going on. And it seems almost like a play to me, a heartfelt life lesson. There are so many scenes that stick with me.

Dennis Quaid and especially Louis Gossett Jr. make the artfully crafted dialogue come to life. Louis Gossett Jr., who plays a Drac (an alian race), beneath all that makeup, still manages to stir my heart in scene after scene. The two are mortal enemies stuck on an apparently deserted island, and have to rely on each other to survive. The spectrum of emotion, from acute hatred of one another to at times endearment, flows in every direction, and spills right off the screen. A truly masterful film.

Toward the latter part of the movie, there’s a particularly touching sequence that resonates with me, where Dennis Quaid’s character Davidge is raising a young Drac boy named Zammis. The boy is struggling to accept the physical differences between Davidge and himself. The sequence culminates in a powerful scene, where Bumper Robinson, who plays Zammis, tearfully says, “I wish I was not a Drac. I wish I had your face. I wish I had five fingers.” The moment is so powerful, so sincere and heart-wrenching, enhanced ten-fold by the films stirring score, and I’m blown away, without fail, every time I see it. I challenge you to watch the film for yourself, and dare try to walk away unscathed.

So, as you can kind of tell, I like Enemy Mine. And as far as I’m concerned, if I’m ever fortunate enough to have children, Enemy Mine will definitely be required viewing.

mtd memoriam: Christa McAuliffe

2011-01-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

-from Salem Unbound by Ken Sweet & MT Danielson
-excerpt from Chapter 26: "Electric Football With Christa" written by MT Danielson

In this winter, 1986, we, as children from New Hampshire, followed along as a teacher from our state, Christa McAuliffe, was chosen from thousands to become a member of the space program. With curious spirit, we watched, some more attentively than others, Ken in the more category, as Mrs. McAuliffe trained with the astronauts, taught from NASA, down in Florida, and at every opportunity, embedded her pervasive smile into our memories never to be removed, not until death, and if we live beyond the grave, I’m sure it will persist. It is a solemn promise that no child from that time can deny.

On that day, we were let out of school early. I remember Ken being especially struck by the disaster. I was hurt, sure. I was still learning, processing life and death. What was I thinking about, I wish I knew. And what better way to drown our sorrows than a marathon session of electric football.

“I think I’m gonna get some more teams for football. Maybe the Cowboys or the Dolphins,” I said as we walked along the road, ignoring the cherry trees as we went.

Ken didn’t say anything. He just kept walking.

So I said, “So you wanna play electric football when we get home?”

“I don’t know.”

“We got almost the whole day. You don’t wanna play?”

“No.”

Okay. No electric football. That’s fine.

I went home and drowned myself in something else, maybe Coleco Vision. I could hear the news in the other room surmising what could have gone wrong with the Challenger. I turned up my video games. I wasn’t ready to deal with things. I was hoping they were all okay, that maybe they had survived somehow. Perhaps one of the parts from the wreckage was a safe little cockpit type compartment and they were all just waiting it out in there until someone came to rescue them. I just didn’t think, within a blink they were gone, that Christa was gone. Someone with that smile, and that thirst for life and knowledge, which might be one in the same, could be suddenly ripped away from existence.

I gave Ken a week or so. I thought that’d be sufficient. I had gone over a couple times during the week, but steered clear from the whole electronic football game. In fact we steered clear of most games. Ken preferred to listen in on the news playing in the other room, and even go out there and watch it. I would be sitting on the couch next to him as he gleaned whatever information he hadn’t yet discovered in previous newscasts. I was bored.

After the week, I asked him again, on our way home from school. And he only thought about it for a second or two and then said, “I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to play anymore,” referring to electric football.

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know. I think it might be that the football players in that game, with their helmets and uniforms, kind of look like astronauts.”

I didn’t think he was serious. Even after a month or two I still didn’t think he was serious. I thought it might just be an excuse. But of course, in the end, he was serious. If we ever played electric football again it was stripped down and built back up as something completely different, like a war game or something, something violent.

And I steadily started to realize something. Perhaps Ken was never gonna get over this. Something was grabbed out of his heart on that day the Challenger exploded. Some sort of innocence. It was grabbed out of all of us. And things were never the same.

I love you, Christa.

mtd music: Split Enz

2011-01-21T03:59:00.000-08:00

For my first mtd music series entry in a long while, I’m going with the 70’s/80’s alternative art rock band, Split Enz, who gave themselves the misspelling as far as the N and the Z as homage to their native New Zealand.

The first time I heard Split Enz was in the mid 80’s after purchasing some random 80’s compilation tape. The tape had a couple good songs and a couple not so good songs. One of the good ones was the Split Enz’s “I Got You,” an incredibly memorable track from 1980 about some deeply disturbed guy obsessing and probably stalking some unsuspecting girl. We’ve all been there before. I kid. Anyway, this was a great song and great sampling of the Enz.

Later on, working somewhat backwards… As a child I had always been a fan of Crowded House, owning their first few tapes and absolutely loving about half the songs on each of them. It wasn’t long before I stumbled on the connection between the two bands. And of course that connection is the immensely talented Finn brothers, Neil and Tim. In 1991, for Crowded House’s third tape Woodface, his brother, Tim, joined his brother Neil, one of the founding members and the backbone of Crowded House. Through a bit of research here and there, I gleaned that this was not unlike the move in 1977 when, in reverse, Neil joined Tim’s band, Split Enz, creating a distinct and different sound compared to earlier version of the band, pre-1977.

Prior to 1977, Split Enz was much more artsy-fartsy, with extremely extravagant stage productions and loads of makeup and wild costuming. In listening to several tracks from this time period, I have to admit, I’m a bit lost. Not to mention a little freaked out. But maybe this was the band’s intention in the first place.

When 1977 rolled around, original singer/songwriter and guitarist, Phil Judd, left Split Enz and Neil Finn, who wasn’t even 20 years old and could barely play the guitar, joined the Enz. Neil Finn’s suspect guitar playing was of little concern, however, when it was soon realized Neil Finn was and would become one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of our generation.

Adding Neil’s rising talents as a singer/songwriter to Tim’s, who was an accomplished singer/songwriter in his own right, and the maniacal and masterful instrumentation of the other members of Split Enz, namely Eddie Rayner on keyboards and Nigel Griggs on bass, the Split Enz sound was complete. This is when the Enz started making their impression on the world, far beyond Australia. Unfortunately, the peak of success came with their lone hit in the US, the above mentioned, 1980’s “I Got You,” penned by Neil Finn. Split Enz called it quits in 1984, and Neil Finn promptly formed Crowded House, the band that would enjoy much more success than the Enz ever did.

To everyone’s delight, America is not the end-all and be-all. Although the Enz only had a couple small splashes of success in America, the rest of the world got to enjoy the wild and crazy and sometimes addictive sounds of the Split Enz. Thank God for the greatest hits tape I bought in the mid-90’s, based purely on how much I liked “I Got You.” Otherwise, I never would have known about such incredible songs as “One Step Ahead,” “Message To My Girl,” “Six Months In A Leaky Boat,” “History Never Repeats,” and so on. And if it wasn’t for my many hours of late-night exploring on Youtube, I never would have heard even more great songs like, “Bold As Brass,” “Things,” “Famous People,” and other songs I’m still getting acquainted with.

Split Enz may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you give them a sip, you might find that you, too, will love the bejesus out of them. It could happen!

mtd bff: Best Christopher Walken Performance

2011-01-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

Christopher Walken is one of America's most treasured and revered actors. He's managed to carve a very unique niche into the world of movies.

The first time I ever saw Walken in a film was a movie called, Homeboy. I remember thinking, what the heck is up with this guy. i couldn't tell if he wearing some crazy makeup or the world's worst hair piece ever. I was instantly repelled by him.

Then, strangely enough, my opinion evolved and his eccentric mannerisms and highly unique delivery and accent became something of an obsession of mine. I started trying to find every movie of his I could. I wanted to see it all. This guy seemed absolutely nuts and yet I couldn't take my eyes off him. He is truly one of American cinemas treasures. And he'll probably go down as such.

Honorable Mention: Catch Me If You Can, Brainstorm, The Prophecy, A View To A Kill, Balls Of Fury, Communion, Next Stop Greenwich Village, Suicide Kings, Homeboy

10 The Dead Zone

9 King Of New York

8 Blast From The Past

7 Biloxi Blues

6 Nick Of Time

5 Annie Hall

4 At Close Range

3 True Romance

2 The Deer Hunter

1 Pulp Fiction

MTD Movies: American History X

2010-05-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

American History X is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. Edward Norton is completely mesmerizing as the lost soul turned Neo-Nazi urban legend in an off-white California community.

I first saw Norton in the movie, Primal Fear, starring Richard Gere. Though the film was a Gere vehicle, it was Norton who made the film what it was. His performance convinced me he was destined to be my generations Robert De Niro. He was that good!

Then, when American History X came along, it all but solidified this claim. Norton takes this already amazing character, and breathes life into him like no other contemporary actor could. Norton is vicious, vulnerable, heart-stopping, and intense beyond comprehension as the incredibly dynamic character, Derek Vinyard, as he goes from suburban white victim to local hero, or anti-hero.

Norton's character is obviously the centerpiece in this thriller. However, there are some other good performances in the film. Guy Torry, Ethan Suplee, Stacy Keach and Elliot Gould come to mind. Edward Furlong takes second billing, but I've never been a fan of Furlong, and in this film, he does nothing to change my feeling. This film belongs to Edward Norton and his performance alone, is enough to make the film great!

David McKenna, who wrote this script as a film student, struck creative gold with this masterpiece. McKenna injects us right into this seedy world of explosive race wars, and isn't long before you, too, are immersed in the middle of it. With Edward Norton as the embodiment of McKenna's anti-hero, giving the monstrous Derek Vinyard a charismatic jolt, you can't help but choose a side. On the outside looking in, of course you know what's right and what's wrong. And yet, the way the story is crafted and Tony Kaye directs it, you can't help but feel empathy for almost every character, no matter how terrible they may seem. All signs of a masterful film.

American History X will get your blood pumping, your stomach turning, and you won't be the same afterward! Yes, it's that good!

mtd music: Toto

2009-08-07T01:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is a rather strange addition to the mtd music series: Toto. That’s right. I’m talking about that highly commercial, typified 80’s pop group, famous for the two headed monster hits, “Africa” and “Rosanna”. Before you click out of this article, wait just a minute! Check some of this goofy crap out! You may or may not be sorry!

Every once and a while, I like to read up on random 80’s groups, something someone might do when they’re sitting around reminiscing about that most righteous decade. Most recently, it was the band: Toto. I was just a kid during the 80’s, so I didn’t know much about these guys. All I knew was I LOVED the songs, “Africa” and “Rosanna”. On the strength of those incredibly layered and powerfully delivered songs, I decided to find out more about Toto.

Here are some of my Toto findings:

The first thing I noticed was these guys have had a lot more hits then I thought. And I knew most of them from the radio, like “Hold the Line”, “Pamela”, and “I’ll Be Over You”. In reading up on these dudes, I kept hearing about a song called “99”. I was sure I hadn’t heard it before. Then I went to youtube and checked out the video for myself.

In it, I found out the second thing about Toto, they are perhaps the nerdiest looking goofball group ever. The synthesizer dude and the drummer alone, who I found out are brothers, are enough to garner that dubious distinction. There isn’t a safe haven in this group for good looks except for maybe the bass player. The lead singer/guitarist looks like somebody you might avoid on the city bus. The piano player with the beard looks like a muppet. And the other piano player, the one with the incredible voice from “Rosanna” and other songs, looks like a young Captain Lou Albano, minus the good looks. This is one freaky looking group. I’m curious to know if this group could have ever had groupies. If you think I’m being harsh or exaggerating, kindly click on the “99” video. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

The third thing is, well, I’m addicted to “99”, both the song and video. What the f is wrong with me? I go around humming and singing this incredibly simplistic song all day long. From the second I played it, I remembered hearing it at some point on the radio. The song itself is an homage to the heroine in the George Lucas pre-Star Wars movie, THX 1138, hence the all white video. I read that the lead singer thought the song was so silly he now refuses to play it live. What? I’m addicted to this song! Even the video, with the hunt-and-peck piano riff, and the super nerd grooving it up to the synth solo, and the hokey singer’s pining mug has only added to my weird obsession. I wanna be these nerds! All nerdy rejects should worship these guys, as the pinnacle of nerd-dom. As studio musicians, the members of Toto never got the chicks, and when they decided to join as one, and become Toto, well, they probably still didn’t get the chicks, but hey, they got me! And who wouldn’t want me? You? Me? You!

So, what have we learned here today? Toto rocks. To prove this, play “99”. When you’re done listening, I dare you not to sing the song all day long. Then, naturally, come back to the computer and play “99” again. Then again. When you discover yourself playing air-piano/synthesizer to the riff and solo, that’s when you’ll know you are absolutely hooked. And you will come to the realization that that synth player is no nerd at all. He is a super nerd. And that’s like way better! Exponentially better, as he would probably say.

Unite Toto Tots! Unite and be one! Live the Toto. Be the Toto! Or don’t. Whatever…

mtd music: They Might Be Giants

2009-08-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking me out! And welcome to the mtd music series. Today’s artist is the maniacally beautiful and sophisticated group, They Might Be Giants.

A warning might need to be attached here, since one shouldn’t just stroll into their local record store and buy a TMBG cd- as if anyone does that sort of thing anymore, sadly. Well, then again, there probably shouldn’t be any rules when it comes to music. I’m only saying it’s no accident that TMBG has avoided the main stream except for a few minor hits that creep back up into pop-culture in commercials or whatnot every now and again, ie. “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” for one. Apart from the commercial it was recently in, I also heard this song at a wedding reception a few years back. That just proves my lifelong credo: Anything goes when humans are involved.

They Might Be Giants are a great band, with incredibly catchy and crazy songs. Their unique sound features an accordion and synthesizer-like electric guitar sound and they’re really slammin’! I love them, always have, and always will. Something that might appear as a stumbling block for some listeners is their music’s full of informative, historical and downright intelligent lyrics, all delivered, in most cases by the nasally voice of one of the Johns, John Flansburgh or John Linnell-I don’t know which is which. Some people just don’t what to do when meet face to face with intelligence. That’s another reason why I’m qualifying this recommendation.

Perhaps the main reason I’m hesitant to recommend these guys is because they’re probably too awesome for some people. When I first discovered them, way back in 1990, I was eating and drinking and sleeping their music. And that’s not easy. However, I was also mixing in Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Smithereens but hey, what can I tell you. I like a lot of different crapola. The thing is, if I wanted to impress a girl, I wouldn’t pop in TMBG. I probably would have put in The Cure or something vile like that, you know, so she thought I was all deep and crap. However, in my heart of hearts, if I had any balls to speak of, I would have put in TMBG, and let the chips fall where they may. I mean you can’t exactly make out with a girl when you got these guys on. It’s not like they have any love songs, even though I happen to think “She’s An Angel,” off their first record, is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. And when I’m with the fellas and I’m we’re all pissed about something, it’s not like I’m gonna put them on, even though their song, “I’ll Sing Manhatten” is one of the meanest, angriest songs I’ve ever heard.

However, when I’m in a certain kind of mood. Now this is what I’m talking about. When I’m getting in the shower and I wanna dance around and cause an accident, now that’s when I wanna put They Might Be Giants’ “Don’t Let’s Start” or “They’ll Need A Crane” on. There we go. Or maybe, when I’m driving down the street, and I’m not seeing any mean looking ruffians acting all hard or any girls I’d potentially like to get with, basically, when I don’t give a crap what people think and I just wanna go crazy, now that’s when I’ll put on “No One Knows My Plan” or “Birdhouse in Your Soul”.

The album I started with was 1990’s Flood And I might recommend you start with this one too. Or, you could take advantage of starting from the beginning with their self-titled debut from 1986. Whatever, dude. Don’t give me a hard time. Flood is incredible though. I wore that tape out.

I can vouch for the following albums. I’ve even givens asterisks according to my favorites.

They Might Be Giants (1986) ***

Lincoln (1988) ****

Flood (1990) *****

Miscellaneous T (1991) ***

Apollo 18 (1992) **

John Henry (1994) *

Or maybe this one would be good too:

Then: The Early Years

Sometime around the grunge period of time, I must have got all grungy and stopped listening to TMBG’s new stuff. Plus, the band went in kind of a weird direction after Apollo 18, where they wanted to play with a full band instead of just the two of them. In my opinion, I just say no to this. And thus, the last album I frequented was John Henry, the first of this experience.

So, in a way, this article is a recommendation for They Might Be Giants’ early stuff. I’ve heard some newer songs that sound okay, not counting the Malcolm In The Middle theme or those Dunkin’ Donut commercials, but I really love the old stuff. I still listen to it. My dream is for there to come a day when I can walk down the street and proudly display my love for They Might Be Giants (old stuff) by blasting a boom box playing “Dead” or “Letter Box” or if I’m feeling particularly bold, “Particle Man”.

mtd memoriam: Mitch Hedberg

2009-07-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

The following is an email I sent out on April 5, 2005

Tonight, I was struck square in the heart by the passing of my favorite comedian. I'm still reading about the details but it was probably drug related, but possibly due to previous heart ailments.

I discovered Mitch Hedberg a few years ago, on an episode of "Comedy Central Presents," where I saw him with his long unkempt hair, darkened glasses, holding a drink, and not to mention his list of jokes, which he referred back to quite frequently and quite matter-of-factly. He was seemingly in a drunken -or possibly drug induced- stupor as he went about delivering his set, often stumbling and sometimes laughing at his own jokes. And yet, he was so funny.

I was mesmerized by the performance. So hilarious. His style was so unique. His jokes ranged from silly and cuddly cute to almost profound. And though he seemed in a mess, he also had an air of purity and true goodness. His observations were like child-beheld discoveries. And with each one, I was filled with that same childlike wonder, and drawn in that much more.

Convinced that he was perhaps the best comedian I'd ever seen, and almost definitely the only contemporary one I could depend on to make me laugh, I had to tape him whenever he was gonna be on Comedy Central or David Letterman. And though I hadn't heard much about him lately, I thought for sure he was in store for greater things.

And as in some cases, when we find an entertainer we really enjoy, I feel we might do more than just like them, but rather feel a connection, and somehow root for their success, and even garner some sort of gratification when they do, as if you, in some way, had something to do with it.

I feel bad and horrible loss, probably close to the same, if not more than how I felt when Chris Farley died. I'm troubled more and more about death, especially celebrities for some reason. Maybe it's that connection, or appreciation you develop for making you laugh or sometimes cry, emote in someway anyway.

The purity of Mitch Hedberg, and Farley, I'd say, makes it doubly bad, because they seemed so childlike, and so innocent, and at the same time deeply troubled and sometimes lost. I don't know why Mitch bothers me more than Terry Chiavo's passing or even the Pope's for that matter. It just does. It's like a joyful game that we used to play, that we simply have no use for anymore, put away by life and the demands of adulthood. It's a past that's been spent. That can't be reversed or played over. It's one less pleasure that no longer exists.

RIP MH

mtd music: A-Ha

2009-07-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking me out! The following is an article about the band, A-ha. This is the latest installment of bands I think you should give a second or third listen to. I like a lot of music, but the 80’s are where my heart is.

I have to say that it is a minor tragedy that US radio censored you from this incredible group. After A-ha’s smash hit “Take On Me” in the middle of the 1980’s, American DJs, in their typical way, seemed to sweep them under the rug. They did a song for the James Bond film The Living Daylights and then mysteriously seemed to disappear.

The truth is, they never disappeared. They’ve continued to have a following all over the world. They even managed to set the record for the largest attended concert of all time! Now, does that sound like a one-hit-wonder to you?

When I was a kid, growing up in the 80’s, I didn’t have much money (well that much hasn’t changed, anyway…) and since I was born with an insatiable love of music, in order to feed this addiction, I was forced to frequent the bargain bins at the local Bradley’s or K-Mart. This was a bin full of tapes for a buck or two, a price range I could handle on 5 bucks a week allowance. On one of these occasions, I picked up A-ha’s Scoundrel Days. I remembered the band, of course, from “Take On Me”, and even was a little annoyed when I got home and realized that the song wasn’t even on that tape. However, this purchase would prove to be one of the best purchases of my life!

The first side of Scoundrel Days is simply incredible. From the beginning title track, to the end, the manic synthesizers, driving sound and mesmerizing vocals captivated me. Even today, and this is no exaggeration, I would consider Morten Harket, to be one of my all-time favorite vocalists. That puts Harket in company with such immortal singers as Sam Cooke, David Ruffin (The Temptations), and nowadays, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave). Harket’s voice is so powerful, and yet ethereal, almost angelic, like maybe how a real kick-ass angel would sound. That movie, Dogma, comes to mind. So does Ben Afleck- yuck! I’ll leave that for another article.

The next A-ha album I came across was East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This was a departure from A-ha’s synth-driven stuff. More stripped down and guitar dominated, with almost a gospel or soulful feel. Even with the almost 180 degree change in style, through the power of Harket’s voice, most of the songs on this album came across as equally compelling, like for instance, “Crying in the Rain”, “Early Morning”, “I Call Your Name”, and “Rolling Thunder”.

So, why not discover what the rest of the world seems to have enjoyed for a long time? Give an open ear to A-Ha, and I’m sure, if you love the 80’s, or just love good music and incredible singing, you won’t be disappointed.

mtd memoriam: Michael Jackson

2009-07-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I went to check my email, and stumbled on the news that Michael Jackson was dead at 50, and instantly I felt a stream of emotions; first shock, then disbelief, and now ultimately sadness. It’s a strange sort of sadness. I guess, because it’s growing. And I’m afraid it hasn’t reached its low-point. And that’s why I decided to write this, for selfish reasons and therapeutic reasons, to finally put away the sorrow I feel for this sad and enigmatic man.

The Rise….

When I was a boy, growing up in the 80’s, there was no entertainer, nobody, who could touch what Michael Jackson was doing to the world. He was everywhere. And his album, Thriller, was on fire.

One day, my mom decided to let me and my big brother each buy one secular, or non-Christian album. I’m not sure why this change of heart, but we weren’t about to pass it up. We weren’t super sheltered, at least it didn’t seem like it to me and my brother. We heard music on the radio, and on Friday Night Videos. Dave, my brother, got to see this new channel called MTV, whenever he went to his friend, Paul’s house, up the street. Paul also had magazine cut-outs of naked women plastered all over his bedroom walls. I guess you could say the Paul from our neighborhood was spreading a different sort of gospel than the Paul from the Bible. To an 8 year old kid, I was all ears, and eyes, whenever I was permitted to tag along to Paul’s.

So anyway, my brother and I had a pretty good idea what album each of us would pick. I grabbed Culture Club’s Kissing To Be Clever, I don’t know, I guess cuz I’m gay. No, I like boobies way too much to be gay. It wasn’t even like that. Boy George, during the early 80’s, wasn’t really even about gayness. He was just cool and witty. The fact that he dressed up like a girl had nothing to do with it. It was the 80’s and lot’s of people were dressing up like girls… To prove my point, Boy George was even on an episode of the A-Team, and you can’t get more mannish than that. It was the 80’s, that should be enough said.

Dave, well, he’s always been a pretty mainstream, straight-shooter music listener, and so he grabbed the hugely popular album, Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Anyway, I’d sit in front of my parent’s record player and listen to my new music. I didn’t really understand a lot of the Culture Club album. KTBC is kind of weird. Of course I liked “Do you Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Time (Clock of the Heart)”, but after that, there was a lot of songs about white boys and black boys doing stuff, and so I alternated with my brother’s Thriller album. After all, I only had the two 33’s to listen to, unless I wanted to grab a record from my father’s box of gospel quartet albums, something I tried from time to time but always instantly regretted. Later on, my brother bought the 45’s “Pac-Man Fever” and Weird Al’s “Eat It” and so I had a little bit more variety.

Now, when I listened to Thriller it was undeniable, how immensely perfect and hip it was, an utter masterpiece. Every song on it was a potential hit. It had “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, “Thriller”, and “PYT” and my favorite, “Human Nature”. I was bummed when I saw the video for “Say Say Say”, the song Michael Jackson did with Paul McCartney, and it wasn’t on Thriller. Instead, Thriller had “The Girl Is Mine”, which seemed like pretty weak song to me at the time. I eventually bought the “Say Say Say” single.

In the next few years, Michael Jackson mania would only get crazier. He started doing the sequin glove and moonwalk thing and soon everyone and their brother was trying to moonwalk. I would moon walk sometimes down the alleyway behind my house. Prince did a similar move and I’d try to mix that in too. Along with the moonwalk, people in my neighborhood were starting to break dance, these are all white people mind you. They’d be doing the Worm or whatever. It was nuts. And I would say Michael Jackson started all of this with his moonwalk.

Besides his music and dance moves, Michael Jackson was already turning heads with his eccentric behavior. Nobody could believe when he wasn’t singing, he talked with that tiny little whispery, almost effeminate voice. But nobody was about to make fun. He was the king of cool. And so we simply made concessions. So what if he carried Emanuel Lewis around like he was a little kid and had a pet Monkey. Like I said before, it was the 80’s. Eccentricities were the norm. Besides, Michael Jackson often tempered his strangeness with a little arm-candy in the shape of Brooke Shields by his side. Now, I doubt anybody ever thought anything happened between the two of them, it’s still pretty cool. Then again, who knew? At that point, everyone was in awe of this incredible singer and dancer. We were all just in plain awe.

The Fall…

However, like with every superstar or beloved figure, there’s often an equally ferocious backlash coming full-speed around the corner. And for Michael Jackson, it was no different. The first couple things that happened, that marked the end was Eddie Murphy impersonating him in various stand-up specials. If there was a cooler black dude alive back then, it was Eddie Murphy. And that wasn’t good. Then, came the whole Pepsi Commercial thing where Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire. It’s really hard to maintain your coolness and hipness when your jheri curl is aflame. Then, for Michael’s next album, in an effort to answer his critics about being soft, he named his album Bad, and with the first single and video, tried like hell to get us to believe he was indeed bad.

Finally, what really caused his rising star to wane was this skin-lightening thing. Nobody on the planet could conceive why somebody would want to do this, especially the most recognizable black man on the planet. His prior alterations had seemingly perfected his look, just in time for the Thriller album. But when Bad came out, we could see that he hadn’t stopped there. No. He was far from done.

And hence, came the next stage of Michael’s career. It would come to be known by many, but said by so few, namely me, called the “What the heck is he doing?” phase of Michael Jackson’s career. This was basically the early 90’s and beyond, where was watched in horror as Michael Jackson changed from black to almost transparent, human to skeleton, and peculiar entertainer to alleged child molester.

Suppositions…

I’m not sure if anyone knows what happened to Michael Jackson: least of all, him. Did he just disappear before all our eyes? Did he go inside himself? I’ve read that victims of abuse often do just that. They might resurface with a split personality or some other defense mechanism, or they might transform themselves or denature themselves from their natural selves.

There are so many theories as to why Michael Jackson felt the need to alter his appearance. One theory is that he wanted to escape the similarities between the man in the mirror and his father, his life-long abuser and tormenter. If that was his desire, than he surely changed himself enough by 1982. Some say he idolized Diana Ross and wanted to look as close to her as he could. Well, if that was the case, he accomplished that around 1984. Why would he progress even further? Why would he continue to lighten his skin to alabaster and whittle his nose down to nothingness? There is simply no excuse as to why he progressed any further than this other than a mental fixation. Similar to anorexia, he had to have had some sort of compulsion. This is plain. Frankly, I have to wonder how any of these doctors could feed into this obvious illness. The same might ultimately be said about the drugs in his system at the time of his death, all doctor prescribed.

A theory of mine, about Michael Jackson’s peculiarity would have to do with his fame and extreme scrutiny at such an early age. This was a boy that was utterly robbed of his childhood. From as early as age 7, Michael Jackson, was no longer permitted to be a child. He was a professional performer driven to perfection by a man who should have been his father and not his slave-driving manager. When fame struck, he wasn’t even able to go out and play in public. As the frontman for the Jackson 5, the intense pressure to come through rested squarely on his shoulders. No one should have to answer to the amount of pressure he had, especially not a child of 10 years old. It’s no wonder he escaped further inside himself, suffering with such deep loneliness that he resorted to finding companionship in animals like a rat he named Ben, who he’d meet with late at night, until his father killed it.

This warped reality became Michael Jackson’s prison. Where he was trapped for the rest of his life, an extreme case of arrested development. Even as an adult, his private attire was more along the lines of Mickey Mouse t-shirts than anything else. When fame as an adult intensified, there was a need for Jackson’s hardness or manliness to make an appearance. This was against his nature. And so he over compensated with the crotch grabbing and bizarre primal screams.

The real Michael Jackson was gentle. Still the 7 year old child, sneaking out of bed to play with his only friend, a little rat. This is why I tend to believe Jackson’s innocence when it comes to all these child abuse allegations. I truly believe these children represented the little friends and playmates he never had. I don’t doubt it when he talks about it in interviews, how he served them cookies and milk and had sleep-overs. I tend to think Jackson wasn’t a sexual person. And this is why I also have trouble believing his relationships with Lisa Marie Presley or Debbie Rowe. If anything, the latter represented a mere means to an end, a way to have children of his own. Something, I’m sure, he always wanted to do, be a father. I don’t doubt him being a good father. Even with a few lapses in judgment. With Jackson, fatherhood, I’m sure, often took a backseat to his childish, playful nature, which, in all honesty, isn’t the worst trait in the world for a father.

Michael Jackson was an incredible, iconic force in the 80’s. And as a child of the 80’s, his presence was ever-present during a large portion of my life. I might appear as though I’m romanticizing MJ, in light of his passing, but I stand by everything I wrote. Michael Jackson was the biggest, most powerful performer during the 1980s. His life was a gift to many of us, but in many ways a curse for himself, a tormented child superstar never given the chance to grow up. Ultimately, I’m sure this sadness I feel for him will dissipate over time, but I won’t soon forget the lessons of his tragic life, it’s only too bad he had to live that tormented life for me to learn it.

RIP MJ

mtd music: Sinead O'Connor

2009-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

My next mtd music pick is the lovely and oft-misunderstood and ferociously outspoken, Sinead O’Connor. I couldn’t begin to clear up any of the mystery that gives Sinead O’Connor this rabid sense of victimization and aversion to conformity, but if you listen to her music you may begin to understand. As I think I have done: merely begun to understand.

When Sinead O’Connor arrived on the college radio scene in the late 80’s, nobody, I’m sure, knew what to make of this bald Irish lass with the angelic pipes. Then, with her Prince-penned smash hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U”, played incessantly in 1990, she was catapulted into stardom. Everyone, in America, I’m sure, was anxious to receive this peculiar looking little elfish import. That was until she decided to deliver numerous impromptu earfuls about her hatred of seemingly everything, including religion and politics. Not to mention her aversion to our National Anthem. I’m not even Catholic, and even I couldn’t help but be a little disturbed when she ripped up the picture of the pope on SNL.

After all this craziness, America, it seemed, couldn’t wait to ship this little Celtic pixie back from whence she came. Me included. Assuredly, America would be a much safer place with Sinead O’Connor not in it.

After a while, however, as I grew up, I decided to face my fears. Even though I hated the overplay of “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990, I went ahead and bought a used Sinead O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got tape. After all, despite everything else about her, it was still true, that she had a beautiful, sweet sounding voice. I enjoyed the tape, but the songs were somewhat hit and miss; still, overall, a good purchase.

During the rest of the 90’s, I wasn’t really sure what happened to Sinead O’Connor. I believe America was completely finished with her, and that’s why she all but disappeared from the radio waves. However, I did find her on an Irish Compilation called Common Ground: Voices Of Modern Irish Music. On it, she sang “On Raglan Road.” This song alone was enough to convince me how special Sinead O’Connor was. What an amazing song.

Soon after this, I finally saw her again, with the video for her song, “No Man’s Woman”. I loved this song. It could be interpreted several different ways, and even with it’s somewhat anti-man theme, I still dug it. For some reason that sort of thing always has a reverse affect on me. Eventually, to fill out a BMG membership, 12 CD’s for the price of 1, I selected the album Faith & Courage, the album “No Man’s Woman” is off of. Quickly, after listening through the new CDs, this album stood out, to the point that for a time period, it was my absolute favorite CD in my vast collection. I loved it so much; the only drawback to the album was the fear of over-listening to it and thus ruining it. To avoid this, I had to ration off how often I’d play it, forcibly mixing in other CDs to keep it fresh.

Faith & Courage (2000) is the reason why Sinead O’Connor makes my list of mtd music. Every song on it is a journey into O’Connor’s evolution as an extremely conscientious artist. The anger is all but gone, as O’Connor seems to have come to grips with her mother as well as her religious difficulties. From the music, I gather O’Connor is a mother herself now, and this has changed her, seemingly opening her up spiritually, and all of this seeps through in the music. Adding to the meditative and sometimes upbeat songs of Faith & Courage is just the right sprinkling of hip-hop beats; Wyclef Jean’s contribution to the album. I find this CD to be a complete and utter masterpiece, an absolute musical treasure. Favorite songs include, “Jealous”, “What Doesn’t Belong To Me”, and “If U Ever”.

Sinead O’Connor has proven to me to not only be an incredibly gifted singer, but also an extremely open and honest, multi-layered songwriter. For those of you still keeping her in purgatory for her initial transgressions, it is time to release her. If you do, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

mtd movies: Dog Day Afternoon

2009-07-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

Dog Day Afternoon is an amazing movie. Like many of my movie favorites, Dog Day Afternoon was made in the 70’s, during that limbo period between the big studio days into the independent film days.

Al Pacino is incredible in this film, a fireball of emotion and passion. His character is smart, cunning, vulnerable, ferocious, and heavily flawed. He is the quintessential anti-hero.

I won’t get into plot or things like that, just the raw emotion, and what the film evokes out of me, an avid movie goer and student of film. I will say, it is a crime film. And it is low budget. And it is an undeniably awesome movie.

Pacino’s character has to walk such a nerve-racking tight rope in this film, it is impossible to turn away. Something in particular that makes things hard on him, as a bank robber, is every character in the movie is very human. Not a typical Hollywood movie. The realness of his surroundings, makes him have to work that much harder.

For instance, his partner in crime, played brilliantly by John Cazale, isn’t exactly a prime candidate for this line of work. Neither is Sonny, Pacino’s character, but he is trying to make do.

I would have to say virtually every character in this movie is opposing Pacino in some way. And it makes for a great movie. In the forefront, is his main foil Charles Durning, who plays the negotiator. Durning is impeccable. Oafish at times, and frantic, and highly human.

There are so many things about this movie that break tradition. It isn’t a simple crime drama to say the least. If it was, it wouldn’t be among my favorites. I’d love to discuss more, but I wouldn’t want to give anything away. All I’ll say is watch for Chris Sarandon’s character.

Some requirements in watching this film would have to be an open mind. If you’re looking for a John Wayne or Charles Bronson movie formula here, then keep searching. This movie is unpredictable and nuts and I absolutely love it!

mtd opinions: What the heck is love? (Part 2)

2009-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

I would like to know, what the heck is love? What is it? Do you know? If you think you know, think again! You don’t know! Well, maybe you do. I don’t know you don’t know…

There are 5 things people just don’t know.

Things people don’t know #2: Where we come from

Speaking for myself, I know I come from New Jersey. As for the rest of you, you don’t know where you come from. If you say you do, then you’re lying.

I can say I come from New Jersey because that’s where I was born. And yet, this has no meaning to me. New Jersey is not my home. Nor is it my true starting point. Conception, that is closer to my origin. Biologically speaking, this might be true. But even before that, I existed. And that’s where the unknown part comes in.

Where do we come from? Could it be, like a hatchery, where our souls are kept amongst a sea of souls in a sort of holding tank and we are fished out when we’re ready to be fitted for a frame? That sounds similar to The Matrix.

The way the soul finds the body is much more organized and fated than that. Call it a hunch. In life there is so much left to chance. Vegas and all the Indian Casinos depend on it. But like the casinos, it isn’t as random as they would have you believe. If there is a God, there is order. If there is order, there is fate. If there is fate, there’s no chance. This is why you are you. You were meant to be you.

You might beg to differ and say, “MTD, you’re full of shit.” And I would have to say, “How can it be that I am full of shit when nobody knows the right answer, and thus nobody knows the wrong answer.” I’m only telling you what I know.

mtd actors: Terence Stamp

2009-06-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

The next person I’d like to fawn over for 600 to 800 words is English born actor, Terence Stamp. Just a little something about what I’m doing. I’m shedding light on some of my favorite actors. Most of the actors I like are kind of obscure, though some aren’t. And some have gotten more and more famous since I started liking them. Obviously, this must be my influence on Hollywood, a cross I’ve had to bear since I was young child growing up in upstate New York.

Anyway, back to Mr. Stamp. Plainly, if you’re familiar with Terence Stamp you will agree that he is simply, one of the most intense actors of our time. His eyes, when they’re flexing his character’s ire, are absolutely breathtaking. Projected on a 30 foot screen, and your heart might stop altogether. Especially if you think for a second his anger is meant for you, at which point you might verily wet yourself before shuffling off this mortal coil.

This might not sound like a positive experience. But if you’re a masochist like me, and have a lot of guilt issues to exorcise, there’s no better way of receiving your twenty lashes than to catch a Terence Stamp flick.

Consider these three Terence Stamp movies for your viewing pleasure. First, Superman II. Many of you have probably already seen this movie. So you might already know the extent of Terence Stamp’s power without even realizing it. Stamp, of course, plays the soulless General Zod in the Superman movies. What unequaled evil he summons up from hell for this part. With the coldness of an executioner, he punishes humans left and right, and Superman himself, and man, do I love every minute of it. Now, anyway. When I was kid, I just wanted to run and hide every time he was on the screen.

The next Terence Stamp vehicle I’d like to focus on is the little known 1984 film, The Hit. He’s actually the protagonist in this film. He’s a psychological mastermind in this film, outwitting and outplaying all the other characters, as if they were putty in his hand. Not a small feat when you’re playing opposite John Hurt and Tim Roth, incredible actors in their own rights. This is a must-see film, and a great character study of a man completely fearless in the face of death. The Hit will be on my favorite movies series eventually.

The last film I’m calling to your attention is The Limey. What a stroke of genius this film is. Terence Stamp is marvelous in this campy, kind of unpredictable film of redemption and revenge. The storytelling is almost semi-conscious and Stamp’s character, Wilson, is an absolutely force of nature. He’s full of reckless abandon and bravado and I love every minute of it. There are other great performances in the film. I have to say, after watching again, recently, The Limey might border on cheesy, but screw all that, it’s still good! Stamp is worth it.

So, hopefully, this little write-up about Stamp will inspire you to catch these films as well as the many more he has in a career spanning over 40 years. You won’t be sorry. I can say that with confidence. Terence Stamp is that good!

mtd opinions: What The Heck Is Love?

2009-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

I would like to know, what the heck is love? What is it? Do you know? If you think you know, think again! You don’t know! Well, maybe you do. I don’t know you don’t know…

There are 5 things people just don’t know.

Things people don’t know #1: The Meaning of Life

People don’t know the meaning of life. If they did, I’m pretty sure nobody would ever do anything. They’d just be doing whatever the meaning of life is all day long. Perhaps that’s the reason it’s kept from us. We can’t have everybody living meaningful lives. I’m pretty sure the meaning of life isn’t playing Guitar Hero. I’m pretty sure it’s not counting the milliseconds until Seacrest decides to tell us who our next American Idol is. I’m pretty sure it’s not our jobs, though this one might be closer than the other two, unless you flip burgers. And who’s to say flipping burgers isn’t anyway? If you don’t know the right answer, who’s to say you know the wrong answer? We just don’t know the meaning of life.

If Graham Chapman and his bunch can’t find the meaning of life, than I’m pretty sure we’re all pretty much out of luck. Still, there’s got to be a purpose to all this. And yet, even that is a complete and utter hunch. Maybe the anarchists have something. But those crazy fools wouldn’t know it if they did. That would kind of be going against their whole anarchy thing if they did.

Philosophers can philosophize, and ruminate on the cosmos and the meaning of life all they want. But at the end of the day, their eureka moments are no more elevated than the inklings of an imbecile. This is a mystery that can’t be unraveled. No, not even Judge Judy could get to the bottom of this one.

Now that I’ve established that no one knows the meaning of life. I think the best thing to do would be to go ahead and tell you what it is.

The meaning of life is a void in our brain, not unlike the void in our heart and the void in our soul. Our brain functions quite well around this unknown mass, and yet has no idea what it is or how to fill it. It is necessary for this void to exist, otherwise nothing would drive us. We must be driven, even if we don’t know exactly why. As long as we keep driving, the void has served its purpose, to keep us guessing. We might project our tenuous assumptions into the unknown, and suppose it must be our children, for instance, that represents the meaning of life. And so we continue to move to that end. And who knows, maybe children are the meaning of life. And then

again maybe they aren’t.

The meaning of life is like a gifted musician, who keeps our legs moving, even if we can’t hear the song.

And this is why nobody knows the meaning of life. Except me.

to be continued....

Madness

2009-06-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

How’s it going? Welcome to my music series. This is my chance to open up eyes to some obscure music I think everyone should hear. I’m into all kinds of music but my favorite is 80’s music. I LOVE IT!!!

If you were alive in the 80’s I’m sure you’ve heard of the band, Madness. They had that mega hit in the early part of the decade with “Our House”. What a silly song and video!

About 10 years ago, I watched a behind the music or rockumentary on No Doubt. And they mentioned that one of their biggest influences was Madness. Of course, now, after hearing a good sampling of Madness myself, it’s pretty obvious the connection.

I also heard over time that Madness had a much longer career in England. Spanning the entire decade, not just the one hit, “Our House”. Could it be that Madness was yet another one-hit-wonder forced to stay that and only that? This has been a growing theory of mine on the subject. Don’t get me wrong, some groups, especially from the 80’s were rightfully tagged as one hit wonders. But this isn’t a fair assumption on many bands' behalves. And that would definitely be the case with Madness.

I purchased Madness’ greatest hits and found a couple songs I liked, sure. Right away, I liked “It Must Be Love”, “Baggy Trousers” and “My Girl” enough even to warrant the purchase. But then, after a few more listenings, something strange started happening. I found myself going through the day singing song after song from the album. Was it possible, I was going mad? This next wave of songs I liked on the album were “Night Boat to Cairo”, “House of Fun”, and “You’re an Embarrassment”. Basically, by this point, I was completely mad.

Recently, I started watching their videos on Youtube, and let me tell you, talk about instant 80’s flashback. All the kids running around in the “Baggy Trousers” and “House of Fun” videos could have easily been me and my friends. Loved this strange little trip down memory lane.

So, you think you wanna go mad, too? How could you not? Seriously? Or not seriously?

Til Tuesday

2009-06-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome! I’m writing a series of articles to shed light on some obscure music I think everyone should check out. I’m into all kinds of music but my favorite is 80’s music. I LOVE IT!!!

This article is devoted to critically acclaimed but commercially pigeon-holed group, Til Tuesday. Til Tuesday featured future star Aimee Mann, but for some unknown reason, was never able to clear the hurdle of one-hit-wonder status due to their smash hit 80’s classic “Voices Carry”.

When I was a young lad growing up in the 80’s I can honestly say that some 80’s singers scared me. Two female singers in particular come to mind, Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics and Aimee Mann of Til Tuesday. In both cases, their haircuts were incredibly jarring at first glance, but beyond that, it might have been Aimee Mann’s big-eyed unyielding stare that freaked me out the most.

Regardless of the Aimee Mann’s ominous eyes, like everyone on the planet in 1985, I was drawn in and can admit that I too screamed along whenever “Voices Carry” came on MTV or the radio.

However, now that I’m older, and have observed a few things, I have no doubt that in some cases, America, whether it was the DJ’s doing or preempted moves on the record labels behalf, but certain groups just didn’t seem to be allowed to progress beyond one-hit-wonder.

A few years back, I heard the song that would change everything I had previously thought about Til Tuesday, and that was the song “Coming Up Close”. This song was amazing the very first time I heard it. And I find it strange that I didn’t get to hear it the first time around in 1992. It was so dreamy and soul-stirring, with Mann and her way with words and delivery, I couldn’t help but listen.

After hearing “Coming Up Close”, on a whim, I decided to buy their greatest hits album. And believe you me, I soon realized why this band was so critically acclaimed. Every song was incredibly mesmerizing and addictive. Sure, it had 80’s written all over it, which is a good thing, but it was way better than that, almost as if it was before its time. And so, beyond what I might have thought of Aimee Mann’s appearance, her music made me realize one thing, and that she is an amazing songwriter.

I challenge anyone to do what I did. Give this 80’s group another look and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

mtd opinions: My Solution for Economic Depression

2009-06-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

Let me open by congratulating everyone who exhibited great judgment in reading this article. Especially, I would like to thank President Obama, and all the other men and women across this great country, whom I’ve sent this email to.

Everybody’s always talking about this apparent economic downswing we’re in. Some have even used the word: depression. Well, that’s just depressing.

In recent months, I can’t tell you how many people have turned to me for the answer to this problem. I always respond with the reflexive, “Well, it’s complicated.”

Well, maybe it isn’t.

I was glancing through my CDs, wondering what group to feature on my next installment of mtd music, when one CD in particular caught my eye. Fine Young Cannibals: Raw and the Cooked.

I know what you’re probably thinking. And you’re probably right. But why don’t you stick around and hear me out anyway. Just for a moment, consider the benefits.

Cannibalism Benefit 1: No more starving or useless people

Part of the problem with this economy is there are simply too many people around. I mean, look at all the people. They’re everywhere. Most of them aren’t even doing anything. There aren’t enough jobs to go around. And, worldwide, there are too many folks starving. Well, what if we ate some of those folks? I mean it brings a serious tear to my eye when I see all the people in the shelters and unemployment lines. What if we ate some of them, too? I’m almost certain you would see an immediate turn around. Sure, they might just be ducking out because they’re afraid of being eaten. Either way, there wouldn’t be so many people suffering.

Cannibalism Benefit 2: A chance to get rid of Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent, bless his heart, is a staunch second amendment advocate and hunting fanatic. He insists on only eating what he kills. Well, why don’t we eat him? I mean he hasn’t had a hit in a while anyway. Plus it would cure him of that horrible cat scratch fever he’s got. He’s had that disease since the 70’s and he’s still singing about it at every show. If you ask me, he would probably welcome the idea. Kind of like Brando’s Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, maybe he’s just sick of being a freak.

Cannibalism Benefit 3: Golf

I hate Golf. We could eat all those people. They’re rich and dress like ignoramuses anyway. I’m sure, if you put it to a group of people who we should eat first, they would insist on golfers. Who are these people anyway? Grown men who spend way too much time on these beautifully manicured greens, whacking a little white ball around like they’re completely insane. Why do we tolerate this behavior? Where else in society do we condone this sort of idiocy? This sort of activity should be reserved for third world homeless children, not rich white guys. Everybody always tells me golf is a legitimate sport. If I had my head screwed on right, I would have eaten those people right on the spot.

One time I saw this one golfer throw his driver a good fifty feet after slicing a ball into the rough. He was shooting his mouth off like a crazed lunatic and when he turned to look at the people watching, everyone tried not to make eye contact with him. In a case like this, I think the humane thing would have been to eat him. What else are we supposed to do with a person that gets so wrapped up in a silly game like golf?

Cannibalism Benefit 4: A new fare

As an avid eater of meat and things, I’m often perplexed by the limitations of most menus. Clearly, there must be more beyond beef and chicken. I don’t like fish. And pork is a dietary no no with so many religious people. So, what if there were people on the menu? Imagine all the new dishes we could choose from. And in some cases, we could even get really descriptive and say, for instance, “This is a real delectable cut of a Brazilian homeless woman. Delicious! We glazed her in a fine burgundy sauce and sprinkled her with capers and whatever else we could find” or “How ‘bout a leg from an exquisite golfer with a modest handicap? We marinated him in a fresh ginger sauce and roasted him to perfection. Comes with a side of potato wedges carved in various golf club sizes.”

The Lone Detriment to Cannibalism: It might be wrong

I just came back from church, where we all took communion. Eerie, huh? Right as I was about to partake of the blood and body of Christ, the pastor said a prayer about everything we consume being holy and glorifying to the name of God. He went on, extrapolating this into all aspects of our lives; movies, music, TV…it got to be kind of a long prayer. And I was thinking, maybe eating people isn’t the solution to our economic problems. At least not unholy people. If we have to eat anybody, maybe we should limit it to holy people. Nuns and things like that. I guess anybody would be considered holy if we could get a priest or rabbi to bless him or her before we ate them. Just not pork. That stuff’s evil.

The bear-bones truth of the matter

Sure, cannibalism would solve all our problems but apparently it is wrong. I mean, if you watch the Hannibal Lecter movies, not once is there a happy montage about Hannibal cooking up people. I think, down deep, Hannibal knows he’s being wrong. Maybe down deep, all people who eat people know it’s wrong. Just like I know it’s wrong to eat frozen custard, but man that stuff is GOOD!

So, in closing. Let me make it abundantly clear. I’m sorry, Mr. President, and to all the American people I’ve sent this email to, and everyone else, too, but we’re just gonna have to keep looking for alternative solutions to this economic depression. Every time there’s a crisis, we can’t just fall back on cannibalism. We have to dig deeper. Until we hit bone. There simply has to be another way. Perhaps, blowing up all the banks or a mass assisted suicide on Wall Street, Kevorkian-style, would do the trick. I’m not sure. Admittedly, I don’t have all the answers. This one’s a doozy. And eating Ted Nugent, for all the good it would do, can’t be the best solution.

mtd actors: Steve Buscemi

2009-06-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

I’ve written a couple music and movie articles, now I’d like to try something a little different. The mtd actors series will feature my favorite actors. Generally, I like the character actors the best, which tend to be a little obscure, but many of my favorite actors have turned into big stars, Clive Owen comes to mind, so some might seem like no-brainers.

My first actor is going to be the great Steve Buscemi. I’ve always loved this guy. Incredibly intense actor. His signature voice is unmistakable and absolutely demands your attention. His unique look, like an emaciated rat with a thyroid condition. But still, he is definitely one of my favorites. No doubt about it.

The first time I saw Steve Buscemi was in 1993 in that groundbreaking Quentin Tarantino film, Reservoir Dogs. As Mr. Pink, he absolutely steals the show. He’s in full weasely bloom, right from the beginning, (well sort of the beginning, with Tarantino’s nonlinear storytelling) when he surprises the crap out of everyone else in the makeshift crime crew, when he refuses to throw-in for the tip. His character proves to be very resourceful, given the mess they’re all in, and Steve Buscemi acts it perfectly.

During the next few years, I saw him in a couple minor roles, but Buscemi didn’t hit it big again until he landed in Fargo, another crime movie, gone busto. In this movie, I think Buscemi takes the weasel and unscrupulousness up a notch. Not quite as empathetic as Mr. Pink. Basically just a real scoundrel. Yeah, loved him in this movie. Incredible performances all around in this Coen Brothers classic.

Steve Buscemi had pretty much solidified his niche in Hollywood after Fargo. And even expanded into writing and directing his own films. The first of these is the next film I’d like to cover, Trees Lounge. This is an adorable film. Buscemi’s character is still kind of jerky. But this guy is no criminal. He’s just, well, basically a loser, in an incredibly awful rut. You really feel for him in this movie and want him to succeed but man, does he make it difficult for himself.

Steve Buscemi is always busy. And he’s been in tons of movies since Trees Lounge. These three were my favorites. Here are some more, with asterisks to show what I thought of the movie as well as Buscemi’s performance (I only included Movies I’ve seen).

^bit role

Mystery Train 1989**

King of New York 1990**^

Miller's Crossing 1991***^

Barton Fink 1992*

Reservoir Dogs 1992*****

The Hudsucker Proxy 1994***^

Airheads 1994*

Pulp Fiction 1994****^

Billy Madison 1995**^

Living in Oblivion 1995***

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead 1995**^

Desperado 1995****

Fargo 1996*****

Trees Lounge 1996****

Con Air 1997**

The Big Lebowski 1998***

The Wedding Singer 1998**^

Armageddon 1998*

Big Daddy 1999**^

Ghost World 2000***

Monsters, Inc. 2001***

The Sopranos 2002-2006*****

The Island 2006**^

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry 2007**^

Thanks for reading. Keep checking for future installments on my favorite music, movies, actors, athletes, and opinions.

mtd movies: Blood Simple

2009-06-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

For my next movie pick, I chose Blood Simple. What an amazing movie!

There’s a scenes in this movie that will absolutely never leave me. This is a sign of greatness. When a character in this movie is buried alive. The way it is done, evokes about a million emotions. It’s horrific and disturbing, but almost comical, but in the end just plain unforgettable.

Blood Simple is the Coen Brother’s first movie. Eventually, several of their movies will be on my list of movie picks. They would have to be my absolute favorite movie makers. Even beating out Scorcese and Tarantino. Something about their movies is just too intriguing. Their unpredictable, quirky, unique, fun, scary, disgusting, shocking, true to life, silly, iconic, and lovable, and I think

Blood Simple is a good first impression of this.

I won’t get into plot, I’m not interested in summarizing movie plots. I’m into the emotional connections, which I’ve already touched on, and then the performances. And let me tell you there are some tremendous performances in this movie. Starting with Dan Hedaya, simply incredible. At times you despise him, other times you feel for him. His character is so detestable and base, and yet the Coen Brothers decide to rake him over the coals, and man is it fun to watch.

Then there’s M. Emmet Walsh. Wow! If you don’t know about this actor, than by all means, see this movie and find out who he is. What an incredible performance! His signature high-pitched voice absolutely demands your attention. His many close-ups give you an opportunity to sift through his layers of thought and devilry, and I just love it!

John Getz and Francis McDormand play the forbidden lovers in this movie. They certainly do their part to complete the cast, but in my opinion, the movie is completely man-handled by Hedaya and Walsh. Getz is a serviceable leading man, but his character has a tendency to get annoying. Same thing with Francis McDormand. If you’re looking for another Fargo from her, Blood Simple simply isn’t the vehicle for that. Her character, like Getz’s, is a bit dense, and at times grates on your sensibilities. But like Tristan and Isolde, there really isn’t any cause for them to provide too much interest or insight, character-wise. It is their predicament that attracts you. And it's King Mark and the surrounding characters and their subsequent scrambling to do something about it that make the story.

So, if you like good thrillers, and don’t mind a little quirkiness mixed in, than grab Blood Simple, or put it on your cue, because it is definitely worth it!

Coen Brothers Movie Collection (Fargo/Miller’s Crossing/Barton Fink/Raising Arizona/Blood Simple)

mtd music: Aztec Camera

2009-06-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, thanks for viewing me!

I’m writing a series of articles to shed light on some obscure music I think everyone should check out. I’m into all kinds of music but my favorite is 80’s music. I LOVE IT!!!

In this particular article, I’m focusing on the band Aztec Camera. Aztec Camera had a significant following in England and other countries abroad. In America, where I grew up during the 80’s and 90’s, I only heard of the group in passing, remembering only their interesting name and that’s all.

However, I recently stumbled on their hit song “Oblivious” and I was hooked. What an amazing song! It has a serious jazzy groove and a strong guttural bass line, atypical of the usual 80’s pop sound. The structure was surprising and went in all kinds of directions. In the video, Roddy frame, the man behind Aztec Camera, sports a typical 80’s androgynous look, a la Boy George. But as showcased in the video, this boy can play. Great guitar solo!

The next song I discovered was “Walk Into Winter”. Again, it sounded so different. It moved at almost a schizophrenic pace, fast and slow at the same time. In the video, Roddy Frame seems like a different person, far removed from his gender-bending appearance in “Oblivious”, apart from a black mane of hair.

Another song the caught my attention was “Wide & Deep & Tall”. Great song and video! Instant 80’s injection! It’s incredibly poppy but still grooves. And in the video in particular, Roddy Frame’s stone washed jean jacket and pants puts you directly back into the 80’s, where let’s face it, we all wanna be!

If you are a fan of the 80’s or just good music in general, I encourage you to look this group up. There’s a few greatest hits collections, I think, would be worth picking up. And if you’re so inclined, check out the videos on Youtube. Great songs from an incredible songwriter, Roddy Frame.

Albums

High Land, Hard Rain (1983) - UK #22

Knife (1984) - UK #14

Love (1987) - UK #10

Stray (1990) - UK #22

Dreamland (1993) - UK #21

Frestonia (1995)

Compilations

The Best of Aztec Camera

Deep & Wide & Tall: The Platinum Collection